Quiting hCG Diet
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Hey Jessesgirl, MFP works, too. I have a couple of friends who did the HCG diet and they lost weight, one of them alot of weight. That is great for them but it has not been very long ago, so don't know if they will keep it off. But, I know I have fought my weight for the last 10 years, up and down many times on different diets and all I know for sure is they were none sustainable, so I went right back to my old habits and before too long the weight crept back on. I have been doing the MFP for 3 weeks now and have lost over 7 lbs, eating healthy, doing some walking, elliptical and yoga (total about 30 to 45 minutes a day, 10 or 15 minutes at a time) and logging everything on MFP. My son used this and lost 83 pounds and did it healthy and is maintaining now. The iPhone app of MFP, makes it super easy to keep up with your calories. No matter how you do it, lose the weight, if you don't change your habits, you will be right back where you started before you know it. My thought is the dedication that it takes to use MFP helps teach you good life changing habits that I hope are will help me when I reach my goal to maintain. I feel better than I have for years. I wish you all the best on your journey & know there is support here. Patricia.0
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I wanted to note that in the Minnesota study (the one where they starved a bunch of men in lieu of a term of service), their metabolism recovered much quicker when they increased their caloric intake all at once (compared with the group who increased their calories gradually).
"During refeeding, Keys et al. found that metabolism sped up, with those consuming the greatest number of calories experiencing the largest rise in BMR. The group of volunteers who received a relatively small increment in calories during refeeding (400 calories more than during semistarvation) had no rise in BMR for the first 3 weeks. Consuming larger amounts of food caused a sharp increase in the energy burned through metabolic processes."
http://www.possibility.com/wiki/index.php?title=EffectsOfSemiStarvation
So you might want to try a couple of days of maintenance and then drop back into a healthy deficit.
In any case, I wish you much luck.0 -
ghanie -
thank you for potentially very useful information for people doing or considering doing VLCD!0 -
"Any diet you can't do for the rest of your life is not worth doing for a day" Larry North, Slimdown for life - page 1. After yo-yo dieting for 20 years, I can't agree more with Larry. I do think crazy diets can help in a Jam (wedding, prom, pictures, etc), but not needed for most cases.0
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Well after only one week on the hCG diet I am quiting. The food restrictions were manageable but it was making me feel absolutely horrible! Weak and shaky all day with zero energy!! I lost 7 pounds in the first three days of the 500 cal diet but then the 4th & 5th day only lost barely half a pound. So I don't know if the homeopathic hCG just wasn't working and my body was going into starvation mode or what. Either way I think it will just be healthier for my body to do it the old fashioned way counting calories and exercising. If anyone has some good tips to share on loosing as fast as possible that would be great. I get discouraged so easily when I don't see the weight coming off fast. Which is the whole reason why I tried the hCG diet to begin with!
500 calories??? Your body did, or will, go into starvation mode! No wonder you were weak and shaky. You have got to eat at least 1200 calories a day to lose weight and stay healthy too. I eat 1500 daily and I feel great. My weight may be coming off more slowly, but I feel good and I know in the end that my weight will stay off. Take it slow and easy.....and stay healthy.0 -
The 500-calorie VLCD in conjunction with an HCG protocol does not put your body into starvation mode.Well after only one week on the hCG diet I am quiting. The food restrictions were manageable but it was making me feel absolutely horrible! Weak and shaky all day with zero energy!! I lost 7 pounds in the first three days of the 500 cal diet but then the 4th & 5th day only lost barely half a pound. So I don't know if the homeopathic hCG just wasn't working and my body was going into starvation mode or what. Either way I think it will just be healthier for my body to do it the old fashioned way counting calories and exercising. If anyone has some good tips to share on loosing as fast as possible that would be great. I get discouraged so easily when I don't see the weight coming off fast. Which is the whole reason why I tried the hCG diet to begin with!
