The Hcg Diet Protocol

This precise summary of the HCG Diet protocol includes excerpts directly from Dr. Simeons manuscript, “Pounds and Inches” including the menu for the 500 calorie VLCD (Very Low Calorie Diet.) 

It is important to note there are modern versions of the protocol that allow healthy food variations, increased calories and a more lenient approach to the diet. You can find these here on Hcg Diet Info as well.

 

The HCG Diet Protocol Summarized

The version of the Hcg Diet Plan described below is the unedited original as outlined by Dr. Simeons himself, despite the existence of newer variations.  The food list and menu description, are also unedited and taken directly from the manuscript.

In addition to the these details, you will find notes attached by our expert editors for additional clarification.  If you are looking for additional protocol questions, or are simply curious, those can be found in our A to Z Guide to the Hcg diet.

If you have questions regarding this protocol, feel free to join the  Hcg Diet Forums We have coaches who are experts in the original Hcg Diet Plan protocol as well as in homeopathic protocols, and various alternative approaches.

 

The Original Hcg Diet Menu

Breakfast:
Tea or coffee in any quantity without sugar. Only one tablespoonful of milk allowed in 24 hours. Saccharin or Stevia may be used.

Lunch:

• 100 grams of protein, including veal, beef, chicken breast, fresh white fish, lobster, crab, or shrimp. All visible fat must be carefully removed before cooking, and the meat must be weighed raw. It must be boiled or grilled without additional fat. Salmon, eel, tuna, herring, dried or pickled fish are not allowed. The chicken breast must be removed from the bird [prior to cooking.]
• One type of vegetable only to be chosen from the following: spinach, chard, chicory, beet-greens, green salad, tomatoes, celery, fennel, onions, red radishes, cucumbers, asparagus, cabbage.  [See the extended Hcg Diet Foods Lists.]
• One breadstick (grissino) or one Melba toast.
• An apple, orange, or a handful of strawberries or one-half grapefruit.

Dinner:
The same four choices as lunch (shown above.)

Please take the 100 grams weight seriously, but also take into consideration that you want 100 grams of PROTEIN, and not added salts and additives of your intake.  

According to Nutrition.org, the average American portion size is 50% larger than needed, and is one of the largest contributing factors to the rise of obesity in America.

We highly recommend buying a food scale and focusing on portion control as one strategy to train yourself for lifelong healthy eating.  

These scales are extremely inexpensive (around $10 to $15 on (Amazon) and will immediately save you money on food, while proving to be an inexpensive investment for long term healthy eating.

 

Important Highlights from the Original HCG Diet Manuscript:

• The 500 calorie limit must always be maintained.
• 2 small apples are not an acceptable exchange for “1 apple.”
• Very occasionally we allow egg – boiled, poached or raw – to patients who develop an aversion to meat, but in this case they must add the white of three eggs to the one they eat whole.
• Cottage cheese made from skimmed milk is available. 100 grams may occasionally be used instead of the allowed meat option.

Particularly for a vegetarian Hcg Dieter, these substitutes can be quite helpful. Here is an additional article on alternative proteins for the vegetarian Hcg Diet. This may be particularly useful for vegetarians or those with aversions to meat but still want to follow the plan.

What kind of diet is this?

The Hcg Diet is a whole food cleanse that emphasizes high protein, low carbohydrate, and high vegetable consumption for weight loss and healthy eating. It is not a ketogenic diet, and when followed correctly, does not require ketosis for rapid weight loss in obese patients.

Benefits of the HCG Protocol

The diet is widely known for rapid weight loss results, however there are additional benefits that have made the diet successful:  the plan also focuses on helping the individual to adapt to a whole food nutrition plan, understand portion control, and detoxifying the body as a whole.

What can I eat on the Original Protocol?

Drinks and Seasonings permitted on the HCG Diet based on Dr Simeons original Hcg weight loss protocol as written in Pounds and Inches:

• The juice of one lemon daily is allowed for all purposes.
• Salt, pepper, vinegar, mustard powder, garlic, sweet basil, parsley, thyme, marjoram, etc., may be used for seasoning
• No oil, butter or dressing is permitted
• Tea, coffee, plain water, or mineral water (2 liters of water per day is recommended) are the only drinks allowed, but they may be taken in any quantity and at all times.
• The fruit or the breadstick may be eaten between meals instead of with lunch or dinner, but not more than than four items listed for lunch and dinner may be eaten at one meal.
• No medicines or cosmetics other than lipstick, eyebrow pencil and powder may he used without special permission.

Editor’s note: Most hcg diet experts today, find there are no issues with cosmetics or similar products that affect weight loss results.  Personal care items are believed to be the same, however some individuals do proceed with caution in an effort to achieve the most efficient weight loss rates on the diet. 

Read more about what to eat on the Hcg Diet here.

