First week on the HCG diet!!!

hairchick75

:happy: This is my first week on the HCG diet and its going pretty good!! down 9 pounds and lots more to go!!! Its definately not as hard as i thought it would be...but then again its one of the hardest things I've done in my life...I've been overweight all my life and its definately a test on my willpower!!! So far so good!!! Anybody have any comments to share about the diet or any different foods they've used or recipes that would be awesome to chat with you!!!! Good luck on your weight loss journey!!!

jessebreanne

This may be a silly question but, what is the HCG diet?

kalyrra

hey hairchick75! Congrats on the 9 lbs! If you want, there's a group of people all currently doing the HCG diet at this thread: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/121908-hcg-progress-updates-page-2-for-people-on-it-or-thinking-a

I also have a 177 page HCG phase 2 friendly cookbook if you want it! Join the thread, many post their successes, their failures, support, tips, tricks, etc... you can definitely learn from others! I am 3 days away from maintenance phase, and I've lost 20 lbs!

Please join us!!! We'd love to have you there!

kalyrra

This may be a silly question but, what is the HCG diet?

It is a special diet created by Dr. Simeons after studying obesity in Italy for 20 years. You can read about it online. There are a lot of people for it, and a lot of people against it. It's up to you to form your own opinion about the diet.

Basically, it uses Human Chorionic Gonadotripin (HCG), which is a glycoprotein hormone produced during pregnancy. This triggers your abnormal fat to burn instead of your muscle fat, etc... It can be received in injections either by you or your doctor, or in sublingual drops (which are cheaper, and easier!). During this time, you are on a 500 calorie diet of vegetables, fruit, and protein.

I'd advise you to read up on it before deciding to do it if you're thinking about it. Some people decide it's not right for them. Talk to your doctor, read all the information and FAQ's, and even read some of the threads on it.

hairchick75

It's a very low calorie diet...500 calories plus the hcg hormone in either drops,injections or spray...it sounds horrible but after seeing it work its amazing!! You can check it out at HCGDIET.com..

nurse_jenie

Welcome!!!!

hairchick75

Thank you kalyrra!! and congrats on your weight loss as well...will definately follow the link!!

hairchick75

Thank you nurse_jenie!!

WarmDontBurn

I am also curious. If you are only eating 500 calories how are you not starving. I have issues staying at my 1200 which that I thought was the very minimum.

kalyrra

I am also curious. If you are only eating 500 calories how are you not starving. I have issues staying at my 1200 which that I thought was the very minimum.

Read the manuscript by Dr. Simeons called Pounds and Inches... he explains how everything works.

http://powermaxnutrition.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/pounds_and_inches.pdf

maryschmitz

Way to go! Not sure what the HCG diet is, but if you like roasted veggies then... slice and roast away and then youl'l have them for the whole week - they keep REAL well! I slice up green peppers, eggplant, zuccini green and yellow, and sprinkle a little bit of s & P on them and SPRAY olive oil - tada (I do a tray pof each, 1-eggplant - 4 or 5 zuccini if they are small and about 3 peppers)... yum! I wrap them in whole wheat wraps - add in a tablespoon of hummus, some lettuce - you will love it! Again HCG? Good luck on your journey, god bless! oH, us them in egg whites for breakfast too!

maryschmitz

ok - so I know wha the HCG diet is now... stear clear of avacados! Just had 1/2 of one today and man do they have a ton of calories! ough! No birthday cake for me!!!! lol (I have a party to go to later... ...)

Mindful_Trent

ok - so I know wha the HCG diet is now... stear clear of avacados! Just had 1/2 of one today and man do they have a ton of calories! ough! No birthday cake for me!!!! lol (I have a party to go to later... ...)

Has nothing to do with HCG, but avacados are actually fantastic for you, in moderation. It's a very healthy fat. 1/4 of an avacado is a great way to add healthy calories to a salad or similar meal.

yomairaA

I started the HCG diet with the shots 3 weeks ago and I have lost a total of 17.2 lbs and I feel great. Its has taken some work and Ive had to fight the urges to grab the bag of chips or candy bar. So far this is the best weight loss plan I have been on... Good luck...

cakefarm

Do you have to take the shots / drops forever? What happens when you hit your goal weight? Do you continue to eat 500 calories a day?

I've never heard of the HCG diet - am just curious about sustained losses. It seems like it would be difficult to maintain a loss that you obtained by eating 500 calories a day and injecting yourself with pregnancy hormones.

**confused**

scodymack

Is the diet hard? Where did you get the HCG?

fivefatcats

The diet is simple, not easy.

