I've done Original Protocol several times before with good success and am looking at 2.0 as an alternative. I have to say it all seems quite confusing as to what is allowed on this diet. I've taken your course and read the book and figured my daily calories using your calculator to be 608. I understand no fruit, dairy and carbs up to 30 but if I try to eat only protein with a P/FC of 3 or above then basically what's allowed is egg whites, fish, chicken, bison and turkey and the rest is veggies. Is that the summation of it? This seems more limiting than Original Protocol. It means there's no steak or hamburger allowed.
What am I missing? Why is this protocol more optimal?
Also, what kind of calculator due you use to track calories, carbs and PFC?
Dr. Zach, it would be so helpful if you could expand the Chart from the book that lists the calories, protein, carbs and P/FC and post it on this website for referencing. I find I'm having to look through all kinds of carb counting websites to find out how much of what I can eat and what the calorie and carb count is. What's an easy way to get this information as I begin this diet?
I'm used to the OP which was cut and dry as to what and how much to eat. Now I'm having to search to get all the numbers. I know some people are good with Apps but I find it hard to get the info I need.
Thank you for clarifying all this.
These are all good questions, but I think a bit of back story is necessary. When I wrote HCG 2.0, I was mostly trying to make a more contemporary version of the original HCG diet. Don’t get me wrong, I think Dr. Simeons was a brilliant guy. I think his theories on obesity and weight loss are still quite contemporary even by today’s standards. It’s way more than calories in vs calories burned. That said, he was working with limited information. Basic food chemistry wasn’t available to him in 1950, so he grouped all protein options under a 100 gram umbrella. But they’re not the same in regard to calories. So the PFC is a really dumbed down way to determine how lean your protein/food item is. If you like to eat, and the quantity of your food is more relevant than your particular choice of food, then you can eat more of a food item with a high PFC. If you have some favourites, like beef, you can still eat it on HCG 2.0, but you’re not going to be able to eat as much of it as an item like tuna which has a much higher PFC. Like I said, it’s just a really simple way to compare food items. When I wrote the book, people didn’t have access to all of this info from a phone app. So admittedly so, it’s a bit dated. But the concept is still relevant. Does that make sense?
The closer to PFC of 3 is recommended and better for you, but I eat other protein that is around PFC 1 for a lot of my meals in Phase 2 (LCD - low cal days). I just track all calories and carbs.
Thank you. Is there a nutrition app that you recommend?
When I look in the book on the Protein Chart it says Ground lean beaf is P/FC of 1.67. I'm just trying to understand all this. Is there another chart I should be referring to?
I eat 93% hamburger and sirloin steak pork loin and I eat the whole egg. It’s not limiting at all