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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Hillary,
Despite what other people notice, the scales are noticing. Eight pounds is significant. Your clothes should be fitting differently. I think you are looking fantastic simply because I know you are making the effort.
When do you leave on vacation? How long will you be gone? You will find it difficult, but not impossible to follow the diet. You probably will be eating in restaurants most of the time. If you want to try it, the statement: “I am on a medically supervised very low calorie diet. I have a favor to ask of the cook. Here’s what I need… .” and design the meal you need. Works for me. Try to stay as close to raw menu ingredients as you can. Eg, unbreaded grilled fish, chicken and other meats, green lettuces, tomatoes, cucumbers, grapefruit, etc. Lemon wedges have enough juice in them to make a decent salad dressing. Most fast food places (shudder!) now have pretty good salads and they even have grilled, not fried meats.
Now, looking at the other side of the coin, if you can’t get the foods you need for the diet, close it out with the three days of maintenance and just be careful until you get home and can reinitiate the process.
Does anybody out there have any ideas? Hillary’s situation with the vacation can’t possibly be the only time one of us has encountered this issue.
Can you adjust the dose of HCG? My wife was hungry, really hungry, to the point she just about quit. I convinced the clinician to up the dose all the way to the top (200 IU) and it solved the problem.
Harvel
I came home tonite and my significant other said he didnt think it looked like I lost any weight. It was and is very discouraging since I am following the diet and did not mix veggies today. I am hungry most of the day.It is frustrating. It really doesnt matter what the scale says it matters if it LOOKS like you lost weight.I thought it did but not one person said a word to me. Now, I think 8 lbs is noticeable so what is up? I am both obsessed and discouraged by the diet. I am going on a long planned vacation and have this question: Should I continue the drops even if I may have a cheat? Now that I am stalling I feel like I have lost all momentum…I wanted to go away lighter and I am but I am concerned about what to do. Any thoughts would be much appreciated. I hope when I get back I will start the shots (more effective?) and I did order the 101 easy recipe cookbook and the guide to following the protocol.thoughts? comments? And thanks…
Congratulations Jen
I did everyhthing that I was suppose to do yesterday and lost 2 pounds I am so excited…..although is two pound too much in one day…..i have also increased taking the medicine from two times a day to 3 times a day and I also take it every six hours. I think i might be successful on this
Hillary,
First of all, you may not be doing anything “wrong.”
You may have just hit one of the times when the body is slow to remove the empty fat cells and is filling them with water before it gets to them.
Second, while there are many ways to do the diet, I notice that you are straying from the “pure” protocol laid out by Dr. Simeons. The use of Pam may or may not be a problem. I doubt that it existed in the 1950′s when Dr. Simeons was developing the diet. He definitely prohibited the mixing of vegetables. And, the list of fruits he used (apples, grapefruit, strawberries) were intended to be eaten more or less in rotation, as were the vegetables. Mushrooms weren’t on his list. He also allowed the juice of one lemon daily. We have been using the lemon juice on our fish and salads. The Melba toast and the breadsticks are, in my opinion, optional, Dr. Simeons didn’t say. He did say not to eat the daily allowance all at one time. The garlic shouldn’t be a problem and it sure does spice up an otherwise bland meal.
There are several cookbooks available over the internet. We got a couple of them and, yes, they are a real help. I especially like “101 Worry-Free HCG Diet Recipes.” I don’t remember the website, but if you Google the title, it should pop up. the cost, as I recall is about $30. This book also has a wealth of information on ‘how to’ and ‘problem solving.’ And, no, I don’t get a cut for this unsolicited advertisement.
Keep on Keepin On,
Harvel
Greetings All,
The Apple day may be psychological but it does work…I was down 3 lbs this morning. I didn’t do all 6 apples (I wasn’t hungry) I ate 3 large apples and 2 small and I hardly drank any water. I was VERY skeptical that it would work, but it did. Dr. Simeon was a genious.
Devrie
Hi all: Lifesaving website…allowing us to vent, question and seek advice. On a stall. Day 11 and gained .5. Here are some things I might be doing wrong. Would love some comments:
Using pam
Using minced garlic in a jar (water based)
Eating both melba toasts in the morning.
Sometimes mixing veggies. (onions and mushrooms or spinach and tomatoes)
Favoring spinach and tomatoes
Favoring apples and no other fruit
Any advice?
Also, do not see any real difference in inches. thanks to all of you for taking the time to answer and post. It makes a difference.
Also, how many of you have bought a cookbook? Has it helped?
Hi all,
Just wanted to check in. I too have done the stall. I stalled out for a week but refused to do the apple day just because the Dr.Simeon said that it’s psychological
So someone asked how do we stay strong for me it’s about losing any weight period. I know that if I weren’t on this “life style change” I would not be losing any weight. I would probably actually be gaining, so to me a little weightloss is better than no weightloss at all. That’s how I stay motivated.
Today is my 32nd day of the HCG lifestyle change and I have lost 23 pounds. It’s not a pound a day and I’m ok with that. I can go in my closet and where close I couldn’t fit this time last year. People have noticed the weightloss and I feel great! I no longer have borderline high blood pressure.
So to those of you who are stalling or feeling discouraged…don’t give up it’s so worth the hassle!
Janell
Harvel,
Thanks for your wisdom and your words of encouragement. I was so discouraged this morning but I’m better now. I’m on my second apple and I don’t feel hungry at all. Dr. Simeon said that we shouldn’t need a lot of water but I am finding myself a bit thirsty between apples. Maybe it’s because these last two weeks I’ve been drinking SO much of it. I pray I see a loss tomorrow!
Jackie,
When I read your post about which weight to use, I had to chuckle. My wife used exactly the same arguement about using the weight the day before Ph3 started. She wanted the cushion.
Harvel
Lynne,
Thanks for the info regarding the yogurt. I’m definitely going to avoid the “plain” yogurt for now.
Harvel,
The weight I was going off was the weight I was on the last day of the diet before I started Phase 3. I know that the protocol seems to refer to the last dose weight, but it also says that the hcg is in your system for 3 days so I’m using that to rationalize using the lower weight. I lost 1.8 pounds during the last 3 days of the diet and I had a little stall before then so . . . I figure that if it seems to be hard to maintain off the lower number, I’ll have a cushion to switch to the higher number. In any event, thanks for asking.
BJ,
I no tht cheating has not gotten me anywhere….yeah i have around 60 to 70 pounds that I want to lose I could be good at losing 50…but dang if I could just lose 10….lol….i know that its me and not the diet….i wounder if I did the apple thing what would happen….I am not at a plateau but i wonder if it will work…..any comments…..how do yall stay strong
Jen
Glad to hear it, Kelly. We need to keep each other going. The 500 calorie is a tough go each day. I hope you continue to lose. And I hope I didnt hit a plateau.
Thanks BJ, Hillary and Harvel:
I ate more yesterday and switched up on the veggies and fruit…and lost a pound today. I guess i freaked since I was gaining instead of just plateauing. I greatly appreciate your comments
Devrie,
Whoa! Don’t give up yet. On average, you’ve lost about a half-pound a day. And you’re almost half way to your goal. Not bad. In the same place Dr. Simeons discusses the “apple day,” he also talks about a plateau that lasts 4 to 6 days. I think you could be about there. Yes, it is discouraging and yes, this diet does prohibit some of the better things in life, like cream in my coffee. However, it is the only one I know of that does the job AND gives us a better than even chance of keeping it off.
Harvel
SOS!!! Today is my 17th injection day and 15th day on the vlcd and I am only down 12 lbs. I have followed the protocol to the letter and I’m ready to throw in the towel. I’ve been at a stall since Friday. I don’t know if it’s because of TOM since that hasn’t started yet. It is VERY discouraging. I’m going to do the apple day today, even though Dr. Simeon describes it as Psychological. I’ve made sure to not repeat the same thing for dinner if I’ve had it for lunch. I stopped eating the breadstick a few days ago thinking the was the culprit. If this apple day doesn’t work I think I will just have to call it. I’m depriving myself so many things and maybe it just doesn’t work for everyone. I could probably lose like this on Weight Watchers and still have bread and sugar. I have 30 lbs to lose and I know that won’t happen if I’m having 5 day stalls!
Hillery,
It sounds to me like you have hit a “plateau” where the body just wants to sit at that weight for a while. Stay with the protocol. Fasting on this diet doesn’t really help since 500 calories a day is right on the verge of starvation anyway if we weren’t taking the HCG. Dr. Simeons says that the weight can stay the same for several days. Take heart–if you feel lighter, then I would guess that things actually are changing. I’ll bet your clothes are getting looser.
Your advice to Kelly was excellent. I really like the mutual support we give to each other on this website. My wife and I just started our second round of the diet. Having been through it once, we are more relaxed and just rolling with it.
Harvel
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Hi all: Harvel: I sincerely thank you from the bottom of my heart for being there for all of us.You patiently answer every question and have a wealth of knowledge.. Thank you..So I fasted yesterday and took a colon cleanse and my weight stayed the same. It is very discouraging..really thought I would wake up to a one pound loss..at least. I feel lighter: does that count?
Kelly: I am no expert but it sounds like you are not eating enough..I remember way back when I was on weight watchers and I ended up eating just rice cakes and I never lost a pound. Sometimes your body just slows. So, be kind to yourself. Go back to protein and the 500 calories. Stick with the lower calorie crunchy vegetables for more satisfaction and spread the fruit out. Half for breakfast and then a half after lunch and then one after dinner for dessert. Good luck.
vickie,
Since 1 cc is, round numbers, 167 IU, you may find that that is enough, unless you have taken HCG at that dosage level and found that it wasn’t enough. I weigh about 230 and 150 IU seems to be a good level for me. My wife, on the other hand, seems to need about 180 IU. It really isn’t a case of more is better, but the minimum that works for each of us individually. If you begin to get really, really hungry, you may need more.
Harvel
Harvel,
Thank you for your response. Yes I wanted to be taking 200 IU per .5 CC’s. For this mix I will just take 1CC (don’t want to waste needles). Then when I get the new mix, I will mix it correctly.
Thank you again!!!
i could not do this for a month and not lose jen is stronger than i am
jen very weird are you very much overwheight????? i only need to lose thirty and have at least lost some….you caaaaant cheat at all every time i do i gain for 2 or 3 days and then finally start losing again…… kelly maybe eating same thing all the time is bad?
I have been on this for a month now and I have not lost any weight…..i gave in to temptaion at a funeral and in the evenings….Les could you please e-mail some of the recipes that you have come up with. Phases what is that about?
Please help I want this to work…I know that I have to be strict.
OMG, Please helP!!!
So, I am on my 22 VLCD. On friday i was 171.4 on Saturday 169.8, sunday I went up to 170.0 and today I weight 170.6!!!! What the heck is going on??? Also, during my TMO, i lost weight everyday…could I be stalling bc of that?? I finished my cycle on Saturday??? and since sunday i have been gaining!!! I think, I am eating a little below 500, but, although I am hungry i can’t seem to bring down the food. I am now eating just cucumbers and lettuce and chicken as my protein and two oranges. I am struggling to eat!!! What’s going on?? why am i putting weight back. Geeeeezzzzz…any thoughts?
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