HCG Diet, fact or fad???

Jenna1972

My fitness trainer said this was the scariest fad out there. And she doesn't make any money off of training me, she is an Army civilian who trains the best of the best in nutrition and endurance.

It just doesn't make sense to starve your body...even if it is short term and you don't feel hungry. It almost always mean some muscle loss..and as she pointed out, your heart is not immune from this loss! I am willing to bet there will be serious health issues related to this. Remember how many doctors were pimping phen-fen? They were quick to prescribe and quick to renounce...but the aftermath is horrible.

kiffypooh

Oooooooo, on youtube huh? If it's on there it must be healthy & true, right? Are people that naive?

Yes, I have read ALOT about it lately after it was posted on here, and yes, it's still a crock of *kitten* IMO. It's just another fad/quick fix feeding on people emotions & desparation to lose weight. 99% of people (if they don't screw up their organs/body from lack of calories) will gain it all back within a year of getting off the "junk".

I'm very excited to finally have found a cure for my weight problem.

CURE???? You're like every other fat person on earth. You ate too much and didn't move & got fat. I have a cure also: Eat less, move more! You can search that on Youtube also and there's a nice inspirational video on that cure also.

Sorry for sounding like an a**hole, but damn people, this is just plain ridiculous & dangerous, and any LEGIT doc that recommends this should have their license revoked.

Next they will be quoting wikipedia. I couldn't agree with you more on everything you've said!!

Eating less, and healthy! If someone believes there is stuff in all our food then eat clean! I know I lose more when I'm not eating as much processed foods, but that's my choice!!! I believe in eating fruits, veggies, lean meat and everything else in moderation. I don't have to read anything or watch anything to know that injecting yourself with something or taking a pill or drinking a shake or whatever is going to fix the problem or "cure you". Part of the process of losing weight, especially large amounts is finding out why and how you got to where you are and accepting responsibility for it. It's not just changing your eating or exercise plans, its about changing YOU!

KarenECunningham

I was shocked to hear HCG has come around again. It was very popular in the 1970's and I personally know of two people who ended up in the hospital because of this fad. Anyone who eats 500 calories a day is going to lose a ton of weight without the hormone injection. One of the people I know who ended up in the hospital was a close friend. Everything went crazy in her body including severe kidney problems. It wasn't the HCG that was the problem by itself it was also the starvation her body experienced by not eating enough calories. Everyone needs to make their own choices but before using HCG I would do a lot of research.

http://www.exploreexpandevolve.com/health-wellness/hcg-diet-dangers-is-using-hcg-worth-the-risks/

brendac72

I was just wondering what ever happened to just eating better, exercising and basically living a good life? How much weight do you need to lose that this HCG is so good that just regular diet & exercise isn't working? Hopefully it doesn't turn out to be like a Fen Phen kind of case. Look how good they used to say that was. But everyone has a right to their own opinion and wish everyone luck with your weight loss.

KarenECunningham

http://dr-oz-dieting-secrets.blogspot.com/2010/03/hcg-diet-dangers.html

Another site to check before jumping on an old fad brought back again.

thumper44

bump

msrichmond

I'm down 23 lbs in 16 days. Feel great, have lots of energy, am *never* hungry and couldn't be happier. I'm getting *stronger* while I'm doing this, so I'm not losing muscle weight. It's all FAT. I also sleep better than I have in over a decade, no longer have to get up to pee 3-5x/night, wake up feeling fully rested, and even my manager at work has commented how much more productive I've been since I started this program. The loss in my face has been the most noticeable. My double-chin is almost gone!

If there are any negative side effects, they have not affected me yet. But if they do, I will post about it.

Don't believe it if you don't want to, but there are thousands of people losing a whole lot of weight quickly & safely with this program, and I am proudly one of them.

To each their own...


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FrenchMob

I'm down 23 lbs in 16 days. Feel great, have lots of energy, am *never* hungry and couldn't be happier. I'm getting *stronger* while I'm doing this, so I'm not losing muscle weight. It's all FAT. I also sleep better than I have in over a decade, no longer have to get up to pee 3-5x/night, wake up feeling fully rested, and even my manager at work has commented how much more productive I've been since I started this program. The loss in my face has been the most noticeable. My double-chin is almost gone!

If there are any negative side effects, they have not affected me yet. But if they do, I will post about it.

Don't believe it if you don't want to, but there are thousands of people losing a whole lot of weight quickly & safely with this program, and I am proudly one of them.

To each their own...


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You might be losing now, but it's not going to fix why ou got fat to begin with....that's the other issue.

