HCG Diet Questions and Information from Dr. Zach

I received an email from a woman completing a course of study in nutrition and weight loss. She asked if I wouldn't mind answering some questions relating to my book, HCG 2.0 – A Modern Adaptation to the traditional HCG Diet. In doing so, I thought some of my readers might have the same questions so I posted them questions and answerns below. If you have questions relating to your HCG diet protocol, please feel free to email me or post them to our HCG Diet Facebook page. 

1. Sunnarize the basic principals of the HCG 2.0 Diet. free

2. Are there any food gruops missing your HCG diet protocol? If so, which ones?

3. Are there any food groups that are in excessive amounts in your HCG plan? If so, which ones?

4. What Macronutrients are missing from HCG 2.0? free

5. What Micronutrients are missing from HCG 2.0? free information

6. Do you recommend the HCG 2.0 diet protocol? why or why not? more free information

7. What are the potential side effects (positive or negative) on the dieters health?

8. Analyze a 3 day intake and summarize your findings?

 

1.     The HCG 2.0 diet combines the HCG supplement with a ketosis based diet. Limiting the carbs on the diet further maintains a more consistent level of ketosis throughout the 40-day low calorie protocol. The more the dieter can do to help the HCG by limiting carbs and maintaining ketosis, the more the HCG will help the dieter.

2.     As we’ve established, this is a ketosis based diet, so there are no starches. Starches can be re-introduced when after the 40 day HCG Diet protocol.

3.     The allowable protein on the HCG diet is adequate, but not excessive. The amount of protein allowed is dependent upon the dieter. A BMR calculation is used to determine the amount of protein allowed on the diet. Protein calories equal 40% of the dieters BMR. BMR (basal metabolic rate) is the amount of calorie one needs to maintain normal, at rest, body function.

4.     As a ketosis diet, there are no carbohydrates. Limiting carbs initiates a completely healthy metabolic process called ketosis which facilitates the conversion of stored fat into ketone bodies, which are converted by the liver into useable energy. Ketosis is the only way to tap into our unwanted fat stores. For more on ketosis, click here.

5.     The HCG 2.0 diet allows for plenty of vegetables and adequate protein, so all micronutrients are included. Carbs are a source of energy, but contain very little nutritional value. If you dissect the word carbohydrate, it’s the reverse of hydrocarbon. Hydrocarbons are the energy that powers are vehicles. Similarly, carbohydrates power the engines of our bodies. Also like our vehicles, when we consume carbohydrates in combination with the oxygen we breathe, energy is produced with CO2 as the by-product. Isn’t biochemistry fascinating??

6.     Of course. It’s a quick and effective way to shed unwanted fat while maintaining muscle mass. One might argue that it’s difficult to maintain the weight loss, and that might be true, but maintaining weight loss is actually a good problem to have. First, it shows that you’re capable of losing weight. Second, you’re operating at a lower weight, which means improvements in blood chemistry including cholesterols, glucose, HBA1C and lower blood pressure. It will take work and discipline, but maintaining the weight loss is entirely doable. My philosophy is get the weight off as quick as possible and then worry about keeping it off.

7.     Positive side effects include: Better rest.Improvements in blood chemistry including lowered cholesterols, blood pressure and HBa1C, which typically remains low following the diet. Higher energy levels without a nervous or edgy feeling. A general feeling of well-being.

Negative side effects may include: Headaches early in the protocol. This could be more of problem if you are accustomed to a high sugar diet and more likely a by-product of detoxing yourself than the HCG. This can be addressed with Aspirin. Leg cramping – Again, this is typically a more frequent problem if you were accustomed to a high sugar diet. A multi-vitamin or potassium supplement can help remedy this. Slight, temporary hair thinning, primarily in women. You may be more likely to experience this if you have a history of female pattern baldness of have lost hair following a pregnancy. A Biotin supplement can remedy this.

 

 

Keywords: hcg, hcg diet, hcg protocol, hcg plan, ketosis, micronutrients, macronutrients, brm, hba1c, calories, carbs, carbohydrates, protein, weight loss, side effects

5 Questions You Must Ask Yourself If Your Family Doesn't Like Your Significant Other

Why can’t the people we love just love each other, too?

