You should not feel hunger for an extended period of time while on the protocol. It is normal to feel a bit “empty” but this should not equate to a hunger feeling. If you are on your first week of the protocol and you are hungry, this is likely due to inadequate fat loading – keep moving forward, eat lots of vegetables, and get through the first week. Generally hunger due to inadequate loading is gone after the first week. However, if you are close to your goal weight and become ravenously hungry, it is important to contact our support staff soon as you can so we can help you finish your round successfully.
Knowledge Base
Start weaning your body off of caffeine and sugar, eat organic produce, drink lots of water, and work through negative emotions using a technique like the Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT). The key to having a healthy body is to take good care of your body. Detoxification is a normal part of life – we live in an environment that allows us to consume a good deal of toxins. Sugars, caffeine, and pesticides seem to be top of the list of substances that can cause unpleasant detoxification symptoms. Equally so, emotions and negative thoughts can also trigger stress hormones in the body that can lead to toxins in the body that will need to be detoxified. Use your time on the HCG protocol to free yourself of unhealthy habits – physically and emotionally.
Yes! These are symptoms of your body detoxing from your loading days and your previous eating habits. While these symptoms are not the most pleasant to experience, they are normal and will vary from person to person. Many people have reported that warm baths, lots of water, and an occasional aspirin will help with these symptoms. If your symptoms are severe, or cause you to worry, please visit your doctor and get medical advice.
Some people may have a sensitivity to Stevia sweetener. If this is your first time using Stevia and you develop a rash, you should consider discontinuing all stevia products.
While Zevia is advertised as sweetened with Stevia, it is actually sweetened with Truvia, which contains erythritol. Truvia is not a VLCD-safe sweetener, and therefore, you should avoid Zevia while on the VLCD.
Diet soda contains sweeteners that are not VLCD safe. As a substitute for diet soda, try naturally sparkling water (such as Perrier) and mix it with flavored stevia (such as root beer or apricot nectar) or one of our many Capella flavor drops! Or squeeze your daily lemon or part of your orange into your Perrier.
Per Pounds and Inches, you need to choose just one vegetable per meal. The mixing of vegetables is not allowed while in VLCD. Be aware as you are looking on the Internet for recipes that many sites advocate multiple vegetables and this is simply not what Dr. Simeons allowed in Pounds and Inches. This can only slow down your weight loss. You don’t want to do this diet for longer than necessary, right?
When looking for a kitchen scale, you want to find one that is digital and has a tare (zero) function. Check out our store – we sell both types of scales to help you be fully prepared for the HCG protocol. https://www.thinnow.com/store.php
Truvia and Stevia in the Raw (and most other brands of stevia you see in the regular grocery store except for Sweetleaf and KAL) contain sugars such as erythritol, dextrose, or maltodexterin. These sugar additives are not VLCD-safe and can cause stalls or gains while following the HCG protocol. Be smart in your buying choices! Read the labels of the products you purchase. For VLCD safe (pure) stevia, visit our online store.
The only sweetener we recommend is stevia, an herb that is a relative of the sunflower plant. People in Central America have used it for many hundreds of years to sweeten their food. When looking for a stevia product, you want to ensure that the sweetener does not have any sugar additives in it. It is VERY common for food manufacturers to do this – many products being sold as “Stevia” are actually stevia-based sweeteners that contain various forms of sugar (erythritol, maltodexterin, dextrose, etc).
We currently only recommend two brand of stevia: Sweetleaf and KAL. Many people say that the KAL liquid has no aftertaste, but the flavors of Sweetleaf can make some yummy dishes. You can purchase these brands of stevia at most health food stores, or in our online store.
You can use a variety of herbs and spices to change up the flavor of your food. Be sure to check the ingredients in your favorite seasonings to ensure they do not contain any sugars or starches. In addition to herbs and spices, you may use vinegars (except wine and balsamic vinegars), Braggs Liquid Aminos, liquid mustard (check for sugars), and Franks Original (or other hot sauce – no sugar or oil). If you are looking for some great spice mixes, check out the Homemade Dressings mixes in our online store.
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