HCG DIET IS DANGEROUS!!!

xDeannaGarciax

To me, 500 calories of good, healthy and clean food is a lot better than 1500+ of not eating so healthy.

That am going to most defenitly have to agree with!

PhotographerOfNature

I was about as skeptical as someone can get when I first heard about this diet. And I have tried many over the years, and finally came to the realization about 5 years ago that the only way to lose weight is to eat less and move more. And, while I had lost weight doing this, I couldn't seem to keep it off, even with the help of MFP. So, I researched this and talked with my doctor and this program is very detailed and very watched by my doctor.

Yes, its true that if you only eat 500 calories you will lose weight for a couple days, however, no one can keep this up. Unless you are also taking HCG. The HCG makes your body burn the fat (cottage cheese fat) using 1500-2000 calories per day, which is why while on this program you are not hungry. If not for the HCG, you would be starving.

"No one can stay on the 500 calories for the rest of their life". Very true and I would hope not! There are too many good foods out there to enjoy to do that to yourself. When phase 1 is over, you start maintanence which is what I am in and all the good foods I'm allowed to eat for the 3 weeks is amazing and very yummy. The only restrictions are pastas, flours and sugar, which, if you want to be honest with yourself, those are 3 things you should avoid for the most part anyway. Have them in moderation. I started maintanence Saturday and cannot eat all the 1500 calories that my doctor wants me to eat yet. The most I've gotten in is around 1210. I eat all kinds of good foods and lots of fresh veggies and fruits. The program says that after phase 1, you HAVE to eat 1400-1500 calories per day. Your body is used to burning that much daily from the HCG and you need to eat. It doesn't want you to starve. If you follow the program step by step, and not do your own thing than it works and is safe in my opinion. I am still losing on the maintanence program. This morning I had lost 0.6 pounds, yesterday 0.2 pounds and the day before 1 pound. I am stuffed and still losing. Before I did this program, I was eating 1300-1400 and not losing anything. This really jump starts the metabolism and resets everything. I feel great! The program also doesn't allow for repeats without a certain amount of down time between sets. In my opinion, this was just what I needed to get my 43 year old sluggish body going again.

nursegirljay

Only A, D, K, and E are able to be stored.

Water soluble vitamins are NOT stored in the body and those are necessary too -

These are all water-soluble vitamins:

•vitamin B6
•vitamin B12
•vitamin C
•biotin
•folic acid
•niacin
•pantothenic acid
•riboflavin
•thiamin

Minerals are essential nutrients that your body needs in small amounts to work properly. We need them in the form they are found in food.

Minerals can be found in varying amounts in a variety of foods such as meat, cereals (including cereal products such as bread), fish, milk and dairy foods, vegetables, fruit (especially dried fruit) and nuts.

Minerals are necessary for three main reasons:

•building strong bones and teeth
•controlling body fluids inside and outside cells
•turning the food we eat into energy

These are all essential minerals:

•calcium
•iron
•magnesium
•phosphorus
•potassium
•sodium
•sulphur

Well if you look at the foods you are allowed to eat on this diet, you would see that all of them contain the vitamins and minerals that your body needs. They are fruits, veggies, some seafood, chicken and beef. So, you get as much as you need through what you eat. If you dont think you are, take a multivitamin or prenatal vitamin in addition like I do. Its just that simple. You know in one day I can have a huge lemon pepper chicken salad with cucumbers on it, steak, half of a grilled pepper, steamed green beans, peaches, apples, celery sticks and drink lots of water, and I splurge a little and drink zero calorie soda every once in a while. So, I am eating soooo much healthier than I used to, and eating enough food so that I am not hungry anymore. And yes, that is within 500 calories for all of that. When you are on this diet you realize just how many calories are in the bad things that you eat.

Ms_Natalie

I have lost every single pound in the ticker below by eating healthily and exercising!

