Can’t sleep on the HCG Diet? Why?

As the saying goes, “Sleep more, weight less” is true. The amount of sleep you get directly affects your diet. When you are short of sleep, you tend to weight more. You also have more trouble losing weight than those who get enough sleep and even on the same diet. When you aren’t sleeping, your body cooked up a perfect recipe for weight gain. You are tempted to go for a large latte just to get you moving or skip your daily routine exercise because you are too tired to do anything. You are even too lazy to cook for your meal so you ended up getting takeout for dinner and turn to another latte because you are uncomfortably full.

There are certain things that you should do when trying to lose weight. You give up on junk foods, soda and anything loaded with sugar and carbs. You increase your veggie and fruit intake, you hit the gym regularly (during Phase 3) but what you don’t realize is that getting enough sleep is a very important part of the HCG Diet protocol.

Here’s what will happen if you will not get enough sleep:

1. When you don’t get enough sleep your body produces too much hunger causing hormones ghrelin and leptin. This can make you more susceptible to overeat and feel less satisfied afterward. When the leptin hormone in your body is low it will stimulate hunger.
2. Your glucose and insulin level spike similar to those who are diabetic because your fat cells lose its ability to make use of insulin properly. As your body becomes used to insulin, more and more insulin will be produced to function. This leads to fat buildup and eventually could lead to diabetes. Your insulin sensitivity will drop by more than 30% and this can make you feel metabolically groggy.
3. Less amount of sleep prompts you to eat a bigger portion of food all the time which can make you gain weight. You will likely to crave for energy-dense, high-carbohydrate foods.
4. Less sleep can slow down your metabolism. Too little sleep can trigger the cortisol hormone which signals your body to conserve energy to fuel your waking hours. Studies have shown that when you cut back on sleep, the amount of weight you lost from fat will drop by 55%. You will feel hungrier and less satisfies after a meal. When cortisol hormone is elevated, it stimulates your body for more sugar cravings plus it makes your body retain more water causing a stall on your weight.
5. Lack of sleep can make you stressed out making it difficult for you to control your appetite. Once your body is sleep-deprived, more cortisol hormone is produced. This stress hormone triggers the reward center of your brain which can make you crave for more food. The combination of more ghrelin and more cortisol makes you eat more foods that you normally do in to feel satisfied.
6. Lack of sleep equals more salty and sugary foods which will make you less likely to say no to unhealthy treats. Exhaustion from not getting enough sleep reduces your mental clarity and judgement so you are more likely to reach for donuts on your way to your office when you’d normally have a piece of fruit.
7. Your decision making with food choices is poor. Without enough sleep, you choose quick and easy food options and sad to say these food options are not HCG Diet-friendly. When you get enough sleep, the hormones in your body will function better and therefore, you will make better food choices.
8. Lack of sleep can impact your gym time during the maintenance phase of the HCG diet. You feel exhausted so you are much more likely to skip the gym but a decent night sleep will help you do more the next day. When you sleep you produce more growth hormones which will help you burn fats, repair and build muscle tissue, increase your strength and lose more weight the next day. Sleep will keep you energized and motivated through your workout.
   

Can’t sleep on the HCG diet?

The number reason why you find it difficult to get a good sleep while on the HCG Diet is due to your elevated cortisol hormone. Cortisol is a hormone produced by your adrenal glands and one of its main functions is to increase your glucose, protein and fat flow out of your body. It tends to rise in the morning when you are awake. It’s also released once you’re physically or emotional stress.

Another reason why you can’t sleep well is due to messed up melatonin. Melatonin is a sleep hormone produced by the pineal gland. This sleep hormone allows your body to wake up when it’s time to wake up and sleep when it’s time to sleep. Your body will normally make more melatonin at night and drops in the morning when the sun goes up.

