HCG diet?

Danidelion

Anyone heard of the HCG diet? I think I wanna try it.

adjones_21

Just like any other kind of diet that requires a drink, pill or anything like that...once you stop taking it you gain all your weight back and sometimes more. I havent personally done the HCG but a friend of mine did and she lost weight but as soon as she stopped she gained it all back plus 20 more pounds. I wouldnt recommend it. Do it the old fashion way for best results. Remember...getting healthy isnt a diet, it is a lifestyle change.

routerguy666

Did it as part of a study being run to determine if HCG reduced muscle loss while dieting.

Will you lose a lot of weight? Sure. Eat 500-800 calories a day and you will certainly lose a lot of weight. How could you possibly not?

Amount of muscle loss during the HCG regiment was no different than the amount of muscle loss during the months of dieting after the HCG ended. I'd suggest saving your money and just eat less/exercise.

unmitigatedbadassery

I've heard of it. There's a lot of controversy over it. In my opinion there's no way someone can sustain eating that little calories (even with the "breaks") for an extended period of time and be healthy. You will certainly lose weight but then again you would lose weight but at what cost?

yeabby

No way! A "diet" that says eat 500 calories a day and tells you NOT to exercise doesn't sound like something I want for my body. At 500 calories a day you'd lose weight with or without drops, save the money.

Most, if not all, the people I've read who have done this diet have quick gained the weight back afterwards.

Your choice but, I'd rather eat healthy and move my body even if it takes a bit longer.

Losing2Live69

It is not FDA approved....so God only knows what you are putting in your body. We don't even know the long term effects it has on the body.It is just a fad that doesn't teach you how to eat healthy, well rounded meals. Do it the hard way and eat better and less and exercise more. Any sort of "diet" is temporary...meaning it has a start date and a finish date. You can't do it the rest of your life. Its results, if any, will be temporary. A healthy lifestyle, however; is life long.

ninerbuff

Clinical peer viewed studies have shown that HCG has no effect on weight loss. Diets like this are offered by "doctors" so they can rob you blind. Yes you will lose weight, but like any other extreme diet the "benefits" don't equal the loss.

Justkf

You take HCG via pill or injection (it elevates your hormones). It mimicks the fist trimester of pregnancy and dumps some crazy amount of calories daily ( 2500+) while you feel no appetite and even nauseated like morning sickenss; which is why you only consume 500. You are not suppose to exercise from what I have heard and take it kinda easy. Most people do it for 20 - 30 days, then they start a diet that they can adjust and stick to, like what we are doing here at MFP. This is what my friend told me, she just completed it thru her doctor.

Tressa_T

There is a lot of controversy about this diet. I'm on it though! I'm on day 3 and my last day of loading. My best friend has been on it since may and has gone from 220 to 169. she looks AMAZING. I really think you need to do A LOT of research before you start. I talked to my Dr (my primary care provider not a doctor hired to sell the stuff at an hCG clinic) she said there is really nothing to lose, she didnt see any long term side effects involved and said the worst that could happen is i will gain the weight back, and then ill be in the same boat i am now minus the 43 days. Why would i not try it?! here are a few really good websites to get your research started.

www.hcgdietinfo.com this is a great site and purely informational.
www.miracleskinnydrops.com this is where i purchased my drops from, and where my friend got them along with her mother in law who is also on the diet, its always nice to have a reputable site to purchase from. don't fall for the 10 dollar scams, its not the real stuff stick with what you know

you're first step is going to be to read "pounds and inches" which is the original diet protocol, its available for free at miracleskinnydrops.com (and lots of other places) just go to the main page, click "getting started" and its right there in the begging.

Feel free to add me as a friend, maybe you can track my progress to help decide if you want to try it. Good luck in whatever you do!

Tressa_T

Oh and btw i use the Drops, and am doing the 43 day round

OnCmommy

I know 5 people that have done HCG, all gained their weight back plus some when they came off of it.
Personally, I think a lifestyle change is the only way to lose weight.. there are no quick fixes.

