500 Calorie Diet? Yes or No?
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Replies
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I say go for it0
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I'm thinking of going the HCG diet. You take drops of a natural substance which is supposed to help control appetite. You're only supposed to eat 500 cals a day when on it. Has anyone on mfp ever heard of it, tried it, or knows anyone who's tried it? Is this a good idea? (and please no "you would be stupid for going on this diet" comments! haha!) I'm just want to know if it's a safe, harmless diet before I actually start. Thanks!
Wait, you don't want to hear "you would be stupid for going on this diet" but you want to know if it's a "good idea," "a safe, harmless diet" and if "anyone on mfp ever heard of it"? I don't get it. Either you want advice (which can come in both pro and con), or you want people to tell you you have a good idea for going on this plan, in which case you don't want to know if it's "a good idea" or "safe, harmless" since some people on here will definitely caution you against it. You can't have it both ways.0 -
IF YOU WANT IT FAST
IT WILL NOT LAST.
Ladies take note of this!!!!0 -
My mom is doing the HCG diet now. I am doing it the MFP way-naturally. She goes to bed starving every night, i do not. She eats the same chicken, green beans and apples daily, i eat what I want in moderation. She has to give herself injections and I don't. She drank soda water last night with stevia and got sick. She is losing fast because she is starving herself, I am losing nicely too but I will keep it off.
I think I'm the winner here.
You are indeed the winner! haha! Thanks! That's more of the information I was looking for!0 -
A while ago, I was actually considering this but decided against it. Everyone has their own ways of losing weight, and my best friend's mom lost 30+ lbs in 30 days doing the hcg drops! But doing such a low-calorie diet/no exercise is such a blow to your metabolism. Just take precautions before doing the hcg diet and if you start feeling funny, do not continue!! My friend tried to do the diet, but was SO hungry all the time. Your body goes into starvation mode, which of course is not good. Personally, I decided that eating healthy/exercising every day was the way to go... I didn't gain this weight over night and sure as hell ain't gonna lose it overnight :P Good luck to your weight loss journey!
Kara0 -
Why dont you just dance and eat healthier choices? You can burn 500 to 1000 calories an hour from dancing.0
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sounds like one of the million short-time great-loss diets that will get you into an ugly yo-yo/binge type of eating. you really should do this with care and maintain your health. think about it.0
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Have you heard of Dr. Oz? Go to his website and look up this topic. He had a whole episode dedicated to it.
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I'm thinking of going the HCG diet. You take drops of a natural substance which is supposed to help control appetite.
the natural substance you speak of is a hormone found in pregnant lady Urine
no thanks0 -
Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
I'm done. I'm so totally done. Why is so hard for people to do things the right way? Did you get fat over night? No. Why on earth do you think you deserve to get skinny overnight?
AND I'll probably be reported. But this is craziness pure and simple. EAT HEALTHY FOODS PLEASE!0 -
I'm thinking of going the HCG diet. You take drops of a natural substance which is supposed to help control appetite. You're only supposed to eat 500 cals a day when on it. Has anyone on mfp ever heard of it, tried it, or knows anyone who's tried it? Is this a good idea? (and please no "you would be stupid for going on this diet" comments! haha!) I'm just want to know if it's a safe, harmless diet before I actually start. Thanks!
Wait, you don't want to hear "you would be stupid for going on this diet" but you want to know if it's a "good idea," "a safe, harmless diet" and if "anyone on mfp ever heard of it"? I don't get it. Either you want advice (which can come in both pro and con), or you want people to tell you you have a good idea for going on this plan, in which case you don't want to know if it's "a good idea" or "safe, harmless" since some people on here will definitely caution you against it. You can't have it both ways.
Yes, I want advice. If yes, tell me why (only if you have valid proof). And if no, tell me why. But do it in a respectful way. That's what I was going for.0 -
Absolutely this. 105lbs at 5'8" is underweight. Going from a healthy weight to underweight via an extreme 500 calorie/day diet....very very bad idea.IMO, ballet dancers (because of the way the body is viewed) are some of the most notorious under eaters out there. There is no reasoning with a person who views their "normal" body as fat. At 5'8" and wanting to be 105lb is a body dysmorphia issue. So no using a 500 calorie diet to just get rid of a few pounds without approaching a sensible way isn't not the way to go.0 -
My mom is doing the HCG diet now. I am doing it the MFP way-naturally. She goes to bed starving every night, i do not. She eats the same chicken, green beans and apples daily, i eat what I want in moderation. She has to give herself injections and I don't. She drank soda water last night with stevia and got sick. She is losing fast because she is starving herself, I am losing nicely too but I will keep it off.
I think I'm the winner here.
