Risky Diet in the News

HoLLyZ82

Just thought I would share an article on the HCG DIET....

http://health.yahoo.net/experts/dayinhealth/is-the-hcg-diet-a-risky-fad

Ibe_Theninja

Thanks for the info!!

perrytyra

I knew there was a reason I thought Dr Oz was a nut.

♥♥YoungMrs♥♥

Bump

Shweedog

I know there are many HCG fans on MFP so I may receive some retaliation here but 500 calories a day is just plain unhealthy. The hormone restricts hunger, whether through the placebo effect or actual, so you do not mind the minimal caloric intake but how can anyone think this is good for their bodies?

Grokette

Just thought I would share an article on the HCG DIET....

http://health.yahoo.net/experts/dayinhealth/is-the-hcg-diet-a-risky-fad

Stop with this.

First of all, it is not a fad. This is a plan put together by a doctor back in the 1950's and there is logical science behind it.

STOP with bashing what others are doing to help themselves lose weight and be healthier. JUST STOP ALREADY!!!

No matter what plan a person is doing, we should be encouraging and supporting one another. This bashing has got to stop.

Grokette

I know there are many HCG fans on MFP so I may receive some retaliation here but 500 calories a day is just plain unhealthy. The hormone restricts hunger, whether through the placebo effect or actual, so you do not mind the minimal caloric intake but how can anyone think this is good for their bodies?

Your body is burning fat so your actually consuming anywhere from 2,000 - 4,000 extra calories per day. That is not unhealthy.

rngreen

I just hope that persons wanting to start this at least speak with their health care provider before starting it on their own.

beancurdie

http://www.shape.com/weight-loss/5-things-you-need-to-know-about-the-hcg-diet

This article states that using HCG for weight loss is not approved by the FDA. Seems like a good enough reason to stay away from this fad.

123456654321

I kinda have to laugh that people doing such crazy calorie restriction is attributing their weight loss to HCG rather then the fact they aren't eating. God, what a rip off.

mommamills

Just thought I would share an article on the HCG DIET....

http://health.yahoo.net/experts/dayinhealth/is-the-hcg-diet-a-risky-fad

Stop with this.

First of all, it is not a fad. This is a plan put together by a doctor back in the 1950's and there is logical science behind it.

STOP with bashing what others are doing to help themselves lose weight and be healthier. JUST STOP ALREADY!!!

No matter what plan a person is doing, we should be encouraging and supporting one another. This bashing has got to stop.

I wouldn't consider this "bashing" OR being unsupporting of others efforts. Just simply trying to inform ppl of BOTH sides. I've considered this diet many times but am just not real sure of the all the risks (SINCE THERE ARE RISKS WITH EVERY...THAT'S RIGHT EVERY...DIET!) The problem is when ppl just don't want to hear BOTH sides. If you are an HCG dieter and it's worked for you and you have had no health issues from it then GREAT! But not everyone responds the same way and depending on their own situations they may not be ready for something like this...health wise.

Bottom line is, there is research supporting BOTH sides of this diet....both Pro and Con....so quit being so touchy. There wasn't even a comment....just simply a link. Where's the bashing?

HoLLyZ82

i do what i want. I dont agree with it....you do. its OBVIOUS the only thing thats going to work for a HEALTHY LiFeStyLe is a healthy diet and exercise routine. what is normal about giving yourself a shot everyday to lose weight? do it the right way and I bet your overall health will be much better. thats what the body intended. and to the person that said it isnt appeoved by the FDA...EXACTLY.

HoLLyZ82

I kinda have to laugh that people doing such crazy calorie restriction is attributing their weight loss to HCG rather then the fact they aren't eating. God, what a rip off.

very true

hroush

I knew even before I opened this it was going to be about HCG. I know this article won't deter the "diehard" HCG fans here, but I hope it will deter someone that is thinking about it. I really hope it will open the eyes of people that are taking the non-injected stuff as it's essentially a placebo.

sarahbeth17

I did it and dropped 23 pounds in 4 weeks, still have about 20 to go but I'm doing that with help from this site. The FDA doesn't approve a lot of things and thats because it really doesnt have your best interest at heart, the FDA wants you to be fat, the government makes a lot more money if we are unhealthy. I wasn't hungry when using the HCG cuz it was burning calories that were already left over in my body so it was as if I was consuming 2000 calories a day. Don't trust the government, or most doctors for that matter, they don't really care about you they care about money.

