There are two phases to the plan. Phase I instructs the dieter to eat whatever he or she wants to eat for the first three days after starting the HCG injections. In fact, it is recommended that the dieter gorge on fatty foods during this phase. This is also called the loading up phase. The idea is build up the fat cells to maximum levels so that the dieter does not feel as hungry during Phase II which is the low-calorie diet phase. You want to minimize hunger as much as possible because it reduces the risk of non-compliance with the 500-calorie per day eating routine. The next phase is the VCLD. Keep in mind that the HCG diet is a very sensitive one and you should pay attention to all additives in foods as well as portion sizes. By paying attention to additives, you can detect if any sugar was used which is something you must strictly avoid during this phase. The remainder of this article covers some of the allowed foods.

You are allowed to eat foods high in protein. These include lean beef, fish, chicken, and boiled eggs. Allowed beef includes veal, London broil, and round steak. Avoid lean hamburger meat as it still contains fat. Fish you can eat includes bass, flounder, pike, snapper, scallops, lobster, and shrimp. It is important to stay away from canned fish like salmon, herring, eel, and tuna. Pickled fish should be avoided as well. Chicken should only be from the breast. All meat and fish should only be boiled or grilled and never fried or cooked in oil. Portion sizes should be no more than 100 grams (3.5 ounces).

You can eat fresh vegetables but only one type per meal. Fresh vegetable portion sizes should be no more that 100 grams also. It is important to note that you can choose only one type of vegetable for lunch and dinner. Allowed vegetables include broccoli, asparagus, cauliflower, tomato, zucchini, onion, cucumber, cabbage, and spinach.

The allowed foods are only eaten for lunch and dinner. Unfortunately, the Simeons protocol does not call for anything other than liquids like coffee, tea, or water. Of course, coffee and tea should not contain any sugar sweeteners. Saccharin and one tablespoon of milk is allowed.

Dieters on the plan primarily take HCG injections to introduce the hormone into their system. They buy kits with syringes and mixing instructions. In some geographical regions, purchasing HCG injection kits is illegal therefore those who want to participate in the diet must resort to oral methods. Oral methods come in two types: pills you can swallow or sub-lingual drops. The problem with HCG pills you can swallow is that the hormone is also a protein and the side effect is that it will get absorbed by the digestive system with no benefit towards weight loss. Sub-lingual drops placed under the tongue are much more effective because the membrane at that location can absorb the hormone rapidly.

The underlying process that makes the diet work is through the hypothalamus gland. This gland is part of the brain and supplies the trigger to metabolize fat. Metabolizing of fat is the process by which the body converts it from a stored state to energy. When we consume more calories than we use for energy, the body converts and stores the excess as fat. Fat storage is easy for the body but the reverse is difficult and that is why so many have trouble losing weight. Diets are based on the principle of metabolizing fat and each has its own trigger. The HCG and hypothalamus work together to tell the body to convert stored fat into energy.

The other component of HCG diet treatments is the very low calorie diet (VLCD). If the dieter continues to consume more calories than what are used for energy, the HCG diet will not be effective. Those on the HCG weight loss plan are instructed to consume no more than 500 calories each day. This isn’t very much but the underlying intent is that the metabolized fat will supply some of the energy needed.

There are no direct side effects from the intake of HCG. However, the dieter might experience side effects because of the reduction in caloric intake. Some complain of headache, fatigue, constipation, insomnia, and dizziness however these are more than likely the results of the low calorie diet. It is recommended that those on the HCG diet make every calorie they eat provide some healthy benefit. For example, constipation can be treated by eating foods that are high in fiber such as those with whole-grain ingredients. Insomnia can be treated by getting enough vitamin B6 which can be found in food sources like green vegetables, potatoes, dairy products, and eggs.

Some report headaches and mood swings which are more than likely because of reduced calorie intake. This happens when participants reduce all calories to include the important ones. For example, you need carbohydrates to help with brain functioning but what many do is cut them out altogether. Instead, you should go for the complex carbohydrates like those found in fruits, vegetables, and whole grain products. These digest slower and don’t give you the elevated blood sugar levels that normally result in weight gain.