Ways to sleep better

Sleep is just as important as taking in water, nutrient-rich food, and exercise. Here are ways to help you get better sleep:

1. Do not drink coffee late at night. The caffeine in your coffee can stay elevated in your blood for 6 to 8 hours.
2. Sleep and wake at consistent times so your melatonin won’t mess up. Irregular sleep pattern can mess up your melatonin and alter your circadian rhythm.
3. Take melatonin supplement to help you sleep better. The recommended dosage is 2 mg before bedtime to help you fall asleep faster and help improve the quality of your sleep.
4. Optimize your bedroom environment so you can get a good night sleep. These include external noise, temperature, external light, and furniture arrangement.
5. Do not eat late in the evening because this can negatively impact the natural release of melatonin and HGH hormone and the quality of your sleep.
6. Relax and clear your mind before going to bed. These are pre-sleep routine to help you fall asleep faster and improved the quality of your sleep.
7. Get a comfortable bed, pillow and mattress because bed quality can also affect sleep. Though extremely subjective a good quality of the bed, mattress, and pillow can enhance sleep while poor-quality of beddings can cause lower-back pains.
8. Exercise regularly but not before bedtime. Exercise can enhance all aspect of sleep but doing it late at night can cause sleep problems.

Meal replacement shake has now become an interesting topic among the HCG dieters. An HCG diet meal replacement shake is a delicious and nutritious meal alternative specially formulated for HCG dieters who seek the ultimate blend of carbohydrate, proteins and other nutrition in one product. It’s ideal for dieters seeking the most nutrition from an easy-to-mix drink. You can use meal replacement shakes for weight loss or to gain weight in a healthy way.

They are high in protein but low in carbs and will keep you full and satisfied for hours.  It can provide 50% of your daily value with 23 vitamins and minerals. It’s a nutrient-dense formula that will help you promote healthy weight loss even on the maintenance phase. An HCG Diet meal replacement shake does not contain any HCG hormone.

Unlike the protein shakes, meal replacement shakes are designed to provide nutrition of one full meal. Meal shakes provides a convenient way to a healthy low calorie meal on the go. It can provide your body with the nutrition it needs while limiting the number of calories you consume without the need to snack between meals after one drink. Most meal shakes contains 200 calories to 400 calories with a good amount of fiber, protein, vitamins and minerals which creates an ideal midday nourishment option for your body.

Does the original protocol allow the use of meal replacement shakes?

The answer is NO. Dr. Simeons never talked about his on his book Pounds and Inches. The concept about replacing the protein options with meal replacement shakes has been developed recently but you can do this with limitations. There are some rules and guidelines that you need to follow if you want to substitute your meal with a meal replacement shakes.

Can I use the meal replacement shake for my 500 calories diet?

Using the meal replacement shake during the very low calorie diet is not a wise idea. You can use this occasionally just like when you are in a hurry but not on the 500 calorie diet.

What are the guidelines that you need to follow in selecting the right meal replacement shakes?

1. Choose a meal replacement shake that’s all-natural. It should not contain any artificial flavors or any forms of sugar except for Stevia.
2. Your meal shake should not contain any vegetables or fruits that are off the HCG diet protocol.
3. Do not take more than 100 calories of shakes per serving nor should you replace more than one meal per day with any diet shakes.
4. Choose a meal replacement shakes that are low in calories and fats but high in protein. Each serving of shake must not exceed more than 10 grams of carbohydrates.
5. Choose whey proteins over soy proteins because whey proteins are easier to digests.
6. For vegans and vegetarians, you can use protein shakes with soy. Use whey proteins as much as possible.

Meal replacement shakes are a way to slim down. It further maximizes your weight loss once combine with an HCG Diet plan. Some use meal shakes because of the protein content while others opt to use this because they feel preparing for a real meal is a tough task. 

What are the guidelines that you need to follow in using meal replacement shakes?

