HCG Diet..Any thoughts?

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clpolk1
clpolk1 Posts: 27
in Introduce Yourself
Works?... doesnt work?....Good or bad from anyone on it?

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  • FitMomma0722
    FitMomma0722 Posts: 50 Member
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    it works but you have to STARVE yourself, basically. You can only eat 500 calories each day.
  • MommyLumpkin
    MommyLumpkin Posts: 129
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    I haven't tried it but if it has the word DIET in it, I try to steer clear. Portion control and exercise seem to be the most effective. Slow and steady wins the race. Everyone I've ever know that's done any fast results diets usually did see results, they just ended up with the weight plus more back on later down the road. I hope that helps to keep you encouraged to stay the course.
  • laddyboy
    laddyboy Posts: 1,565 Member
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    Not healthy if that's all you get. Don't go below 1200 unless you are under Dr. Instructions and supervision.
  • mrphil86
    mrphil86 Posts: 2,382 Member
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    I'm sure you will loose weight.... I'm also sure you put way too much stress on your body. In my opinion, not work it. Weight loss is not supposed to be a quick fix.
  • Cassia
    Cassia Posts: 467 Member
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    works great! 49lbs down :) Many people think its unhealthy, but i say 75lbs overweight is unhealthy too but that's just my experience.
  • endordb
    endordb Posts: 5 Member
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    NOT GOOD! You starve yourself and inject extra hormones into your body. I am a RN and ask the MD's about this stuff and they just laugh. You will lose the weight but probably will not keep it off. Keeping it of will require lifestyle changes, ie...change your diet and exercise. I have lost 62 lbs in the last year doing just that and will keep it off because of the change. Dieting alone your weight will yo-yo up and down.
  • pftjill
    pftjill Posts: 488
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    It works if you want a temporary fix and to be losing not only fat, but muscle too. Anything that advertises a positive that you don't have to exercise should put a red flag up for you. That and it requires you to eat only 500 cals a day, which is not enough. Also, another red flag, is losing weight that fast. Slow and steady wins the race and you are more likely to keep it off. So basically what I am saying is-no, don't do it!! You will put the weight back on plus some the minute you are done. The only program I have ever liked the concept of is weight watchers, because they teach you how to eat-rather than feeding you. I keep going on, so I will just end here-keep it healthy and stay away from HCG!!
  • Wish2BSkinny
    Wish2BSkinny Posts: 16
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    I'm not a medical professional. I'm on MFP to lose weight, so I'm not the best person to give advice. I will say this. ANYONE who cuts their diet down to 500 calories is going to lose weight... and Fast! But I'm pretty sure you're losing other vital nutrients from your system as well as muscle mass. If you're going to cut your diet down to 500 calories (or whatever other ridiculously low number), you should probably prepare to live within that calorie range for the rest of your life or you won't keep it off.

    That's my rant... :) I'd lost 21 pounds (prior to joining MFP for the emotional support) since the beginning of February. I'm doing with exercise, food moderation and calorie counting (within a reasonable limit).

    Good luck to you, whatever you choose. If you're still unsure, ask your doctor.
  • clpolk1
    clpolk1 Posts: 27
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    Lots of feed back. I see alot of people posting about the low cal intake. The program says it burns your "stored" fat to make up the missing cal intake. So you body is still getting a good amount of fuel. I was just wondering if anyone had experienced it. I have never been one to "diet", I have a pretty good handle on the food and I workout 6 days a week. Just trying to figure out what all the hype is about. Thanks all!!
  • lindzbindz
    lindzbindz Posts: 20
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    i am on the hcg diet right now my doctor has me on 700-800 cal a day not 500 like alot of doctors do he also has me intaking a TON of protien im talking abouit body builder amounts of protien so that when i do lose it is not taking my muscle just fat. it is basically starving the body so that all the body has left to take is fat. the amount of protien you are taking in is what your body and muscles are running off of. lots of people say its not good for your body but im taking tons of vitamins that im not getting from food and im hardly ever hungry and have through the roof amounts of energy my muscles are getting what the need and im loosing fat since im not feeding it fat. i love it its great if you dont have time to excersise bc they dont want you to excerises you cant beat loosing a pound a day to! i would definetly talk to a doctor about it because its great! but if you need carbs dont do it bc you are taking in very little carbs, sugar, fat.
  • crystal_sapphire
    crystal_sapphire Posts: 1,205 Member
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    the weight loss is due to eating 500 cals per day. nothing more.
  • Jill_Clemmons
    Jill_Clemmons Posts: 32
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    The HCG diet is very dangerous. I know people that did it, and they were suffering the whole time they were on 500 calories. They were so tired that they could barely get through the day, and were hungry most of the time. Anc once they finished the diet, the weight they went to all that trouble to lose came right back. In over 50 years, no scientific proof has been found to support the theory behind the HCG diet.

