HCG

H_Factor

If you didn't have the willpower to follow a simple eat less exercise more "routine", what makes you think you will be able to stick to the HCG?

From what I understand of HCG, folks who follow it lose roughly 1 pound per day while on the cycle. I believe that watching the scale move every day provides the potential of added motivation that you don't get with "slow and steady wins the race". the better question might be...if you don't have will power to do the slow and steady method now, are you going to have it after the HCG cycle (i.e., when you're not losing a pound a day any longer)...or exactly what is your exit plan following the HCG cycle? As I stated above, regardless of the method used for the journey, I strongly recommend the activity in my will power blog.

slbeutler

I don't know much about it, but the idea of putting pregnant women's pee into my body either by drops in my mouth or shots is enough to turn me off from it. Also, I think that if I went on a 500 calorie a day diet, I would probably lose weight as well, but it would probably be from starving myself all day, not from some drops.

I agree with most people on here, successful weight loss comes from making healthy lifestyle choices and there is no magic bullet, pill, drops or shots that will get you there. You have to fix what is wrong in the first place and doing something that drastic will inevitably lead to gaining it all back plus more.

Weight loss is determined by calories in and calories out. If you are diligently tracking your intake and exercising and still not getting results, I would evaluate what you are actually eating and just write every little thing down, measure it out, count etc. Many times, we think we are eating a certain number of calories, but it is not actually accurate. If you are being accurate, then seek a doctor's advice. I have a thyroid disorder, so weight loss is difficult for me, but with different diet experiments I am losing, with no magic pills.

Good luck!

H_Factor

If you didn't have the willpower to follow a simple eat less exercise more "routine", what makes you think you will be able to stick to the HCG?

This was going to be my question as well. It seems so much easier to just eat a bit less and move a bit more.

actually, I personally believe that for some folks, following a strictly regimented plan is easier than having to make decisions every day about what to eat, how to eat, etc. I say this without commenting on the safety of HCG or its potential side effects as identified by others familiar with the product. I'm simply saying that for some folks, very strict guidelines IS an easier plan. shoot, I did a 4 week all natural cleanse earlier this year. it was simple (eat only veggies for 2 weeks, add chicken with veggies for last 2 weeks, drink only water), very low calories (but in a way that did not leave me feeling hungry because I could eat as many veggies as I wanted), and easy to follow once I wrapped my mind around doing it. I lost weight doing the cleanse...also cleaned out my system of toxins....and I have lost more since then because I understood the exit plan was eat healthy and portion control, which is how I have proceeded since mid May. It took will power to do the cleanse. it took will power to do eat healthy and exercise. it will take continued will power to continue with eat healthy and exercise.

_LDM_

Good Lord. Too many things to respond to. My point was, I wasn't asking for opinions - I was asking for experiences (good or bad). But, clearly people are SUPER opinionated on this topic.

It isn't always about will power (not saying I'm overloaded with it). I guess at this point I'm to share my medical history. I do have PCOS. I have heard that people with PCOS can benefit from HCG. (also a reason I was wanting to hear from people who have tried it). Also, I have degenerative disc disease - unfortunately, it's acting up. In addition, like most fat folk, I have pretty significant knee problems. So "moving" a little more it somewhat difficult at this point. Yes, I know that people in my position (and worse) can and have done it. I really wanted to use HCG as a starting point. Drop some of this weight that is obviously assisting my back/hip/knee pain, and get back to the gym along with a healthy and balanced diet.

AGAIN, I'm not saying that this is the way people should lose weight - it was a consideration. And since this is a weight loss website (except for those trying to gain - I hate you) I thought I'd ask!

P.S. How dare you use my favorite quote against me (I love Scrubs) ;-)

tigersword

If you didn't have the willpower to follow a simple eat less exercise more "routine", what makes you think you will be able to stick to the HCG?

From what I understand of HCG, folks who follow it lose roughly 1 pound per day while on the cycle. I believe that watching the scale move every day provides the potential of added motivation that you don't get with "slow and steady wins the race". the better question might be...if you don't have will power to do the slow and steady method now, are you going to have it after the HCG cycle (i.e., when you're not losing a pound a day any longer)...or exactly what is your exit plan following the HCG cycle? As I stated above, regardless of the method used for the journey, I strongly recommend the activity in my will power blog.

The thing there, is a good portion of that weight lost is water weight, as a serious calorie restriction leads to much lower glycogen stores, which leads to much less water stored with the glycogen. So really, it's more of a placebo effect that isn't sustainable anyway. It's the same reason someone who intermittently fasts weighs lower on fasting days, as they go through all of their glycogen stores and lose the water, and then weigh slightly more when they go back to their normal eating regimen, and the body refills it's glycogen stores. Not to mention eating so little leads to less food in your stomach, because yes, the food you eat has weight and counts as part of your body weight. :laugh:

H_Factor

If you didn't have the willpower to follow a simple eat less exercise more "routine", what makes you think you will be able to stick to the HCG?