Without the HCG just doing 500 calories your body goes into starvation mode and you will only lose maybe a few pounds but you trash your body doing that.

Atlantique

Just thought I would share an article on the HCG DIET....

http://health.yahoo.net/experts/dayinhealth/is-the-hcg-diet-a-risky-fad

Stop with this.

First of all, it is not a fad. This is a plan put together by a doctor back in the 1950's and there is logical science behind it.

STOP with bashing what others are doing to help themselves lose weight and be healthier. JUST STOP ALREADY!!!

No matter what plan a person is doing, we should be encouraging and supporting one another. This bashing has got to stop.

That was not 'bashing'. The OP posted an article that people can read and draw their own conclusions.

And I for one do not believe that it is necessary to 'support' people 'no matter what plan'. If people are subscribing to a plan with potential risks to their health, we should be able to respectfully discuss those risks.

HoLLyZ82

I did it and dropped 23 pounds in 4 weeks, still have about 20 to go but I'm doing that with help from this site. The FDA doesn't approve a lot of things and thats because it really doesnt have your best interest at heart, the FDA wants you to be fat, the government makes a lot more money if we are unhealthy. I wasn't hungry when using the HCG cuz it was burning calories that were already left over in my body so it was as if I was consuming 2000 calories a day. Don't trust the government, or most doctors for that matter, they don't really care about you they care about money.

Without the HCG just doing 500 calories your body goes into starvation mode and you will only lose maybe a few pounds but you trash your body doing that.

congrats on your success. my worry here is this, do you plan on doing this FOREVER? i mean, you cant...can you? what is going to happen when someone stops this and then has to eat real calories like we are supposed to? are you only going to be hungry for 500 calories a day and continually lose weight and hurt your body? is it a training thing and starting all over from step one and learning real healthy foods to consume?...if so, then why nort just start there to begin with? i dont know. this just sounds like a detour to me. i guess in my opinion i would just rather start with a 1200 calorie diet and lose weight slowly and the healthy way. to each their own i suppose.

CookieCatCatcher

My aunt was just diagnosed with Breast Cancer after being given multiple rounds of the HCG injections over the last year. I feel bad for her and her family, but, when you mess with hormones, the results can never be good... Sure she, lost a bunch of weight SUPER fast. But, was it worth cancer? I think not. I'll stick to good old calorie counting. After all, it took me years to gain the weight, I'd be stupid to think there was a miracle diet that would make me lose it all in a few months.

BryanAir

I did it and dropped 23 pounds in 4 weeks, still have about 20 to go but I'm doing that with help from this site. The FDA doesn't approve a lot of things and thats because it really doesnt have your best interest at heart, the FDA wants you to be fat, the government makes a lot more money if we are unhealthy. I wasn't hungry when using the HCG cuz it was burning calories that were already left over in my body so it was as if I was consuming 2000 calories a day. Don't trust the government, or most doctors for that matter, they don't really care about you they care about money.

Without the HCG just doing 500 calories your body goes into starvation mode and you will only lose maybe a few pounds but you trash your body doing that.