Please read the protocol:

http://hcgdietinfo.com/HCG_Diet_Simeons_Manuscript.htm

Once you look it over, feel free to ask any questions you have.

The low cal phase is of short (23-40 usually) days, then 3 weeks of 'maintenance' then an adjustment to a NEW WAY OF LIFE.

It has been a miracle for me, and some others!

HealthyChanges2010

fivefatcats

It's not a fad. Your chances of keeping the weight off rest entirely on whether or not you learn anything about eating/fitness - just like ANY OTHER WEIGHT LOSS PROGRAM.

If you are interested in the diet and want support, come to the support thread.

Otherwise you will get alot of flack from people who are against it, regardless of whether or not they have researched or tried it.

There will always be fuel for a heated debate on the subject.

hairchick75

Congrats on your 17 lbs...this is so hard...the urges are driving me crazy...i'm doing the injections too....have you had any hairloss..i've heard that happens...

simplyshannal

Please be careful being on this diet. I have a girlfriend who started it 3 months ago and we buried her last week. She got a huge embolism (blood clot) that killed her. She was 26 and the mother of two. The doctors say that there is nothing else that could have killed her. The clots were formed after she started the HCG injections. Yeah, it helps you lose weight fast but the detriment it does to your body takes years off your life. The FDA is in the process of getting the drug banned in the United States. My friend now makes the 34th person to die from taking these injections so please, just be careful because the weight that you want to lose could end your life. Just a healthy warning.

HealthyChanges2010

Please be careful being on this diet. I have a girlfriend who started it 3 months ago and we buried her last week. She got a huge embolism (blood clot) that killed her. She was 26 and the mother of two. The doctors say that there is nothing else that could have killed her. The clots were formed after she started the HCG injections. Yeah, it helps you lose weight fast but the detriment it does to your body takes years off your life. The FDA is in the process of getting the drug banned in the United States. My friend now makes the 34th person to die from taking these injections so please, just be careful because the weight that you want to lose could end your life. Just a healthy warning.

OMG! I'm so sorry for your loss Shanna:flowerforyou:

How heartbreaking to lose a friend and how scary that must have been for not only you but her family as well and in such a senseless way. We try so many fads diets and ways to drop the weight quick, some are simply unhealthy, some are lethal and we don't know until it's far too late, which one's which. I had no idea there were so many deaths involved, this scares me even more about this fad diet now. It's hard to watch so many begin it and not see any long term studies on the dangers of it made public.

This is something that will stay in my head forever, the dangers of it have made it far more real to me now. I have two ppl I now know that have tried it and perhaps that's why I'm so concerned about others on it as well. Both have gotten very ill (no previous medical history, one was 15 lbs. overweight, the other 60 lbs), one is hospitalized and has been for 2 weeks. The other continues to take the shots through her doctor even though they continue to make her very ill. She's losing weight so ......she continues the diet.

Wow, what risks we take to drop our weight... so scary

Again, I'm so very sorry you've lost your friend due to something that could have been avoided if only the FDA had acted sooner by removing this dangerous drug from the market.:huh: They can't act fast enough for me!:glasses:

PJilly

Please be careful being on this diet. I have a girlfriend who started it 3 months ago and we buried her last week. She got a huge embolism (blood clot) that killed her. She was 26 and the mother of two. The doctors say that there is nothing else that could have killed her. The clots were formed after she started the HCG injections. Yeah, it helps you lose weight fast but the detriment it does to your body takes years off your life. The FDA is in the process of getting the drug banned in the United States. My friend now makes the 34th person to die from taking these injections so please, just be careful because the weight that you want to lose could end your life. Just a healthy warning.

My condolences. I hope people think long and hard about their overall health and well-being before they decide how they choose to lose weight. I understand the reasons for wanting as much loss as fast as possible, but things like HCG and weight-loss surgery scare the crud out of me. They go against what in my mind seems to be a safe and reasonable way to lose weight. My thinking is that, for most of us, our bodies work exactly the way they're supposed to. They just respond to what we do to them. I think it makes more sense to alter our behavior than alter our bodies to respond in an abnormal way. I understand that people do weigh the risks and decide that being overweight is more risky than whatever procedure they're contemplating, but I have to wonder if they're really making the right decision... :frown:

HealthyChanges2010

Please be careful being on this diet. I have a girlfriend who started it 3 months ago and we buried her last week. She got a huge embolism (blood clot) that killed her. She was 26 and the mother of two. The doctors say that there is nothing else that could have killed her. The clots were formed after she started the HCG injections. Yeah, it helps you lose weight fast but the detriment it does to your body takes years off your life. The FDA is in the process of getting the drug banned in the United States. My friend now makes the 34th person to die from taking these injections so please, just be careful because the weight that you want to lose could end your life. Just a healthy warning.