There are other initial side effects from the 500-calorie diet. These include insomnia, fatigue, and constipation. Insomnia comes from a vitamin deficiency in the diet. Fatigue can be caused by the insomnia but also as a direct result of a vitamin-deficient diet. Constipation oftentimes occurs in any diet because of the lack of bulk in the intestine that helps you have a bowel movement.

Include sources of Vitamin B6 in your diet to help with insomnia. Insomnia is relieved by serotonin which is a neurotransmitter that helps to calm your nerves and allow you to sleep better. Vitamin B6 helps in the production of serotonin and you get it from food sources like green vegetables, bananas, fish, and eggs.

There are other factors that can cause fatigue. For example, not getting enough water can result in dehydration which could lead to fatigue. It can also be caused by not getting the energy you body needs because of the reduced food intake. Make sure you eat foods that supply your proteins, essential fatty acids, and complex carbohydrates each day.

Constipation also comes from eating less. You need bulk in your intestine so that waste can bond with it for passing in a bowel movement. This is achieved by eating foods high in fiber. For example, eating an apple with its peel is a good source of fiber. Other foods include beans, blueberries, broccoli, and whole wheat grain products.

Many have different experiences while on the diet. All have unique conditions when starting a diet along with metabolisms that are different for each individual. The above are just a few of the reported side effects that you should be aware of. You may experience some of them or none at all. The good news is that many of the initial effects from eating less subside in a few weeks.

Fish is highly recommended on this diet. This is because fish is high in nutrients and protein while only contributing very few calories to a meal. The fatty acid Omega-3 is provided by some types of fish so you also derive benefits for your heart and circulatory system. The recommended types of fish include crab meat, shrimp, red snapper, and white fish such as cod. You are only allowed 100 grams of one type of fish for each of the two meals: lunch and dinner.

Switch between fish and lean beef to provide variety in your two meals. Have fish for lunch or dinner and then choose lean beef for the other. Lean beef provides you with protein as well as iron which is very important for women. Lean beef cuts are sirloin tips and round steak. Recommendations are to avoid ground beef and, if possible, substitute veal in all cases. You can also eat white chicken breast instead of beef or fish.

You can and must eat green vegetables while on the diet. Green vegetables, especially the leafy kind, are an important source of fiber and vitamins. There is a risk of experiencing constipation when you first start the VLCD and that is usually because of the reduction in food intake. Eating vegetables along with drinking plenty of water gives you the fiber needed to reduce the risk of constipation. You can eat 100 grams of one type of vegetable for each meal. The VLCD calls for eating one type of vegetable at lunch and then a different type at dinner. The most common vegetables allowed are spinach, asparagus, broccoli, red radishes, cucumbers, lettuce, cabbage, tomatoes, and celery.

One Melba toast or one Grissini breadstick is allowed in each of the two meals. Although they are not the lowest in calories, they provide some of the carbohydrates you need for healthy brain functioning plus give a little satisfaction for bread in your meals. It is estimated that one Grissini breadstick contains between 10 and 20 calories.

Some fruits are allowed and they can help satisfy your cravings for sweets. Allowed fruits include apples, strawberries, oranges, and one-half of a grapefruit. It is also suggested that the participant change the type of fruit eaten at each meal. Apple is particularly beneficial in that it is a good source of dietary fiber if eaten with the peel. Fruits are also a good source of carbohydrates in that they digest slower and don’t cause insulin spikes that work against weight loss efforts.

No matter what you choose to eat, it must be low in calories. For the VLCD, no starches or processed sugars are allowed whatsoever. Since the HCG diet is very sensitive to any high-calorie foods, you should meticulously check everything for counts prior to consumption.

If you are serious to follow through with your New Year’s resolution, there are some tips to help ensure that you succeed:

• Make smaller changes, that you can sustain! Fad dieting will make you lose weigh faster, but the odds are that next year you’ll be making yet another resolution to lose weight because you weren’t able to keep it up. Try eating smaller more frequent meals, finding lower calorie alternatives for foods, and eat out less often.
• f you are dieting with someone else it’s easier, you can talk about the difficulties, blow off steam if necessary, and get into the competitive spirit a bit. The only warning is not to get too competitive, this will only make you depressed if the other person happens to lose more weight than you or has a better week. If you don’t know anyone who is as serious about losing weight as you are, you can find a number of websites with forums, blogs, or chat rooms full of people trying to lose weight too.
• Keeping track of what you eat, any physical exercise, and your progress will help. People who are honest with themselves and keep accurate records tend to do better. You don’t have to show anyone your records, so make sure that you write down EVERYTHING, you may not even realize how much you are eating in a day.
• Saying that you want to lose 50 pounds in 2 months is not realistic, nor is it safe. If your goal is not realistic, you will just be disappointed and probably end up quitting. Make smaller goals and if you exceed your goal you will only be pleasantly surprised. Be sure, however, to make your goal challenging too, really think about it because it is an important factor in whether or not you will succeed.
• Even if you slip or don’t do well for a week or two, just keep trying. People lose weight in different ways, you may hit bumps in the road, but don’t stress over it, just keep it up.

1. Don’t look at it as a diet, but a lifestyle change. If you are truly serious about losing weight and keeping it off, you need to change the way you live and think about food. Changing the way you eat on a temporary basis usually results in you eventually going right back to your old eating habits and weight. Make smaller changes that are sustainable, you may lose weight slower, but the chances of keeping the weight off are much greater.
2. Make time for food and don’t starve! Far too often, people eat nothing all day because they are either too busy or want to avoid the calories. This is not the way to diet! In fact, this is precisely how sumo wrestlers train. Not eating all day, no matter what the reason, makes you feel famished, and as a result, you end up eating everything in sight. Bring snacks or food with you to ensure that you never get to the point of feeling famished. If possible, keep a stash of healthy crackers at your desk or keep a granola bar in your car so that you always have something on hand.
3. Eat more often and lower portion sizes! Eating smaller meals more often will ensure that you are never hungry, even if you are consuming less calories.
4. Keep track of your results! Not everyone likes the scale, but it is important to keep track of your progress. If you are seeing results on a regular basis, you become even more motivated. It is important, however, that you are not checking everyday, as your weight may fluctuate. You should get on the scale on a regular basis, probably once every 1-2 weeks. If you really hate the scale, track your progress by finding a tight pair of pants or a dress. Try on your article of clothing every 1-2 weeks to see the progress you’ve made. Even when you have met your weight loss goal, you should continue to track progress to ensure that you stay on target.
5. Don’t give up! Probably the most important part of long-term weight loss and maintenance is the idea to not give up. If you have a bad eating day, week, or even month, don’t just go back to your old ways. Don’t dwell on the past or make yourself feel guilty. Instead, start a new day and get back on track.

The truth is, losing weight takes time and strong commiment! The good news is that over time the lifestyle changes that you make become habits, good habits. As you build good eating and lifestyle habits, the whole process of losing weight and keeping it off becomes easier.

Believe it or not, there are many ways you can keep to your diet and eat healthy without blowing your budget. The following tips will help you to eat better:

• Avoid eating out for every meal! It’s totally ok to eat out on occasion, but when you are not making the food, it’s hard to know what’s in the food and how it’s prepared. In addition, eating out for breakfast, lunch, and dinner can really hurt the budget! Bring meals and snacks to work or elsewhere, that way you can ensure that they are cheap and healthy!
• It may take some time, but sit down and make a meal plan. First, get out the grocery store flyers. Find out what is on sale and plan meals around what is cheap. You can find thousands of low calorie, low carb, or low fat recipes on the Internet. Figure out what you are counting and allocate a certain amount for each meal. Then, choose recipes based on those amounts and what’s on sale. Once you get the hang of it, it can be really easy!
• When creating a meal plan, try to use every bit of what you buy. For example, you can use leftover chicken, celery, and onions from dinner to make a quick and healthy soup for your lunch. Be creative with meals, and try not to buy more than you will need!
• Look for foods that are in season! Fruits and vegetables are way cheaper when they are in season, so pick up what is fresh, cheap, and local. You can also try a local farmers market, this is usually a great option for budget dieting.
• There are lots of recipes with strange or specialty ingredients, but these can be very expensive. In addition, unless you can buy them in the quantities that you need, they will likely go to waste. Try to stick with simple ingredients, they make quick meals, are generally fairly cheap.

It is very possible to diet no matter what your budget is! In fact, being smart about meal preparation and shopping, can help your waist line and may even save you money!

Plan ahead! If you know you are going to be heading to a restaurant in the next couple of days, try to eat better ahead of time. Don’t starve yourself, but have a salad for lunch if you know you may be having some extra calories at dinner.