Sometimes, it seems like it's practically in your relatives' job descriptions to hand out unsolicited advice about your life decisions—but it's never quite as unwanted as when it's (a) negative, and (b) about your significant other. 

In the most recent episode of Girls (you might want to stop reading now if you're a fan and haven't seen it yet), Hannah gets hit with just such a blow from her mother: "You're so special, you deserve everything and more," she says. "He's really nice, but stay open to possibilities."

When Hannah balks at the suggestion—after all, Adam has really gone above and beyond this season—Hannah's mom goes into excruciating detail about just what she finds so unsavory about Adam. "He's odd, he's angry, he's uncomfortable in his own skin, he bounces around from thing to thing. I don't want you to spend your whole life socializing him like he's a stray dog, making the world a friendlier place for him." Ouch. 

MORE: Before You Introduce Your Guy to the Parents…

Found yourself in a similar situation? First, resist the urge to get defensive. Instead, calmly thank them for their concern and tell them that you're going to think carefully about what they said, suggests Wendy Walsh, Ph.D., a relationship expert and author of The 30-Day Love Detox; that should appease them for the time being. Then, ask yourself these vital questions to figure out if their concern is legitimate:

Is My Relative Worried About My Safety?
"It's one thing if a family member you're close to tells you they're worried whether you're with the right person," says Rachel Sussman, a licensed psychotherapist and author of The Breakup Bible. "But if they tell you you're in danger or there are control issues or emotional abuse issues, then it really is a responsibility of someone in the family to speak up." Which means these are the times you'll definitely want to listen to what they're saying and probably dump your S.O.—your safety and psychological wellbeing could depend on it.

How Often Does This Family Member Give Me Advice?
If the answer is constantly, then you can take what they're saying with a grain of salt. But if your sister usually never says a peep about the guys you date and now is telling you she doesn't like the way this one treats you, that's worth paying more attention to. After all, she must think something is seriously wrong with this man (or your relationship) if she's veered from her normal routine of respecting your decisions without comment—so in this situation, you'll want to seriously consider whether what they're saying has any merit, says Sussman.

MORE: How Your Parents Impact Your Relationship 

What's Motivating My Loved One to Make This Comment?
Sometimes, the answer is 100 percent concern for you. Other times, though, something else is at play. "When somebody says something negative about someone else, it's almost always about something they feel about themselves," says Walsh. Oftentimes, people make critical comments because you've been spending more time with your partner and less time with them (hey, they miss you—can you blame them?). Other times, as appears to be the case here, your relative may be trying to prevent you from making what they see as a similar mistake to one they've made (Hannah's father is definitely strange, too, so it seems her mom may be projecting here). Regardless, the answer here will help you better decide how to respond to their concerns: For example, if your family member misses you, you can offer to spend more time with them.

Is Their Criticism Valid?
Hannah's mom is right—Adam is odd. But sometimes—particularly when people are upset with you about something else—they're just picking a fight about your partner and there's less substance to their complaints.

And If It Is, Am I All Right With That?
Hannah's mom may have had a tough time dealing with her dad's quirks—but that doesn't mean that Hannah necessarily needs to dump Adam. As a general rule of thumb, Sussman suggests asking yourself how much this personality trait of your partner's bothers you now; the answer may help you determine whether you should stick with the relationship or not. "Because if it's something that really bothers you now, there's a good chance it's going to bother you even more as time goes on," says Sussman. 

MORE: How to Get Rid of Emotional Family Baggage 

Four Common HCG Diet Questions Answered

This is an email I received from a patient with questions regarding his HCG 2.0 diet. These are questions that apply not only to HCG 2.0, but to the traditional HCG diet developed by Dr. Simeons’ as well. In fact, Hectors questions are the same questions that I had after first reading Dr. Simeons original manuscript, Pounds and Inches: A New Approach to Obesity and a primary motivator in writing the book.

