What’s the difference? HCG Diet vs Phentermine Diet

When someone comes to us looking to lose weight, we typically prescribe one of two diet and medication programs.  The program we chose depends on how much weight they want to lose over the next 30 days and which methods they are willing to employ.

Phentermine (also known as Adipex, or Adipex-P) is an appetite suppressant that we commonly prescribe to help people lose from 5-15 lbs a month.  Actual results during any 30 day period can vary depending on an individual’s starting weight, body type, age, gender, and most importantly, will power. Since phentermine is a stimulant, your energy will improve despite eating much less than you typically would while also experiencing a diminished desire to eat food.

The HCG diet is specifically geared toward rapid fat loss, helping you achieve as much as 20-35 lbs of weight loss in 30 days. As with phentermine, individual results depend on your body type, how much extra weight you are carrying, and your adherence to the diet program and instructions. HCG attacks the other side of hunger, providing you the opportunity to operate comfortably at very low levels of calorie intake, while allowing you to burn off extra fat to provide this energy.

HCG is a hormone produced during pregnancy that encourages the metabolism of fat, reducing some aspects of hunger while encouraging the body to burn significantly more fat than it ordinarily would in a 24 hour period. If you feel highly motivated and want to lose in the range of 20-35 lbs a month, we may suggest the HCG diet program as a good choice for you, and in some cases HCG and phentermine have been used in combination for a safe way to reach your 30 day fat loss potential.  

So how are these two diets different from one another?  There isn’t much different except that the phentermine program is a little more flexible in terms of which foods to eat.  While both diets are restrictive in nature, the HCG program calls for a lower calorie intake and is more sensitive to the benefits of eating a low carbohydrate diet. Technically you could eat the same foods on either diet, but when you try to keep your calories low you will want to stay away from calorie dense foods or be left unsatisfied more often.

Anytime you eat a low calorie diet, you WILL lose weight.   However, phentermine will assist by dramatically reducing your appetite for food, providing energy, and removing the discomfort associated with being on a calorie-restricted program.  Of course you can definitely lose weight without any medications or assistance, but phentermine gives you that extra control and motivation because it removes the discomfort factor.  As a result, this will allow you to more easily stick to the diet plans you make for yourself.   HCG shots have similar effects of improving energy and reducing hunger, however this is achieved by utilizing body fat to create energy while protecting muscle mass rather than directly as a stimulant.

So what do I eat on the phentermine diet vs the HCG diet?

Phentermine Diet	HCG Diet
·         1000-1600 calories per day	·         600-1000 calories per day
·         30 grams of total carbs, including dietary fiber (or 15-20 grams of NET carbs) if possible, but you may have up to 100 gram of carbs with good weight loss results	·         30 grams of total carbs, including dietary fiber (or 15-20 grams of NET carbs)
·         Lean meats, eggs, low-carb cheeses	·         Lean meats, eggs, low-carb cheeses
·         Oils, butter, and fat are OK (watch calories goal)	·         Oils, butter, and fat are OK (watch calories goal)
·         Green, leafy low-carb vegetables	·         Green, leafy low-carb vegetables (these should be your primary source of carbs)
·         Bread, pasta, sugar, or starch will hinder your progress. Try to avoid if possible	·         No bread, pasta, sugar, or starch
·         A small handful serving of berries or other tart fruits if desired ·         Other fruits or treats may be OK depending on your goal	·         Can only have berries or other tart fruits if within total daily carb limit
·         1-2 drink of alcohol per week is OK, as long as it meets your caloric requirements	·         No alcohol, and no beverages with calories except low-carb protein shakes
·         Use a water pill as needed for fluid retention or bloating	·         No water pill, unless you are already taking a water pill from your family doctor.
·         A small amount of Splenda, Truvia, Stevia and other artificial sweeteners are OK	·         A small amount of Splenda, Truvia, Stevia and other artificial sweeteners are OK
·         1 gallon of water a day is the general recommendation	·         1 gallon of water a day is the general recommendation
·         No restriction on activity, typically exercise is not required	·         No restriction on activity, typically exercise is not required

As a general guideline, we provide you with a food list below.  For a downloadable Food List PDF, click here.  FYI, this list is not comprehensive, however, if you choose your foods from this list, you are probably safe.

Meat & Fish Eggs NY Strip or T bone Filet Steak >90% lean beef Top Round Steaks or Roast          Top Sirloin Flank Steak Eye of Round Stew Meat Skinless chicken Chicken liver     Pork      Ground Turkey, Turkey Breast slices or cutlets Lamb Whitefish Salmon     Tuna	Vegetables         Green Leafy lettuce (red, green, romaine) Turnip Greens         Mustard Greens      Broccoli Asparagus Spinach Bell Peppers (Green or Red) Brussels Sprouts Artichoke Cauliflower Cabbage Celery Cucumber   Carrots      Eggplant    Onions Garlic     Tomatoes Zucchini Kale Mushrooms	Fruits (only a small handful total daily) Strawberries Blackberries Blueberries Raspberries Lemons or limes Avocado Tomatoes
Oils & Butter Olive Oil Canola Oil Vegetable Oil Butter Flax seed oil Avocados Fish Oil Mustard Garlic	Seasoning Onions Dry seasonings (Herbal, etc.) Scallions Lemon Lime Salt Pepper	Beverages Water (target is 1 gallon/day) Water with lemon/lime Flavored water Iced tea (without sugar) Herbal tea Stevia/Truvia/Splenda

In the next few posts, we will include several meal plans for optimum weight loss.