HCG Diet

Grokette

HCG is utter woo. (That's the slightly more polite way to point out that it is crap.) Many double blind studies have shown that the results you see are due to it being a starvation diet and there is no difference between taking HCG injections and injections of saline or water. If you have access to proquest then do searches for studies on HCG and you'll see that it is basically worthless. You'll always see people defending it (typically the types who believe in homeopathy and other unscientific things), but you have to remember that the plural of anecdote is not data.

Those so called double blind tests are biased and can not be trusted. I trust the research and the results of Dr Simeons. There are too many people that have had success on this plan to call it "utter wooo".

There is a huge difference between trying to consume 500 calories with or without the HCG. Ask ME how I know???? I tried it.

Without the HCG, utter hunger and fatigue and problems sleeping. With the HCG, no hunger, better sleep and lost weight effortlessly.

Rurouni_Kou

It's hormone drops or shots that help speed up you metaboism, and eating just 500 calories per day.

500 cals a day isnt healthy! your body NEEDS at least 1200!!

Your body is burning fat so you are "consuming" way more than 500 or even 1200 calories per day. The vitamins and minerals that are stored in the fat are then utilized.

... Only SOME vitamins are stored in fat. They're called fat-soluble vitamins. Others (water soluble) are not and must be eaten to be replenished.

Sorry, I have to agree with the above posters assessment that this is "utter woo. (That's the slightly more polite way to point out that it is crap.)" Starvation diets are BS. Eat healthy. 500 cal a day? Not healthy and I despise it even more because it can lead to eating disorders even more so.

"Nothing frustrates me more than people who dont have any knowledge of what they are speaking of, yet they throw their OPINIONS out there as though they are facts."

Here are some facts from just a few papers I ran across in my research- peer reviewed documentation:
- Disorders Fuel Metabolism: Medical Complications Associated with Starvation, Eating Disorders, Dietary Fads, and Supplements - Bryan S. Judge MD and Bernard H. Eisenga PhD, MD. Published in Emergency Medicine Clinics of North America Volume 23, Issue 3, August 2005, Pages 789-813 (pay close attention to the section Disorders associated with abnormal intake- Eating disorders and the section Fad diets in this paper)
- Illicit Use of hCG in Dietary Programs and Use to Promote Anabolism - Laurence A. Cole. Published in Human Chorionic Gonadotropin, 2010, Pages 209-213

Fact 1- Starvation diets are "utter woo" and incredibly unhealthy. A REASONABLE caloric restriction of around 500 cal under what is required by ones body (like what MFP uses) will produce weight loss. More than can lead to nutrient deficiency/malnutrition, eating disorders, and yes even death. [Seriously, I'm not posting the links to the papers to substantiate these claims. They're linked in the papers above and I'm not going to re-post them. There's plenty of sources that substantiate this without me having to point them out.]
Fact 2- There's no proof that HCG promotes weight loss at all. The 500 cal restriction (disastrously unhealthy as it is) is likely the driving factor in that weight loss, NOT the HCG. - S. Barrett, HCG worthless as weight-loss aid: Diet Scam Watch Web site http://www.dietscam.org/reports/hcg.shtml Accessed September 27, 2010. (Includes 18 references including this gem: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2405506?dopt=Abstract )



Ignore the "little blue pills". They're "utter woo". Go with a good diet, cut calories reasonably to loose weight and get exercise. Everything else is snake oil and in this case extremely bad for you snake oil.

"Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants." - Michael Pollan

nextrightthing

This is from the Mayo clinic:

Question
HCG diet: Is it safe and effective?
Does the HCG diet work — and is it safe?
Answer
from Jennifer K. Nelson, M.S., R.D., L.D.

Because the HCG diet combines injections or supplements of the HCG hormone along with severe calorie restriction, you may lose weight — at least for the short term. But it's the calorie restriction that causes the weight loss, not the HCG. In addition, the safety of HCG for weight loss is uncertain, and the hormone hasn't been approved by the Food and Drug Administration as a treatment for obesity or weight control.

HCG is human chorionic gonadotropin, a hormone produced during pregnancy. As a prescription medication, HCG is used mainly to treat fertility issues.

Proponents of the HCG diet say that HCG can help you lose weight, burn fat and redistribute fat away from your buttocks and stomach. On the HCG diet, you either receive injections of HCG or take HCG supplements. The HCG diet also requires you to drastically cut your calorie intake, typically consuming just 500 to 800 calories a day — about one-fourth to one-half of the standard calorie recommendations. The HCG diet is typically offered through weight-loss clinics that say they will provide medical supervision.