You are indeed the winner! haha! Thanks! That's more of the information I was looking for!
YOU ARE 100% the winner!0 -
*headdesk*0
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I believe you knew the answer to your question before you even typed it, but were just hoping there were a few people on here who may vindicate a 500 cal diet.
Thankfully it seems everyone agrees with you - NO!!!0 -
Uh no! Not at all!
You are a dancer! If you were to try and dance on that little of food you would get dizzy and collapse.. Not good!
Plus 130 is more then adequate for your height! I'm only an inch taller then you(and a former dancer mind you!) and I can only dream of weighing that.. I think 140 is the lowest I would ever go.0 -
THIS
Please read this topic:
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/338789-looking-for-peeps-who-did-hcg-diet-with-bad-results
This article:
http://health.usnews.com/health-news/diet-fitness/diet/articles/2011/03/14/hcg-diet-dangers-is-fast-weight-loss-worth-the-risk
And the following Blog.
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/MrsCon40/view/hcg-a-handy-reply-to-the-multitude-of-quick-fix-seekers-148860
Below is the text of the blog
(Thank you MrsCon40 for this blog)So, here’s the bottom line on this “hCG Diet“.
Human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) is a hormone approved by the FDA for use in pre-pubertal boys to help aid normal sexual development, and in women to treat fertility problems. hCG is produced by the placenta and is also found in pregnant women’s urine. It is not approved for weight loss and has never been proven by credible peer reviewed science to cause weight loss. So how did hCG surface as a weight loss solution?
Back in the 1930’s, a physician named A.T.W. Simeons was using hCG for the standard reproductive medical conditions for which it was approved. He observed that some of his patients dropped weight while on the hCG injections. Thinking that perhaps the hCG was the cause, he administered the injections along with a dietary plan to overweight patients and noted weight loss. Please note that subsequent researchers repeated his clinical study and were never able to replicate any association between hCG and weight loss.
Since then, most independent, peer-reviewed studies have shown no difference in weight loss between subjects on a low-calorie diet who received hCG injections and subjects who received a placebo. In 1975, the FDA noted that hCG is not a weight loss drug. In 1995, the British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology published a summary of research showing no hCG related weight loss association. The American Society of Bariatric Physicians does not recommend hCG for weight loss as noted in a December 2009 position paper.
Flash forward to 2007 when Kevin Trudeau published his book “The Weight Loss Cure ‘They’ Don’t Want You to Know About“, in which he concocted a weight loss plan which included hCG injections. Trudeau has no professional training in medicine, health or science. He is widely known as a controversial businessman who has tangled with the law regarding false health claims related to his books and products. You’d think that common sense would dictate running the other way when this guy hawks anything. But, people are desperate and when they are promised rapid weight loss and an end to their misery, they’ll often line up to sign up.
What is involved with the hCG “diet”:
1) Daily injections of hCG, with online prices ranging from $30 to more than $600 for a month’s supply. One side effect is pregnancy, as hCG increases fertility among women.
2) 500 calories per day of highly restrictive food intake, including coconut oil. One tablespoon of coconut oil contains 13.6 g total fats, 11.8 g of which are artery clogging saturated fats, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference.
3) A range of body “flush and detox” regimens. Here’s my quote from a prior WebMD interview about this regimen. “All the flushes and cleanses are pure nonsense, unnecessary, and there is no scientific basis for these recommendations,” says nutrition and metabolism expert Pamela Peeke, MD, chief medical correspondent for Discovery Health channel. “Your body is well equipped with organs, such as the liver and kidneys, and the immune system, to rid itself of potential toxins and do an excellent job of cleansing itself without needing flushes or cleanses.“
Here are other concerns related to this “diet”:
1) You’re starving yourself. Your brain alone requires 600 calories per day to function optimally. By consuming only 500 calories per day, of course you’ll drop weight. But at what price? You’re cannibalizing your muscle mass, reducing your metabolism and consequently the effectiveness of your calorie burning. If I had you consume only 500 calories per day and then injected you with water, should I now call this the amazing water cure for weight loss? hCG has nothing to do with your weight loss. Starvation does.
2) It’s impossible to do. So you blame yourself (and not the author) when you cannot complete his plan. This is a core element of the scam. People who are overweight already feel guilty and are often filled with shame. After having laid down a lot of cash and not being able to successfully comply for a month or more, they figure “Oh well, just another diet I’ve failed at”.
3) It is unsustainable. This regimen is almost impossible to adhere to for more than a very short period of time. There are no healthy eating or physical activity behaviors to learn. Eventually you would have to enter the real world. And then, what do you do?