I do have to apologize to Hector as I’m usually more timely with my response, but I seemed to get a little sidetracked this time. I did however reply (same day) with the abridged version of the email you see below. I hope Hector and the rest of you find the complete and unabridged answers beneficial…

HCG Diet Quesitons #1 - What kind of control do you have for this hormone HCG? Is it synthetic or is it from human origin?

This question can almost entirely be answered from HCG 2.0. See the Excerpt below from the chapter titled “Variations of HCG.”

Homeopathic HCG

Before discussing the drops, let’s briefly define homeopathy. This alternative medical system was developed in Germany at the end of the 18th century. It is based on the “law of minimal dose” — with the focus being that exposure alone to a particular compound provides the greatest effect. The Homeopathic HCG that you’ll find from an FDA approved manufacturer uses the intact HCG molecule, in combination with a magnification process, to increase its potency. You’ll find this on the label under drug facts. The Homeopathic HCG used in my practice is labeled (3X, 6X, 12X, 30X, 60X), which is an indication of its potency.  This may raise eyebrows, and I was skeptical at first too. In fact, it was only recently that I introduce the drops into my practice; prior to that I was working only with the prescription HCG.  I did so as a result of overwhelming patient demand. I had so many requests for the HCG drops because they’d had a friend or family member do so well with the product that they wanted to use it themselves. I spent months, wasting my breath, arguing with patients as to why the prescription hcg product was better before I finally broke down and did some investigating.  I soon found a FDA approved, homeopathic manufacturer that assured me his product would get equal, if not better results than the prescription HCG that I’d been using. I began recommending it as a more affordable alternative to the prescription HCG and was so impressed with the results that I now use it almost exclusively. It’s been my experience that there is little difference in weight loss when comparing the homeopathic drops to prescription HCG. This is echoed by Linda Prinster, author of The HCG Weight Loss Cure Guide, which is used by many MDs as the patient education piece to accompany the diet. Prinster says that with committed patients both prescription and homeopathic HCG products will yield weight loss of 20-30 lbs. in 30-40 diet days. I included a graph from her book that compares and contrasts the Homeopathic, the injections and the sublingual, or what she refers to as mixed HCG, because of the mixing agent used to facilitate absorption through the oral cavity.

There are some exceptions, usually when a patient gets closer to their goal weight, when the prescription product will be more effective. This usually occurs with patients that are struggling to lose that last 10 to 15 pounds. This pertains to dieters that have lost a considerable amount of weight and just can’t shake that last 10 to 15, rather than those men or woman who put on a few pounds over the winter and are trying to get back into swimsuit shape. The non-prescription drops will work fine for the latter, but that last 10-15 can be difficult to shake for many. The reason is because the closer you get to your goal weight, the stingier your body will be with releasing its fat reserves, especially if you’ve been overweight for a long time. This is when a more concentrated HCG, like that of the prescription product, may be more effective. The downside here is the expense involved. The prescription product is often 3 to 4 times the cost; the reason being that it is usually compounded at a boutique type pharmacy and individualized to each patient.

My only warning regarding the non-prescription HCG drops is that the quality can vary significantly. There are many internet retailers out there trying to make a quick buck on a hot industry. In December 2011, the US Federal Drug Association, and the Federal Trade Commission, issued warning letters to seven online retailers of homeopathic HCG drops. The letters warned that selling drugs unapproved by the FDA was illegal, in addition to making unsupported and exaggerated claims regarding HCG and its effects on weight loss. My advice here is to be careful with what you purchase via the Internet. I don’t feel that there’s any danger with purchasing a product online, but the quality could be suspect. If you’re purchasing online, at the very least make a phone call to find out if the retailer has a medical professional on staff. Also, stay away from any HCG retailer that offers a guarantee. Medical professionals don’t offer guarantees.

**You may have noticed the appearance of HCG on store shelves of supplement stores and even your local pharmacy. Most of the over-the-counter products are labeled  “hormone free.” Considering that HCG is in fact, a hormone, this is quite a paradox. Again, I don’t feel that there is anything dangerous about these products, but in the same breath I cannot recommend and HCG product if it is labeled hormone free.