Tressa_T

if you read the protocol and follow it to a T it is a life change, the maintenance period is for life and fully attainable

ninerbuff

There is a lot of controversy about this diet. I'm on it though! I'm on day 3 and my last day of loading. My best friend has been on it since may and has gone from 220 to 169. she looks AMAZING. I really think you need to do A LOT of research before you start. I talked to my Dr (my primary care provider not a doctor hired to sell the stuff at an hCG clinic) she said there is really nothing to lose, she didnt see any long term side effects involved and said the worst that could happen is i will gain the weight back, and then ill be in the same boat i am now minus the 43 days. Why would i not try it?! here are a few really good websites to get your research started.

www.hcgdietinfo.com this is a great site and purely informational.
www.miracleskinnydrops.com this is where i purchased my drops from, and where my friend got them along with her mother in law who is also on the diet, its always nice to have a reputable site to purchase from. don't fall for the 10 dollar scams, its not the real stuff stick with what you know

you're first step is going to be to read "pounds and inches" which is the original diet protocol, its available for free at miracleskinnydrops.com (and lots of other places) just go to the main page, click "getting started" and its right there in the begging.

Feel free to add me as a friend, maybe you can track my progress to help decide if you want to try it. Good luck in whatever you do!

What you post IS NOT PEER VIEWED INFORMATION. It's from links that promote it.

HCG is a money making scam. ANYONE can lose weight on 500 calories a day. That's just basic math.

Here's the warnings and studies on HCG:

warnings by the Journal of the American Medical Association and the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition that hCG is neither safe, nor effective as a weight-loss aid.

And:
Controversy about and shortages of injected hCG for weight loss have led to substantial internet promotion of "homeopathic hCG" for weight control. The ingredients in these products are often obscure, but if prepared from true hCG via homeopathic dilution, they contain either no hCG at all or only trace amounts. These preparations are generally advertised for oral use. Proponents of injected hCG for weight control have objected to homeopathic hCG as ineffective.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_chorionic_gonadotropin

http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/truth-about-hcg-for-weight-loss

http://www.dietscam.org/reports/hcg.shtml

Here's a review from Bariatric Health:

In 2009, the American Society of Bariatric Physicians issued a position statement which stated:

Numerous clinical trials have shown HCG to be ineffectual in producing weight loss. HCG
injections can induce a slight increase in muscle mass in androgen-deficient males. The diet used
in the Simeons method provides a lower protein intake than is advisable in view of current
knowledge and practice. There are few medical literature reports favorable to the Simeons
method; the overwhelming majority of medical reports are critical of it. Physicians employing
either the HCG or the diet recommended by Simeons may expose themselves to criticism from
other physicians, from insurers, or from government bodies [15].

Even this person in favor of HCG states:

ABSENCE OF SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH ON HOMEOPATHIC HCG

My favorite source of information on medical research is the PubMed database at the U.S. National Institutes of Health, which offers titles and abstracts from thousands of scientific journals. As of July 2009, a search for articles involving 'human chorionic gonadotropin' found 519 research articles on this topic. A co-search of this term with 'homeopathy' or 'homeopathic' yielded no articles at all.

This does not mean that no research has been done or is being done on homeopathic HCG. It just means that there are no studies that have been published for public examination. This is in spite of the fact that a handful of scientific journals are dedicated to homeopathic medicine. No homeopathic researcher has published a study on HCG.

If homeopathic HCG worked, believe me the drug companies would patent it.

Tressa_T

Anyone heard of the HCG diet? I think I wanna try it.

Regardless of what YOU choose to do, i think you need to weigh the benefits and dangers, not the options or attacks from a forum, talk to your primary care provider, and do what feels right for YOU.

tnlittleangel

I am on it and have lost 30 lbs of abnormal fat and 25.25 inches from head to toe so far. I have 16 lbs to go. My body has reshaped in a way that exercise and diet never did!!! I recommend you find a doctor who has done the program for years with thousands of people who have maintained for years. Mine has 92% who have stayed within the two pound over under rule for life. The 8% went back to the old unhealthy lifestyle or stopped weighing daily to stay on track. You have to follow the protocol to a T or you will not succeed. This is a lifestyle change and not a diet. If you use it as a diet and don't follow it for life, you will gain the weight back and more like any other diet. You have to weigh EVERY morning for the rest of your life and do corrections if something goes wrong with your weight. Please know the facts before jumping on the "500 calorie/no excerise" bandwagon. If you read how the body works and the HCG hormone, you will see how crazy some of the statements are that it is dangerous and you starve. Doctors know how to do this the right way. I am on an extended Phase 3 with doctor's supervision. My friend just started and has already cut her blood pressure meds in 1/2 and no longer takes a water pill for fluid retention. IMO the drops and pellets are not safe nor as effective as the real injection with a doctor.