Keeping the following guidelines in mind whenever you want to use meal replacement shakes on your diet:

1. Do not consume only meal shakes for your lunch or dinner. Meal shake is not sufficient to provide you with the required minerals and vitamins found in fruits and vegetables. Keep it to a lesser level than the recommended protein dosage. You need proteins from other natural sources to fulfil the demands of your body.
2. If you are using the meal shakes, see to it that you do not exceed your daily protein intake limit.
3. Never use your meal replacement shake to replace your snacks in between meals. Meal shakes are only intended to replace your lunch or dinner along with the normal servings of vegetables and fruits. Your snack should always be fruits as they boost your body’s metabolism due to the fiber content and complex vitamins.
4. Keep your protein diversified. Instead of sticking to one protein shake, buy more types and mix and match them. Remember that diversified foods give the best results.
5. Blend your meal shakes with ice instead of just shaking them up. Blended meal shake is yummier than simply just shaking them up. You can add almonds and coconut milk but make sure that you count the calories.
6. You can add other ingredients to your meal shake like spinach. It’s packed with nutrient to help give your body additional boost. You can also choose to add yogurt to make it creamier. Yogurt is loaded with calcium, protein, potassium, zinc, vitamin B12 and vitamin B6. You can add cinnamon, it can help with inflammation and adds more flavor to your meal.

Replacing your regular meal plan with meal shakes is not the best thing to do. No meal shakes can take the place of a home-cooked food. However, meal replacement shakes are a good option when you have no time to prepare your meal and you are searching for an easy alternative to your regular meal plan on the HCG Diet. So, it would be best to keep your meal shakes for those busy days. There are meal replacement shakes available that’s HCG Diet friendly but if you can’t find one, then don’t compromise on the shakes and break off the protocol.

How does meal replacements shakes differ from protein shakes?

The notable difference between the meal replacement shakes and protein shakes are their ingredient.

Protein shakes:

• Consist mostly from whey proteins with the essential vitamins and minerals.
• It’s designed as a supplement to balance the meal and not as a replacement.
• It does not include sufficient carbs or fibers to give you more energy the way meal replacement shakes can.

Many find diet maintenance to be so easy but not with the HCG Diet. Unlike other diets, excluding sugar and carbohydrates from the diet is a real-life challenge. Gaining the weight back after losing them seems unimaginable.

Here are the most common problems dieters encounter when on the maintenance phase of the HCG Diet:

1. The problem: Gaining the weight back

After losing all those pounds and inches you suddenly feel that your body has changed. Now, you have the right to eat whatever you want only to find out the next morning you have regained the weight you’ve lost, worst added more pounds. When this happens, you feel ashamed, frustrated, and powerless. Probably, ready to throw up your hands in defeat.

How to fix: Don’t be so reluctant to going back consuming a whole box of cookies. Instead, continue eating the same type of foods that have helped you shed pounds.  I am not saying that you should go back eating the 500 calorie diet. You need to determine how many calories you need each day based on your current weight, age and sex. Remember that the Maintenance phase is not a weight loss phase. If you try to keep eating the 500 calories a day without the hormone, your body will think that it is in the starvation mode and will start to store fat again and burn muscles for energy. Eat foods that are healthy, tasty and not bland and boring.  

• The problem: Eating starches and sugars

Consuming starches and sugars will definitely sabotage your success during P3 and you wouldn’t want to gain all the weight back, do you?

How to fix: Avoid overly starchy veggies and fruits like potato and banana. Stay away from pre-packaged foods because most of them contain added sugars. Avoid eating ultra-sweet fruits like melon and mangoes. Be mindful of what’s in the food you are eating too.

• The problem: Not addressing hunger pains during the P2

Hunger pains during P2 likely happen due to many reasons. Perhaps you are not following the hcg protocol to the letter, maybe you are not using the right hCG Injections dosage or you have used up all the stored fat.

How to fix: You can increase your calorie intake from 500 calorie to 800 calorie if you think the reason why you are hungry is that you have lost all the weight you need to lose.

• The Problem: Cheating

HCG Diet Phase 3 is still part of the diet and cheating can happen to the best of us.

How to fix: The first thing that you need to do is to forgive yourself and don’t cheat anymore. You have a lot of food choices and a bigger amount of foods but do not overdo.