I will say though, people are very quick to become extremely defensive about their diet plan! This is an almost worldwide forum and people are allowed to state their own opinions or share with people articles they may have found regarding certain diets. This happens with many different diets several times a month and it will continue!

All I ask is that people defend their opinions in a calm and friendly manner. If the "special" diet is working for you...then congrats! If healthy eating and exercising is working for you...excellent! Does it matter how people get to their goal weight? as long as they are doing it correctly and safely!

But with any diet plan, even healthy eating and exercise, there is a safe way to do it. Anything that isn't safe...like stupid quick fix soup diets should not be promoted on this site.

If you are considering taking up any type of diet, then please consult your physcian or GP first... :flowerforyou:

July24Lioness

I have lost every single pound in the ticker below by eating healthily and exercising!

I will say though, people are very quick to become extremely defensive about their diet plan! This is an almost worldwide forum and people are allowed to state their own opinions or share with people articles they may have found regarding certain diets. This happens with many different diets several times a month and it will continue!

All I ask is that people defend their opinions in a calm and friendly manner. If the "special" diet is working for you...then congrats! If healthy eating and exercising is working for you...excellent! Does it matter how people get to their goal weight? as long as they are doing it correctly and safely!

But with any diet plan, even healthy eating and exercise, there is a safe way to do it. Anything that isn't safe...like stupid quick fix soup diets should not be promoted on this site.

If you are considering taking up any type of diet, then please consult your physcian or GP first... :flowerforyou:

The original poster should have expected for people to become defensive by posting that HCG is Dangerous !!!!

If you have not read, researched or tried it yourself, the comments should be kept to yourself.

Who are you, the original poster or anyone else that feels it is dangerous without having 1 page of the Protocol to comment and say that anything is unhealthy??

Me, weighing 220 pounds on a 5' 3" frame is more unhealthy than the HCG diet. I KNOW HOW TO EAT PROPERLY. Unlike most people on this site, I don't need to learn healthy habits.

I CAN'T LOSE WEIGHT ANY OTHER WAY DUE TO MY THYROID ISSUES, PCOS, DIABETES AND A PITUITARY TUMOR. I also suffer from Adrenal Gland Fatigue..............And guess which gland is at the heart of the Pituitary, Thyroid and the Adrenal Glands??????

Guess, guess?????

It is the Hypothalamus. WOW, just WOW..............Isn't it amazing how it is inter-connected with the other glands of the Endocrine system and because it controls so much, NO wonder I can't lose weight any other way...............

My doctor told me this is the ONLY way for me to get back to the weight I USED TO BE................. So for me, there is no other way. There are others in this world that are the same.

The thing is - The Simeons Protocol is VERY CLEAN...............We are only eating protein, veggies and fruit. We just eat specified serving amounts and this causes the body to utilize its own fat for the rest of calories that it needs.

That is the whole point of trying to lose weight anyway.

So, my comment and concern is - You have NO room to say a word if you have not researched it for yourself first..............

BrayyNicole

There is always going to be two sides to this whole HCG diet... in my opinion, to each his own.. the diet has worked for some and hasnt worked for others. All I can do is wish luck to anybody who is going through with this HCG diet... That is all.

Ms_Natalie

I have lost every single pound in the ticker below by eating healthily and exercising!

I will say though, people are very quick to become extremely defensive about their diet plan! This is an almost worldwide forum and people are allowed to state their own opinions or share with people articles they may have found regarding certain diets. This happens with many different diets several times a month and it will continue!

All I ask is that people defend their opinions in a calm and friendly manner. If the "special" diet is working for you...then congrats! If healthy eating and exercising is working for you...excellent! Does it matter how people get to their goal weight? as long as they are doing it correctly and safely!

But with any diet plan, even healthy eating and exercise, there is a safe way to do it. Anything that isn't safe...like stupid quick fix soup diets should not be promoted on this site.

If you are considering taking up any type of diet, then please consult your physcian or GP first... :flowerforyou:

The original poster should have expected for people to become defensive by posting that HCG is Dangerous !!!!