4) It’s unsafe. You cannot meet your baseline survival nutritional requirements on a starvation plan. You can seriously alter your healthy intestinal bacterial flora with repeated “cleanses and detox” regimens. This can lead to altered bowel function and inability to appropriately absorb food nutrients, which can then impair immune function.
Further, many of you have a lot of weight to remove. You may also have associated medical problems, including high blood pressure, elevated cholesterol and high blood sugar levels. You could also be on medications to treat these as well as mental conditions like depression and anxiety. When people buy into a diet scam like hCG, they usually don’t tell their medical team. Rapid weight loss, radically altered food consumption, cleanses and detox regimens can seriously affect your underlying mental and physical conditions and alter the clearance and blood level of medications you’re taking.
Don’t turn yourself into a science fair project. Beware of these radical scam approaches as they can deleteriously affect your health and wellbeing. In the best of all worlds, you’re working with credible health professionals to remove your excess weight.
5) You’re not breaking food addictions. The promise is that you’ll no longer be addicted to food and any abnormal eating behaviors. Credible research has clearly shown that starvation and useless injections are not the solution to food addictions. Behavioral modification, healthy eating practices and regular physical activity have clearly been shown to control food addictions.
6) You’re broke. Take a moment and add up the total costs of the books and products required. That’s why I’ve renamed this “diet” the High Cost Game scam.
Finally, there will always be an endless supply of frauds and scams created to prey on your desires to drop weight. To help guide you, here are the Food and Nutrition Science Alliances’ “Ten Red Flags of Junk Science“:
* Recommendations that promise a quick fix.
* Dire warnings of danger from a single product or regimen.
* Claims that sound too good to be true.
* Simplistic conclusions drawn from a complex scientific study.
* Recommendations based on a single study.
* Dramatic statements that are refuted by reputable scientific organizations.
* Lists of “good” and “bad” foods.
* Recommendations made to help sell a product.
* Recommendations based on studies published without peer review.
* Recommendations from studies that ignore difficulties among individuals or groups.
Always remember that if it sounds too good to be true, it is. Anything worth doing in your life requires time and effort to achieve and succeed. Run from false promises like the hCG scam. Stick with life-giving whole foods and physical activity. Now, that’s better living through your own chemistry.
http://blogs.webmd.com/pamela-peeke-md/2010/12/diet-scam-101-the-hcg-con.html0 -
THIS
Please read this topic:
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/338789-looking-for-peeps-who-did-hcg-diet-with-bad-results
This article:
http://health.usnews.com/health-news/diet-fitness/diet/articles/2011/03/14/hcg-diet-dangers-is-fast-weight-loss-worth-the-risk
And the following Blog.
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/MrsCon40/view/hcg-a-handy-reply-to-the-multitude-of-quick-fix-seekers-148860
Below is the text of the blog
(Thank you MrsCon40 for this blog)So, here’s the bottom line on this “hCG Diet“.
Human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) is a hormone approved by the FDA for use in pre-pubertal boys to help aid normal sexual development, and in women to treat fertility problems. hCG is produced by the placenta and is also found in pregnant women’s urine. It is not approved for weight loss and has never been proven by credible peer reviewed science to cause weight loss. So how did hCG surface as a weight loss solution?
Back in the 1930’s, a physician named A.T.W. Simeons was using hCG for the standard reproductive medical conditions for which it was approved. He observed that some of his patients dropped weight while on the hCG injections. Thinking that perhaps the hCG was the cause, he administered the injections along with a dietary plan to overweight patients and noted weight loss. Please note that subsequent researchers repeated his clinical study and were never able to replicate any association between hCG and weight loss.
Since then, most independent, peer-reviewed studies have shown no difference in weight loss between subjects on a low-calorie diet who received hCG injections and subjects who received a placebo. In 1975, the FDA noted that hCG is not a weight loss drug. In 1995, the British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology published a summary of research showing no hCG related weight loss association. The American Society of Bariatric Physicians does not recommend hCG for weight loss as noted in a December 2009 position paper.
Flash forward to 2007 when Kevin Trudeau published his book “The Weight Loss Cure ‘They’ Don’t Want You to Know About“, in which he concocted a weight loss plan which included hCG injections. Trudeau has no professional training in medicine, health or science. He is widely known as a controversial businessman who has tangled with the law regarding false health claims related to his books and products. You’d think that common sense would dictate running the other way when this guy hawks anything. But, people are desperate and when they are promised rapid weight loss and an end to their misery, they’ll often line up to sign up.
What is involved with the hCG “diet”:
1) Daily injections of hCG, with online prices ranging from $30 to more than $600 for a month’s supply. One side effect is pregnancy, as hCG increases fertility among women.