Although researchers have studied the HCG diet for years, no high-quality studies have shown that the hormone itself helps weight loss. Following any very low calorie diet is likely to result in weight loss, regardless of taking HCG. And the HCG diet can have drawbacks. Severe calorie restriction can make it hard to meet all of your nutritional needs. And rapid weight loss can lead to gallstones. Also, HCG can cause side effects, including headache, fatigue, irritability and male breast enlargement. And be careful about buying HCG products on the Internet — they might not be what they say they are.

Once you stop the HCG diet, you're likely to regain any weight you lost. The key to permanent weight loss is developing healthy eating and exercise habits — not following fad diets.

BryanAir

HCG is utter woo. (That's the slightly more polite way to point out that it is crap.) Many double blind studies have shown that the results you see are due to it being a starvation diet and there is no difference between taking HCG injections and injections of saline or water. If you have access to proquest then do searches for studies on HCG and you'll see that it is basically worthless. You'll always see people defending it (typically the types who believe in homeopathy and other unscientific things), but you have to remember that the plural of anecdote is not data.

Those so called double blind tests are biased and can not be trusted. I trust the research and the results of Dr Simeons. There are too many people that have had success on this plan to call it "utter wooo".

There is a huge difference between trying to consume 500 calories with or without the HCG. Ask ME how I know???? I tried it.

Without the HCG, utter hunger and fatigue and problems sleeping. With the HCG, no hunger, better sleep and lost weight effortlessly.

How exactly can a double blind test be biased?

Your personal anecdote is in no way scientific or a reliable indication of the potential for success. Like I said, the preponderance of scientific evidence shows that HCG diet is woo and any effect seen is purely placebo. Now if you don't believe in science, that's okay, but pushing a dangerous and ineffective diet on people is wrong.

Grokette

HCG is utter woo. (That's the slightly more polite way to point out that it is crap.) Many double blind studies have shown that the results you see are due to it being a starvation diet and there is no difference between taking HCG injections and injections of saline or water. If you have access to proquest then do searches for studies on HCG and you'll see that it is basically worthless. You'll always see people defending it (typically the types who believe in homeopathy and other unscientific things), but you have to remember that the plural of anecdote is not data.

Those so called double blind tests are biased and can not be trusted. I trust the research and the results of Dr Simeons. There are too many people that have had success on this plan to call it "utter wooo".

There is a huge difference between trying to consume 500 calories with or without the HCG. Ask ME how I know???? I tried it.

Without the HCG, utter hunger and fatigue and problems sleeping. With the HCG, no hunger, better sleep and lost weight effortlessly.

How exactly can a double blind test be biased?

Your personal anecdote is in no way scientific or a reliable indication of the potential for success. Like I said, the preponderance of scientific evidence shows that HCG diet is woo and any effect seen is purely placebo. Now if you don't believe in science, that's okay, but pushing a dangerous and ineffective diet on people is wrong.

I'm not pushing it on anyone. I am sharing my experiences and what I know to be fact and not fact.

And it is not difficult to skew a double blind test either accidentally or purposefully.

Lulu2929

I can't imagine that 500 calories a day would be healthy.

karsmith0513

i did HCG last spring. I was 47 It was the first time in my life since kids that i have been able to loose a real amount of weight and inches. the diet is very restrictive and you should not exercise other than walking while on the drops and diet. You much take time to prepare and freeze the meat for at least a week at a time. that way there is no excuses. i take both my lunch and dinner to work with me in case something comes up in the evening. I just warm up my meat and veggies and eat them on the way to where ever so I don't think about eating out or getting off even for one night. I lost 20 lbs and several inches. it's training you to eat healthy and the drops are confusing your body into thinking you are eating more calories so you don't feel starved. I ate an apple about 9:30-10 for a snack and again around 2:30-4. usually ate about 11-12 then again about 4:30-5:30 I had tried all other over the counter and exercising 4-5 days a week. It showed me there was hope but you have to be strict and strong. Good luck

ashercrombie07

I did the hCG diet and I am both pro and con about it. Yes, 500 calories scares me, BUT this diet is all about AFTER you stop the drops. Read Dr Simeon's protocol, it talks a lot about what to eat after it is over. Yes, you will meet tons of people who have gained the weight back after the diet, because they are off the drops and hunger is back. Along with this, with this hunger it is easier to cheat and that is why the weight is gained. To everyone who is anti-hCG, check out the maintenance phase of the diet and what it involves. It is very healthy living!