 

Original Protocol on Portions: specially prepared unsweetened, low calorie foods

“In many countries specially prepared unsweetened and low Calorie foods are freely available, and some of these can be tentatively used… the total daily intake must not exceed 500 Calories if the best possible results are to be obtained, that the daily ration should contain 200 grams of fat-free protein and a very small amount of starch.”  From Dr Simeon’s own Manuscript, “Pounds and Inches.” (available here as PDF, MP3 Audiobook, and by table of contents with editor’s notes.)

Editor’s Note:  With modern research, we now know that the cleaner the diet, the more efficient the weight loss. We also know that clean-eating can help with transitioning into phase 3 and long term maintenance.  

Low calorie foods in America tend to be prepackaged, highly processed and difficult for the body to process efficiently.  It is highly advised that only “whole foods” are eaten while on the diet plan.  

Processed foods or prepackaged foods are NOT permitted on the protocol.  Please avoid all sweeteners and processed foods as much as possible for more efficient weight loss.

In addition, the primary goal while on Phase 2 of the protocol, should always be to retrain the mind and body to follow healthier eating habits.  

One opportunity with this part of the protocol, is to weed out unhealthy sweeteners completely, and learn to eat  whole, unprocessed foods as much as possible.

 

Personal Care and Beauty Products:

Highlights from the Original Manuscript:

We do permit the use of lipstick, powder and such lotions as are entirely free of fatty substances. We also allow brilliantine to be used on the hair but it must not be rubbed into the scalp. Obviously sun-tan oil is prohibited.  
Aspirin and birth control are allowed on the Simeons hCG Diet.
No massage of any kind. 

Note: Modern Hcg Diet experts widely approve of massage and light to moderate exercise while on the Hcg Diet Plan.  In fact, anything that increases the body’s circulation is considered to be a health benefit: before, during and after the Hcg Diet Plan.

A short list of HCG-friendly health and beauty products are available here: Recommended HCG Diet-safe products.

About Dr. Simeons HCG Injections:

Based on the original protocol, Hcg Diet injections (complete guide) the dose for the Simeons protocol is 125 iu of Hcg injections, administered daily, for no more than 40 days.  

A list of sources providing these can be found on our “Buying Hcg injections online” .

“Patients who need to lose 15 pounds or, 7 kilos or less require 26 days treatment with 23 daily injections. The VLCD is continued for 3 days following the end of the injections to avoid weight regain.”

Dr. Simeons Guidelines for hCG Injections:

Hcg injections are administered daily. The dose for the Simeons protocol is 125iu administered daily, for no more than 40 days.

“When treating only one or two cases simultaneously, vials containing a small number of units say 1000 I.U. should be used. The 10 cc. of solvent which is supplied by the manufacturer is injected into the rubber- capped bottle containing the hCG, and the powder must dissolve instantly. Of this solution 1 .25 cc. are withdrawn for each injection. One such bottle of 1000 I.U. therefore furnishes 8 injections. When more than one patient is being treated, they should not each have their own bottle but rather all be injected from the same vial and a fresh solution made when this is empty.

Patients who need to lose 15 pounds or, 7 kilos or less require 26 days treatment with 23 daily injections.”

The VLCD is continued for 3 days following the end of the injections to avoid weight regain.

 

HCG Diet Injections and the Female Menstrual Cycle

“Patients do not take their injections during menstruation, however the VLCD is continued during this time.  The individual must reinstate the daily Hcg injection once menstruation is over. Many women simply skip injections on the heaviest flow days.”

This is only a small amount of the information provided in Dr. Simeons manuscript.  Read the entire section on this topic in the manuscript:  HCG Diet and the female menstrual cycle

Time and hCG Shots

“When a patient has more than 15 pounds to lose the treatment takes longer but the maximum we give in a single course is 40 injections, nor do we as a rule allow patients to lose more than 34 lbs. (15 Kg.) at a time. The treatment is stopped when either 34 lbs. have been lost or 40 injections have been given. The only exception we make is in the case of grotesquely obese patients who may be allowed to lose an additional 5-6 lbs. if this occurs before the 40 injections are up.”

 

How long do I take Hcg Injections on the Protocol?

“When a patient has more than 15 pounds to lose the treatment takes longer but the maximum we give in a single course is 40 injections, nor do we as a rule allow patients to lose more than 34 lbs. (15 Kg.) at a time. The Treatment is stopped when either 34 lbs. have been lost or 40 injections have been given. The only exception we make is in the case of grotesquely obese patients who may be allowed to lose an additional 5-6 lbs. if this occurs before the 40 injections are up.”

Side Effects

There are very few risks with the Hcg hormone and the weight loss protocol.  In the Hcg Diet forums on this site, we have seen very few side effects of the protocol.

During the Phase 2, some individuals may experience headaches, hunger and cravings, which are typically found to disappear in a few days as the body adjusts to the lack of preservatives, chemicals and processed sugars and carbs.

In the event that these do not subside, an Hcg dosage adjustment may be required and is relatively simple to do with the help of your doctor or the advice of our coaching experts in the forums. Read more about side effects of the diet.

Modern Day Protocol Modifications

Questions?  Hcg Diet expert moderators and coaches offer free advice in the Hcg Diet Forums. We are ready to help!