HCG Diet

mightyoak

Any input on this diet?

p0pr0cksnc0ke

bad news. google it or use the search button here. its a pretty hot topic

heatherjames84

I have been told to NEVER do this diet....you are basically starving yourself because you can only have 500 calories...

harrisburglpn

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

HCG Worthless as Weight-Loss Aid
Stephen Barrett, M.D.
Human chorionic gonadotrophin (HCG) is a hormone found in the urine of pregnant women. More than 50 years ago, Dr. Albert T. Simeons, a British-born physician, contended that HCG injections would enable dieters to subsist comfortably on a 500-calorie-a-day diet. He claimed that HCG would mobilize stored fat; suppress appetite; and redistribute fat from the waist, hips, and thighs [1]. There is no scientific evidence to support these claims [2-13]. Moreover, a 500-calorie (semi-starvation) diet is likely to result in loss of protein from vital organs, and HCG can cause other adverse effects. Gabe Mirkin, M.D., has noted:

At one time, HCG was the most widespread obesity medication administered in the United States. Some doctors liked it because it assured them of a steady clientele. Patients had to come in once a week for an injection [14].

HCH is also marketed in sublingual (under the tongue) form. No scientific tests of sublingual HCG have been published, but it is safe to assume that it would be no more effective than injected HCG.

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].

Government Regulation
In 1976, the FTC ordered the Simeon Management Corporation, Simeon Weight Clinics Foundation, Bariatrics Management Corporation, C.M. Norcal, Inc., and HCG Weight Clinics Foundation and their officers to stop claiming that their HCG-based programs were safe, effective, and/or approved by the FDA for weight-control. Although the order did not stop the clinics from using HCG, it required that patients who contract for the treatment be informed in writing that:

THESE WEIGHT REDUCTION TREATMENTS INCLUDE THE INJECTION OF HCG, A DRUG WHICH HAS NOT BEEN APPROVED BY THE FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION AS SAFE AND EFFECTIVE IN THE TREATMENT OF OBSITY OR WEIGHT CONTROL. THERE IS NO SUBSTANTIAL EVIDENCE THAT HCG INCEASES WEIGHT LOSS BEYOND THAT RESULTING FROM CALORIC RESTRICTION, THAT IT CAUSES A MORE ATTRACTIVE OR "NORMAL" DISTRIBUTION OF FAT, OR THAT IT DECREASES THE HUNGER AND DISCOMFORT ASSOCIATED WITH CALORIE-RESTRICTIVE DIETS [16].

Since 1975, the FDA has required labeling and advertising of HCG to state:

HCG has not been demonstrated to be effective adjunctive therapy in the treatment of obesity. There is no substantial evidence that it increases weight loss beyond that resulting from caloric restriction, that it causes a more attractive or "normal" distribution of fat, or that it decreases the hunger and discomfort associated with calorie-restricted diets.

Promotion By Kevin Trudeau
Negative studies and government action reduced the use of HCG injections for weight control close to zero. However, promotion by infomercial king Kevin Trudeau has caused their use to increase. His 2007 book, The Weight Loss Cure They Don't Want You to Know About, claims that "an absolute cure for obesity was discovered almost fifty years ago" but was "suppressed" by the AMA, the FDA, and "other medical establishments throughout the world." Trudeau further claims that until now, "this miracle weight loss breakthrough has been hidden from the public so that drug companies can make billions of dollars selling their expensive drug treatments and surgical procedures for obesity." The alleged cure consists of HCG injections plus 50 to 60 required and recommended do's and don'ts [16].

In 2007, the FTC charged Kevin Trudeau with violating a court order by misrepresenting the contents of the book [17]. In infomercials, Trudeau falsely claimed that the book's weight-loss plan is easy to do, can be done at home, and ultimately allows readers to eat whatever they want. Previous FTC action had led to a court order banning from using infomercials to sell any product, service, or program except for books and other publications The order specified that he not misrepresent the content of the books. In 2008, the Court ruled that Trudeau had violated the previous order and ordered him to pay more than $37 million.