Prescription HCG 

HCG Injections  - Injections were the method used by Dr. Simeons in his clinic. His dosages ranged from 125 IUs to 200 IUs. He warned that increasing dosages beyond those ranges could, in fact, be counter-productive, which may account for why the homeopathic version is equally as effective.  During the time Dr. Simeon was practicing, prior to bio-identical hormones therapy, the HCG hormone was harvested from the urine of pregnant women, usually in underdeveloped countries, which made for an unsterile product. Many have concluded that this is why the diet disappeared for nearly 50 years, as a result of a Foot and Mouth epidemic that broke out in the UK from unsterile HCG. I can’t say this with complete certainty, but I felt it worth mentioning. It seems logical that this could be the reason the diet lost popularity so quickly.  Now days, with the advances in bio-identical hormone therapy, HCG is compounded in a pharmacy and mixed with bacteriostatic water. Bio-identical Hormone therapy uses a protein from a yam or soy bean and alters it to become the exact replica of that which is produced in the human body, creating a safe and sterile product. As I said earlier, it’s typically made at compounding pharmacies that specialize in individualized medicine, but there are also brand name products such as Pregnyl and Organon. What you have to remember, is that a bio-identical hormone is the same regardless of where it’s compounded. The reason I say this is to help you find the most affordable product. It’s kind of like buying aspirin or ibuprofen; the molecular makeup is the same, regardless of the name brand, so save yourself a couple of bucks and buy generic.

Sublingual – As I stated above, when I began working with HCG, injections were the only available option. As the diet gained in popularity, pharmacies were quick to develop more patient-friendly HCG products that don’t involve syringes. The sublingual tablet w/B12 is the most common, but there are also trans-dermal creams, lozenges and nasal sprays. The sublingual tablet is now the product of choice. Given the widespread availability of alternatives to the injections, and the recent fungal meningitis outbreak at the New England Compounding Center; I no longer work with injections, as they are unnecessarily invasive, especially for home use. Some patients are of the belief that by injecting themselves with a needle, the procedure is more therapeutic, and thus will lead to greater weight loss, but this is not true. The sublingual tablets are equally as effective. If you’re still determined to do the injections, there are still plenty of practitioners prescribing them, but first see the advantages to the sublingual tablets below.

HCG Diet Quesiton #2 – Do you think eating only 500 calories per day will produce a significant amount of weight loss without the use of HCG? 

If you’ve read HCG 2.0, you’re aware the HCG is NOT what is responsible for your weight loss. The rapid weight loss you experience on the HCG diet is a derivative of you low calorie diet. See the excerpt from HCG 2.0 below…

Before we begin, it’s important to understand that nearly all of the research we have regarding HCG and its role in supporting weight loss is mostly clinical, meaning it is more subjective in nature and not tested in a controlled environment. Additionally, HCG is not a miracle pill that magically makes the unwanted pounds fall off, nor does such pill exist, despite what you might see or hear on TV and radio. HCG requires a restrictive diet.  In fact, HCG is not what causes you to lose weight at all. Your weight loss is a result of your decrease in caloric intake and a healthy metabolic process called Ketosis, which is defined and discussed in the pages to follow (page 15 if you’d like to quickly skip ahead). So what then does HCG do and why is it used to accompany this diet?

HCG, as theorized by Dr. Simeons and supported by a substantial collection of clinical research, provides two distinct actions to facilitate your weight loss while on the low calorie phase of the diet and one action following the diet to help you maintain your ideal weight. All three are listed below.

1. HCG targets your weight loss so that you maintain muscle mass while strictly losing from abnormal fat deposits.
2. HCG suppresses appetite by enhancing Ketosis, which is a process that converts our fat reserves to usable calories allowing us to sustain ourselves on our own stored fat. By summoning calories from stored fat, our body reacts as though it has just consumed a meal thus producing a feeling of satiety and fullness.
3. Following the low calorie phase – By acting on a gland in the brain called the hypothalamus, which is responsible for regulating metabolic activity, including hunger and satiety, HCG has the capacity to “reset” your metabolism allowing you to successfully maintain your weight loss.

HCG Diet Question #3 - How can someone function normally under such calorie restrictions (500 calorie protocol)?

