Here is a breakdown of the approximate calories of each food allowed during the HCG diet. As a refresher, HCG, short for Human Chorionic Gonadotrophin is a hormone found in pregnant women that when taken allows a person to survive on a low calorie diet (500 calories a day) and in which case they are able to lose on average about a pound or two a day, all while maintaining a healthy physique and not experiencing the usual hunger pains that accompany many diets. Read “How I Lost 40 Pounds in 40 Days” for more information on this astounding diet.
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The actual food consumption consists of lunch and dinner (no breakfast) and the following items per meal:
- 3.5 ounces of selected lean meats (see below)
- 3.5 ounces of selected vegetables (see below)
- 1 Grissini Breadstick or Melba Toast
- Selected fruit (see below)
You are encouraged to drink lots of water (I averaged over 100 ounces a day) and you can drink all the coffee and tea you want as well as moderate levels of 0 calorie diet sodas.
And now for the calorie count of allowable foods.
Fish (avg 98 calories)
- Cod (3.5 oz) – 83 calories
- Crab Meat (3.5 oz) – 100 calories
- Flounder (3.5 oz) – 90 calories
- Haddock (3.5 oz) – 88 calories
- Halibut (3.5 oz) – 110 calories
- Lobster (3.5 oz) – 98 calories
- Red Snapper (3.5 oz) – 110 calories
- Shrimp (3.5 oz) – 110 calories
- Tilapia (3.5 oz) – 94 calories
Additional white fish are listed at the bottom of the page.
Very Lean Beef (avg 152 calories)
- 93/7 Lean Ground Beef (3.5 oz) – 150 calories
- Cube Steak (3.5 oz) – 160 calories
- Sirloin Tip Side Steaks (3.5 oz) – 130 calories
- Top Round Steak (3.5 oz) – 166 calories
- Tri-Tip Steak (3.5 oz) – 154 calories
Chicken
- Chicken Breast (3.5 oz) – 87 calories
Veal (avg 114 calories)
- Veal, sirloin (3.5 oz) – 110 calories
- Veal, loin chop (3.5 oz) – 117 calories
Vegetables (avg 18.8 cal)
- Asparagus (3.5 oz) – 20 calories
- Asparagus (2″ tip) – 1 calories
- Asparagus (small spear) – 2 calories
- Asparagus (medium spear) – 3 calories
- Asparagus (large spear) – 4 calories
- Broccoli (3.5 oz) – 34 calories
- Broccoli (1 cup – 88g) – 30 calories
- Broccoli (5″ spear – 31 g) – 11 calories
- Celery (3.5 oz) – 15 cal
- Celery (medium stalk) – 6 calories
- Cabbage (3.5 oz) – 24 calories
- Cabbage (1 cup shredded) – 17 calories
- Cauliflower (3.5 oz) – 22 calories
- Cauliflower (1 cup) – 28 calories
- Cauliflower (3 flowerets) – 12 calories
- Cucumber (3.5 oz) – 12 calories
- Cucumber (small) – 19 calories
- Cucumber (medium) – 24 calories
- Cucumber (large) – 34 calories
- Cucumber (English long) – 60 calories
- Lettuce, all varieties (3.5 oz) – 20 calories
- Lettuce, all varieties (1 cup) – 8 calories
- Lettuce, all varieties (small head) – 32 calories
- Red Radishes (3.5 oz) – 12 calories
- Red Radishes (one medium) – 1 calories
- Spinach, raw (3.5 oz) – 20 calories
- Spinach, raw (1 cup) – 7 calories
- Spinach, frozen (3.5 oz) – 23 calories
- Spinach, frozen (1 cup) – 41 calories
- Spinach, cooked (3.5 oz) – 31 calories
- Spinach, cooked (1 cup) – 48 calories
- Tomato (3.5 oz) – 20 calories
- Tomato (cherry) – 3 calories
- Tomato (plumb) – 11 calories
- Tomato (small) – 16 calories
- Tomato (medium) – 22 calories
- Tomato (large) – 33 calories
Fruit
- Apple (small) – 55 calories
- Apple (medium) – 72 calories
- Apple (large) – 110 calories
- Orange (navel) – 69 calories
- Orange (Florida) – 65 calories
- Orange (California) – 59 calories
- Strawberries, 12 large – 72 calories
- Strawberries, 20 medium – 80 calories
- Pink Grapefruit (California) – 92 calories
- Pink Grapefruit (Florida) – 74 calories
Bread
- Grissini Breadstick (3 g) – 12 calories
- Melba Toast (3 gram) – 12 calories
- Melba Toast (5 gram) – 20 calories
White Fish List
- Ayr
- Cat Fish
- Cod
- Coley
- Dover Sole
- Flounder
- Flying Fish
- Haddock
- Hake
- Halibut
- Hoki
- John Dory
- Kalabasu
- Lemon Sole
- Ling
- Monk Fish
- Parrot Fish
- Plaice
- Pollack
- Pomfret
- Red & Grey Mullet
- Red Fish
- Red Snapper
- Rock Salmon/Dogfish
- Rohu
- Sea Bass
- Sea Bream
- Shark
- Skate
- Tilapia Turbot
- Whiting
Keep in mind that all the above calorie counts on meats and vegetables do not include any sauces, salad dressing or butter. You are in fact encouraged not to us sauces such as barbecue sauce, A-1 Steak Sauce, etc., on meats nor any salad dressings on salads or butter on vegetables.
One trick I learned in phase two of my diet is that I could use Louisiana Hot Sauce on chicken as it has zero calories. That has helped immensely and because it is spicy, you feel fuller. I also use Balsamic Vinegar on Spinach salads which is quite tasty.
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Well, I’m on Day 2 of Phase III and holding within a lb. of my final Phase II weight. I lost a total of 34 lbs in Phase II on a 40 day course… (I stalled for 5 days during my period, so next time around I’ll be taking my pills straight through to avoid that).
Pretty happy so far!
Hillary,
No one can answer your question until we know how many International Units (IU) of HCG are in those 30 drops. Thirty drops, by the way, is approximately one cc of liquid. If you have lost 8 pounds in 8 days you are doing fine and the amount of HCG you are getting must be OK.
Give it some time for your body to begin changing its profile. The only way to know for sure if you have lost inches is to measure. Although you may notice that your clothes are starting to fit differently.
Harvel
Hillary i am also on the drops homeopathic ones if yours are the same you can take up to 20 drops three times a day……if you are hungry increase your drops i am on day 15 and i have lost 12 pounds but i cheated twice i am 1 pound from being back to before i cheated so on day 10 i was down 11 pounds but m,an the chinese food was good…..well i hope i helped and didnt make you want chinese lol…..
Jackie,
Was the weight you gained above the weight of the last day of HCG? If it wasn’t, then you were within the permissible range of plus or minus 2 pounds from that “last day” weight. If you are within that range, it’s not cause for concern.
Harvel
Jackie
I read also that you could have plain yogurt, but I checked them out and they were all 15-27 sugars. I did find Dannons Light and Fit ( Vanilla or Strawberry) 40z only 3 carbs, 2 natural sugars and no added sugar. I am on day 6 of phase 3 and haven’t gained any weight and I eat one every morning for my snack. good Luck, Lynne
Hi Everyone,
I am on day 6 of Phase 3 and had to do a steak day yesterday. The second day of Phase 3 I gained .6, the third day I lost .2, the fourth day I gained 1.2, and the fifth day I gained 1. I don’t understand the gain on days 2 and 4 (maybe retaining water?) because I stayed within the parameters of the diet. On Day 5 I went to a reunion party so I knew I would probably gain. I ate the right food but I had 3 glasses of wine. In any event, after the steak day (which was not hard to follow) I lost 2.6 pounds. I drank iced tea with stevia during the day and really did not experience hunger pains. Then I had a big steak and an apple. Thank goodness it worked.
I do have a question, however, about yogurt. I noticed that lowfat plain yogurt has a huge amount of sugar (12 g/serving). I thought we were allowed to have plain yogurt. Could anyone let me know if this is true? Because on Day 4 I had yogurt with my fruit and I’m wondering if it would be better to have half and half instead which does not have sugar. I have decided that if I continue to have a problem maintaining my weight, I will go back to the hcg foods but just more of a portion (for example, 7 oz chicken and fish but without olive oil or sauces and salad and steamed vegetables). I definitely have been keeping at the 1500 calorie level. If anyone has any advice, I’d appreciate it. Thanks!
Hi all: Can anyone tell me the difference between the injections and the drops? I was told to take 10 drops 3X a day. From what it sounds like, the injections seem like more hcg. Please please let me know. I am on day 8 and lost 8 but I dont think I lost alot of inches. I seem to look the same and I feeling sort of stalled. Should I be taking more?
Vicki,
I don’t know if this helps you. My mix for injections for 5000IU is 5ML(cc) of water. I inject 0.175ml which is 17.5 on the syringe. I never did the math but I’m guessing this is 175 IU. These instructions came from the doctor that prescribed my hcg. I’m on day 14 of R2 and I’ve been successful with this formula.
Also, Steve Sega on youtube has a video on how to mix hcg and he uses this same formula.
Vickie,
According to my calculatiosn, the mix you made (5000 IU in 30 cc) makes it 166.7 IU per cc. The mix you wanted to make (5000 IU in 12.5 cc) would be 400 IU per cc. Did I do that right?
The important thing is not the volume, the cc’s, but the amount of HCG you want to take. The maximum for this diet is supposed to be 200 IU which would be about 1.2 cc’s of the mix you made. Again, check my math. (200/166.7 = 1.2 cc) If you are thinking of 1.5 cc, that means you have been taking 250 IU per day. Is that correct?
As far as how to inject it is concerned, that depends on your comfort. 1.2 or even 1.5 cc in one place, injected slowly shouldn’t cause much discomfort. If you want to go to a second site, put a new needle on the syringe to avoid possible contamination and maybe infection.
Harvel
I have a question. Today is day 20 on the HCG diet (including the gorge days). My husband was looking at something with me today and realized that I mixed it incorrectly. I mixed a 5000IU with 30ML of the water (I should have only used 12.5ML of the water). I have more on order that should be here soon (hopefully less than a week). So needless to say, I’m only getting a 1/3 of the HCG of what I really should be taking.
As of today I have been taking .5ML injection per day.
Do I up the injection to 1.5ML until I get the new mix (and if so, do I inject it into one area)? I’m very upset that this happened.. My daughter is also on this with me, so her dosage is also off.
I am down only 10.4 pounds, but I have lost 13.5 inches.
PLEASE HELP!!!
Hi Everyone,
I have been on the go all weekend.
Harvel, i have to ask Ann a few more questions about the Chicken Protein Day then I will get back with you on so I can give you all the correct info. This AM I came across a blog see below & posted on it as most of them did not seem to know enough about HCG. http://www.dietblogtalk.com/hCGClinic.html?find=hcg&KEYWORD=nia%20technique&cp=162#comment-67850
Have to run some errands & will get caught up on the blog later today. LOL
Enjoy your day,
Karen
Here is the post… There are a few more things I will ad in the next few days.
Everything positive everyone says about HCG is true. I have been taking the drops for three weeks today and weighted myself this AM. I might add that because of my planter fascitis I have walked very little. I am down 16 lbs in 23 days. The average for a woman is .5 pounds a day. Within 24 hours of taking I already felt better as the weight loss program had started for me. For the last two years loosing weight was on my mind constantly day in & out. Now that I have let it go my only demeanor has shifted instantly. I spent almost a full weekend & several lunch hours researching the drops to make sure I found a quality product, company and great Client Service. You can get a FREE 12 DAY sample at http://www.hcgliquid.com. Ask for Ann she will not get off the phone with you till she has answered every question & given you more than enough information. You can tell them Karen sent you. Also my recommendations are to purchase Linda Prinsters books, enlarge the info at pounds & inches(Goggle it) check out Green Valley Spa http://www.greenvalleyspa.com (they have some great recipes on their site too!) Along with a great recipe book that I will purchase soon. Also join the hcg forums at
http://www.davidwallace.com/2008/10/hcg-diet-calorie-counter/ or http://www.lowcarbfriends.com
Use stevia & flavored stevia in everything along with water this will be the healthiest thing you can do.
If any other ideas come up I will post & share here.
My best wishes to you as YOU will be happy you experienced the solutions & great results that I believe HCG will give you.
Dionne,
I am sorry you are having such a hard time, I am also doing P3, I am on day 5. I have been able to maintain. Here is what I have been eating.
Breakfast- I eat 2 eggs, with2 pieces of canadian bacon, a little fruit, 2 cups of coffee ( even went to Mickey D’s ordered two Egg McMuffins, thru away the english muffins and it was great to be able to go out to eat)
Snack 4 0z of Dannon Yogurt with 3 carb and no added sugar, and 45 calories
Lunch Low Fat low salt chicken broth with a T of spaghetti sauce, added basil, celery, garlic powder, throw in chicken, onion zuchhini,and a some spinach some times. or sometimes I just make a big salad added tomatoes chix, shrimp, or cut up steak, cheese, and veggies. Use sugar free dressing, Half a cup melon
Mid day snack I have some slivered almonds or pecans and either piece of fruit or another 4oz yogurt.
Dinner I eat a protein that I didn’t have during the day, small salad, and hot veggies with butter and seasoning( last night my brother treated my hubby and myself to lobster tails,Bless his heart)
Snack apple sometime a cup of coffee later in
evening. Hope this helps it works for me I eat the yogurt, because I haven’t been able to increase my protein, because of having Gastric By pass 7 yrs ago, it just makes me sick, it to dense. and yogurt helps with the protein.
Hope this helps Good Luck, Lynne
Holly, Sally and Harvel,
Thanks for responding.
Holly, I dont mind a sacrifice when there is a benefit. Even though I wasn’t one of those that was losing a pound a day I was still very pleased with this diet. But the phase 3 is taking all of that progress away. But thanks for your encouragement.
Sally,
I’ve never heard of Happily Thinner After. What is it and what do they have to offer? What is the bootcamp? Is it an exercise program. I am training for another marathon so I think I have the exercise covered. Do you really think that could be the issue?
Harvel,
The only thing I’ve added to my diet in phase 3 was cheese, eggs, bacon, turkey meat, milk, pistachios, more vegetables and a lot more apples. I only had milk and eggs 2-3 times during the 3 weeks and I only had bacon twice. I regularly added cheese to my salads and my meat of choice for most meals was turkey. I think I had chicken burn out although I continued to eat it. With that, I still had a hard time maintaining within the 2 lbs and had to do several steak days.
I am 3 days into ph 4 but the few things I tried adding to my diet on ph3 resulted in weight jumps overnight and I am afraid to proceed. I am now within 8 lbs of where I started this whole thing almost 2 months ago!
I have not even been able to enjoy the part where I start adding back sugar and starches.
On my first course of HCG I initially intended to do the 23 days but when my loss was so much slower than others I read about I thought I would do the 40 days in hopes of wiping it all out in one course. But I started to show signs of immunity around day 30 and at a bout day 32 I stopped and started the weaning process. I stuck to teh 500 calories for the first 3 days off HCG.
I have not noticed any swelling in my ankles or feet (except that which occurrs from wearing high heels all day.)
I am not taking any other medications at this time.
So what do you think about just starting another course of the HCG a little sooner? I am really fearful about continuing to gain.
Thanks again everyone for caring enough to try and help me figure this out.
Dionne,
Don’t give up. I don’t know what’s going on, so I will ask some questions. Maybe together with some help from other folks we can figure it out.
1) How much exercise are you doing?
2) In Ph3 you have to avoid sugar and starches. Have you been eating either? You can add fats and oils to your diet, but Dr. Simeons says that if you also add sugar and starches during Ph3 you’ll get in trouble.
3) How long was your first HCG course? 23 doses or 40?
4) Are you ankles swelling? Are there other signs of water retention?
5) You didn’t mention other medications; are there any?
I think the best thing is to figure out what to do from here and accept the 7 pounds without trying to get them off. Something is going on–it’s just a matter of finding out what it is.
Harvel
Sally B,
There is no Ph3 list per se. You can eat just about anything you want except sugar and starches. You will be adding fats and oils to your diet. Here is a website to learn which foods are starchy:
http://www.kickas.org/ubbthreads/showthreaded.php?Number=146875
So far as sugar is concerned, there are 50 or 60 different names for sugar. Here’s another website:
http://www.dietriffic.com/2009/03/26/names-for-sugar/
If you aren’t already leading labels, now is an excellent time to begin. You’d be suprised to see how many things in the grocery store have wheat or corn and/or sugar in them.
One last thing: Start with a caloric intake of about 1500 calories. Follow your weight and adjust up or down as needed to stay within plus or minus 2 pounds of your weight the day of the last dose of HCG. If the weight goes more than 2 pounds above, do a steak day that day. If you start losing more than 2 pounds, increase the calories.
Harvel
Dionne,
Have you gone to Happily Thinner After? It’s a great site and you could sign up for Bootcamp and Biz will work with you.. She’s awesome.. The fee for Bootcamp is minimal .
Sally
I am so sorry Dionne. I really don’t know enough to help ya out. Maybe try an apple day and lots of water. It is really hard when you see lots of diffrent people getting big results, when you hit a road block! Really the only thing I can say is don’t give up. This diet is such a sacrafice in so many ways. Hang in there. Hopefully someone will have some better advice!!
Harvel,
Where can I find a list of acceptable P3 foods?
Thanks,
Sally
I hate to always be the trouble child but I can’t help it. I’m having problems! I am very distressed and having a horrible time on phase3. Well, by now I’m supposed to be in phase 4 but I am failing on phase 3! I am now officialy up SEVEN pounds from my weight on the last day of HCG!
I no longer know what to do. I started counting my calories as Harvel encouraged. Since I started writing down everything I eat my calories have stayed somewhere between 1100-1300. If I get up near the 1300 range I find that I gain.
I STILL have not added much of anything to my diet because everytime I try to introduce something I gain. Then when I do the steak day I barely take off 1 lb. I’ll try adding a food group and then gain 2 lbs the next day but I’ll have to do 2-3 steak days in a row to get that weight off and it is really hard.
I am drinking about 80 oz of fluid daily. I’m exercisingabout 3 times a week.
I dont know what else to do and I am panicking. I only lost 15 lbs on my first round as it is. If this keeps up I will have obliterated any benefit I got from doing this thing in the first place.
I’m so depressed and I’m thinking about ditching the last 3 weeks of phase 4 and going back on the HCG. I’m so far from my ending weight now until it will be way too hard to get back to it.
What do you guys think I should do? I’m literally in tears here.
Do you think I’ve been off the HCG long enough to start another round now? (23 days)
Hey everyone,
I found a great website that has tons of recipes for hcg phase 2. hcgrecipes.blogspot.com
Also, I just ordered an hcg recipe book from Green Valley Spa. I’ll let you know if it’s any good.
Anyway, I’m off to the store — I’m doing some cooking today!
I have some questions: I am on day 7 and lost 7.5 very happy but I still dont feel I look any different.
I am having trouble eliminating the water and am constipated. Can I take a colon cleanse during this phase? Sorry to be graphic but I want success. Also found another helpful website:
http://www.myweightlosscure.com/hcg-diet.html
thanks to all.
Someone please tell me about the HCG drops and a reputable source to buy them. I’ve done the shots and had great success. I lost 12 pounds in 21 days. I’ve only got 5 or so more to lose and would love not to do the shots this time. I’ve just read conflicting information about the effectiveness of the drops. I’d love to know how they work and who to buy them from.
I am not one to complain… especially since I have lost 10.4 my first week; including my gorge days… BUT, for the first time today, I stayed exactly the same.. any clues as to why I stalled? Or is this to be expected because I lost so much the first 5 days? And another question,I am only going to do ONE round of the HCG…and then the remaining 20 pounds off by doing weight watchers (which I have previously done and found success) – this allows more exercise possibilities not to much a less restrictied diet… HARVEL… any tips or advice on my plan?
Interesting Fact: 2 Tablespoons of Ranch Dressing at Pizza Hut has 1.0g of sugar. An extra small apple has 10.5g of sugar, so if you are going to a family/friend event and can stick to the lettuce salad, you would not be in a lot of trouble with 2 T. of ranch to flavor your lettuce.
Thanks Harvel, I haven’t written anything on this blog until just the last few days but want you to know I have been following ever since the Les days. Where is he?:) Thanks for the advice!!!+
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