Happy Halloween
To all of you currently on the HCG Diet and to all who have successfully lost weight and are trying to maintain that loss, BEWARE! The ghosts of Halloweens past will once again try to cast their spell, tempting you with the treats of the season.
If you are on the low-calorie phase of the HCG Diet, you know that there is no flexibility here; candy is an absolute “no-no”. Rapid weight loss occurs from those problem areas of the body, hips, thighs, etc., while taking HCG weight loss drops and following the diet prescribed by Dr. Simeons but only if you follow the diet as prescribed. Cheating, even in small ways, may cause you to gain or stall for several days. Our recommendation is to avoid temptation altogether. If you have to buy candy for potential trick-or-treaters, buy something kids like but you are not so fond of. My house will be giving out sweet tarts…no chocolate!
As for the maintainers, after working so hard in Phase 2 to lose weight, don’t give in now. The maintenance phase consists of three weeks of no starches or processed sugars followed by three weeks of slowly incorporating those things back into your diet. If you are in the first three weeks of maintenance, Dr. Simeons had this to say: “During this period patients must realize that the so-called carbohydrate, that is sugar, rice, bread, potatoes, pastries, etc., are by far the most dangerous.” Note that he listed “sugar” first on the list of dangerous items. If you have recently lost a good amount of weight during the low-calorie phase of the HCG Diet, your body is in flux and the maintenance phase plays a critical role in helping your body to stabilize its new weight set point. Eating sugar, rice, bread, potatoes, pastries, etc., may jeopardize this process and cause the weight to come back rather quickly.
If you are in the second three weeks of maintenance, when you are slowly adding starches and sugars back into your diet and implementing new eating habits to maintain the weight loss for the rest of your life, realize that processed sugars are “dangerous”. Mounting evidence suggests that sugar can be addictive, much like street drugs, and can produce like effects on the brain. According to Cassie Bjork, R.D., L.D., founder of Healthy Simple Life, “Sugar activates the opiate receptors in our brain and affects the reward center, which leads to compulsive behavior, despite the negative consequences like weight gain, headaches, hormone imbalances, and more.”
It’s probably unrealistic to completely quit sugar and vow to never eat another bite of candy in your life so I’m happy to tell you that a high-quality dark chocolate (70-85% cocoa) is actually quite healthy since it is a plentiful source of fiber, iron, magnesium, copper, manganese and other minerals. Of course, there is sugar in dark chocolate so remember that moderation is the key.
As you peruse the isles of your local supermarket, you may want to keep the following in mind. Many processed foods contain sugar. Things like cereal, candy, and cookies are no surprise but what about items that most people perceive as being “healthy” like canned spaghetti sauce, garlic salt and canned fruit. Check the list of ingredients; most brands contain sugar in some form.
Delish Knowledge founder, Alex Caspero, M.A., R.D., says, “The problem is that we aren’t meant to enjoy sugars in such concentrated amounts. In nature, sugar is found surrounded by fiber, in sugar cane and fruits. It naturally comes in a container that produces a shorter blood sugar response and aids in fullness. Today’s sugars are refined and concentrated.” To illustrate what Caspero is saying, you’d have to eat 3½ medium oranges to get the same amount of sugar that is in one standard pack of skittles!
The next time you go grocery shopping, now that you’ve got the lowdown on sugar, you may want to check a few labels, read some ingredient lists and choose as many whole, unprocessed foods as possible. Ah, “sweet knowledge”….