My condolences. I hope people think long and hard about their overall health and well-being before they decide how they choose to lose weight. I understand the reasons for wanting as much loss as fast as possible, but things like HCG and weight-loss surgery scare the crud out of me. They go against what in my mind seems to be a safe and reasonable way to lose weight. My thinking is that, for most of us, our bodies work exactly the way they're supposed to. They just respond to what we do to them. I think it makes more sense to alter our behavior than alter our bodies to respond in an abnormal way. I understand that people do weigh the risks and decide that being overweight is more risky than whatever procedure they're contemplating, but I have to wonder if they're really making the right decision... :frown:

This is a very thought provoking post and I appreciate you taking time to share. I think what stood out to me most and stayed on my mind all day was the following:

"...our bodies work exactly the way they're supposed to. They just respond to what we do to them. I think it makes more sense to alter our behavior than alter our bodies to respond in an abnormal way."

Wow, that sentence simply makes so much sense....we try for the easy route when all the time it's right there in front of us. Working WITH our bodies instead of against them..

patti626

wow...I'm shocked. I can't imagine a MD supporting such a restrictive diet...and injecting hormones into your body??? Reminds me of people who eat tape worms to lose weight.....horrid. Wake up people...there is no quick fix here. Healthy eating and exercise. If you over eat to the point that you can't lose weight, get help through therapy to help change your behaviors.

patti626

wow...I'm shocked. I can't imagine a MD supporting such a restrictive diet...and injecting hormones into your body??? Reminds me of people who eat tape worms to lose weight.....horrid. Wake up people...there is no quick fix here. Healthy eating and exercise. If you over eat to the point that you can't lose weight, get help through therapy to help change your behaviors.

fivefatcats

sgtlordswife - I sent you a pm asking for more information on your friend. Awaiting your response.

I have read nothing and can find nothing about HCG related embolism and have read nothing indicating that blood clots are a risk with HCG.

That said, and acknowledging that I am an advocate of the HCG protocol, I have this to say again:

It doesn't matter how you get there. Its what you do when you get there that matters. ALL diets fail when we don't learn to follow healthy eating and exercise habits once goal weight is reached.

I am confident that my health is NOT in danger using this plan, and could not be more pleased with the results. I encourage anyone with an opinion on one side of the fence or the other to read up before making any extreme comments.

PJilly

I have read nothing and can find nothing about HCG related embolism and have read nothing indicating that blood clots are a risk with HCG.

http://www.ehow.com/facts_5008933_hcg-shot-side-effects.html

kalyrra

First, let me say I am sorry for your loss.

Second, I'll say this: car accidents kill people. Boat accidents kill people. Plane crashes, swimming accidents, heck, walking down the street, things can happen. My point is this: Everything a person chooses to do carries with it a measured risk. The person either rejects or accepts that risk.

I have read that blood clots are a possibility on this diet. I also have not read of any deaths that are officially confirmed due to HCG. Is there a possible risk? Sure. But that is the person's own decision to accept.

Now, I think it's great that people are concerned enough to say something... as long as it's done politely. Everyone has a right to their own opinion, but be careful when addressing others on it. Hurt feelings last a long time too.

That being said, I will re-instate what I've said all along. Before you try ANY diet, always do your research first. Talk to people who've done it, read reports, do all you can to find out everything about it. Then, when you make your decision, it's YOU making that decision to accept or reject the risk.

fivefatcats

I have read nothing and can find nothing about HCG related embolism and have read nothing indicating that blood clots are a risk with HCG.

http://www.ehow.com/facts_5008933_hcg-shot-side-effects.html

Okay - it says there is a risk but gives absolutely no substantiation or details about the risk . . I mean I could write anything on a website an not back it up - that doesn't make it accurate. Where are the facts?

I concede that it is POSSIBLE that there MAY be a risk - but until evidence arises, don't believe that it is any more dangerous than hormone contraceptives or smoking. I would like to see some case studies where otherwise healthy individuals suffered ill health from the use of HCG.

I am an intelligent adult and as such feel competent researching and forming my own opinion.

yomairaA

Congrats on your 17 lbs...this is so hard...the urges are driving me crazy...i'm doing the injections too....have you had any hairloss..i've heard that happens...

Thank you. i have not experienced hairloss or anything just some headaches the first few day and some stinging at shot site but my own fault for not letting alcohol fri completly. This is the best thing that ever happened to me and this site of course. Next Thurday is my 1 month weigh in and i have a strong feeling I will be at 20+ lbs the first month. I also started the B12 shot which helps alot Im gonna be getting that once a week from the doctor.