HCG Diet Loading Days: How Many Days Is It Really?

Almost every source you can find online will say the HCG diet loading phase should last 2 days while you begin taking HCG diet drops. This is only part of the truth.

Normal Length of the HCG Loading Phase

Dr. Simeons stated that people who are generally in good condition and who haven't been dieting recently should spend 2 days on the HCG loading phase. Those who are generally in poor condition and have spent excessive time dieting before starting the HCG diet should spend about a week of loading first. This should take place before starting treatment—in other words, before starting to take HCG diet drops. Dr. Simeons was not explicit about the exact number of days, but he did state that the loading should last through the second full day of taking HCG (or HCG diet drops, or HCG replacement product).

When Can the HCG Loading Phase Be Longer?

What does it mean to be in "poor" condition? Dr. Simeons was mainly referring to the status of your good fat reserves. People who have been dieting almost always have low reserves of their necessary healthy fat.

One indication that you should spend a week on the HCG loading phase before starting the HCG diet is if you are actually at or under your normal weight, but still suffer from large, abnormal fat deposits. Your body is missing its normal fat stores and instead makes up its weight with abnormal fat. The HCG loading phase will allow your body to build up good fat reserves while eliminating the abnormal fat. Then when you start the 500-calorie phase, your HCG drops will be able to work most effectively.

There is at least one case online where a supposed expert on the HCG diet has recommended that you do the loading phase for 3 days if you are planning to do a longer course of HCG. This idea has no basis. The purpose of the HCG loading phase is to replenish your good fat reserves, which only affects you during the first week or so of the diet. The length of time you spend on the loading phase has more to do with your dieting activity before you start your HCG diet.

So, most people are OK with a normal 2-day loading phase, but those who have been dieting recently—especially if they've been dieting for a long time—might benefit from several days of loading before starting to take HCG.

Length of the HCG Loading Phase for Your Second Round

Dr. Simeons never said anything about how long to spend on the HCG loading phase during your second round. What if you've already done one round of the HCG diet, and you've been eating normally during the intervening maintenance period? Surely your good reserve fat is in good shape?

There is another reason to complete a full HCG loading phase. When you start taking HCG diet drops again at the beginning of a course of treatment, it takes a few days to build up in your system. The HCG diet drops have to reach a level where they start to activate your stored fat deposits so you can live on 500 calories without extreme hunger. Loading will help eliminate hunger during the first week and make sure your fat reserves don't get depleted again. Be sure to check out our other articles on the HCG loading phase to make sure you're doing it right!