2) 500 calories per day of highly restrictive food intake, including coconut oil. One tablespoon of coconut oil contains 13.6 g total fats, 11.8 g of which are artery clogging saturated fats, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference.
3) A range of body “flush and detox” regimens. Here’s my quote from a prior WebMD interview about this regimen. “All the flushes and cleanses are pure nonsense, unnecessary, and there is no scientific basis for these recommendations,” says nutrition and metabolism expert Pamela Peeke, MD, chief medical correspondent for Discovery Health channel. “Your body is well equipped with organs, such as the liver and kidneys, and the immune system, to rid itself of potential toxins and do an excellent job of cleansing itself without needing flushes or cleanses.“
Here are other concerns related to this “diet”:
1) You’re starving yourself. Your brain alone requires 600 calories per day to function optimally. By consuming only 500 calories per day, of course you’ll drop weight. But at what price? You’re cannibalizing your muscle mass, reducing your metabolism and consequently the effectiveness of your calorie burning. If I had you consume only 500 calories per day and then injected you with water, should I now call this the amazing water cure for weight loss? hCG has nothing to do with your weight loss. Starvation does.
2) It’s impossible to do. So you blame yourself (and not the author) when you cannot complete his plan. This is a core element of the scam. People who are overweight already feel guilty and are often filled with shame. After having laid down a lot of cash and not being able to successfully comply for a month or more, they figure “Oh well, just another diet I’ve failed at”.
3) It is unsustainable. This regimen is almost impossible to adhere to for more than a very short period of time. There are no healthy eating or physical activity behaviors to learn. Eventually you would have to enter the real world. And then, what do you do?
4) It’s unsafe. You cannot meet your baseline survival nutritional requirements on a starvation plan. You can seriously alter your healthy intestinal bacterial flora with repeated “cleanses and detox” regimens. This can lead to altered bowel function and inability to appropriately absorb food nutrients, which can then impair immune function.
Further, many of you have a lot of weight to remove. You may also have associated medical problems, including high blood pressure, elevated cholesterol and high blood sugar levels. You could also be on medications to treat these as well as mental conditions like depression and anxiety. When people buy into a diet scam like hCG, they usually don’t tell their medical team. Rapid weight loss, radically altered food consumption, cleanses and detox regimens can seriously affect your underlying mental and physical conditions and alter the clearance and blood level of medications you’re taking.
Don’t turn yourself into a science fair project. Beware of these radical scam approaches as they can deleteriously affect your health and wellbeing. In the best of all worlds, you’re working with credible health professionals to remove your excess weight.
5) You’re not breaking food addictions. The promise is that you’ll no longer be addicted to food and any abnormal eating behaviors. Credible research has clearly shown that starvation and useless injections are not the solution to food addictions. Behavioral modification, healthy eating practices and regular physical activity have clearly been shown to control food addictions.
6) You’re broke. Take a moment and add up the total costs of the books and products required. That’s why I’ve renamed this “diet” the High Cost Game scam.
Finally, there will always be an endless supply of frauds and scams created to prey on your desires to drop weight. To help guide you, here are the Food and Nutrition Science Alliances’ “Ten Red Flags of Junk Science“:
* Recommendations that promise a quick fix.
* Dire warnings of danger from a single product or regimen.
* Claims that sound too good to be true.
* Simplistic conclusions drawn from a complex scientific study.
* Recommendations based on a single study.
* Dramatic statements that are refuted by reputable scientific organizations.
* Lists of “good” and “bad” foods.
* Recommendations made to help sell a product.
* Recommendations based on studies published without peer review.
* Recommendations from studies that ignore difficulties among individuals or groups.
Always remember that if it sounds too good to be true, it is. Anything worth doing in your life requires time and effort to achieve and succeed. Run from false promises like the hCG scam. Stick with life-giving whole foods and physical activity. Now, that’s better living through your own chemistry.
http://blogs.webmd.com/pamela-peeke-md/2010/12/diet-scam-101-the-hcg-con.html0 -
Eat a healthy balanced diet and spend your money on a therapist to help you deal with your body and food issues.0
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I believe you knew the answer to your question before you even typed it, but were just hoping there were a few people on here who may vindicate a 500 cal diet.
Thankfully it seems everyone agrees with you - NO!!!
To clear some things up about my post, I really didn't know how people would respond. I was just welcoming any helpful information on it. I feel like generally exercising and eating healthy is better than a "diet"...however, there are many people who have used diets like this and been able to successfully keep off the weight. Someone mentioned HCG to me and it peeked my interest. Before I did my own research I wanted to throw it out there. Of course, the website claims it is a great diet...I was looking for more personal stories about it. But with all of the negative feedback...I'm thinking it might be a NO afterall! haha!0
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