Many HCG Dieters have chosen the Fat Fast as a preferred alternative to the standard "Phase I" of the HCG Diet plan, which is to eat as much as possible or to gorge for 2 to 3 days.

Introduction to The Fat Fast

The Fat Fast is a great kick-start to any diet program, especially high protein diets. As it's name implies, The Fat Fast is almost a state of fasting, where you would eat nothing for a specified period of time. But in this case you would consume a very small amount of food per day, in several small meals, primarily comprised of fat. This process of consuming primarily fat is shown to cause your body to rapidly build fat burning enzymes which in-turn causes your body to burn fat as its primary source of energy.

There is a lot of good information about the Fat Fast on the Internet so I will only hit some highlights here in relation to substituting it's principles with the traditional Phase I or loading days of the HCG Diet.

The Diet

If you were to perform The Fat Fast alone, not in conjunction with the HCG Diet, you should cycle it; for example three to five days on, and one week off. If you are replacing Phase I of the HCG Diet with The Fat Fast then you should only perform one complete cycle of three to five days of the Fat Fast.

During the fat fast you will be consuming approximately 800 calories per day through five "feedings" (I say feedings because you can hardly call it a meal). Each feeding will consist of between 150-200 calories each with approximately 90% of those calories coming from fat. And the other 10% primarily coming from protein. Please pay close attention to the foods you chose to eat, it is extremely important to the overall success of the diet to avoid as many carbohydrates as possible.

Approved Foods (Listed as individual feedings)

Note: There are many foods that meet the profile of 90% fat, this is just a sample list of what comes to mind at the moment. You can find the nutrient breakdown of any food online at http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/foodcomp/search/

• 1/2 can of black olives

• 2 hot dogs (no bun or condiments)

• 1 can tuna with 2 Tbs mayo or ranch dressing

• 2 hard boiled eggs with 2 Tbs mayo or ranch dressing

• 1/3 cup of nuts; p-nut, walnut, pecan, pistachio, macadamia

• 1/2 avocado

• 1/3 cup cream cheese

When I do the fat fast usually try to get as much out of the foods I chose to eat as possible. I get hungry quick, and when I'm hungry, I get cranky! so for the sanity of my wife and children I plan my day and eat foods that meet the criteria and fill my stomach the best. For instance, I know that 2 hot dogs will stay with me for a lot longer than 1/3 cup of cream cheese and 1/3 cup of nuts will fill my tank for longer than a half of an avocado... See what I mean?

Helpful Tips

*Drink a LOT of WATER!

I'm not kidding, water is an essential element and we usually don't get enough of it. Water has several helpful benefits and I'm only going to mention a few here.

Water is essential for flushing toxins from the body, and one of the body's many defense mechanisms is to encapsulate any toxin it finds difficult to flush out, into a fat cell. So as our bodies store fat over time we can build up a lot of toxins as well. This process may not have any adverse effects until we start to burn that stored fat which releases those toxins back into our system.

Water also helps you feel fuller longer. Many people will end up losing up to ten pounds in one week just by drinking more water alone.

You should drink the equivalent of your weight in pounds to ounces of water. For example; 150 lbs. = 150 oz. of water. There are 128 oz. of water in one gallon so in this example you would be a few glasses over a gallon of water per day. This may sound like a lot of water for most people, but trust me on this one simple thing... It's worth it!

*Fiber, Fiber, Fiber

Get a sugar free, psyllium husk, fiber supplement. The sugar free, orange flavored, Equate brand from Walmart is the least expensive I've found. Make sure to get the powdered stuff you mix with your favorite drink... um... that would be... WATER!

Fiber is used as a bulk forming laxative so you'll see this on the label. A lot of the fiber supplements that are in pill form are nothing more than calcium which will not give you the results you're looking for on this diet, but if you're looking for a bulk forming laxative they'll work fine... So only get the powdered stuff.

Fiber has many helpful effects, it will help you stay fuller longer because it adds 'bulk' to your stomach and it helps rid your entire digestive tract of any toxins or build up.

Take a heaping teaspoon at every meal... er... I mean... feeding, with a tall glass of water. Keep taking the fiber and drinking the equivalent of your weight in pounds to ounces of water even when you've cycled off the Fat Fast Diet, it will help you to eat less throughout the day even when you are not dieting.

Note: Typically a dieter will gain 3-5 pounds during Phase I of the HCG Diet. By substituting those load days with the Fat Fast, you get the same buildup of necessary fat burning enzymes but you should also drop 3-5 pounds within the first 2-3 days instead of gaining them.