If you have not read, researched or tried it yourself, the comments should be kept to yourself.

Who are you, the original poster or anyone else that feels it is dangerous without having 1 page of the Protocol to comment and say that anything is unhealthy??

Me, weighing 220 pounds on a 5' 3" frame is more unhealthy than the HCG diet. I KNOW HOW TO EAT PROPERLY. Unlike most people on this site, I don't need to learn healthy habits.

I CAN'T LOSE WEIGHT ANY OTHER WAY DUE TO MY THYROID ISSUES, PCOS, DIABETES AND A PITUITARY TUMOR. I also suffer from Adrenal Gland Fatigue..............And guess which gland is at the heart of the Pituitary, Thyroid and the Adrenal Glands??????

Guess, guess?????

It is the Hypothalamus. WOW, just WOW..............Isn't it amazing how it is inter-connected with the other glands of the Endocrine system and because it controls so much, NO wonder I can't lose weight any other way...............

My doctor told me this is the ONLY way for me to get back to the weight I USED TO BE................. So for me, there is no other way. There are others in this world that are the same.

The thing is - The Simeons Protocol is VERY CLEAN...............We are only eating protein, veggies and fruit. We just eat specified serving amounts and this causes the body to utilize its own fat for the rest of calories that it needs.

That is the whole point of trying to lose weight anyway.

So, my comment and concern is - You have NO room to say a word if you have not researched it for yourself first..............

theres always one....as long as it's working for you...does it really matter what anyone else is saying?

and my post was directed at posts exactly like this!

freedom of speech...really is a wonderful thing when people accept that others have differing opinions

stormieweather

This is my last post on this thread.

Please don't encourage people to embark on such a drastic diet without their physicians monitoring. NO extreme diet should be attempted without first discussing with your doctor and being carefully checked throughout.

So if it works for YOU, under your doctor's supervision, congrats! But that doesn't mean it is wise for anyone to just jump in without any medical supervision. Having specific medical issues which indicate that this sort of diet might be helpful is a big difference from promoting that it is completely safe for everyone.

Bottom line

---

>> Check with your doctor first!

noneya2010

Again, I'm a newbie and on day 1 of the low cal phase of HcG drops. BUT, I can tell you that last week at my dr. appt, my dr. wants me to do medifast -- FULL fast -- NOTHING to eat - just 5 shakes a day. And he said I could do this for 4-6 months!! Total caloric intake there is about 400 cals. For me, I'd much rather get to eat 2 meals a day of a lean protein and a fruit serving and a veggie serving at each of those 2 meals versus drink down a chalky, horrible tasting shake (I can safely say this as I did MFast several years ago.) Sure I gained the weight back but only because I stopped cold turkey and then went right back into bad eating habits.
It also took many years to gain it back.

And "healthy" is all in the eyes of the beholder. I'm 5'2" almost 100 lbs overweight. My weight alone puts me at a huge risk of heart attack and stroke. Not to mention both my parents were dead at age 49 from heart attack. My grandparents suffered several strokes, diabetes, you name it. Ironically, my blood work is perfect - always has been. My cholesterol -- everything is what you'd expect an elite athletes to be. So for me, this is a choice and maybe a risk (eating extreme low calories for 30 days) but my weight now far outweighs the risk of eating 500 calories for a few weeks. I've done everything out there to lose and it just isn't happening. Like so many, I can eat 1200 calories and work out 2 hours a day and the most I will lose will be 10 pounds. That just doesn't cut it when I'm facing such an uphill battle of the bulge.

HcG is not a lifelong commitment but healthy eating is. HcG is just a tool to help get on the right road - at least that is how I see it.

Such a hot topic today!!

July24Lioness

This is my last post on this thread.

Please don't encourage people to embark on such a drastic diet without their physicians monitoring. NO extreme diet should be attempted without first discussing with your doctor and being carefully checked throughout.

