Bridge from the hCG diet to Normal Eating

1. Count calories. Use a calorie counting application on your phone, or look up calories online and write them in your planner.
2. Go over the maintenance plan.
3. If you can’t follow the maintenance plan exactly, then plan out what you may eat if you are going to cheat. Would you add a fruit? Add a protein? Both? Planning out foods you will eat if you are hungry will help you not to overindulge.
4. Eat three meals a day and two snacks. Don’t eat after dinner, as you may be tempted to eat treats. We have found that to begin to discipline your mind to maintain your weight loss, we recommend that you eat by the clock. Eat breakfast at before 8:00 am, lunch at 12:00-1:00 pm, and dinner before 7:00 pm. Make your snack fewer than 100 calories.
5. Weigh yourself daily at the same time, in the same clothes, with the same scale. Average your weights for the week and compare to the previous week. Daily weights can change due to water retention, do don’t rely on daily comparisons.

10 Tips for Keeping Fat Off After Weight Loss

1. Do Not Skip Meals
2. Weigh Yourself Regularly
3. Eat a Healthy Variety of Foods
4. Exercise Consistently

5. Eat Throughout the Day
6. Drink More Water
7. A low-fat diet
8. Keep Track of Portion Sizes
9. Join a Support Group
10. Exercise Cognitive Control

Rosemary Garlic Steak

100g steak

1 T rice vinegar

1 T rosemary

1 t garlic paste (3-5 cloves minced)

1/2 t crushed red pepper

1. In small dish, add rice vinegar. Add steak and coat.

2. In small bowl, combine rosemary, garlic, red pepper. Rub on both sides of steak.

3. Place steak in small dish, cover, and refrigerate 4 hours - overnight.

4. Grill to desired doneness.

Chile Chicken

Chile Chicken

100g chicken

1 T red chile paste

1 tsp apple cider vinegar

3 cloves minced garlic

1 t oregano

1/2 t cumin

1/2 t granulated sugar substitute

salt

crushed red pepper (optional)

1. In ziplock bag, add all ingredients except chicken. Mix.
2. Sprinkle chicken with salt and add the chicken to bag. Seal & shake to coat.
3. Place in refrigerator to marinate at least 1 hr.
4. Cook chicken on the stovetop on a grill pan, or under broiler until done.
5. Top with crushed red pepper (optional) and serve.

Serve with a grilled vegetable, or shred for a salad.

Vitamin D

Vitamin D should be an important part of your diet and daily supplements. Vitamin D is important for many body functions, and its deficiency is linked to all sorts of diseases including cancer, diabetes, and heart disease.

Vitamin D has been linked to obesity, and although the connection isn't totally clear, one study showed that patients with adequate Vitamin D lost .5 lbs more than patients with inadequate Vitamin D levels. Vitamin D, in conjunction with calcium and sunlight, helps to properly assimilate food and regulate normal blood sugar levels.

What you can do:
1. Take a supplement. The current RDI is 600iu.
2. Get out in the sun. In the summer, 15 minutes of mid-day sun exposure will provide the recommended value.
3. Eat foods high in Vitamin D.
4. Get tested. Ask Dr. Crockett if he recommends a Vit D test to be added to your blood work. If your levels are low, he may want you to take a high dose Vit D prescription.

Asparagus Frittata

3 egg whites

1 whole egg

asparagus (measure to make sure you aren’t going over 500 calories for the day if you’re on the 500 calorie stage of the hCG diet)

1-2 cloves minced garlic

1 T dehydrated minced onion

1 T water

1 t parsley

salt/pepper (to taste)

tabasco (optional)

1. Preheat pan over MED heat.
2. Snap woody ends off asparagus and discard.
3. Snap each asparagus spear into 2-3 pieces. Add to pan with garlic & heat through until tender.
4. Preheat oven to 400.
5. In bowl, mix eggs & water. Add asparagus, minced onion, parsley, salt/pepper.
6. Pour egg mixture into non-stick baking dish (or dish lined with parchment paper).
7. Place in oven and cook 10-15 mins until done.
8. Top with tabasco (optional) and serve immediately

Patient Report: Laurie

New clothes in new sizes can be one of the fun parts of losing weight. Here's what our patient says about how the hCG diet has helped her lose weight. "I am loving that my clothes fit better. I even had to get rid of some that are now way too big!! Which was exciting." - Laurie

Your mood and your diet

What you eat has a powerful effect on your mood. If you suffer from depression, it's a good idea to pay special attention to what you eat. Beyond treatment that may be suggested by your primary care doctor, you may be able to life your mood by changing your eating habits. Avoid sugar, caffeine, and alcohol, and eat small meals several times a day centered around high-complex carbohydrates, lean proteins, and healthful fats to ensure a steady supply of nutrients that help to keep blood-sugar levels balanced. Protein-rich foods such as chicken, turkey, fish, tofu, eggs, lentils, almonds, and yogurt are particularly important for overcoming depression because they are made up of amino acids, which are the building blocks for mood-elevating neurotransmitters.

Essential fatty acids are another important nutrient for alleviating depression because they play a critical role in maintaining healthy cell membranes, which are involved in the synthesis and transmission of neurotransmitters. Depression is associated with low levels of essential fatty acids, so be sure to eat adequate amounts of fish, nuts, and seeds that contain omega-3 fatty acids and gamma linolenic acid.

Lemon Oregano Fish with Asparagus

whitefish (100 g if on hCG, or more if not)

asparagus (use any amt., as long as you do not go over 500 calories for the day, if on hCG)

juice of one lemon

1 t oregano

salt/pepper

1. Preheat the oven to 400F.
   
2. Snap off woody ends of asparagus and discard.
   
3. Tear off a large sheet of non-stick aluminum foil.
   
4. In the center of this sheet, place asparagus spears and sprinkle with salt/pepper.
   
5. Place whitefish on top of asparagus.
   
6. In small bowl, combine lemon juice & oregano, and pour over fish.
   
7. Fold up edges and completely seal packet on all sides.
   
8. Bake 10-20 mins, until fish flakes.
   
9. Serve.

Decisions

To maintain healthy weight is one of the most important decisions you'll ever make.  We're here to help you with your goals.  The big decision is to keep a healthy weight, which is then followed by a series of small daily decisions.  Certain diets work better than others, and hCG works.  It has proven to be very popular as well as effective for our patients.