References
Simeons ATW. The action of chorionic gonadotrophin in the obese. Lancet 2:946-947, 1954.
Asher WL, Harper HW. Effect of human chorionic gonadotrophin on weight loss, hunger and feeling of well-being. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 26:211–218, 1973.
Bosch B and others. Human chorionic gonadotrophin and weight loss. A double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. South African Medical Journal 77:185–189, 1990.
Carne S. The action of chorionic gonadotrophin in the obese. Lancet 2:1282–1284, 1961.

Craig LS and others. Chorionic gonadotrophin in the treatment of obese women. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 12:230–234, 1963.
Frank BW. The use of chorionic gonadotrophin hormone in the treatment of obesity. A double-blind study. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 14:133–136, 1964.
Greenway FL, Bray GA. Human Chorionic Gonadotrophin (HCG) in the treatment of obesity: a critical assessment of the Simeons method. West Journal of Medicine 127:461–463, 1977.
Shetty KR, Kalkhoff RK. Human chorionic gonadotrophin (HCG) treatment of obesity. Archives of Internal Medicine 137:151-155, 1977.
Lebon P. Treatment of overweight patients with chorionic gonadotrophin: follow-up study. Journal of the American Geriatric Society 14:116–125, 1966.
Lijesen GK and others. The effect of human chorionic gonadotrophin (HCG) in the treatment of obesity by means of the Simeons therapy: a criteria-based meta-analysis. British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology 49:237–243, 1995.
Miller R, Schneiderman LJ. A clinical study of the use of human chorionic gonadotrophin in weight reduction. Journal of Family Practice 4:445–448, 1977.
Stein MR and others. Ineffectiveness of human chorionic gonadotrophin in weight reduction: a double-blind study. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 29:940–948, 1976.
Young RL and others. Chorionic gonadotrophin in weight control. A double-blind crossover study. JAMA 236:2495–2497, 1976.
Mirkin G. Getting Thin. Boston: Little Brown & Co., 1983.
American College of Bariatric Physicians. Position statement: Use of HCG in the treatment of obesity. Approved Dec 2009.
In the matter of Simeon Management Corporation et al. Order, opinion etc., in regard to alleged violation of Secs. 5 and 12 of the Federal Trade Commission Act. Docket 8996. Complaint, Oct 15, 1974. Final Order April 29, 1976.
Trudeau K. The Weight Loss Cure They Don't Want You to Know About. Alliance Publishing, 2007.
FTC: Marketer Kevin Trudeau violated prior court order. FTC news release, Sept 14, 2007.
This article was revised on May 10, 2010.

sote21

I have been on it for 6 days and I have lost 5 lbs so far. I love it! The first day was hard and all I wanted was junk to eat. But I keep reminding myself of my end goal and I can keep on track. So far so good. Good luck!!! Im using the hcg drops from gnc.

New_Hope

Go to the search feature and type in HCG. There have been previous posts on this. Lots of heated discussion and hateful comments.

In the mean time, please try not to take some of the comments you're about to receive, to heart. Some people are very brutal (or at least perceived that way).

siabevis

Dont believe the hype.

Gigi_licious

Yep. You will get plenty I'm sure.

hazelnut861

No good research backing it and not healthy. Are you going to do it forever? We don't diet, we make changes for life.

Pocket_Pixi

Cutting a limb off is usually cheaper, more effective and your weight will stay off.

rockylucas

Anorexia DOES work for weight loss, but its generally frowned upon

voluptuous_veggie

Lemme put it this way....I've seen patients die using it. Does that sound good to you?

Jorra

Go to the search feature and type in HCG. There have been previous posts on this. Lots of heated discussion and hateful comments.

In the mean time, please try not to take some of the comments you're about to receive, to heart. Some people are very brutal (or at least perceived that way).