500 calories??? Your body did, or will, go into starvation mode! No wonder you were weak and shaky. You have got to eat at least 1200 calories a day to lose weight and stay healthy too. I eat 1500 daily and I feel great. My weight may be coming off more slowly, but I feel good and I know in the end that my weight will stay off. Take it slow and easy.....and stay healthy.0 -
um, never mind:flowerforyou:0
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In response to Ghani's post: Oh dear... do not do try to add all of your calories back in to boost your BMR more quickly again!! Ever heard of re-feeding syndrome? I didn't think so but it's a serious medical state where after consuming very little calories for more than 7-10 days you are at severe risk of re-instating those calories quickly (500cal would usually be enough to not induce this unless you are quite overweight because then you are far far below your requirements).
Why? because when your body is starving, it is not making (or not conserving) as many of the electrolytes that you need to metabolise food. This means that when you suddenly eat loads of food, the electrolytes you do have in your blood move very rapidly into the cells of your body where they are trying to replenish your lost stores.
The results are very low electrolyte levels particularly phosphate, potassium and magnesium and associated problems which can include severe water overload, altered heart rhythm, severe drops in blood pressure and blood sugar, heart attack and yep people have been known to die from it.
Just be careful!
Oh and on the note of the HCG stopping you from starving... sorry, but yes there are definitely other VLCDs that can be done for several months (and were in several studies let alone individuals) without starving to death. A high protein VLCD (ie shake program) will also help to preserve your lean mass. Not that I'm saying either is a good idea, just that I think the idea that it's the HCG at work is total, several hundred dollar rubbish.0 -
What does VLCD stand for? Well, while I'm asking what does hcg stand for as well?In response to Ghani's post: Oh dear... do not do try to add all of your calories back in to boost your BMR more quickly again!! Ever heard of re-feeding syndrome? I didn't think so but it's a serious medical state where after consuming very little calories for more than 7-10 days you are at severe risk of re-instating those calories quickly (500cal would usually be enough to not induce this unless you are quite overweight because then you are far far below your requirements).
Why? because when your body is starving, it is not making (or not conserving) as many of the electrolytes that you need to metabolise food. This means that when you suddenly eat loads of food, the electrolytes you do have in your blood move very rapidly into the cells of your body where they are trying to replenish your lost stores.
The results are very low electrolyte levels particularly phosphate, potassium and magnesium and associated problems which can include severe water overload, altered heart rhythm, severe drops in blood pressure and blood sugar, heart attack and yep people have been known to die from it.
Just be careful!
Oh and on the note of the HCG stopping you from starving... sorry, but yes there are definitely other VLCDs that can be done for several months (and were in several studies let alone individuals) without starving to death. A high protein VLCD (ie shake program) will also help to preserve your lean mass. Not that I'm saying either is a good idea, just that I think the idea that it's the HCG at work is total, several hundred dollar rubbish.0 -
Very Low Calorie Diet.
I don't know about hcg. Its a hormone, so probably something long that even doctors have a hard time spelling. LOL0 -
What does VLCD stand for? Well, while I'm asking what does hcg stand for as well?
Human chorionic gonadotropin or human chorionic gonadotrophin (hCG) is a glycoprotein hormone produced in pregnancy that is made by the developing embryo after conception and later by the syncytiotrophoblast (part of the placenta).[1] Its role is to prevent the disintegration of the corpus luteum of the ovary and thereby maintain progesterone production that is critical for a pregnancy in humans.
(Thanks, Wikipedia!!)0 -
human chorionic gonadotropin0
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:flowerforyou: YAY! So glad you got off that crazy diet!!! I think its rubbish...but thats beside the point. (I won't go there..haha)
Some tips and things to remember are this:
1) First, think about how long its taken you to put on the extra weight that you have. I know for me, it didn't happen in a month, nor did it happen in 6 months, therefore I shouldn't expect for it to come off as fast or easy. (It ain't gonna happen!). For me, it came on after 4 years of college and 2 years of marriage, thats 6 years! Now, I'm not saying it should take you just as long to get it off...but it helps put it into prespective. I've lost my 25 pounds in just less than a year. I've hit a couple of plateaus along (I'm talking 3-4 months with NO weight loss), but I keep pushing through. Because even if I'm not losing pounds, I'm shaping my body and doing my heart some good with exercise. So, be patient! Also, you don't have a lot to lose, so the weight will come off slower, especially when you get toward the finish line.