This question is what inspired me to write HCG 2.0. The 500 calorie HCG protocol may be an adequate number of calories for a small woman, but for a large man, it’s not nearly enough, especially in regard to protein. This is why HCG 2.0 uses a BMR calculation to determine the amount of calories one can consume on their own individualized HCG 2.0 diet. See the Slideshare presentation below which illustrates this…

HCG Diet Question #4 – Is it unhealthy to lose so much weight so fast?

The answer here is a bit complicated. If you’re losing more muscle mass than you are losing fat then yes, it can be dangerous. However, with the assistance of the HCG combined with a proper loading phase as described in the book, No. HCG allows you to maintain muscle mass while strictly losing from unwanted fat. See the explanation below from HCG 2.0…

The first two days that you begin taking your HCG supplement, it’s necessary to overload on fatty foods. This may seem counter-productive, but it serves three purposes. First, the sudden fat overload causes your hypothalamus to spring into action by alerting the body to begin attacking fats, essentially jump starting the diet. Secondly, the excess fat provides an immediate calorie reserve to mediate your hunger during the early stages of the diet, allowing the HCG ample time to tap into your fat stores, which can take up to 5-7 days. Finally, as we discussed earlier regarding Set Point Theory, keep in mind that human physiology exists for our long term survival and any sudden decrease in calories can alarm the body into “starvation mode.” During starvation mode, your body actually becomes more efficient with its calories and more determined to store away fat, assuming that there is a scarcity in food supply.  This is why dieting is so difficult. Not only are we battling our own poor eating habits, but a physiological pre-disposition to retain fat. Loading on fats for two days causes your liver enzymes to spike which is theorized to prevent the body from entering this starvation mode. By the time your liver enzymes return to normal levels, the HCG has already tapped into your fat reserves and is providing you with supplemental calories thus bypassing starvation mode, which facilitates more rapid weight loss.

Additionally, with the increase in protein calories that you get in HCG 2.0, it makes exercise a viable option. I suggest that patients continue with the exercise routine they were on prior to starting the HCG diet protocol. If there were not exercising prior, I recommend a walking routine of about 30 min per day. Not only does this lower your optimal ketosis levels, allowing you to maintain ketosis throughout the length of the diet, but it also helps maintain muscle mass.

Dr. Z’s HCG blog

It’s a bit long-winded, but I hope this answers all  of Hector’s questions. If you have questions of your own, email them to me or post them to our FACEBOOK page here.

5 Juicy Questions for Alex Pettyfer

The 23-year-old star of the upcoming film Endless Love opens up

What's a big, big turnoff?
It's not a turnoff, but it's upsetting to me when a woman has lost her confidence. I genuinely think that all women are beautiful in a different way. We live in such a critical world, and for women the bar has been set [high], but they should really just grab that bar and snap it. It doesn't mean anything.

Tell us about your earliest love experiences.
That first love is so strong. You don't have the worries of "this happened in my last relationship, so this is what's going to happen in this one." It's just pure love. It's a terrifying but amazing feeling.

What are you like to date?
I'm the worst. I don't know what to wear, I don't know where to go. I always take dates bowling or to mini golf, and I get so competitive that I'm like, "I've got to win!"

Which profession do you find attractive?
Doctor. There's something about a woman who has authority but looks after you. I always like someone who's caring.

How do you handle heartbreak?
In my sheets crying my eyes out! [Laughs] It's the worst feeling. It's like someone punched you in the gut.

Fast Talk
Best female body part? Eyes.
Twitter or Instagram? Neither.
Favorite music right now? I listen to a lot of Miles Davis.
How can you make a girl smile? Flowers.
Favorite dish to cook? Banana bread.
Guilty pleasure? Motorcycles.
Man crush? Steve McQueen.

