For some people, losing weight is not an easy thing to do. It can be a challenge to try new things, especially when they are entirely different from what you have tried in the past. 

In addition, most of these new things take time and patience before they finally begin to work. That’s why it might be a good idea for you to look into both the hCG diet and keto, but can you do these two diets together?

If you wonder how HCG can help you lose weight, this article will tell you everything you need to know.

Can You Do Keto And hCG Together?

No. The hCG diet has a very low-fat count, making it hard to do keto with the hCG diet. Keto is a high-fat diet which means it’s hard to do the low-fat diet of the hCG diet and still go into ketosis.

You have to be on a low-calorie diet if you want your body to produce enough leptin and ghrelin to get into ketosis. But this is not the case when you do keto and hCG together.

What Is The hCG Diet? 

The hCG diet is a regimen that Dr. A.T.W. Simeons designed in the 1950s to help obese people overcome weight issues. 

The hCG diet protocol is a medically supervised program. This diet is a great way to lose weight and maintain your ideal weight when used correctly. You can enjoy eating, drinking, and socializing without worrying about food or calories.

The Food and Drug Administration disapproves of the diet, but it has been used to help people lose weight for several years. 

The hCG diet is all about the hormone called Human Chorionic Gonadotropin. It is a natural weight loss supplement that has been used by people for decades now. 

This hormone is usually present in the urine of pregnant women. The hormone is secreted by the placenta when the embryo is developing and attaches itself to the walls of the uterus, and it helps to maintain the baby’s growth when it is in the womb. 

The hCG used for medical purposes is not extracted from pregnant women’s urine. Its creation is under sterile conditions in the laboratory from sterile cells.

You are given daily injections of this hormone followed by a very restricted calorie intake; the diet permits only 500 calories per day.

The diet utilizes this hormone to help burn fat while eating normally (that means no calorie counting and not exercising). 

It helps in balancing your metabolism and also reduces food cravings. It’s no wonder that this diet has become so popular among many people.

How Does hCG Make You Lose Weight?

Losing weight is not easy, and it takes time. This is because you need to change your lifestyle to lose weight. As part of the lifestyle change, you need a meal plan to stick to. Here at CustomKetoDiet, you’ll get that and more on keto diets.

hCG has been used for weight loss for a long time now, but people are still confused about how it works.

Taking hCG injections causes the body to enter an anabolic state, promoting muscle growth and fat burning. 

When your body is in starvation mode owing to calorie limits (500 per day), hCG encourages it to burn undesired fat rather than muscle; therefore, the weight lost during the diet is predominantly fat. 

hCG will help you lose weight because it helps reduce hunger pangs and decreases fat absorption from food. The result is massive weight loss in a short time.

What Are The Possible Health Benefits Of The hCG Diet?

  • The hCG hormone has become popular in weight loss circles because you can use it to jump-start a weight loss plan; you lose 1-2lbs per day and up to 36pounds in a month.
  • You’ll have little to no hunger pangs but still feel energic, an advantage over other diets.
  • It boosts testosterone in men
  • It stabilizes blood sugar levels
  • It increases estrogen in women and has become famous for its ability to reverse some of the symptoms of menopause.

Is It A Good Idea To Do Keto And The HCG Diet Together?

Keto and HCG combined have been a topic of discussion for a long time. 

You need to understand the differences between these two diets to understand if combining them is possible. 

The keto diet is a very high-fat diet, while the hCG diet is low-fat. Keto requires fat and protein to succeed, but the hCG diet does not include either. Furthermore, no studies show whether keto and hCG can be done together or not.

As a reminder, ketosis is a metabolic state where your body uses fat as its primary source of energy instead of carbs. 

You can enter ketosis by limiting your carbohydrate intake and then adopting a high-fat diet, making the liver produce ketones from fatty acids in the bloodstream.

This means that if you are doing keto while doing the hCG diet, you could get into trouble with your diet.

Also, when you are on the hCG diet, you need to keep your calories down. This means that you will be eating less food overall than you typically eat while doing keto. 

You could start to gain weight if you are not careful. If this happens, it could stall your weight loss or even make it worse!

What Are The Best Foods To Eat On hCG?

A common question among people wanting to start the HCG Diet is “What diet should I be on while on HCG?”. The truth is, it doesn’t matter. All that matters is that you follow the “500 calories per day or less” rule.

Your diet while on hCG is crucial to your success with this protocol. You want to be sure that you are eating the right foods while on hCG and not limiting yourself unnecessarily by following fad diets. 

The acceptable foods include;

  • Fruits; red grapefruit, oranges, strawberries, peaches, and apples.
  • Vegetables that aren’t starchy; cucumbers, lettuce, tomatoes, celery, cabbage, onions, mushrooms, asparagus, eggplant, beets, zucchini, cauliflower, and others.
  • Lean meat. For instance, shrimp, fish, lobster, chicken breast, turkey, and lean ground beef.
  • Eggs
  • Cauliflower rice, zucchini noodles
  • Seasonings are unlimited
  • Green tea, black tea, coffees, carbonated water, diet sodas, and unsweetened almond milk
  • Zero carb bread

Foods that are not permitted include;

  • Any starch vegetable, such as potatoes.
  • Sugar is not authorized in any form.
  • Any fatty foods; could be fatty fish, nuts, and anything containing oil.
  • Pork, salami, or lamb
  • Rice, pasta nor bread(except zero-carb bread)
  • Fruits such as banana, avocadoes, pineapples, watermelons, grapes, or mangoes(since they have high sugar content)
  • Almond butter, peanut butter, and cheese(except for no-fat cheese)

How Long Should You Take hCG Injection For Weight Loss?

A typical hCG diet lasts 3-6 weeks ( 125iu daily injections), with most people losing between 2-10 pounds per week. There are no hard and fast rules about how long to take hCG injections, so if you have any questions or concerns, discuss them with your doctor!

The hCG hormone must be administered in precise dosages at regular intervals and should come from a licensed physician or pharmacy. Failing to follow these rules will fail the protocol and cause serious health problems. 

Although this diet is usually safe when administered correctly, it is not for everyone. People with pre-existing conditions should consult their doctor for alternative weight-loss diets such as ketosis.

Your dietitian could want you to have a specialized keto meal plan as per your dietary requirements. Luckily, you can get a personalized meal plan at CustomKetoDiet.com.

What Are The Side Effects Of hCG?

  • Fatigue
  • Restlessness
  • Depression
  • Gynecomastia (enlarged breasts in males)
  • Edema (fluid buildup)
  • Blood clots
  • It can deter pregnancy tests 

Will I Lose My Muscle If I’m Losing Weight Too Fast? 

If you are doing everything right, you should be losing fat, not muscle. However, if you start to lose weight too fast, you could risk losing lean mass. Most people will lose weight by following a sensible diet and exercise plan. 

But if you’re losing more than 7 pounds per week, you are losing more muscle than fat. In that case, your body will start to use muscle as an energy source, which is not good. 

So, what should you do? Try to slow down your weight loss and focus on building lean muscle mass instead. 

To do this, include more protein in your diet. The easiest way to do this is by eating chicken or fish with every meal. Another option is to take a high-quality protein supplement such as whey protein powder.

Conclusion

It’s a consensus that you cannot do the hCG Diet and the keto diet in conjunction. There are different requirements associated with each diet, so it’s essential to understand how these two work for your ultimate success.

The hCG Diet is all about dropping weight fast, and it’s a great way to break through a plateau. However, it has significant side effects, and you should consult with a doctor or a dietitian for advice should you have any pre-existing conditions.