Looking at the differences of the hcg protocol and the atkins weight loss plan

By John D Greene


Although, there are various diet plans however the primary rule to lose weight is to take fewer calories than the amount of calories burnt by the body. In fact, it is complicated to select a proper diet protocol that blends with one's lifestyle, metabolism, and food preferences. However, you can take a physician's opinion to succeed in losing weight as he or she will assist you in selecting a proper diet protocol. Most importantly, you should familiarize about the type of weight loss approach before figuring out its action.

Currently, the most widely accepted diet plans are the HCG diet and Atkins diet although medical advice is mandatory before beginning with any plan. The HCG diet includes daily administration of hormone injections followed by the calorie restriction, while the Atkins diet promotes the restricted intake of carbohydrates. One can succeed in achieving the weight loss goal by familiarizing oneself with both concepts. Let's discuss about Dr. Simeons HCG diet plan and Dr. Atkins diet plan in detail.

The HCG Diet protocol was initially known during 1950s but only came into practice in 1970s when Dr. A. T. W. Simeons confirmed its efficacy in managing obesity. The diet requires routine intake of HCG (human chorionic gonadotropin) hormone injection which is biologically obtained from the pregnant female's urine. These injections should be taken only for certain period. During HCG diet, it is basically recommended to be on a very low-calorie diet of about 500 calories a day or even lesser to initiate the fat burning process in the body. Dr. Simeons recommends taking 2 short meals every day that includes fresh fruits, lean protein sources, and non-starchy vegetables.

Although, one is not allowed to take some carbs while on HCG diet, however you can consider taking foods that contain less carbs like Melba toast or Grissini breadsticks. Dr. A.T.W. Simeons conducted a study to detect the per day ratio of the amount of carbs taken by the dieters to avoid carbohydrate imbalance. The HCG diet plan is the best tool to successfully control one's weight in future as it works by re-programming the hypothalamus gland thus the person feels filled despite intake of small portions of food. Depending on weight, the low calorie phase of the HCG Diet typically lasts for about 21 to 45 days. The best benefit of HCG diet plan when compared to Atkins diet is that you can avoid ketosis by regularly taking certain carbs.

The Atkins diet was introduced in the 1970s by Dr. Robert C. Atkins to promote easy and rapid weight loss. The Atkins diet mainly emphasizes on reduced intake of carbohydrates followed by the consumption of healthy carbohydrates back to sustain lost weight. It includes several phases in order to achieve the desired weight loss. The first phase of the Atkins diet restricts the intake of carbohydrates to less than 20 grams per day. Based on individual carbohydrate tolerance, one can take around 50 to 100 grams of carbohydrates per day during the subsequent phases.

It is advised to decrease the carb intake by consuming non-starchy vegetables, meat, bacon, fish, sausages, butter, cream, cheese, and coconut oil. Meanwhile, one should avoid taking rice, bread, pasta, potatoes, muffins, fruits, breakfast cereals, sugar, soft drinks, and desserts. Compared to HCG diet, the Atkins Diet usually emphasizes on completely eliminating the carbohydrates thus provoking the system to pass through the stage of ketosis. Ketosis is an abnormal condition that is associated with the increased level of ketone bodies in the body. It is usually experienced in case of diabetes mellitus, and abnormal fat metabolism. Long term ketosis can often progress to a serious form eventually resulting in liver damage. Hence, the Atkins Diet received some criticism as the portion sizes need not be restricted which was later altered by introducing healthy fats, nutrition and portion control.

The main difference between the HCG diet and the Atkins diet is that the former involves total calorie restriction, whereas the latter emphasizes on carbohydrate restriction. However, the administration of HCG hormone injections is unique to the HCG diet protocol while the Atkins diet involves introduction of fruits, sugar, grains, and some dairy products by carefully monitoring the daily intake of carbohydrates.

The HCG diet allows the intake of some carbohydrates like Melba toast and breadsticks and it ensures one from taking necessary amount of carbs daily thus preventing ketosis. In contrary, the Atkins diet includes cutting-off all essential carbs in your daily diet thus predisposing to ketosis condition in addition to weakness, low energy levels and fatigue. In addition, the HCG diet causes permanent weight loss by resetting the hypothalamus gland to permanently get used to intake of smaller increments of nutritious food.

In conclusion, the HCG diet protocol should be considered as it causes provides necessary energy with no unpleasant side effects like bad breath and flatulence as experienced during Atkins diet. The HCG diet causes side effects like depression, restlessness, blood clots, and headache.




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