Can you walk me through the logical steps in which the government makes a lot more money from an unhealthy populace?

sarahbeth17

No it wasn't a forever thing, just for those 4 weeks to kick start everything, I was very hungry when I stopped it but I also have hypothyroidism and it threw that off so that's why it was hard, this website has made it easy though to just eat 1200 calories and be full. I don't plan on doing it again as long as I can continue to lose with this site. I took the oral hcg not the injections which apparently is better healthwise, as far as I understand. I was having too much trouble losing weight because of my thyroid and I needed to try something, diet wasn't working well. Now that i've lost a lot though I have a lot more motivation to make sure I reach my goals.

sarahbeth17

The more we eat the more taxes they can collect AND we have to go to the doctor a LOT more for all these problems all linked to obesity, and then the doctors don't really do anything to help you just give you prescriptions that most of the time we don't need if we just changed our diets. The healthcare industry makes a lot of money on people not being informed. If we are all healthy, they can't make any money. Give us medicine that tears up our bodies and they can guarantee their salaries.

mommamills

My aunt was just diagnosed with Breast Cancer after being given multiple rounds of the HCG injections over the last year. I feel bad for her and her family, but, when you mess with hormones, the results can never be good... Sure she, lost a bunch of weight SUPER fast. But, was it worth cancer? I think not. I'll stick to good old calorie counting. After all, it took me years to gain the weight, I'd be stupid to think there was a miracle diet that would make me lose it all in a few months.

Well said! Sorry to hear about your Aunt but you are EXACTLY right!! Hormones are a funny thing and I would NOT wanna mess with that.

Grokette

The only reason that this crap works is because a person is limiting their calorie intake to 500 a day! There are so many health risks associated with VLCDs. Unless instructed by a physician, no one should even attempt to cut down that low. I had a friend try this, and I jumped all over her about how unsafe it is.

"The common side effects include headaches, mood swings, depression, blood clots, confusion, and dizziness. Some women also develop a condition called Ovarian Hyperstimulation Syndrome (OHSS); symptoms of this include pelvic pain, swelling of the hands and legs, stomach pain, weight gain, shortness of breath, diarrhea, vomiting/nausea, and/or urinating less than normal." http://www.dietsinreview.com/diet_column/07/hcg-diet-look-elsewhere-for-weight-loss/

It has also been proven to cause potentially fatal heart arythmias, and the increased risk for blood clots puts a person in danger of having an embolism and stroke. Anyone who is seriously contemplating this diet should first talk to their doctor, and secondly do some serious research from REPUTABLE sources!

If anyone is genuinely interested in how this works without all the bashing, please send me a private message.

sixxx

This girl at work is damn near begging me to try it with her because her family has lost 12lbs (roughly per person) on this.

Grokette

I did it and dropped 23 pounds in 4 weeks, still have about 20 to go but I'm doing that with help from this site. The FDA doesn't approve a lot of things and thats because it really doesnt have your best interest at heart, the FDA wants you to be fat, the government makes a lot more money if we are unhealthy. I wasn't hungry when using the HCG cuz it was burning calories that were already left over in my body so it was as if I was consuming 2000 calories a day. Don't trust the government, or most doctors for that matter, they don't really care about you they care about money.

Without the HCG just doing 500 calories your body goes into starvation mode and you will only lose maybe a few pounds but you trash your body doing that.

Can you walk me through the logical steps in which the government makes a lot more money from an unhealthy populace?

That is a no-brainer.

If everyone became conscious of what they ate and became healthy.

Food manufacturers would suffer and so would the entire medical establishment (doctors, hospitals and most importantly Big Pharma).

They want to keep as many people addicted to junk food, getting sick so they can keep writing prescriptions for the expensive medications that have awful side effects so they can write more prescriptions.........

See the vicious cycle?

And what is sad, there are doctors that recognize this and some are trying to change that.

mommamills

The more we eat the more taxes they can collect AND we have to go to the doctor a LOT more for all these problems all linked to obesity, and then the doctors don't really do anything to help you just give you prescriptions that most of the time we don't need if we just changed our diets. The healthcare industry makes a lot of money on people not being informed. If we are all healthy, they can't make any money. Give us medicine that tears up our bodies and they can guarantee their salaries.

That's a sad way to go thru life...thinking the world is out to get you. Bottom line is YOU decide how much and what you eat! YOU decide what you spend your money on. YOU decide to go for that walk/jog/swim today. YOU decide to follow your DOCTOR'S advice on ways to improve your diet so you don't have to be on high blood pressure meds, high cholesterol med, insulin, etc. YOU decide if you want to continue to pay your doctor for advice you don't follow or your pharmacy for meds to aid the problem rather than fix it. IT ALL BOILS BACK DOWN TO YOU!