bobbybdoe

There is a lot of controversy about this diet. I'm on it though! I'm on day 3 and my last day of loading. My best friend has been on it since may and has gone from 220 to 169. she looks AMAZING. I really think you need to do A LOT of research before you start. I talked to my Dr (my primary care provider not a doctor hired to sell the stuff at an hCG clinic) she said there is really nothing to lose, she didnt see any long term side effects involved and said the worst that could happen is i will gain the weight back, and then ill be in the same boat i am now minus the 43 days. Why would i not try it?! here are a few really good websites to get your research started.

www.hcgdietinfo.com this is a great site and purely informational.
www.miracleskinnydrops.com this is where i purchased my drops from, and where my friend got them along with her mother in law who is also on the diet, its always nice to have a reputable site to purchase from. don't fall for the 10 dollar scams, its not the real stuff stick with what you know

you're first step is going to be to read "pounds and inches" which is the original diet protocol, its available for free at miracleskinnydrops.com (and lots of other places) just go to the main page, click "getting started" and its right there in the begging.

Feel free to add me as a friend, maybe you can track my progress to help decide if you want to try it. Good luck in whatever you do!

What you post IS NOT PEER VIEWED INFORMATION. It's from links that promote it.

HCG is a money making scam. ANYONE can lose weight on 500 calories a day. That's just basic math.

Here's the warnings and studies on HCG:

warnings by the Journal of the American Medical Association and the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition that hCG is neither safe, nor effective as a weight-loss aid.

And:
Controversy about and shortages of injected hCG for weight loss have led to substantial internet promotion of "homeopathic hCG" for weight control. The ingredients in these products are often obscure, but if prepared from true hCG via homeopathic dilution, they contain either no hCG at all or only trace amounts. These preparations are generally advertised for oral use. Proponents of injected hCG for weight control have objected to homeopathic hCG as ineffective.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_chorionic_gonadotropin

http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/truth-about-hcg-for-weight-loss

http://www.dietscam.org/reports/hcg.shtml

Here's a review from Bariatric Health:

In 2009, the American Society of Bariatric Physicians issued a position statement which stated:

Numerous clinical trials have shown HCG to be ineffectual in producing weight loss. HCG
injections can induce a slight increase in muscle mass in androgen-deficient males. The diet used
in the Simeons method provides a lower protein intake than is advisable in view of current
knowledge and practice. There are few medical literature reports favorable to the Simeons
method; the overwhelming majority of medical reports are critical of it. Physicians employing
either the HCG or the diet recommended by Simeons may expose themselves to criticism from
other physicians, from insurers, or from government bodies [15].

Even this person in favor of HCG states:

ABSENCE OF SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH ON HOMEOPATHIC HCG

My favorite source of information on medical research is the PubMed database at the U.S. National Institutes of Health, which offers titles and abstracts from thousands of scientific journals. As of July 2009, a search for articles involving 'human chorionic gonadotropin' found 519 research articles on this topic. A co-search of this term with 'homeopathy' or 'homeopathic' yielded no articles at all.

This does not mean that no research has been done or is being done on homeopathic HCG. It just means that there are no studies that have been published for public examination. This is in spite of the fact that a handful of scientific journals are dedicated to homeopathic medicine. No homeopathic researcher has published a study on HCG.

If homeopathic HCG worked, believe me the drug companies would patent it.

