Once you begin your HCG diet program, you will be very restricted when it comes to the foods you are allowed to consume. One of the big areas you will have to tackle is sugar. The only sweetener that is permitted on the diet is the all-natural sweetener Stevia. This is because the diet needs to keep your blood sugar levels in check for optimal energy levels and weight loss. Here are a few tips for helping to steer clear of sugar and sugary foods while embarking on your new diet.

Read Labels

When you are at the grocery store, it’s very important to read labels carefully. You will want to avoid any foods that have sugar in the label, including sucrose and corn syrup. Some foods might surprise you in sugar content. For example, while ketchup may seem healthy since it is made from tomatoes, it actually has a huge amount of sugar in it and should be avoided. In general, you will want to stay away from any overly processed foods as they will have large quantities of sugar. Try sticking to fresh fruits, vegetables, lean proteins and whole grains.

How To Read A Nutrition Label

1. Serving Size - The serving size is listed at the top of food nutrition labels is very important, because the the values of each nutrient on the rest of food nutrition labels are based on one serving. There are 2 pieces of information in this section. (1) Servings per package , and (2)Serving size. The servings per package tell you how many servings there are in total, while the serving size tells you the size of each serving in a standard measurement, such as mls, grams, or number of pieces. It is important to take note of how many servings you are consuming.
2. Serving Unit - The next line in food nutrition labels identifies the unit used for the values that follow. Usually, on most labels, nutrient values are shown per serving in one column, and per a standard serving size such as 100ml or 100g in a second column. This allows you to compare similar foods.
3. Calories - Calories are a measure of energy. Your energy needs depend on factors such as your height, weight, gender, activity level and genetics. Consuming too many calories results in fat gain. Again, remember that the calorie total on the nutrition label is for the specified serving size only and that the package could, and often does, contain multiple servings.
4. Protein – The protein content of the food is listed in this line. This is expressed in grams.
5. Fats - Total fat lets you how much fat is in a single serving. On many, but not all labels, the total will be broken down into the four different types of fat, namely saturated, polyunsaturated, monounsaturated and trans.
6. Carbs - This section lets you know how many grams of carbohydrates are in a serving. A detailed nutrition panel will break down the carbohydrate total detailing how much fiber and sugar are included in the total number.
7. Nutrients – This is a list of the vitamins and nutrients that are contained in a single serving.
8. Daily Values - The numbers you see here are a percent of the daily total that is provided in a serving. Those percentages are based on consuming 2000 calories per day.  Since the HCG diet is based upon a 500-calorie a day diet this column won’t have accurate percentages for you to gauge from.

Stay In

When you first begin your diet, it’s a good idea to eat in and avoid going to restaurants. The problem with eating out is that you have no way of knowing just what went into your food, or have any control over it. When you are cooking at home, try experimenting with different spices to give you the flavor you need to keep the sugar cravings at bay. If you must eat out, order lean meat or fish without any sauce, and ask for steamed vegetables instead of grilled, fried or sauteed.

Substitute

It can be very hard to break a sugar habit if you are used to consuming sugary foods like donuts, cakes and other sweet treats. Because the cravings might hit you, it’s best to get those types of food out of your pantry in order to avoid any type of temptation. To try and satisfy your sweet tooth, try swapping your usual favorites for whole fruit, fresh fruit juice and herbal teas. Remember that you are allowed to use Stevia and Saccharin, so if you absolutely need something sweet, you can add this to your drinks and snacks.

Keep With It

When you start your new diet, the first few weeks without sugar will be the hardest. It’s important to push through those days and remember that it does get easier. Think about your end-goal and how you want to lose weight and live a fuller, healthier life overall. You will find that the sugar cravings will eventually diminish, and you’ll start to have a desire for good, whole foods instead. By the end of the diet you may even find that you have completely rid yourself of the need for sugars and sugary foods.