From what I understand of HCG, folks who follow it lose roughly 1 pound per day while on the cycle. I believe that watching the scale move every day provides the potential of added motivation that you don't get with "slow and steady wins the race". the better question might be...if you don't have will power to do the slow and steady method now, are you going to have it after the HCG cycle (i.e., when you're not losing a pound a day any longer)...or exactly what is your exit plan following the HCG cycle? As I stated above, regardless of the method used for the journey, I strongly recommend the activity in my will power blog.

The thing there, is a good portion of that weight lost is water weight, as a serious calorie restriction leads to much lower glycogen stores, which leads to much less water stored with the glycogen. So really, it's more of a placebo effect that isn't sustainable anyway. It's the same reason someone who intermittently fasts weighs lower on fasting days, as they go through all of their glycogen stores and lose the water, and then weigh slightly more when they go back to their normal eating regimen, and the body refills it's glycogen stores. Not to mention eating so little leads to less food in your stomach, because yes, the food you eat has weight and counts as part of your body weight. :laugh:

hmmmm....in April, I ate only veggies for 2 weeks. I wasn't counting calories at that time, but I suspect it was a serious calorie restriction (maybe 500 calories some days; maybe 800 calories other days...who knows...veggies just don't have a lot of calories). I lost 14 or 16 pounds during those 2 weeks. I didn't gain any of them back...ever. Instead, I have lost another 20 something pounds doing healthy eating, portion control and exercise afterwards. in fairness, I will say that I didn't get back to losing weight immediately after the cleanse. I somewhat plateaued a bit, but expected that. I was happy that I didn't gain any of the weight back and eventually began to lose again at the slow and steady method.

RunHardBeStrong

I tried it after losing 80 lbs on my own through good ol' fashioned exercise and diet the weight loss came to a halt, I got frustrated and people around me had lost lots of weight with HCG. I did it for 10 days, lost 13 lbs, was very hungry, felt horrible, tired as hell and as soon as I started having chest pains (I'm 35 with not heart problems) I quit that same day, chest pains went away and haven't come back, the weight came back tho despite clean eating and exercise. I'm now back to losing the good old slow and steady, healthy way. As for the people around me that lost, they lost hair and looked sickly all the time, have also gained most of their weight back. Good luck to you on whatever you decide.

kennethmgreen

Good Lord. Too many things to respond to. My point was, I wasn't asking for opinions - I was asking for experiences (good or bad). But, clearly people are SUPER opinionated on this topic.

It isn't always about will power (not saying I'm overloaded with it). I guess at this point I'm to share my medical history. I do have PCOS. I have heard that people with PCOS can benefit from HCG. (also a reason I was wanting to hear from people who have tried it). Also, I have degenerative disc disease - unfortunately, it's acting up. In addition, like most fat folk, I have pretty significant knee problems. So "moving" a little more it somewhat difficult at this point. Yes, I know that people in my position (and worse) can and have done it. I really wanted to use HCG as a starting point. Drop some of this weight that is obviously assisting my back/hip/knee pain, and get back to the gym along with a healthy and balanced diet.

AGAIN, I'm not saying that this is the way people should lose weight - it was a consideration. And since this is a weight loss website (except for those trying to gain - I hate you) I thought I'd ask!

P.S. How dare you use my favorite quote against me (I love Scrubs) ;-)

You seem to be relatively grounded and aren't so thin-skinned as to freak out because the Internetz aren't agreeing with you. I respect that. You should know that MFP - as a site, not just the forum - doesn't support unhealthy/fad diets. HCG isn't very popular as a safe diet here. In fact, it gets ridiculed sometimes.

Maybe HCG is for you. I don't know. But the way you have reacted so far makes me hope that you will try HCG, come to realize that there really aren't any ways around the simple math of "eat less and/or move more" and start losing weight more traditionally. I know you state you have tried and have medical issues, and HCG is a last resort. Still, I'm stubborn. And you seem likable. And it's my fantasy. And my fantasy ends with you ditching HCG after a few months, working with a nutritionist and/or trainer, seeing a doctor, regularly logging on MFP, and a year from now replying to HCG threads with "I tried it, and it worked OK, but here's what really helped me..."

And scene. Cut background music.

Seriously, good luck with whatever you do.

adjones5

Not eating is stupid.

McKayMachina

Good for you. However, I'm not you. I'm also not suggesting that HCG is the "end all be all". It's more of a last resort type thing.

Just to clarify, I was asking about HCG experience, so I could make an informed decision - not the opinion of people who haven't had any experience with it.

Why do you need a last resort? I don't even work out yet. Just restricting calories is enough to lose weight. (Working out is for fitness/hotness.) I restrict mine to 1200. Try that instead of the ridiculous 500 and skip the useless drops. They very literally do NOTHING for weight loss. So save your $$.

Hope this helps. Good luck.

fatboypup

I find pregnant women's urine to be a most satisfying treat after a long workout.

davionbandit

I am really new to MFP and don't like to post, but one thing that is strange to me is all the sarcasm (and I am very sarcastic in general). When someone asks a question they don't want to hear rude replies. Feel free to respond with "IMO it can be useful/harmful for *reason* *reason* *reason*." You are not going to change someone's mind by being ugly or rude. Sticking to the facts as you see them is really the best course of action.