Always drink a glass of water while you are waiting for your food. This will make you feel full faster, and help you not to overeat.

Avoid extra calories by skipping the free garlic bread, dinner rolls with butter, and/or breadsticks. These items can increase the calories, and fat of your meal without you even realizing it!

If possible, have a side salad, soup, or steamed vegetables with your meal instead of fries.

Always ask that the dressing, sauces, and gravies be put on the side, to ensure that you can control how much of it you are eating.

Avoid the creamy stuff whenever possible. Creamy sauces, salad dressings and pasta dishes often have more calories than other options.

Bring home the leftovers! Restaurant portion sizes are often far more than you should eat during one meal. Try to eat slow, and stop when you are full. Having a couple of extra bites when you are already full, just leads to discomfort, guilt, and extra calories.

Consider how the food is cooked and the ingredients! Try to avoid foods that are fried or deep fried. Also, try to stay away from a lot of the extras, this will save you money and calories! In addition, try to find dishes made with whole grains, or with lots of fruits and/or vegetables.

If you are eating more calories with dinner, try to shy away from too much alcohol. Alcohol can dramatically increase the calorie count of your meal, if you really want to drink, limit yourself to one or two glasses.

If you have to have dessert, share it! Generally dessert portions are very big, and you are usually already full, so have half of the calories by splitting the dessert with someone.

It’s nice to eat out every once and a while! Why not try to make the experience as healthy as possible, without completely depriving yourself.

Tip No.1 – You really don’t need to study food labels or weigh the fat content of food to know which foods you should limit. Everyone knows that eating too much junk is not good. Saying that you’re not going to have any junk food what so ever may be great for your health, but is this a realistic and sustainable idea? The key idea is moderation. Completely restricting foods may lead you to psychologically want that food even more, and if you do succumb to the temptation, you may find it difficult to stop yourself from going overboard. Instead of restricting yourself completely, try to moderate what you are eating by limiting portion sizes and frequency. For example, instead of a whole chocolate bar everyday, try eating half of a chocolate bar 3 times per week. Moderation will take practice and planning. If you portion your food in advance, when you are not hungry, it may be easier to ensure that you don’t just take a few extra bites!

Tip No.2 – Eating healthy is all about having a variety of different foods. In order to stay satisfied, it is important that you are not bored with your food. If you feel yourself getting bored with your regular food intake, look online or in a recipe book for a different light/healthy meal. Another great idea, is to look for fruits and vegetables that are in season, often you can find something that you don’t eat on a regular basis. Finally, you can find ways to make your favorite foods healthier. If you are absolutely craving a big bowl of pasta, you can modify the meal: have a starter salad, so that you eat less pasta; use whole wheat pasta; or use ground chicken in the sauce instead of beef, in sauce you won’t even notice the difference. Modifying foods that you love along with adding new foods to your diet will ensure that you don’t get super bored.

Tip No.3 – It only takes a few seconds to write down what you eat, but it could make all the difference in the world. Psychologically, if you know you have to write down everything that you put in your mouth, you will eat less. In addition, sometimes you don’t realize just how much you are eating in a day. Even if you don’t count all the calories, you can tell when you’ve eaten way more than you should.

When trying to change your diet, it is important to realize that it takes practice. Healthy eating is important, and should be a lifelong venture, not a fad diet.

Eat your meals at about the same time every day, so that the digestive system can always perform at its best. Eat according to your hunger level. If you are not hungry don’t eat. Wait until your natural appetite (digestive power) has returned.

Drink about 6-8 eight glasses of water each day. Pure and fresh water is best. Make it a daily habit of drinking one glass of water about ½ hour before each meal and one glass of water 2-2 ½ hours after each meal. This improves digestion and keeps the blood thin .

Sit down when you eat, even if it is for a small snack. The digestive system is better able to secrete balanced amounts of digestive juices when eating in the sitting position.

Eat in a settled environment without radio, television or reading. Any distraction from eating impairs the enjoyment of food and the ability of the body to supply the appropriate enzymes for digestion. Sit quietly for 5-10 minutes after the meal so that the food has a chance to settle in the stomach before getting up from the table. Lying on your left side for a few minutes and going for a 15-minute walk afterwards also greatly aids digestion.