Keto Diet or hCG Diet: Which Is Right for You

Medically administered and supervised diets are superior to going it alone. Men and women who partner with a health care provider on their weight loss journey tend to lose more weight and keep it off longer than those who don’t. Dr. Naima Cheema of Nexclin Medicine offers the latest advances in weight loss to help men and women slim down, feel better, and improve their health. Learn more about the hCG and keto diets and how these diets can help you shed pounds.

Overview of the hCG diet

Human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) is a hormone the body makes in high amounts during pregnancy. When combined with a restricted-calorie diet, hCG stimulates fat burning, reduces hunger, and promotes weight loss. A trained medical professional administers the hCG in the form of injections.

While on the hCG diet, you can expect to eat two meals a day composed of one serving of protein, one vegetable, one fruit, and one bread. The protein is cooked using a healthy method such as broiling or grilling and all visible fat is trimmed away. You are carefully supervised while following the hCG diet. Your provider may include the addition of vitamin and mineral supplements to ensure that you meet your daily requirements.

The hCG diet triggers the body’s fat-burning capacity, boosts metabolism, and helps the body retain lean mass while you lose fat. Once the hCG is in the system patients tend to feel energized, notice that they are not hungry, and experience a general feeling of wellbeing.

Overview of the ketogenic diet

The ketogenic diet triggers fat-burning and promotes rapid weight loss, but does so differently than the hCG diet. Your body typically burns carbohydrate as its primary source of fuel. The liver stores glucose in the form of glycogen so that you have energy in between meals.

On the ketogenic diet, you limit carbohydrates to encourage the body to switch to utilizing fat for fuel. The liver takes the fatty acids and changes them to a usable fuel source. The process is known as ketosis. To ensure that you remain in ketosis your provider will check the level of ketones in your body. While on the ketogenic diet, you’ll need to keep track of the number of carbs you eat each day to make sure that you stay within the target range necessary to remain in ketosis.  

Non-starchy, low-carb vegetables, lean meat, and poultry, eggs, plain yogurt, and healthy fats found in avocados and coconut oil make up the core of the ketogenic diet.

Comparing the two diets

On both diets you eat real food that you get from your grocer. There’s no need to purchase special foods. Though both diets stimulate fat-burning, there are key differences. HCG is a low-calorie, low-fat diet that requires injections to enhance metabolism and help you burn fat. The keto diet is high fat, low-carbohydrate, and doesn’t require injections or drops.

While on the keto diet, you won’t need to count calories and have more flexibility with the amount of food you eat. There’s no set amount for calorie intake and no rules for the number of calories you can consume each day. On the other hand, hCG is considered a very low-calorie diet.  Because of the addition of hCG injections, dieters must remain within a set calorie range.

Which diet is right for you?

Both hCG and the keto diet are effective at promoting rapid weight loss. The diet that is right for you depends on a number of factors, including your individual preferences and lifestyle. Dr. Cheema can help you decide which diet is the best fit for your unique situation.

If you’re tired of yo-yo dieting, then you’re ready to work with a weight loss professional to finally reach your weight loss goals. To learn more and schedule an appointment call our Roswell, GA office, or book online today.