The first phase of the HCG diet is referred to as the loading phase. Many people consider this to be the easiest step of the process.
The loading phase generally lasts for 2 days. During this time, you can eat as many calories and fats as you want to prepare for the second phase of the HCG diet. For instance, you could binge eat on pizza, hamburgers, cheesecake, doughnuts, etc.
While it might sound counter-intuitive to indulge in these bad eating habits, research shows that the first phase of the HCG diet is crucial for weight loss. After all, the fat you store during the first phase will be used as fuel to mediate the second phase of the diet.
How Much Food Can You Eat During the Loading Phase?
Many people find it difficult to estimate how much food they should be eating during the loading phase. Moreover, individuals with rapid satiety rates might feel full soon, which limits the amount of food they can consume.
The good news is that you don’t need to eat precise proportions. However, you will need to include some high-calorie foods to cover your needs. For this purpose, you can finally eat fast food without feeling guilty. For instance, one McDonald’s Big Mac contains around 467 calories.
Keep in mind that 1 gram of fats contains 9 calories, whereas 1 gram of carbs or protein only has 4 calories. Therefore, don’t hesitate to include cheese in the loading phase.
The Importance of the Loading phase of the HCG Diet
The importance of the loading phase resides within preparing your body for the second phase. In the latter, your caloric intake will get restricted to approximately 600 calories per day, which is enough to activate all the craving responses of your body. However, when you load properly, you will possess all the fat needed for mediating this transition.
According to some research, skipping the loading phase translates into stronger cravings in the second phase. Eventually, this could negatively impact your weight loss journey.
How to Load Properly on an HCG diet
The ideal way to load during this phase is extremely important.
The very first step is to choose a day to start your loading. If you are a woman, avoid choosing a day that coincides with your menstrual period. The next step is to start getting the hCG injections on the first day of loading.
Make sure to consume the foods that often make you crave as it will help you get it out of your system. Of course, high-calorie foods are the preferred option.
If you want to minimize weight gain during this phase, focus on healthy fats and low-carb foods. This way, you might only gain 1–3 pounds.
The Types of Food to Include in Your Loading Phase
Some of the foods you can include during your loading phase include:
- Turkey Bacon
- Eggs
- Beef Sausage
- Cheeseburgers
- Avocado
- Milkshakes
- Baked potato with butter
- Cashews
- Chicken thighs
- Steak
- Peanut butter
- Cheesecake
- Ice cream
- Salmon
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About the Loading Phase
How many days should I load for?
While most people on the HCG diet opt for 2 days of loading, adding one day to this journey is generally tolerable. In fact, Dr. Simeons had some patients on a three day loading phase.
As a general rule of thumb, if you do not feel that the 2 days of loading were sufficient to cover your needs of fats, you can add a third day.
What if I lose weight while loading?
If you lose weight during the loading phase, it simply means you did not eat enough. In this case, you should add a 3rd day to your loading. If you are still losing weight despite loading with high-calorie foods, it should be okay to move on to the next phase.
However, keep in mind that proper loading should make you gain between 1–3 pounds in the 2–3 day window.
How much weight will I gain during the loading phase?
While most people gain 1–3 pounds during the loading phase, there is no consensus on the exact amount of weight you will gain.
Ideally, you should not focus on the transient weight gain that occurs during this phase since you will lose a substantial percentage of your weight once the entire cycle is complete.
How fast do you lose loading weight in the second phase?
Since the HCG diet depends on several factors, it may prove difficult to tell you exactly how much weight you will lose during the second phase.
As a rough estimation, expect to lose between 8 and 12 pounds during the first week of the second phase. Note that the gains of the loading phase are also included in this estimate.
We cannot emphasize enough that a large percentage of the weight loss during the first few days/weeks mainly consists of water. Therefore, learn to keep your expectations realistic to prevent frustration. Once the entire cycle ends, you can objectively measure how much fat you lost with a proper fat scale.
Takeaway Message
The loading phase of the HCG diet is essential to ensure that your body has enough stores for upcoming phases. The improper application of this phase will lead to powerful cravings during the second phase, which could alter your weight loss.
We hope that this article helped you appreciate the role and importance of the loading phase of the HCG diet.
