How hungry will I be on the HCG diet? This common question lingers on the minds of those who intend to start the HCG diet. This is perfectly normal and expected. Food is after all one of the basic needs of the human body. The Hunger and starvation concerns stem from the fact that the diet consists of an intake of only 500 calories a day plus HCG drops. If you are one of those worried and concerned, there is no need to be because that is not the case. Those who have already started the diet are usually pleasantly surprised to learn that they do not experience hunger pangs like expected or like one normally would. Let us explore why that is so below.
HCG drops make use of the body fat making it available for the body as calories. A range of between 2000 and 3000 calories are moved into the bloodstream. The calories are enough to take care of the nutritional and energy needs of a normal adult. The 500 calorie restriction during dieting therefore is realistic and makes sense. As a matter of fact, some people even find it an uphill task to consume the 500 calorie diet because they claim they ‘feel so full’.
Now, let us be realistic, people are different and what may be common to many may be uncommon to you. So, what is to be done when you feel hungry on diet? First of all, you should be on guard against discouragement. If you experience hunger, it does not mean that the drops are in any way ineffective. That said some individuals are emotional feeders. This means that they gravitate towards food when stressed, sad, nervous and the like. It becomes of importance therefore to be on toes and determine whether your hunger is due to need of more calories, or simply emotional. This will help you decide what to do next.
Normally, due to the amount of calories that the HCG diet drops mobilize into your blood stream you should not feel hungry. However, it sometimes happens that due to the 500 calorie restriction that your stomach may feel empty because it is used to higher food quantities. This does not in any way mean that you are hungry. You should be aware not to equal this feeling of emptiness to hunger. If you determine that you are feeling empty, do not in any way be anxious. You are okay! You have enough calories to sort out your nutritional and energy requirements.
It is important to note that the initial week is usually the hardest. For this reason, the HCG diet allows two loading days to store up fat that will be enough to give you fuel for the duration of the diet. If you were used to taking snacks in between meals, it might be challenging to confront and conquer the habit but as you continue to persevere, it gets easier. You should also make a point of seeking support and accountability from friends and family.