Grokette

http://www.shape.com/weight-loss/5-things-you-need-to-know-about-the-hcg-diet

This article states that using HCG for weight loss is not approved by the FDA. Seems like a good enough reason to stay away from this fad.

And you trust the FDA????

The same agency that is approving all the Genetically modified foods? The same one that approves all these medications that have a million side effects?????

I would rather use a natural occurring hormone than some laboratory made pill that can cause kidney, heart or liver damage.

At least my body is already making the HCG................it does not make the chemicals found in those pills at the pharmacy.

BryanAir

The more we eat the more taxes they can collect AND we have to go to the doctor a LOT more for all these problems all linked to obesity, and then the doctors don't really do anything to help you just give you prescriptions that most of the time we don't need if we just changed our diets. The healthcare industry makes a lot of money on people not being informed. If we are all healthy, they can't make any money. Give us medicine that tears up our bodies and they can guarantee their salaries.

The federal government's sources of revenue are 45% personal income tax, 36% payroll taxes, 12% corporate income tax, 3% excise tax, and 4% miscellaneous others such as interest returned from the federal reserve. In no way does the federal government make money from us eating more. In fact, lost productivity due to disease is one of the greatest drags on the real GDP growth. The government has all the motivation in the world for a healthy populace.

Also, to say that doctors don't want to help is a huge insult to all the doctors who have dedicated their lives to helping people.

PrincessBTits

I had a friend who did this and she dropped almost 200 lbs. Unfortunately, as soon as she stopped it, she gained it all back and then some.

And this isn't bashing. We wouldn't support anorexia or any other plan that is harmful, why would we support this?

Dr's in the 50's also thought it was ok for pregnant women to smoke and drink. Not everything that Dr's say is sound.

CookieCatCatcher

Also thought I'd mention that her cancer is mid-stage. The reason they didn't catch it earlier is because one of the SEVERAL side effects of the HCG diet is breast lumps, tenderness and swelling. She thought her "lumps" were normal - and so did her Dr who prescribed the injections to her. After a few months the lumps got worse, so her Dr ordered a scan - found out she has tumors that have been growing and spreading. Now she is looking at Chemo. The sickest thing, she said, "Oh people on chemo loss lots of weight!"

I almost slapped her.

This is what we've come to as a society. People so desperate to lose weight, they are willing to take whatever snake oil gets peddled to them - EVEN when studies have proven that these things are dangerous!

We don't want to put in the work and effort to lose the weight we put on. We want something easy. We want something LAZY.

Which is why we are in the terrible predicament we are in.

Grokette

The more we eat the more taxes they can collect AND we have to go to the doctor a LOT more for all these problems all linked to obesity, and then the doctors don't really do anything to help you just give you prescriptions that most of the time we don't need if we just changed our diets. The healthcare industry makes a lot of money on people not being informed. If we are all healthy, they can't make any money. Give us medicine that tears up our bodies and they can guarantee their salaries.

That's a sad way to go thru life...thinking the world is out to get you. Bottom line is YOU decide how much and what you eat! YOU decide what you spend your money on. YOU decide to go for that walk/jog/swim today. YOU decide to follow your DOCTOR'S advice on ways to improve your diet so you don't have to be on high blood pressure meds, high cholesterol med, insulin, etc. YOU decide if you want to continue to pay your doctor for advice you don't follow or your pharmacy for meds to aid the problem rather than fix it. IT ALL BOILS BACK DOWN TO YOU!

The real problem is doctors rarely make referrals to nutritionists or dieticians. They don't offer advice for a person to become healthier. Most people don't know what to do.............We see the questions all the time for people reaching out not knowing what to do.

It is easier and more profitable for a doctor to say You have high blood pressure, take this pill for the rest of your life...........than to sit down and say.......Hmmm, let's go over your eating plan to see where you can make those improvements.

Medicine of today is a joke.