So if it works for YOU, under your doctor's supervision, congrats! But that doesn't mean it is wise for anyone to just jump in without any medical supervision. Having specific medical issues which indicate that this sort of diet might be helpful is a big difference from promoting that it is completely safe for everyone.

Bottom line

---

>> Check with your doctor first!

I have never said to do anything without doctor approval or supervision first and foremost..............

How many people actually do this though? There are very few.............

I have always had a physical, complete with blood work before starting calorie counting, low fat, low carb and now this. I want to be able to check the stats of my blood work from the beginning, middle and end...........

So far so good for me. I have even started getting monthly cycles again and for me that is a huge feat. I hadn't had a cycle since March 2009 before then.............

Even for anyone joining this site and doing the "regular calorie counting" thing and exercising................SUPPOSED TO GET CHECKED OUT WITH YOUR DOCTOR FIRST...........

How many of you calorie counters went and got a physical and approval from your doctors before starting that Journey?

It's starting to sound a bit hypocritical to me.

bluiz13

There is always going to be two sides to this whole HCG diet... in my opinion, to each his own.. the diet has worked for some and hasnt worked for others. All I can do is wish luck to anybody who is going through with this HCG diet... That is all.

i agree....any plan has positive and negative "press"...just because it works for one does not mean it will work for another...all "quick" fixes seem to get "heat" because we have been taught that slow and steady wins the race....that doing it the "old-fashioned" way is the the "right" way...if this HCG plan is something that interests you then research it, talk to others, talk to your dr and decide if it is right for you...

and while i agree that the extremes of any plan scare many people i also understand the need for some to go to extremes to get their lives back, whether it be with HCG or lap band or excessive exercise....

while i'd love to have this weight off quicker and "easier" for me, eating right and moving my *kitten* is the way to go....

good luck to all who try other methods, i wish you the best.....

dumb_blondes_rock

im prolly gonna get torn a new one for saying this...but how on earth is it "cleansing your body of toxins" if you are filling it with artificial hormones/chemicals to take the hunger away? Even if its a natural hormone that occurs in the body, its not one that you are producing, so therefore, it's artificial? Are they stealing homrones from these pregnant woman and cutting them with liquids to make it into these drops...how are these drops manufactured?

I think whoever the doc that invented this is one smart man cause he is making a lot of money off very desperate people. The way to decrease your appitite is to eat less and drink more water, eventually your stomach will shrink ...just my thoughts...

xDeannaGarciax

Oh boy, :laugh: there's at least one of these posts a week, lol. If your doing the HCG diet and it works for you great, if not and something else does GREAT. Just like every other diet, way of eating, working out, may work for some and not others. Hope you all find a healthy way to lose the weight or reach your goals and keep it off :flowerforyou:

mish3131

I don't disagree with you, anything that requires you to be on a 500 calorie a day diet cannot possibly be good for you. However, just to be clear, it is not illegal for a doctor to prescribe something to treat a condition other than what it is intended for, physicians are permitted to prescribe "off-label". Pharmaceutical companies cannot market their products to doctors for any other use than whatever FDA approved it for...but whatever the doc decides to prescribe the drug for once it's out there on the market is pretty much his call. For example, my son's neurologist prescribed a beta-blocker (a blood pressure medication) for him, that he takes every day, not because he had high blood pressure, but to prevent migraines.

What I'm trying to figure out is why HCG would decrease appetite. Having been pregnant (and therefore full of that hormone) twice, I can guarantee you my appetite was not suppressed, quite the opposite in fact!! I wonder if the appetite drops off because of a slowed-down metabolism caused by eating so little...?

No, the appetitie tapers off due to the fat in your body being utilized as the same as calories eaten.

I am doing my plan under doctor supervision. She prescribed the HCG for the injectiions, is meeting with me every 3 weeks and tracking my progress, including my food journal.

As long as you are adhering to the plan, your body has enough fat to burn and you will NOT go into starvation mode.