Is it hateful to warn someone that the "diet" they are considering is based on starvation and an expensive, not FDA approved drug synthesized from pregnant women's urine? There has never been any repeatable scientific proof that HCG prevents muscle loss from starving, reduces appetite, or helps weight loss in any way. You can certainly lose weight eating 500 calories a day without the drops, you'll just be hungry and unhealthy along the way. Why starve yourself when you can easily and healthfully lose weight by eating more and exercising?

akdouglass

I did the actual diet -- not the sublingual nonsense. I had to inject myself eeeeevery morning for over a month. I lost ten pounds of body fat, which is not nearly as much as they say you will lose. Although, I guess your loss depends on how much your body fat % is to start. Anyway, I lost ten pounds and have not gained it back. Not even an ounce. The diet, however, was awful. I wouldn't recommend it. I would say you're much better off just doing a regular diet and exercise program. In the end, you'll feel much better than I did.

New_Hope

Go to the search feature and type in HCG. There have been previous posts on this. Lots of heated discussion and hateful comments.

In the mean time, please try not to take some of the comments you're about to receive, to heart. Some people are very brutal (or at least perceived that way).

Is it hateful to warn someone that the "diet" they are considering is based on starvation and an expensive, not FDA approved drug synthesized from pregnant women's urine? There has never been any repeatable scientific proof that HCG prevents muscle loss from starving, reduces appetite, or helps weight loss in any way. You can certainly lose weight eating 500 calories a day without the drops, you'll just be hungry and unhealthy along the way. Why starve yourself when you can easily and healthfully lose weight by eating more and exercising?

I wasn't talking about the comments that are meant to help the person. I was referring to the comments that call the person stupid and attack them. Some people really have no idea what they're doing and it's a bad idea to go around treating them like complete morons. When I first started dieting, I thought 500 calories was perfectly acceptable because of the fact that I was so fat (after all that's what they put my brother on). I didn't know at the time it would lead to me becoming sick.

KMSForLife

I did the HCG diet. I lost 30 lbs in 45 days or something like that. It worked - I was not hungry - ever. However, once the program was over, I gained those 30 lbs back plus another 20 lbs. Most of that was my own fault but what I took away from that experience was that it is a fad diet like everything else I had done. The only way I am going to lose weight is to really change what I am doing. I have to eat better, eat less and exercise more. It is a simple remedy but such a hard one to conquer.

Good luck to you in whatever you decide to do. Feel free to message me with any questions that you may have about the diet. I still have all my material and can help answer the unknown's if you would like.

ponygirl518

I know a couple of people who have used the drops and lost a lot of weight, but it is a severely restricted calorie diet, you only consume 500 calories a day. So, one cannot help but conclude that consuming 500 calories a day alone would cause weight loss. As with all new diet pills and products, I personally find them a little scarey, cause it seems when it comes out it is always "the most wonderful product", and then on occasion, sometimes after a couple of years, we find out that the product has been causing damage to some vital organ in our body, usually the heart. Bottom line here is the fact that you can't stay on the drops forever, and certainly can't maintain on 500 calories a day, so you would have to return to normal food intake. I have decided that the only way to lose weight and keep it off is to eat healthy with portion control, and try to get some type of exercise daily. It is tempting to try and find "the magic pill", but I don't think it exists, nor do I think it ever will. Kind of like the old story of the tortoise and the hare, hey? Slow and steady will eventually win the race! Good luck to you in your weight loss efforts!!

KathyInBC

Well, I've been doing homeopathic HCG since March, taking the summer off and breaks in between rounds as instructed by Dr. Simeon. I am down 68 lbs and weigh what I did in grade 9 30 years ago. I have tried every weight loss program, pill and exercise out there - nothing works like this. I foster a 2 year old and a 1 year old and have the energy, at 43, to keep up with them all day. I am losing inches in all the right places, including my thighs and arms, and not shrinking my bust down to saggy pockets. I start a 40D and just got fit for a new bra this week - a 36DD. You can tell me it doesn't work but my scale tells me different. I've had 8 friends and family members join the diet because of watching me. For the first time in my life, I feel like I can be a normal healthy weight.

