HCG Diet

vellacraptor

So, one of my friends started using HCG drops...it sounded too good to be true but she's gone from 240 to 228 in a few short weeks. That's a lot of weight rather quickly, so I'm kind of worried?

Has anyone else tried this diet? Is there any danger to it?

killagb

Get back to us in a few months if they actually keep the weight off. Most times people that lose too quickly have a tendency to gain it all back, especially when you're using a 5-800 calories a day diet to do it. And yes...the very low calorie diet IS dangerous.

aclark6818

I can't imagine that it is healthy to take pregnancy hormones and only consume 500 cals/day. It would be incredibly hard to maintain the calorie level and the weight loss when you consume a more "normal" level of calories. Hopefully, a doctor is supervising your friend. It would worry me.
:flowerforyou:

lisacandoit1965

I heard about it and was thinking of trying it, but am skeptical also .... Please let us know if the weight stays off!

chevy88grl

Let's see... you're injecting yourself with the hormone that tells your body it is pregnant - when it is not. You're only consuming 500 or so calories a day.

Neither one sounds healthy to me.

Dandy1998

I did three rounds of the HCG diet and I lost all kinds of weight alright....but I put back on all but 5 pounds. My sister did the same thing. It does teach you to control your portion sizes and you can get used to eating less. However, if you aren't ready to make a lifestyle change, then nothing will work. HCG is good if you learn to eat less and can maintain it afterward but seriously, I really need to be able to eat what I want, even if only a little bit of it. HCG is VERY restrictive even when on the maintenance portion of the diet. At this point, I am using fitness pal and am just watching what I eat and my portions. I am doing the good old fashioned exercising thing and am losing. I feel so much more confident that my weight will stay off this time and I am still eating what I love....just much less of it. With the exercise, I feel GREAT. God bless in whatever you choose to do. I didn't feel unhealthy on HCG. I felt great but it was a disappointment as far as the weight loss retention was concerned....just like every other fad diet I've been on.

Gigi_licious

Just say no.

Elizabeth_C34

So, one of my friends started using HCG drops...it sounded too good to be true but she's gone from 240 to 228 in a few short weeks. That's a lot of weight rather quickly, so I'm kind of worried?

Has anyone else tried this diet? Is there any danger to it?

hCG has been found to be neither effective nor safe by the FDA for weight loss (these articles reference the scientific papers from whence the conclusions come so you can dig further for yourself):

Source #1: http://www.usatoday.com/yourlife/fitness/weight-loss-challenge/2011-01-24-hcgdiet24_ST_N.htm?loc=interstitialskip
Source #2: http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/content/view/49921/
Source #3: http://www.dietscam.org/reports/hcg.shtml
Source #4: http://jcem.endojournals.org/content/87/7/3125.abstract (concerning older men with androgen deficiencies)
Source #5: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1365103/?tool=pmcentrez

Just for sh*ts n' giggles, you can also read about how little the FDA bothers to deal with "homeopathic" substances and supplements here: http://www.fda.gov/food/dietarysupplements/default.htm Basically, until someone files suit against the manufacturer, the FDA could care less. I find it really disturbing how little vetting is done with "homeopathic" or supplement drugs.

I can cook up something in my basement using mint leaves, lemon, and water, call it a weight loss supplement, slap a "results not typical" label on the bottle, and sell it out of my trunk and the FDA has no authority over it as long as I adhere to the Dietary Supplement Current Good Manufacturing Practices and submit to the FDA an all serious adverse events report. That's all it takes folks! Just a few papers to file and I'm on my way to selling my "mint lemon weight loss extravaganza" juice.

ugh.

vellacraptor

Alright, thanks everyone for the advice. I'll pass it on and let her know! Maybe I can convince her to do something more worth-while.

Elizabeth_C34

Alright, thanks everyone for the advice. I'll pass it on and let her know! Maybe I can convince her to do something more worth-while.

Tell her to come here!

MFP is awesome. There's a great community of folks who work hard and are very supportive of one another. It's free too

BondBomb

Yesterday I opened a thread asking for anyone that had kept the weight off for 6 months to a year.

Only 2 people responded. I needed to convince someone that it was not sustainable. You have better odds of winning the lottery.

kathyj1985

I've been reading these boards for a while, but never registered or posted anything, however, I have experience with HCG. I'm not on an HCG diet, but I'm currently using HCG Pro Formula to aid in my goal of losing weight. From personal experience what HCG does for me is it suppresses my appetite. I've read about HCG diet's where they want you to only eat 500 calories a day, and I'm definitely not doing that. I am on a small calorie deficit and HCG helps me fight food cravings through the day. I've read a review about HCG at http://www.fatlossdietreviews.com and the review was spot on far as appetite suppression was concerned. So I guess what I mean to say is "don't knock it until you try it".

Gigi_licious

Yesterday I opened a thread asking for anyone that had kept the weight off for 6 months to a year.

Only 2 people responded. I needed to convince someone that it was not sustainable. You have better odds of winning the lottery.

Oh did you finally get some responses? I know the last time I checked it a few hours later there were no success stories, but there was that one backer that hasn't even tried it yet. I'll have to go back in it.

MrsRipdizzle

I did the diet last year. If you want to read about my experience (the good, the bad, and the very ugly) - check here:
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/338789-looking-for-peeps-who-did-hcg-diet-with-bad-results

I'd encourage your friend to get off as soon as possible...maybe she won't suffer as many ill effects. Losing hair is probably the worst thing ever for a young, vibrant female...and so many women don't take it seriously. They figure "oh, it will be worth it to shed this weight"...but then what they don't realize is that the diet isn't sustainable and in time that weight will creep back on...but their hair will still be crappy. True story - happened to me. I'm proud to say that of all the weight I took off with the HCG diet and then gained back, I've lost all but one pound so far (and that bad boy is coming off by my next weigh-in in a couple of days. LOL) with eating a very healthy (1400-1700 cals) diet and exercise (which I've learned to love and actually look forward to doing, even on my rest days!). No, this time it wasn't as fast...but eh, who cares. I look WAY better at 170 doing it the healthy way than I did doing it the fast-track way. I have muscle and smaller measurements now too (at the same weight!!).

Thomasm198

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

teagin2002

Hello,
I know poeple don't like to hear this on here due to how extreme the results are using HCG, I am doing my 4th round now and after each round I have gained maybe about 5 to 10 lb with fluctuation due to water retention. You have to do it exactly how they instruct you to, and after words there is a 6 week maintenance diet that consists of 4 step process to teach the body to maintain the new weight.

I have been going to my regular doc to measure my body fat %, (my Doc doesn't support my decision b/c he doesn't know enough info on it, but will still take care of me) and so far my body fat % is 26%. I am a size 10 and 180 lbs, so I have lost fat and no muscle mass. I absolutely love myself and I am not anorexic or a over eat at all. Also the most wonderful thing about the diet is after she is done she will be able to eat the calories she is supposed to eat according to her BMR without gaining.

I love this diet, and would recommend it.

teagin2002

I read some comments that were posted while I was writing mine, although taking HCG orally is a bit different than taking the injections, she must make sure to take twice as much orally than that injected. So she mush take 3 ml or 60 drops per day instead of 1.5 ml or 30 drops. If she doesn't, then she will starve and see the effects listed in one of the posts (hair loss, extreme hunger loss of muscle mass, and lots of sagy skin).

I have some stuff that can help her, notes and instruction stuff, I would be happy to send them to you for her.
let me know.

good luck,
hana