    If you already invested your money in the homeopathic drops, they probably wouldn't do any harm if you use them with a safe eating plan of at least 1,200 calories. But eating 500 calories a day and putting your trust in the HCG weight loss theory is just NOT worth the risk.

    When people do manage to lose weight on this diet and keep it off, it's probably just because they eliminated a food from their diet they had a sensitivity to that was making them fat, and did not reintroduce it once they were finished. But you could do that on an elimination diet or a clean eating diet without have to torture yourself with a 500 calorie diet or risk your health on unproven, unscientific theories

    .The website below has some good links to why the HCG diet is a very bad idea and dangerous to your health.
    http://www.tucsonmedical.com/pages/hcg.php
  • chazspk
    chazspk Posts: 159 Member
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    Haha this will start everyone off ..U will defo lose on it but u could lose without it 2 sticking to 500 u be hungry either way .. have a look into Intermittent Fasting or Alternate day diet both have had a lot of results and it keeps u cal up over the week be hard to get back to normal after been on 500 a day ... let me know what u think of them...
  • MissDwood
    MissDwood Posts: 108 Member
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    I've tried it before and lost weight but if you stop taking the shots then you WILL gain the weight back!! It really gets expensive after a while too. I say stick to exercise and eating better!
  • ratkins811
    ratkins811 Posts: 190 Member
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    only a moment ago a friend at work was trying to get me on the HCG diet when i was showing her this site. I know I can survive on 500 calories per day since I did it on medfast several years ago... but when I went back to eating I gained it and more back. I still dont know if I want to try it.
  • sweebum
    sweebum Posts: 1,060 Member
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    It's easier and safer to cut your leg off. Less risk health wise, and you won't gain it back :smile: I have a page on my blog with at least 8 credible medical studies that indicate it doesn't work. It's been around since the 70's, think about it- if it worked, why are 60% overweight? Everything in moderation, if a diet says you have to take supplements of any kind (especially fake homeopathic drugs) and you have to absolutely destroy your metabolism, and rotate phases everytime your weight fluctuates forever, it doesn't sound like a smart decision for your long term weight loss goals.
  • Jill_Clemmons
    Jill_Clemmons Posts: 32
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    The so-called HCG diet was created by a crackpot doctor over 50 years ago. NO real medical research backs up his theory, and it's downright dangerous to eat only 500 calories a day and try and convince yourself the stuff works. I know people that believed in this scam and totally messed up their metabolism to the point they can't lose any weight at all. They are heavier than they were before they started the HCG diet. It' does NOT work as advertised, the diet plan is dangerous, so please DON'T DO IT!
  • KarenB4G
    KarenB4G Posts: 252
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    Hello Jill. I wish you would stop sending me messages. I do not know what your problem is....but keep away from me.

    Thank you
  • mom2my3angels
    mom2my3angels Posts: 250 Member
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    It works great...you don't starve yourself, the drops/shots are releasing calories and helping you burn the bad fat. My dr. approved it for me. I have lost 10 lbs and kept it off. People think it is not healthy, even I use to be one of those believers until my dad went on it and I talked to my dr. after seeing him loose 30 lbs and keep it off.

    Being overweight is unhealthy.
  • RBXChas
    RBXChas Posts: 2,708 Member
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    HCG = Human Chorionic Gonadotropin, a/k/a "the pregnancy hormone." HCG is what pregnancy tests test for. It is present in men and women all the time but in much higher levels in pregnant women.

    IMHO, I wouldn't mess with injecting/ingesting hormones unless I had a medically diagnosed imbalance and what I was taking in was (1) prescribed by a doctor, (2) provided by a doctor/pharmacist, and (3) carefully monitored.

    To me the ends don't justify the means, since you're doing something unhealthy (we all know 500 calories/day is not healthy) to get to a healthy weight, but unless you revamp your eating habits, you will end up, in all likelihood, gaining the weight back and then some. All in all, you're doing something unhealthy to end up ultimately unhealthier than when you started.

    I don't judge you for trying it, but since you asked, that's my two cents...

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