Why The Owl Diet is Not “the Hcg Diet”

I have never supported use of “the Hcg Diet”.  That diet plan is very strict and can be dangerous.  At only 500 calories per day “the Hcg Diet” is truly a starvation diet. On “the Hcg Diet” food selection is extremely limited.  Cumbersome rules that were created over half a century ago have no rational scientific basis and should not be followed.

Back in 2008 I took note of “the Hcg Diet”.  I wanted to offer a safe and effective weight loss program.  I also needed to lose weight, and had been unsuccessful at dieting on my own.  I decided to try “the Hcg Diet” and right away found that 500 calories per day was too low.  On the VLCD diet of only 500 calories per day there were times I felt weak, very hungry and even had some lightheadedness and blurred vision.  Clearly I needed more calories!  So right away I started to allow myself more calories per day and more food variety.  I made sure I had a small breakfast and 2 snacks per day.  Lunch and supper consisted of a small amount of lean animal protein, fresh salads and cooked vegetables.  I even allowed myself up to 100 calories per day in bread products.  Like many people who diet, I was a person who liked a glass of wine per day – and I allowed that to continue with my revised diet plan.

If I were to calculate the calories of all the food that I ate during my diet, I estimate it would have been about 800 calories per day.  That is a far cry from the overly strict Hcg Diet of 500 calories per day.  The addition of 60% more calories was my ticket to success.  I felt much better and was able to function at work and home without a problem.  The final result was that I lost 20 pounds in 5 weeks.  I then stopped the diet.  I am pleased to tell you that over 6 years later I have never regained the weight that I lost.

I wanted a diet plan that would teach people how to shop for food differently and understand the calories in fats, oils, breads and sweets.  They needed to learn to cook healthier meals at home, and organize their food for the entire day.  Food behavior change was the key to permanent weight loss!  It sounded so basic, but it is the key to life long mastery of your weight.

From 2008-2009 I brought my meal plan to my business (Omaha Med Spa in Omaha NE, USA).  I called it “the updated Hcg Diet”.  We had great success and helped hundreds of people to lose weight quickly and safely.  The problem I faced was that people continued to confuse my plan with the original rigid “Hcg Diet”.  People accused me of “breaking the rules of the Hcg Diet”.  Clearly I needed to give my diet plan a name of it’s own.

That was the birth of The OWL Diet!  I felt that “OWL” was easy to remember.  Using an Owl in my logo helped people remember the name.  I was not overly concerned if they new what OWL stood for – I just wanted them to see and understand The OWL Diet as a unique different way to lose weight!

logo(In case you are curious – “Owl” stands for “Omaha Weight Loss” since Omaha NE is the birthplace of this diet plan)

I encourage you to take a look at my diet plan.  You will see that it is a realistic plan of eating that you can follow.  You will be rewarded for your sacrifice by losing weight at a steady but safe pace.

Carter Abbott MD