Couldn't have said it better myself.

ninerbuff

I am on it and have lost 30 lbs of abnormal fat and 25.25 inches from head to toe so far. I have 16 lbs to go. My body has reshaped in a way that exercise and diet never did!!! I recommend you find a doctor who has done the program for years with thousands of people who have maintained for years. Mine has 92% who have stayed within the two pound over under rule for life. The 8% went back to the old unhealthy lifestyle or stopped weighing daily to stay on track. You have to follow the protocol to a T or you will not succeed. This is a lifestyle change and not a diet. If you use it as a diet and don't follow it for life, you will gain the weight back and more like any other diet. You have to weigh EVERY morning for the rest of your life and do corrections if something goes wrong with your weight. Please know the facts before jumping on the "500 calorie/no excerise" bandwagon. If you read how the body works and the HCG hormone, you will see how crazy some of the statements are that it is dangerous and you starve. Doctors know how to do this the right way. I am on an extended Phase 3 with doctor's supervision. My friend just started and has already cut her blood pressure meds in 1/2 and no longer takes a water pill for fluid retention. IMO the drops and pellets are not safe nor as effective as the real injection with a doctor.

Funny. The doctors from legitimate study and peer viewed clinical studies would say different as posted from the sources I linked.
Since you posted the the percentages of the successful and non successful, there must be some sort of link to verify this. Please post it.

ninerbuff

Just think about it: IF HCG was legitimate and proven to actually work, the greedy pharmaceutical companies would find a way to PATENT it and sell it on the market to make BILLIONS like they do with other overpriced meds.

pippyrlz23

I did the HCG diet (drops) for about 30 days. I viewed it as a "jump start"...kind of like phase one of the South Beach Diet. I ended up pregnant shortly afterwards, so obviously I gained the weight back...plus like 30lbs! :-) But in all honesty, I wouldn't do it again. I would rather spend my money on eating healthy and exercising. Yeah, I'm not going to lose 15lbs in a week, but I'm not depriving myself of foods that I love (in moderation of course) and I feel like I'm making longer term strides towards a healthier me. That's my 2 cents...everyone does what works for them and of course not everything works for everyone. Good luck on your weight loss!! :-)

Tressa_T

Just think about it: IF HCG was legitimate and proven to actually work, the greedy pharmaceutical companies would find a way to PATENT it and sell it on the market to make BILLIONS like they do with other overpriced meds.

why are you being so rude? she asked if anyone had tried it, and we are giving our personal experiences we dont need to be immediately attacked. if you don't want to do it then don't. we get your opinion is against it, why don't you spend your time focusing on something else instead of discouraging the ones who are giving something a try.

Danidelion

I appreciate everyone's feedback. My doctor is actually the one that recommended it because I brought up that I was thinking of trying the lapband and he told me that hcg would be a much less invasive way of helping me lose weight, so he recommended that I try it first. I understand that it's controversial, but I have tried to lose weight the old fashioned way for years without many results and I am at my breaking point. Also, there is no need to be rude to the people who said they are on this diet, i thought that was uncalled for.

Anyway, thanks everyone, most of the comments helped a lot.

drjayfataway

she said there is really nothing to lose, she didnt see any long term side effects involved and said the worst that could happen is i will gain the weight back, and then ill be in the same boat i am now minus the 43 days.

F. Y. I. I am a doctor too and would disagree with your doctor's opinion that all you have to lose is 43 days, otherwise if you gain the weight back you will just be back where you started. In actuality you will be much worse off than where you originally started for several reasons:

1) Due to the muscle tissue you will have lost on the ultra low calorie regime, you will now have a slower metabolism than when you started. Although HCG proponents claim that the HCG prevents muscle loss (and hunger), there are no legitimate peer reviewed studies to support this claim. In fact, the legitimate studies that have been done actually refute both these claims!

2) You will look worse and your clothes will fit worse than when you started due to your higher body fat %. If you are lucky, you will simply return to your original weight (higher total bf% though since you are now the same weight with LESS muscle), but odds are most will probably gain their original weight back PLUS MORE!

3) Back at your original weight, but now with a slower metabolism, losing weight will be EVEN HARDER for you than it is now!

Here are a few studies you may want to check out:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/786001
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8527285

Here are links to a brief seminar I did on HCG for my program members:

Part 1 : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dsoa-tf6gpg
Part 2 : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vBR4VtiAGwo
Part 3 : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x4ylQZLyACo
Part 4 : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dWUUqhIBC1E

Hopes this information helps those out there considering HCG make an informed decision. Good luck!