superstarcassie

Starving yourself/malnurishing your body will never work for long term results. Its taken me over a year and a half to lose 133 lbs- but I am doing it without harming my body. I haven't lost muscle- I'm turning into an athlete, doing things that I never imagined I could do (run a 10K, workout hard and with purpose, shopping in non-plus size stores, ect), and have a lot of energy. Literally, I can't imagine living on 500 cals a day- not worth it to me. Not worth doing a fad diet, just to go back to the way you were before and gain it all back. Slowly make the changes, and get on a path to a healthier life. I've come to figure out that losing weight is more mental than physical. If you don't do any of the mental changes and work- you will be back at square one.

RunHardBeStrong

It has been proven that you don't lose weight because of the drops. You lose weight and not just fat but vital muscle because you are starving yourself. I have a friend who lost 50 lbs with this diet and she looks horrible! Flabby, pale, sickly and now she's trying to lose the remaining 20 on her own but can't because she severely messed up her metabolism doing the HCG drops. I have lost 80 lbs with good ol fashioned diet and exercise and look and feel great! Slow and steady wins the race, sounds like such a cliche but it's the honest to god truth!

erickirb

Well, I've been doing homeopathic HCG since March, taking the summer off and breaks in between rounds as instructed by Dr. Simeon. I am down 68 lbs and weigh what I did in grade 9 30 years ago. I have tried every weight loss program, pill and exercise out there - nothing works like this. I foster a 2 year old and a 1 year old and have the energy, at 43, to keep up with them all day. I am losing inches in all the right places, including my thighs and arms, and not shrinking my bust down to saggy pockets. I start a 40D and just got fit for a new bra this week - a 36DD. You can tell me it doesn't work but my scale tells me different. I've had 8 friends and family members join the diet because of watching me. For the first time in my life, I feel like I can be a normal healthy weight.

No one said it doesn't work, what they are saying is that it is not healthy. It is very similar to a diet of an anorexic. Most liekly a large % of the 68 lbs you lost actually came from muscle, not just fat.

Here is a good reference, if you have over 100 lbs to lose you can lose more than 2 lbs/week safely, that being said it is best to set a realistic safe weekly loss goal and:
If you have 75+ lbs to lose 2 lbs/week is ideal,
If you have 40-75 lbs to lose 1.5 lbs/week is ideal,
If you have 25-40 lbs to lose 1 lbs/week is ideal,
If you have 15 -20 lbs to lose 0.5 to 1.0 lbs/week is ideal, and
If you have less than 15 lbs to lose 0.5 lbs/week is ideal.

The reasons: the less you have to lose the less fat stores you have to pull from. The less fat you have to pull from the less your body wants to take any. So if your deficit is too large given your stats you will burn a large % of lean muscle. Doing the above also helps set you up for maintenance without a large increase in caloric intake all at once.

ILiftHeavyAcrylics

Ok I'm gonna get hammered for this so let me qualify by saying that *I* don't think this diet is healthy or sustainable.

But. . . my husband and his entire family lost 200 lbs collectively with the shots version, under doctor's supervision. It started because my FiL needed to drop some serious weight FAST for health reasons (his doctor said this and recommended HCG, and I don't know the exact details) and he lost over 70 lbs. His wife saw that and thought hey, that looks good, so she lost 30 lbs. My brother and sister in law lost 50 lbs each. My husband needed to lose weight so that he could join the Navy so he lost 60 lbs on it.

Now that said-- as soon as you come OFF the diet you have no muscle tone because you can't work out while eating so little. They tell you not to. Also as soon as you add any type of sugar back into your diet you gain back exponentially. The ONLY reason it has worked for my husband is that he went straight from that diet to boot camp training. And it was very hard on him to do that, as you can imagine.

My in-laws swear by HCG (in the form they used it, which had no flushes or drops-- it was basically a shot, 2 liters of water, 8 oz of lean protein, 8 oz. non-starchy veggies, and 2 apples per day) and say if you use it properly it's amazing-- personally I could never do it. I need real food, and a change in lifestyle not just weight.

