Protein A Critical Component Of The HCG Diet Share
Jun 5th, 2010 by Dr. Larry Vickman
Protein is a key component of hCG diet plans. I will explain why the protein portion of this diet is so crucial. Protein has several metabolic effects that are critical to success when losing weight on an hCG diet. All proteins are not the same and the metabolic effects of specific proteins may vary, so it is important to stick to the list you are given in your dietary instructions.
Protein as a source of calories actually requires energy to burn. In medical terms, this is referred to as “postprandial thermogenesis” and it can represent up to 10% of our caloric needs. So when eating and then digesting a protein meal, you can essentially increase the caloric needs requested of your body’s metabolism. This is due to the added energy needed for digestion. When you increase your caloric needs in any way, the scale is tipped in favor of losing more weight. As you burn more calories you will burn more of your fat stores.
A study of the breakfast habits of two groups of individuals showed that the group that ate a breakfast rich in protein consumed 30% fewer calories that day than the group that ate a breakfast rich in carbohydrates. After breakfast, neither group was given any restrictions on further food choices. This suggests that you will have less of an appetite throughout the day having consumed protein in the morning. When combined with hCG diet plans, the appetite suppressive effect of protein can be of great benefit to reaching you weight loss goals.
Consuming carbohydrates can cause blood insulin levels to rise. Insulin is a fat storage hormone and elevated levels of insulin are to be avoided when on the hCG diet. When you replace carbohydrates with protein as part of your daily meals, you help normalize the levels of blood sugar and insulin thereby lessening the fat storing effects that elevated levels of insulin would induce.
Protein helps focus the character of our weight loss. When we are on a calorie-restricted diet as one does with the hCG diet, the body will take its additional caloric needs from many sources. We would love to take all the additional needed calories exclusively from our fat stores, but of course this does not happen. The body will take its needs from fat and from other tissues such as our muscle. It has been shown that one effect of protein in our diets is to force our systems to the degree that it is possible, to take the needed calories from fat. Other diets may restrict calories, but the protein in the mix helps focus the weight loss to fat. The pharmaceutical hCG assists in this as well.
One side effect to be aware of in all calorie restricted diets is constipation that comes from the decreased bulk of the diet. A simple cure for this is to take additional fiber as a supplement capsule or powder. If you use a powder just make certain that it is unsweetened or has no sugar. It will keep you regular and the side effect of many fiber supplements is that you will feel fuller.
In conclusion, a diet rich with quality protein is a critical factor as a fat and weight loss aid when you are on the hCG diet. Please keep this in mind when you are on any of the hCG diet plans.