Ultima_Morpha

I am on my second round using intranasal spray prescribed by a doctor in my family practice. I know a lot of people have had success on the homeopathic drops, but if your doctor is supporting it, you should ask him to write you a prescription for a compounding pharmacy. You'll be able to know without a doubt that you are actually getting HCG.

The dosing concentration I use is 62.5 U/0.1 ml (wording straight off the bottle).

I lost right around 30 pounds during my first round (and 4 inches off my waist and 23 points off my cholesterol) and maintained without any problem during the 6 week break/maintenance. I used that time to exercise and eat a healthy, well-round, normal caloric intake diet. My clothes DO fit better and I look better than I have in years. My body fat percentage is NOT higher...quite the opposite.

Just like any weight loss strategy, it means makes a lifestyle change. One of the reasons I was attracted to this protocol was that you are eating REAL food and relearning/learning about portion control. It does take work, planning, and discipline!

My diary is open. I started my first round 5/2/11 and my second 7/26/11. During my first round of maintenance, I recorded the first 10 days or so to ensure I was getting up to my calories, but then went on vacation...I watched what I ate, but I ate what I wanted. I had no major fluctuations and maintained my last dose weight (LDW) without any problem. Even with loading, I started this round BELOW my LDW from the first round. The program I follow doesn't advocate gorging during loading...rather 3 days of normal eating but enjoying the things that you will miss during the 20/37 days of VLCD.

There are more risks associated with lose weight rapidly than there are with the HCG itself. Gallstones, arrythymia, rhabdomyolosis, etc. It is important to discuss this with your doctor and whether or not you have pre-existing risk for any of these.

HCG itself IS FDA approved...just not for weight-loss. Many, many drugs are prescribed for off-label use everyday. Drug companies are not able to patent a naturally-occurring hormone (yes, it is distilled from a pregnant woman's urine) though it can be synthesized. Not that I am a conspiracy theorist, but I do believe drug companies make much more money off us staying obese than us staying/getting healthy.

Good luck on the decision you make. If you decide to give it a try, there is a huge thread of HCG support. Just use the search function...you'll find it easily.

I appreciate everyone's feedback. My doctor is actually the one that recommended it because I brought up that I was thinking of trying the lapband and he told me that hcg would be a much less invasive way of helping me lose weight, so he recommended that I try it first. I understand that it's controversial, but I have tried to lose weight the old fashioned way for years without many results and I am at my breaking point. Also, there is no need to be rude to the people who said they are on this diet, i thought that was uncalled for.

Anyway, thanks everyone, most of the comments helped a lot.

graysmom2005

If your doctor recommended it, I would change doctors. Seriously. Change doctors. It is SUCH a scam, and so unhealthy. People who are on it will fight this to the deaths because they are seeing changes without a lot of work, and feel GREAT! And look GREAT! Until they stop doing it. Every. Single. Person. I now that did this diet gained the weight right back. It is so hard on your body and your metabolism. Please don't do this, and take the time to do it right. It will be slower, but you will be able to maintain it for the rest of your life. You can do this!!

klabeau

I've lost 52lbs on it. I've been eating regular food for three weeks now at 1500 to 1800 cals. I workout with a trainer several times a week and workout on my own as well. As with any diet, if you don't change your eating habits and lifestyle you will gain the weight back. All I can say is that after two weeks on the diet my regular doctor took my off blood pressure meds. It was fine. I had been on those meds for 11yrs!!

Becca_007

.

AimGal

Regardless of whether it works or not, you're essentially drinking (injecting, snorting, whatever) a pregnant woman's urine. Somehow that just grosses me out. You shouldn't have to drink pee to lose weight.

Becca_007

.

bobbybdoe

500-800 calories a day and no exercise. LOL.

Ultima_Morpha

No, you're not ingesting urine. You are using something distilled/separated from pregnant women's urine...one of MANY substances that exist in urine. There are hundreds (likely thousands) of drugs, food/food additives, cosmetic products, etc derived from sources that can be perceived as disgusting. Ever eaten Jell-O? Used lipstick?

Regardless of whether it works or not, you're essentially drinking (injecting, snorting, whatever) a pregnant woman's urine. Somehow that just grosses me out. You shouldn't have to drink pee to lose weight.

SMarie10

Bump