My husband would never do it again-- he was miserable the whole time he was on it, but it did make him lose a lot of weight. I have serious doubts about whether he would have kept it off had he not joined the Navy right after.

JerseyGirl5970

HCG Diet does work - I have done the homeopathic drops and pellets along with the real stuff. I lost 25 pounds in almost 3 weeks I weighed - 160 when I started them. WARNING - Please believe people when they say you will gain double the weight back! it messes with your hormones which for women can be a disaster waiting to happen. I have been on and off diets for years. My heaviest weight was 200 pounds - at 5ft. I lost over 60 pounds 20 years ago and only regained 15 pounds back with yo yo dieting over the whole 20 year period. Along withd trying to maintain a weight that my body will not realsiticly maintian without starving. But after doing HCG last year I gained the 25 pounds I lost plus 20 more on top of that (45) pounds that has never happened to me even during pregnancy I only went up 15-17 pounds. So I strongly advise agains HCG --- it's taking me months to get my body to finally respond to loosing weight . You will definitely loose the weight - but everybody that I know who has tried the diet has gained back more than they lost after a year or so on the diet. If they have not gained it all back they had more than a hundred pounds to loose and are doing the diet multiple times to shed the weight so there regain will not happen until a maybe 2 years after doing the diet.

Gigi_licious

. I start a 40D and just got fit for a new bra this week - a 36DD.

I'm just super curious now, since it's a pregnant hormone, did you your boobies grow because you're lactating? I'm really not trying to be a smart *kitten*, I'm just wondering if you're getting pregnant lady boobs to go with the pee.

psuLemon

Aneorexia is essentially the same approach as HCG. Both destroy your metabolism, both lead a chance of organ problems but both will make you lose weight.


There are several healthy options. FAD diets can't last and generally cause issues. When you are serious about losing weight, then you have to work hard, in my opinion. If you want something that will help gaing some muscle and help you shred some weight quick, eat right and do a workout program like P90X or Insanity. They are proven to work and are completely healthy.

ILiftHeavyAcrylics

My husband's family have kept their weight off so far (it's been about a year since they started) because they eat NO sugar at all. And I'm pretty sure my MiL still goes back on the shots occasionally for maintenance, which is a pretty expensive way to maintain if you ask me.

LisaKyle11

Try SEARCH button.... there is plenty of input for sure....

kapeluza

mrsbadara

I did HCG early in the year and lost 25lbs quickly and rather painlessly. It wasn't for the faint of heart.

During which I had the worst mood swings of my life. And after, I've gained all the weight back and then some.

Why? Because your starving yourself. And it becomes a sick obsession. I lived, breathed, and focused only on HCG and HCG forums and what I was eating when.

Which lead to "mental" starvation and uncontrollable cravings afterwards. I'd never been a "binger" until after HCG. My relationship with food completely changed and for the worse.

It's a sick mind game, partly because of what your doing to your body and natural reaction and I think also because it IS hormones. My menstrual cycle was ruined for months. I'm pretty ashamed I even did that to my body- and it's taken quite some time to return to normal. I have maintained a number for months and months but haven't been able to lose weight again. I think because my body is just so confused, tired, and not willing to release anything. Which I can't blame it for!

I would NOT recommend it to ANYONE. Apart from the obvious health risks, think about what your doing to your mind and spirit. It's not a "diet". It's just terrible. Plus, what do you learn from it? Nothing about health or nutrition.

sandrinamsilva

. I start a 40D and just got fit for a new bra this week - a 36DD.

I'm just super curious now, since it's a pregnant hormone, did you your boobies grow because you're lactating? I'm really not trying to be a smart *kitten*, I'm just wondering if you're getting pregnant lady boobs to go with the pee.

I'm not on HCG and luckily mine have gone from a 42C to a 38DD

kimiel51

I have been told to NEVER do this diet....you are basically starving yourself because you can only have 500 calories...

OMG!