I am sorry, but from I have seen this is close to what an anorexic does. Check out pro-ana websites. The people on there try to stay under 500 a day, but sometimes even less. IMO any doctor that prescribes this is crazy. Talk to a nutritionist before you do something so drastic.

JStarnes

:sick: Is there not a better way to get HCG than to extract it from prego womens urine?!

July24Lioness

im prolly gonna get torn a new one for saying this...but how on earth is it "cleansing your body of toxins" if you are filling it with artificial hormones/chemicals to take the hunger away? Even if its a natural hormone that occurs in the body, its not one that you are producing, so therefore, it's artificial? Are they stealing homrones from these pregnant woman and cutting them with liquids to make it into these drops...how are these drops manufactured?

I think whoever the doc that invented this is one smart man cause he is making a lot of money off very desperate people. The way to decrease your appitite is to eat less and drink more water, eventually your stomach will shrink ...just my thoughts...

The doctor that researched, documented and developed this plan is no longer alive. He was researching, documenting and developing this plan all the way back in the 1940's.................WAY BEFORE WE WERE ALIVE............

July24Lioness

I don't disagree with you, anything that requires you to be on a 500 calorie a day diet cannot possibly be good for you. However, just to be clear, it is not illegal for a doctor to prescribe something to treat a condition other than what it is intended for, physicians are permitted to prescribe "off-label". Pharmaceutical companies cannot market their products to doctors for any other use than whatever FDA approved it for...but whatever the doc decides to prescribe the drug for once it's out there on the market is pretty much his call. For example, my son's neurologist prescribed a beta-blocker (a blood pressure medication) for him, that he takes every day, not because he had high blood pressure, but to prevent migraines.

What I'm trying to figure out is why HCG would decrease appetite. Having been pregnant (and therefore full of that hormone) twice, I can guarantee you my appetite was not suppressed, quite the opposite in fact!! I wonder if the appetite drops off because of a slowed-down metabolism caused by eating so little...?

No, the appetitie tapers off due to the fat in your body being utilized as the same as calories eaten.

I am doing my plan under doctor supervision. She prescribed the HCG for the injectiions, is meeting with me every 3 weeks and tracking my progress, including my food journal.

As long as you are adhering to the plan, your body has enough fat to burn and you will NOT go into starvation mode.

I am sorry, but from I have seen this is close to what an anorexic does. Check out pro-ana websites. The people on there try to stay under 500 a day, but sometimes even less. IMO any doctor that prescribes this is crazy. Talk to a nutritionist before you do something so drastic.

This is not the same......................The HCG burns your fat therefore you can not compare ME to an anorexic.

My doctor who is a naturopathic doctor is also a nutritionist. She knows what she is doing.

I was against this diet at first, then I read and researched. I EDUCATED MYSELF.................I never made these assumptions and ludicrious comments to anyone before I read about it and researched it for myself............

I, for one do NOT comment on things I am not knowlegable of. Unlike a lot of other people.......................

She asked me to dedicate myself to 1 round and see how everything goes. Which I did and I feel a whole lot better. So I will continue to do the rounds as i did with this one until I lose all the weight I need to lose.

The HCG Protocol will not let you lose more weight than your body will allow it to, unlike anorexics..............

xDeannaGarciax

Oooh how I wish there was a like button on some of these comments!

StephieWheats

So some people really dont have the will power to just eat healthy and exercise on their own? It seems to me that we as people are always looking for a miracle cure for everything and just cant deal with the "work" that has to go into anything. Its actually kinda sad that people would rather take hormones not naturally in there body then get off there rump and exercise and count calories.... Are you really in love with food that much that you need a "cure" to being fat? I'm really sorry for those people.

sbilyeu75

I personally wouldn't do this diet, but that's because I don't take medication in the long term and I have actual fitness goals, not just weight loss goals. I do wonder... what happens to your muscle tissue, by the end of this program?