As for HCG, I have not tried it although we did almost try it for my husband because he was hoping it would help him lose enough weight to be more mobile, but the expense was too much.

I have heard both good and bad stories from people I know or at least know of, but I have not heard that it is easy. 500 calories a day is tough and not just that but there is also a very strict diet from which to get those 500 cals. If you are going to try it, at least make sure you know what is expected of you and that you have the self-discipline to follow through. And decide if you are willing to accept that if you do spend the money you may end up not benefiting at all. Many people do gain the weight back. How will you feel if you do? Is that a risk that you are willing to take? Many people also are fatigued, moody, lose hair and their general appearance starts to decline. Is that something you are willing to accept? You may be one of the ones that has a great experience, but you might not be. Make sure that you are willing to accept whatever happens before you invest in something like this.

Just my two cents.

Nancy

Xtina_Beba

HCG is not for everyone and I personally don't think it should be a last resort. All you need is healthy eating habits, daily exercising, plenty of water and sleep. Everything takes time and there is no rush...slow and steady wins the race!

_LDM_

Thank you, Nancy! That is precisely the type of response I had hoped for.

Muah!

:-D

kennethmgreen

You posted the following in an HCG thread about the HCG diet seven months ago:

Thanks for posting this. I'm so tired of hearing about quick fixes. It also infuriates me when Doctors promote these fads. I hate to be so negative, but I guess the kickbacks are more important than the health of those who trust these Doctors.

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/204295-hcg-diet

In this thread you are asking about others' experience with the HCG diet as if you are going to try it yourself.

Your stance seems a lot different now. What changed?

aimeezingone

I did HCG last year. I did great on the injections. Later, I tried the drops.....did poorly with those.

Acg67

HCG injections do nothing for weight loss and homeopathic drops do less than nothing

Stein et al. Ineffectiveness of human chorionic gonadotropin in weight reduction: a double-blind study. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Vol 29, 940-948

"HCG does not appear to enhance the effectiveness of a rigidly imposed regimen for weight reduction."

Lijesen et al. The effect of human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) in the treatment of obesity by means of the Simeons therapy: a criteria-based meta-analysis. Br J Clin Pharmacol. 1995 Sep;40(3):237-43.

"There is no scientific evidence that hCG is effective in the treatment of obesity; it does not bring about weight-loss of fat-redistribution, nor does it reduce hunger or induce a feeling of well-being."

also see JAMA 236:2495–2497, 1976, American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 29:940–948, 1976, American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 12:230–234, 1963, S Afr Med J. 1990 Feb 17;77(4):185-9, West Journal of Medicine 127:461–463, 1977, Archives of Internal Medicine 137:151-155, 1977

kennethmgreen

There goes ACG again, bringing science and peer-reviewed journals into the discussion. Pffff.

_LDM_

I did feel that way then, and quite honestly, to some extent today. As I mentioned earlier, I'm usually the one opposed to quick fixes, or weight loss programs using chemicals, etc. I still feel that Doctors shouldn't promote things that could be unsafe and feel that they do so to benefit themselves.I absolutely recognize that HCG can be unsafe. I have read some literature on it and become a little more informed. But, I still wouldn't recommend it to a friend. I would ask them to read up on it and decide if it's worth it to them.

_LDM_

Also, having a friend who is a nurse recommend it b/c she was so successful may have had a little to do with it. Blame it on peer pressure!!!

killagb

Also, having a friend who is a nurse recommend it b/c she was so successful may have had a little to do with it. Blame it on peer pressure!!!

It's POSSIBLE to get results, but the thing is...you have to leap through fiery hoops and a very rigid plan to do it 'right'. It doesn't teach you anything about how you SHOULD eat later once you go back to eating normal, which is where the high failure rate comes in. To me it seems like unnecessary torture to yourself when you can do it in a much healthier manner and get great results that are lasting.

_LDM_

I totally get what you're saying about learning how to eat properly. I wish I could say I don't now how to eat properly, but I do....and I still let myself get to a point that I feel like I need to drop weight initially just to feel good enough physically to get back to the gym!

killagb

I totally get what you're saying about learning how to eat properly. I wish I could say I don't now how to eat properly, but I do....and I still let myself get to a point that I feel like I need to drop weight initially just to feel good enough physically to get back to the gym!

Really the gym isn't necessary though. I have lost the 25lbs that I lost without setting foot in a gym. I do have a treadmill here but I also run outdoors. I use a pull up bar and and do basic dumbbell exercises. It's actually giving me pretty good results, the only other thing I really could use is a bench and a barbell. But just want to show you that the gym is really not a necessity.

tigersword

Weight loss is all about diet, it has nothing to do with going to the gym.

Going to the gym is for getting fit, diet is for losing weight. They are actually mutually exclusive. You can very easily lose weight without working out, and work out without losing weight.

bry_all01

It's "not even funny"

I disagree. It's "so funny" *facepalm*

baisleac

Anyone willing to share their experience with HCG?

Well.. the first time I produced HCG, I had all day heartburn for 40 weeks... and I gained 60 lbs.

This time it is more nausea and exhaustion... and I'm gaining weight more slowly.

:flowerforyou: