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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Greetings All,
I got my HCG today and I have a quick question…When do most people do their injections? Morning or evening?
Judy,
Thanks for the update on your progress. That is great news that Phase 4 does not cause weight gain. I have to say that I really believe in this diet. It is truly a miracle. I am almost done with Phase 2 and am looking forward to Phase 3. I can’t imagine how liberating it feels to be on Phase 4. Continued good luck with Phase 4!
Jackie
Judy
I had the same experience as you. I went to Italy for two weeks after finishing 3 weeks of P3 and 1 week of P4. I just got home and was dreading the moment of truth with the scale. I was so surprised that I was only one pound up. Tomorrow I’m starting R2. 25 to go!
Jackie,
Thanks for the response. The first HCG I got from mydoctor’s office was to be refrigerated. At least that’s what they told me. So I don’t know if it was homeopathic or not. When I ran out of that I purchased the HCG from the diyhcg website. Their instructions said it did NOT have to be refrigerated. But I was only on that a couple of days when the immunity set in. I hope it will stay good until I’m ready for my second round!
Holly,
OK, so you feel guilty and are on a pity party. All that does is make you want to eat comfort food. We have all (well, me in particular) have “fallen off the wagon.”
It’s done. Put it behind you and move on. Anica is right when she says that an apple day might help. It sure won’t hurt!
Keep On Keepin’ On, Harvel
Holley,
Ok, so you fell off the wagon for a day. So just jump back on. I started feeling down b/c I stalled weight loss for a few days. I wouldn’t call it a plateau, but I still did an apple day. I’ve done this before and the apple day kicked my butt back into gear and I started losing again. Why don’t you try an apple day to get you back on track. I know the protocol says the apple day is psychological, but according to my scale, it’s pretty genious. And, it will hopefully get you excited again about the diet. Good luck!
I fell off the wagon and wow what an overwhelming guilt!!
This is so hard when you hit the brick wall and you don’t have any loss. It really makes you question why the heck am I doing this. I am going to jump right back on 2morrow but mainly just bacause the little success I have had…I don’t want it back. I am paranoid of everything I eat. And right now I am on a downer.
Sorry just needed to vent to someone that has been through it!!
I work in a physician’s office that has recently started offering the HCG diet for our patient’s. I myself have tried this diet with great success. My question is that the original Simieon diet states that the injections are to be given intramuscularly, however, many sites talk about giving subcutaneous injections which would be easier for patients. Any info on IM injections being superior to sub Q? Are there any studies on better weight loss with IM vs Sub Q? Let me know. Thanks. Also I’ve now counselled approx 35 patients on this diet since May 2009. I stick strictly to the original Simieon Protocol, where we’ve had great luck, where do some of you get the other food options such as broccoli, Pam non-stick spray etc.? Is there even another school of thought in addition to Simieon and Kevin Trudaeu? I’d love to hear back on this one.
Hello fellow HCGers,
I am in phase 3 and can not remember what the rules are about dairy. I know that I read it somewhere–where I do not know?! Oh yea did they tell you along with the weight you also lose your mind? Ha Ha just kidding. I love this phase, so far no problems.
Sooooooo cute, Mkg, my mind is so into what oil is ok, that I missed the obvious. Thank you for a great Friday laugh at myself!
Sandi…Time to buy a new pan LOL
Looking for a good salsa recipe with no sugar. If a recipe calls for 1 c of sugar, how much Stevia is that? Also, what is a good cooking oil to coat a pan for scrambling eggs in phase 3? I tried olive oil and spray canola, but my eggs still stick.
Debbie,
Thank you!
Can you use splenda on this diet.
Congrats and happy birthday Vikki!
Hey Janelle
no it didn’t change i stayed the same I think that is another reason I am so frusterated!!
I am thinking about just eating what I want tonite and then start again tomorrow!! but I probably shouldn’t.
Thanks MKG and yes I would love those recipes jhathay10@msn.com
Maybe I do want a hole in one?!! j/k
but great job!!
This is a wonderful site. It has become my go-to daily motivation for keeping on this program. Today is my birthday and I treated myself to the zucchini with cinnamon and stevia. My daughter came over and put a candle in it! So – the first time in 54 years my birthday hasn’t been about food! What a switch for me! I’ve owned a restaurant for the last 10 years too, so I’m royally spoiled. Have lost 15 lbs. since starting this 8/15 – 27 days!
The other thing find something you like..mine was shrimp and scallops…I have 2 great recipes if you are interested…started thinking of these things as a treat your mind is a an amazing thing…vary your menus and I found the best apples and I never was a fruit eater
Holley…I too had really hard boring days where I wanted to quit. I didn’t but I totally understand. Try to keep busy and it passes. I read a lot, golfed alot and sometimes felt sorry for myself. Trust me it is worth it. I kept counting the days…I wouldn’t recommend that.My advice keep busy busy busy and it goes faster and Don’t get a hole in one.
I have had two days where I cheated pretty bad. The first day I was out in town and started feeling really weak so I grabbed a grilled chicken wrap from McDonalds. So I decided since I had already cheated I might as well go out to dinner that night with my husband and I didnt take my drops past noon that day. I only gained .4 the next day. The next time I cheated I continued my drops the whole day and only ate two pieces of boneless chicken wings that night and gained 1.8 the next morning. So lesson learned. Definately dont cheat, you WILL gain weight!
Holley,
I’m no expert on the diet but from what I’ve read on this site it might be time for you try an apple day. You should try that and see what happens,
Did the lettuce wraps impact the scale at all? Let me know how the cheat impacts your progress I’m just curious.
But keep your head up!!
Janell
Ok guys I am hitting a low. I have again stayed the same and yes last night I cheated (lettuce wraps from PFChangs)
Anyway I need some motivation?! I am doing the drops and I have done pretty good except since Sunday. I need a pep talk plz!!
ps that is awesome Judy good job!! I hope you had a wonderful time!!
Hi All, I thought this might be something that would set your minds at ease–I did the diet and the maintenance phase without any deviations and then the day after my maintenance phase ended I left for a trip to Italy. Needless to say, I was eating and drinking more than I normally would but when I got home after 2 weeks I hadn’t gained a pound. I was a bit worried about it while out there, but decided to put it out of my mind and hope that all the claims of “resetting your set point” were true. Well, it seems it’s true.
I just tracked my HCG and it left Jacksonville this morning so I should be getting it any day now. I am going to follow Dr. Simeons Protocol. Should I be doing something these few days before my HCG arrives. Also since food has changed so much since Dr. Simeon wrote P & I, can I use Splenda, Sweet N Low, or Equal, or should I look for Stevia? Is there a substitution for Melba Toast?
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