What to eat on preparatory HCG diet ‘load’ days

The rule of thumb for the preparatory HCG “load” days is eat as much of the fattiest of foods as you can, but try to stay clear of carbohydrates.

The idea behind the two-day “loading” is to:

• Store as much nutrient-rich fat as you can in your fat cells
• Reduce the likelihood of feeling hungry during the VLCD² 500-calorie-per-day period
• To gain weight – which might seem counter-intuitive to veteran dieters

Veteran dieters or those whose general condition is below par should “load” up for a week before starting the HCG treatment because it is highly likely that their bodies lack essential nutrients which will be needed to sustain them during the VLCD period. A gain of 6 pounds after loading is neither unusual nor undesirable. It will come off later!

Which foods are best?

You’re looking for the most nutritious of fatty foods, so that when your VLCD phase starts, the calorie-lean diet will not prevent your body from obtaining all the nutrients it needs to keep your organs (including your skin) and brain in tip-top condition.

• Fatty meats and meat fat.  Bacon fat, lard, salami,spare ribs, pork crackling, sausages, chicken wings, chicken skin, leg of lamb, crispy steak fat.
• High fat cheeses. Caerphilly, cheddar, cheshire, cream cheese, derby, double gloucester, full fat soft cheese, gouda, gruyere, lancashire, leicester, lymeswold, mascapone, parmesan, Roquefort.
• Coconuts. These have wonderful anti-viral, anti-bacterial, anti-fungal properties, as well as being rich in anti-oxidants, vitamins and minerals. They are easily digested and can be added to almost any dish, be it sweet or savoury.
• Cold-pressed (virgin) oils. Olive, coconut, avocado, sesame. Liberally lubricate all food with these. Each carry a 100-calorie price tag per tablespoon.
• Fatty fruits. Avocados and olives. Olives stuffed with nuts, anchovies, pimentos, or garlic, are the ultimate oily, healthy, finger-food snack.
• Flaky pastries.
• Sauces and dressings. French dressing, mayonnaise, butter sauce.
• Nuts and seeds: Peanut butter, pine nuts, sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds. Pine nuts are extremely rich but beware – they are very filling. Seeds provide all the nutrients needed for plants to begin life and so they are a veritable larder of minerals.
• Dairy feast. Chocolate, ice cream, cream, custard, butter – no need to skimp! Now’s your chance to gobble that naughty brandy butter. Why not have a whole tub? You might never get another guilt-free chance to do so!

You might gain an alarming amount of weight during these days of guilt-free binge, but you’ll lose it all over the following weeks, if you follow Dr Simeons’¹ diet faithfully.

Put it all on record – take plenty of photos, measure your big bits and keep doing so throughout the diet, including the “load” days. Not only does it help you track your progress, but the sense of achievement you gain when there are noticeable reductions helps to motivate you to continue with the programme.

 

1. Dr A T W Simeons MD is the author of the original 1950s HCG diet manuscript, entitled Pounds and Inches: A New Approach to Obesity”
2. VLCD  stands for Very Low Calorie Diet