2) Think of this as a lifestyle change rather than a fad DIET. If this is what you want, you need to think in longer terms, as in...your LIFE!
3) Eat good foods. Avoid processed foods, MINIMIZE bad fats (processed sugar foods, chips, creamy salad dressings, etc), eat lots of veggies, eat fruits (about 2 servings per day), whole wheats, lean meats, and low fat dairy (if you are into dairy).
4) Exercise. If you are just starting out, start with things you enjoy and make exercise a habit. As you continue to exercise you will need to continue to push yourself harder to achieve more results. Strength train to build muscle. Muscle burns fat. Mix up your routines so your body doesn't get used to the same routine. They need to be pushed.
5) Be accountable. Don't lie to yourself as you track your food intake. If you aren't seeing any changes you can always go back and look at your Diary and see what things you could improve on. But, lying to yourself isn't going to help. So, if you happen to have a slice of chocolate, or some pizza for dinner, record it. You'll see what effects it had on your daily total goals. If it was worth it (which sometimes it can be), then just move on and start fresh the next day. That leads me to....
6) Don't deprive yourself. Often times people try to diet rather than change their lifestyle and then when it doesn't work they give up. Its okay to induldge every once in a while, as long as it doesn't become a habit. You'll learn how to enjoy food better and when you do have a treat, you will savor the flavors. For me, I enjoy a nice little bowl of ice cream every once in a while, so I enjoy it, record it, and remind myself that it was a "treat", something that I don't get very often, so I better enjoy the flavors. Otherwise if you completely BANISH food, you may binge later on.
7) There's no magic pill. I'm glad you realized the HCG thing didn't seem healthy. And typically if something sounds "too good to be true", it usually is. Plus, with you losing the weight on your own, you will treat your body with so much more respect and love knowing that YOU were the one who put all the hard working in meeting your goals. Just like when someone receives a car as a gift from a parent, they are less likely to take as good of care of the car. But, if they have to work hard and earn the money for the car they typically take care of it and are more aware of its needs.
And...thats all I have. but, I wish you the best of luck. You are making a great decision in deciding to do this the correct and healthy way. It won't be easy, but its definitely worth it! :flowerforyou: Good luck!0 -
You took some time in writing your thought and I agree with you I'm going to sav what you have written . Well done!0
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The 500-calorie VLCD in conjunction with an HCG protocol does not put your body into starvation mode.Well after only one week on the hCG diet I am quiting. The food restrictions were manageable but it was making me feel absolutely horrible! Weak and shaky all day with zero energy!! I lost 7 pounds in the first three days of the 500 cal diet but then the 4th & 5th day only lost barely half a pound. So I don't know if the homeopathic hCG just wasn't working and my body was going into starvation mode or what. Either way I think it will just be healthier for my body to do it the old fashioned way counting calories and exercising. If anyone has some good tips to share on loosing as fast as possible that would be great. I get discouraged so easily when I don't see the weight coming off fast. Which is the whole reason why I tried the hCG diet to begin with!
500 calories??? Your body did, or will, go into starvation mode! No wonder you were weak and shaky. You have got to eat at least 1200 calories a day to lose weight and stay healthy too. I eat 1500 daily and I feel great. My weight may be coming off more slowly, but I feel good and I know in the end that my weight will stay off. Take it slow and easy.....and stay healthy.
I'm not even going to try to say I understand what HCG is and really have NO interest it it. I don't care what kind of hormone they inject into my body, if I'm only eating 500 calories a day, my body is in starvation mode. I can't imagine any real licensed Dr. agreeing that this is a healthy way of losing weight.0 -
double posted0
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um okWhat does VLCD stand for? Well, while I'm asking what does hcg stand for as well?
