Exercise and the HCG Diet

Can I Exercise on the HCG Diet Protocol?

This is a very common question that my patients ask me while on the HCG Diet Plan.  After years of facilitating this program, I have seen it all. I have had patients who do not listen to my guidance to keep exercise gentle and moderate. I have seen those that run half marathons, do hot yoga every day and seem to feel great the whole time.  Then, I have those patients who exercise just a smidge beyond a gentle walk and they are tired, hungry and just do not feel right.  I have learned to ask my patients to keep exercise gentle to moderate.  If a patient has been exercising daily for many years, I ask them to tone it down a bit and LISTEN TO THE BODY! If it feels good … it is working.  If it does not … don’t do it.

Why is Strenuous Exercise Not Recommended

On the HCG Diet, you are consuming 500 calories (roughly) and you are also turning over 1500-3000 per day via the HCG Diet for your body to use as fuel.  This is the reason that HCG Diet patients are not calorically deprived and tend not to lose lean muscle on the program.  In regards to lean muscle, it is important to remember that “muscle dictates metabolism.”  We love our lean muscle and want to keep it strong.  If you over exercise on the HCG Diet you could put yourself at risk of being protein deficient and therefore lose some of your lean muscle mass.  If patients do a moderate to vigorous workout on the protocol, I recommend that they have an HCG Diet approved protein powder blended with water soon after the workout.

On the HCG Diet Protocol, patients tend to love to see the numbers on the scale gradually decrease.  With exercise, it is important to remember that there can be some water retention and therefore the scale may show days of “stall” or no loss. You are still in a fat burning mode when this happens.  It is just that your muscles are holding water and this shows up on the scale.

What Should I do if I Incorporate Exercise on the HCG Diet?

If your exercise program on the HCG Diet is moderate/vigorous we ask you to first tone it down a bit.  Next, always be sure you are listening to your body.  Please have an HCG Diet friendly protein powder post workout blended with water.  Also, replace electrolytes after a workout as well with an HCG Diet friendly electrolyte replacement.

Categories: Body Composition, hCG Diet, HCG Diet Weight Loss, HCG Weight Loss, Weight Loss