Questions About Alcohol and Your HCG Diet

I get a lot of HCG diet questions relating to alcohol consumption on the HCG diet and if HCG 2.0 is different in comparison. I wish I had better news, but alcohol is one of the worst things you can consume that will adversely effect your weight loss. Not only is alcohol extremely high in calories containing 7 calories per gram compared to protein or carbs, which contain only 4 calories per gram, but over-consumption can be taxing on the liver. If your liver is busy oxidizing alcohol, it’s not oxidizing fats which then accumulate both in the liver (fatty liver disease) and systemically in  your belly, arms and thighs. Beer and wine is going to be highest in calories followed by straight liquors. Definitely avoid sugary mixers that can double and even triple the caloric intake. Mix with water or diet soda… in moderation. As is life, moderation is the key.

With all said above, I still have plenty of dieters that lose weight successfully while on HCG 2.0. The key to successfully imbibing alcohol while on the low calorie phase of your HCG diet is choosing the right adult beverages and consuming them in a responsible, intentional way. There’s an appropriate time to enjoy a moderate amount of alcohol to unwind or to celebrate. Aside from the positive aspects of socializing, some types of alcohol are associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular disease, and they may also reduce the risk of infection with the bacteria that causes ulcers.

Here are a few key factors to help you decide whether you should pop a cork:

• Alcohol is a toxin to the liver.
• Alcohol is a drug, which means it’s addictive.
• If losing weight is your goal, remember that your liver can’t help you with fat burning if it’s busy detoxifying alcohol.

Before you pour yourself a glass of something intoxicating, consider your health goals and overall eating habits, and then make smart choices about which type of alcohol you drink.

Steer clear of grain-based drinks that can also include gluten, such as the following:

• Beer hcg diet questions 
• Bourbon can I drink on the HCG diet?
• Gin (some brands are processed with grain-based alcohol)
• Grain-based vodka
• Whiskey

To celebrate on special occasions, feel free to choose one of these:

• Potato vodka
• Red wine
• Rum
• Sparkling wine
• Tequila
• White wine

To manage your body’s insulin response to the sugars found in alcohol, mix spirits, like tequila or vodka, with soda water, ice, and a squeeze of lemon or lime juice. Avoid fruit juices, which are liquid sugar; and avoid tonic water, which is also high in sugar.

Wine and beers should absolutely be avoided during the low calorie phase of your HCG diet. When you re-introduce these during the maintenance phase of HCG, keep the following in mind… When uncorking wine, choose the driest (least sweet) wines possible. The driest reds include Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Merlot; the driest whites are Sauvignon Blanc and Albarino.

I’m a bit of a beer snob myself, so either drink less of your heavier beer favorites or try something lite, like Bud Select or Ultra.

I certainly  like to partake every now and again, but lets be honest… Can you really maintain a high level of health if you drink alcohol frequently and/or in large quantities. The pleasant buzz that alcohol provides also places stress on your liver, creates a strong insulin response, and dehydrates your cells. Enjoy cocktails in moderation.

HCG Diet Questions Relating to BMR

So Chinita had questions about her HCG 2.0 diet relating to BMR. Her HCG diet BMR questions are below. Notice that she is down 10 pounds in the first 11 days and says she has, “not been hungry at all.” She also says, “I’m loving this HCG 2.0 diet plan.”

I love getting positive feedback from patients. If you have any question relating to your HCG 2.0 protocol, post them to our Facebook page linked here. 

Check out Chinita’s question relating to her BMR Calculation

Chinita – Good evening, today is my day 11 and have lost 10 pounds! Yeii – I was re-reding the HCG 2.0 book and I started thinking, should I re-calculate my BMR rate? when I started 10 days ago it was 586 – should I now recalculate to 573?

Dr. Zach – That’s great to hear. I’m glad you’re doing well. I get that question a lot. I usually recommend dieters recalculate their BMR at the end of their HCG protocol to determine maintenance calories, but if you want to be precises about it, like many do, then yes. Although the best advice I can give is to keep your carbs below 30g/day. If you do that, 13 protein calories won’t make much difference. How do you feel on the HCG diet? Have you been hungry? How much weight are you looking to lose in total? Dr. Z

Chinita – I like having the extra 86 calories – I’ve been loving this HCG 2.0 plan, I have not been hungry at all – and I like having the flexibility of incorporating the protein shakes – I want to loose another 10 during this round from 160 to 140 – but I will be happy with 15.