Human chorionic gonadotropin or human chorionic gonadotrophin (hCG) is a glycoprotein hormone produced in pregnancy that is made by the developing embryo after conception and later by the syncytiotrophoblast (part of the placenta).[1] Its role is to prevent the disintegration of the corpus luteum of the ovary and thereby maintain progesterone production that is critical for a pregnancy in humans.
(Thanks, Wikipedia!!0 -
Essentially what HCG does is release the thousands of calories a day that your body has stored up in abnormal fat deposits. Your body doesn't go into starvation mode because the 500-calorie diet only there to supplement the intake your body is supplying itself. As I've said many times in other threads here, the program was designed by an MD in Italy. His name is Dr. ATW Simeons and his guidebook is in the public domain and widely available in PDF format for free on the internet. Please read and educate yourself before you dismiss something that you really have no idea about.
The 500-calorie VLCD in conjunction with an HCG protocol does not put your body into starvation mode.Well after only one week on the hCG diet I am quiting. The food restrictions were manageable but it was making me feel absolutely horrible! Weak and shaky all day with zero energy!! I lost 7 pounds in the first three days of the 500 cal diet but then the 4th & 5th day only lost barely half a pound. So I don't know if the homeopathic hCG just wasn't working and my body was going into starvation mode or what. Either way I think it will just be healthier for my body to do it the old fashioned way counting calories and exercising. If anyone has some good tips to share on loosing as fast as possible that would be great. I get discouraged so easily when I don't see the weight coming off fast. Which is the whole reason why I tried the hCG diet to begin with!
500 calories??? Your body did, or will, go into starvation mode! No wonder you were weak and shaky. You have got to eat at least 1200 calories a day to lose weight and stay healthy too. I eat 1500 daily and I feel great. My weight may be coming off more slowly, but I feel good and I know in the end that my weight will stay off. Take it slow and easy.....and stay healthy.
I'm not even going to try to say I understand what HCG is and really have NO interest it it. I don't care what kind of hormone they inject into my body, if I'm only eating 500 calories a day, my body is in starvation mode. I can't imagine any real licensed Dr. agreeing that this is a healthy way of losing weight.0 -
Essentially what HCG does is release the thousands of calories a day that your body has stored up in abnormal fat deposits. Your body doesn't go into starvation mode because the 500-calorie diet only there to supplement the intake your body is supplying itself. As I've said many times in other threads here, the program was designed by an MD in Italy. His name is Dr. ATW Simeons and his guidebook is in the public domain and widely available in PDF format for free on the internet. Please read and educate yourself before you dismiss something that you really have no idea about.
I'm sure I'll probably regret jumping on this thread and, frankly, I don't give a crap one way or another about HCG. People can and will do whatever they please. That said, having a guidebook doesn't necessarily make something effective. Doing "research" should mean reading medical journals and not just the popular press about a diet. Have you read any published, peer-reviewed, placebo-controlled, double-blind studies that show the HCG hormone to effective in weight loss? And I mean one published in a medical journal and not only on an HCG-promoting website.
Yeah, me neither. Maybe you know of one. If so, point me to it because I would like to read it (I haven't scoured the medical journals, so maybe one actually does exist.)
But I did find one showing NO difference between a placebo group and a group given the hormone EXCEPT that the group given HCG reported higher levels of anxiety than the group given the placebo. Sounds swell. And also like a huge waste of money. But hey, to each his own.
The study I'm talking about was:
Greenway, F. L. "Human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) in the treatment of obesity: a critical assessment of the Simeons method." Western Journal of Medicine 127.6 (1977):461.
Abstract:
Injections of human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) have been claimed to aid in weight reduction by reducing hunger, and affecting mood as well as aiding in localized (spot) reduction. We have tested these claims in a double-blind randomized trial using injections of HCG or placebo. Weight loss was identical between the two groups, and there was no evidence for differential effects on hunger, mood or localized body measurements. Placebo injections, therefore, appear to be as effective as HCG in the treatment of obesity.0 -
Thanks for the advice!!!0
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