An apple day is a one-day diet that is a part of Human Chronic Gonadotropin (HCG) and starts from one afternoon to another. HCG is a cleansing diet that consists of a high protein, high vegetable, healthy carb, hydrating and mindset-shifting diet. The diet plan is a medical weight loss process that involves the injection of hormones along with a fully planned low-calorie diet. In the second phase of the HCG diet, some dieters might feel that they are not able to see a visible difference in their weight when they weigh themselves on the weighing machines. The main purpose of this diet is to eliminate the extra water from the body and to reduce the mental pressure might have to be not able to lose weight from the past few days. An interruption in weight loss is known as a “Plateau.” The plateau continues for 4-6 days when the person on the diet does not have any visible weight reduction. It is essential to understand that even though there might not be visible weight loss on the weighing machines but the body and HCG diet still is working properly and the plateau will correct itself. But because of any visible difference in weight people might feel stressed and worry about the process. Therefore, to handle the mental stress, dieticians use an alternative of the apple day to correct the plateau. The apple day was devised for primarily psychological reasons of the patients following HCG diet plan.
The process of an apple day begins at lunchtime of one day and continues right before lunchtime on the second day. The patients or the participants of the diet are given 6 apples for the full day to consume and they are instructed to eat the apples whenever they feel hungry. Other than apples they are not allowed to eat anything or drink any type of liquid except water. Water consumption is also recommended only when the person is thirsty. Most people who follow the diet plan do not feel the need to water consumption but if plain water is consumed considerably there is no issue. The apple day is only allowed when the patient is given the injection. The expert, Dr. Simeons, said that apple day should be carried out only on a normal day and strictly prohibited on the days when there is no HCG dose and when the person is on periods.
Because the diet is strictly limited to apples only so there are questions about whether the size of the apple during that day matters but according to Dr. Simeons, it does not matter. However, the nutritional and calorie content is different based on the size of the apple whether large or small. For instance, Alexandra, one of the interviewees, said that human mentality works in a way that apple day is considered a cheat day and people tend to choose the apples of the largest size possible. While making that choice people often forget that the main goal is not to see how big the apple you can eat but rather the goal is to cater to the plateau and make a change in the lifestyle. However, based on the size of the apples, there is a visible difference in the nutritional and calorie content. For example, the small apple has 78 calories whereas the large apple has 116 calorie content. With regards to carbohydrates, the small apple has 21g of carbohydrates as compared to 31g of carbohydrates in the large apple and this means that each large apple has 10g more carbs in comparison to the small apple. If someone consumes 6 large apples they are having 60g more carbs on the apple day. Within the 31g of carbs in the large apple, the sugar content is 23g whereas the sugar content in the small apple is 15g. Also, some people might ask whether eating 6 apples in the desired time is a compulsion and the answer is it is up to the hunger of the next person but Dr. Simeons has recommended up to 6 apples which means that a person can eat 3 apples as well. However, it is not recommended to starve just to eat less by considering the calories.
The diet of apples for the day has no fixed timing for eating and people can eat all the 6 apples at noon they have started dieting and if there are some apples left they can be consumed the next morning. If the apples are consumed on the “apple day” then the normal lunch can be taken on the next noon. However, if one person has consumed 5 apples on the main apple day then they can eat one apple in the morning of the following and opt for normal 500-calorie lunch at noon. The apple diet for one day produces a satisfying weight loss because of the restricted diet and the elimination of water from the body which was holding on. On the other hand, another advantage of this diet is when the person resumes their normal 500-calorie lunch on the following noon, the water is not regained and the weight loss continues at a normal frequency. Another suggested way to break the plateau is by taking non-mercurial diuretics for one day but the apple diet is considered healthier. The alternative of apple day is mainly devised to handle the mental stress for the people who have been used to seeing weight reductions each day. When the scales are not changing for the past few days, a sense of panic arises at that point so apple days help people retain their progress and also correct the plateau which was hampering the weight loss in phase 2. Also, excessive stress would increase weight gain and would impact the whole HCG diet plan and weight reduction process. It is important to know that the apple day diet is only recommended when a person has plateau or else it will not work.
