See your Physician and a diet Counselor. The only way to get on the hCG injection diet is through a prescription from a doctor. He or she will set up weekly monitoring for you and help you track your progress while keeping an eye on your general health. It is also advised to see a diet counselor to determine is there are any emotional or addictive issues for you as relating to food.
Do not skip the loading days - The protocol calls for patients to start their morning injections, and then eat many foods that are high in fat the first two days. This is an important part of the process. Do not start on low calories during these loading days. This will help your body to prepare for the initial days of the diet. It will take the hCG about 3 days to start to become effective in helping you alleviate the symptom associated with the low calorie diet. Some people think they can get a quick start by dieting from the first day, which is a falsehood. Trust the process, and do not skip the loading days.
Keep a weight diary. Keeping a diary about your daily weight, what you ate, and what you did not eat are very good ways to keep your focus on the diet. Remember that this diet is as much a lifestyle change as it is a nutritional change. The daily recording of lost weight could be you single biggest source of encouragement.
Keep a routine - Make sure you take your hCG injections at the same time every day, and no more than once every 24 hours. Be sure to check your weight every day at the same time (usually first thing in the morning), and make sure you have similar clothing on.
Hydrate, Hydrate, Hydrate. Water is what your body needs most to help you lose weight. You body needs water to carry impurities and dead fat cells out of your system. You need a sufficient amount of water to keep your skin hydrated so that it will respond properly to significant loss of weight. One should drink eight, 8-ounce glasses of water daily, and that is the minimum. Those who have more to lose should drink even more, about one-half your body weight in ounces. 30 grams of fiber daily should accompany your water consumption. This will promote healthy bowel function, which is essential for proper weight loss.
Do not cheat. Take 500 calories a day. Do not cheat and eat more, and don't skimp and take less. Remember that this diet protocol has been perfected over the last 50 years, so its best not to mess with the chemistry. Also, do not get in a rut by eating the same meals day after day. This is a trap, which will make you bored with the diet when there is so much to choose. Be sure to use spices, the food does not need to be bland. Be vigilant to avoid sugar, so spice mixes may contain sugar.
Extend the eating process. Drink a cup of tea or two glasses of water hour before you eat. Chew your food slowly and deliberately. Serve your meals on smaller plates, the goal here is to change your eating habit from quantity to quality; it is a mindset. If you have room and calories for seconds, wait 10 - 15 minutes before eating them.
Eliminate activities that promote overeating - Designate an eating place in your home (not in front of the TV), do not even eat snacks, unless you are in the eating place. Be sure to shop for food on a full stomach. Plan your meals at regular intervals and do not eat after 6 pm. If you eat and lay down, the body will have a tendency to store fat. Serve your food on smaller plates and wait 10 -15 minutes before you eat seconds.
Increase your activity level. However, strenuous exercise is not good. Your exercise should be moderate. Walking is the perfect activity. If one walk for 30 minutes a day, five days a week, this is more than adequate. Take the stairs over the elevator or escalator. Park far away from your destination and walk there. The object here is just to get you used to using muscles that you do not use very often, and to help you develop a lifestyle that is not quite sedentary.
These tips will help you be successful in your weight loss, and in your developing a change of lifestyle and habits that will help you maintain your weight loss.
