Are South Beach Meals Compatible with the HCG Diet?

The HCG (human chorionic gonadotropin) diet has become a popular rapid weight loss program. This diet combines taking HCG supplements or injections along with consuming a very low calorie diet, typically limited to just 500 calories per day.

The South Beach Diet is another popular commercial diet that focuses on low glycemic index foods and meal plans. With both diets being fairly restrictive, some wonder whether South Beach diet meals can be incorporated into an HCG diet protocol.

Key Facts on South Beach Diet and HCG Diet

• The South Beach Diet has 3 phases – 2 restrictive low-carb phases and a final maintenance phase.

• HCG diet has 3 phases too – loading, very low-calorie, and maintenance.

• HCG diet strictly limits carbs to 2 servings of fruit and non-starchy veggies daily.

• South Beach meals emphasize lean protein, healthy fats, low glycemic carbs.

• Calorie and carb counts for South Beach meals may be too high for very low-calorie HCG phase.

“In the United States, 36.5 percent of adults are obese.” – CDC National Center for Health Statistics

Below is an in-depth look at the compatibility of incorporating South Beach Diet meals into the different phases of the HCG diet.

Overview of the South Beach Diet

The South Beach Diet was created by cardiologist Dr. Arthur Agatston and first released in book form in 2003. It has gone through several iterations since then.

This diet focuses on controlling blood sugar levels by restricting high glycemic index carbohydrates. It emphasizes lean proteins, healthy unsaturated fats and high fiber carbs with a low glycemic load.

The South Beach Diet has 3 phases:

Phase 1: 2 weeks of very low carb eating, limited to vegetables, eggs, lean protein, low-fat dairy and healthy fats like olive oil and avocado.

Phase 2: Gradually reintroduce carbs like fruits, whole grains and beans until reaching weight loss goal.

Phase 3: Lifetime maintenance phase focused on balanced nutrition with healthy carb choices.

The South Beach Diet includes meal plans, recipes and packaged foods to make following the plans easier. It allows dieters to lose weight without counting calories or weighing portions.

Overview of Dr. Simeons’ HCG Diet

The HCG diet was created in the 1950s by British endocrinologist Dr. Albert T.W. Simeons. His original 500-calorie protocol consisted of:

• Very low calories (500 per day)
• HCG injections or oral drops
• No sugars/starches
• 10g fat maximum per day
• 3.5 oz lean protein twice per day
• 2 fruits per day
• Non-starchy vegetable choices

This diet claims to help people lose up to 1 to 2 lbs per day. However, there is no scientific evidence that HCG boosts weight loss beyond severe calorie restriction.

Comparing Nutrition Guidelines

When looking at incorporating South Beach meals into an HCG diet, it’s important to look at the nutrition guidelines for each diet:

HCG Diet Guidelines:

• 500-800 calories per day
• 10g fat or less
• Only 2 servings fruit per day
• Non-starchy veggies only
• 3.5oz lean protein twice per day
• No sugars, starches, grains, beans, dairy

South Beach Diet Guidelines:

• No strict calorie limit
• Emphasizes healthy fats
• Allows fruits and some whole grains
• Encourages high fiber carbs
• No calorie counting or weighing food

Issues with South Beach Meals for HCG Diet

While both diets restrict carbohydrates initially, the South Beach plan was not designed for such an extremely low calorie intake. Here are some potential issues with trying to combine the two diets:

• Higher calories – South Beach meals provide more than 500 calories typically allowed on HCG diet.

• Higher carbs – South Beach meals include carbs and fruits restricted during HCG diet.

• No calorie info – Hard to track calories without South Beach counts.

• Less weight loss – Higher calories may reduce rapid weight loss seen with HCG diet.

• More hunger – 500 calories is very difficult without HCG suppressing appetite.

• Nutrient imbalance – HCG nutrients may not align with South Beach meals.

Without closely tracking calories, carbs and fat, South Beach meals are generally not compatible with the very low-calorie phase of an HCG diet protocol.

Modifications Needed to Align with HCG Diet

In order to try to make South Beach diet meals fit into an HCG diet plan, careful modifications would be required:

• Analyze nutrition info for all ingredients to calculate calories and macros.

• Omit or reduce high carb ingredients not allowed on HCG diet.

• Portion out very small servings to keep calories around 500 per day.

• Substitute HCG-approved veggies for higher carb ones in South Beach recipes.

• Avoid fruits, grains, beans, oils, nuts, seeds and dairy used in South Beach meals.

• Drink plenty of water, tea and coffee to help fill up on so few calories.

With meticulous meal planning and preparation, some South Beach recipes may be able to be modified sufficiently to meet HCG diet requirements.

Sample Modified South Beach Meals for HCG Diet

To give you an idea of the modifications required, here are some examples of tailored South Beach meals that could potentially work for the 500-calorie HCG diet:

Breakfast: Plain 3 egg white omelet with spinach and tomatoes (from South Beach omelet recipe)

Lunch: 3 oz grilled chicken breast with lemon and herbs, side salad with balsamic vinegar (from South Beach Greek chicken recipe)

Dinner: 3 oz grilled flank steak, small portion cauliflower “rice” with spices (from South Beach steak dinner)

Snack: Cucumber slices with 2 tbsp hummus (from South Beach hummus and veggie snack)

As you can see, the recipes have to be significantly altered by removing almost all carbs and fats and strictly controlling portions to meet HCG diet requirements.

Should You Combine South Beach Diet and HCG Diet?

Combining these two diets is extremely challenging due to the nutritional restrictions of the very low-calorie HCG diet phase. South Beach meals would have to be modified to the point of barely resembling the original recipes.

If you want to lose weight quickly with HCG, it is best to follow an HCG-specific meal plan rather than try to adapt higher calorie recipes.

However, once you complete the very low-calorie phase and enter the maintenance phase of HCG, incorporating some South Beach Diet principles can be beneficial. At this point, meals focused on lean proteins, healthy fats and high fiber carbs can help cement long-term healthy eating habits.

The bottom line is that the core South Beach Diet is not designed to be compatible with the strict 500-calorie HCG diet protocol needed for rapid weight loss. But some elements of the South Beach Diet can help support maintenance after finishing HCG.

To achieve success on either diet, it is best to follow the specific meal plans and guidelines provided rather than attempting to combine two contradictory eating plans. Consult your healthcare provider before starting any new diet.

Sources: https://www.verywellhealth.com/hcg-diet-7495294 https://www.eatingwell.com/article/8036881/what-is-the-hcg-diet-is-it-safe/ https://rmimedspa.com/hcg-diet/