Also, it'll be hard to give us an update from the hospital when your kidneys or heart have failed from malnutrition. I hope I'm wrong, but I doubt it.

kalmf

Karen - I remember the seventies!

My seriously overweight (300ish) girlfriend would have me inject her with HCG which as I recall was derived from the urine of pregnant cows. I was young, so I forgive myself, but what an irresponsible idiotic dangerous thing to do. Thank Gd we got away with it and nothing horrible ever happened. If she had any weight loss it was very short-lived.

I am a Michael Pollen devotee - eat real food, mostly plants, not too much - and believe in the 'move more' philosophy, HOWEVER I don't believe everyone in the obesity range are lazy slobs. We accept that there are such things as metabolic issues, many accepted 'medical weight loss' clinics put you into ketosis to kick start weight loss - so, who knows, for certain people with certain factors this may be a way to get going.

But pregnant cow urine?! Ugghhh!

msrichmond

@RVachon71: Actually, it is going to fix how I got fat by resetting my hypothalamus gland and correspondingly my metabolism level. Haven't you ever wondered how somebody 1/2 your size can eat twice as much as you and not gain weight? Dr. Simmeons' protocol explains why and provides a way to reset yours to their level.

There is no reason whatsoever to imply that I'll have kidney or heart problems. You're just fear-mongering. You have nothing to back that up. But to satisfy you I'll have my wife post if it does happen.

@Karinf: If your girlfriend used HCG from cows, she was using the wrong kind and that's why it didn't work. The protocol clearly states it has to be human HCG. This cow trick is one of the many ways pharma companies have manipulated so-called "scientific" studies to disprove its effectiveness.

I lost another 4 lbs and tightened my belt another notch so far this week, and I'm wearing a pair of jeans today that haven't fit me in over 2 years, and they're a little big! I went for a miles-long walk last night in this wonderful weather we're having and my feet didn't hurt at all! I'm still never hungry, have a ton of energy, and for the first time in years slept a solid 8 hours non-stop last night! This stuff is a miracle!

alekia

OK PEOPLE~ GET REAL!!!!!!! I personally know 5 people that are on the HCG diet now. One woman is on it for the THIRD time. HELLLLLLLLLO, there is the answer. It is a QUICK fix, NOT a reset, and only lasts temporarily. Why not get a gastric bypass?? That is a quick fix also. BUT, it is only fixing the weight problem, not the EMOTIONAL problems. I also know of people who have had the gastric bypass, and are HUGE again. They did not change there lifestyle. I think anyone who does these quick fix fads need to go to a psych Dr. for some serious help. I agree with EAT LESS, MOVE MORE.

Steph_135

I just read the book by Kevin Trudeau, and most of it sounds plausible. The whole, only eat organic foods, and most of the recommendations like apple cidar vinegar, are things I currently do, and have read about in MULTIPLE other books. The only think that makes me hesitant about the whole theory is the injections. I'm avoiding them, for more reasons besides just the price.

I watched some YouTube videos about people following the hCG, and some had success with supplements instead of injections. There was one video that stuck out to me, though, where the woman was very dissatisfied with the promises made by Trudeau, which was enough to keep me away from it. Back to good, old-fashioned diet and exercise. Besides, they promise to "re-shape" the body, and I, quite frankly, love being a "pear"! :laugh:

mablesyrup

Oooooooo, on youtube huh? If it's on there it must be healthy & true, right? Are people that naive?

Yes, I have read ALOT about it lately after it was posted on here, and yes, it's still a crock of *kitten* IMO. It's just another fad/quick fix feeding on people emotions & desparation to lose weight. 99% of people (if they don't screw up their organs/body from lack of calories) will gain it all back within a year of getting off the "junk".

I'm very excited to finally have found a cure for my weight problem.

CURE???? You're like every other fat person on earth. You ate too much and didn't move & got fat. I have a cure also: Eat less, move more! You can search that on Youtube also and there's a nice inspirational video on that cure also.

Sorry for sounding like an a**hole, but damn people, this is just plain ridiculous & dangerous, and any LEGIT doc that recommends this should have their license revoked.

Next they will be quoting wikipedia. I couldn't agree with you more on everything you've said!!

Eating less, and healthy! If someone believes there is stuff in all our food then eat clean! I know I lose more when I'm not eating as much processed foods, but that's my choice!!! I believe in eating fruits, veggies, lean meat and everything else in moderation. I don't have to read anything or watch anything to know that injecting yourself with something or taking a pill or drinking a shake or whatever is going to fix the problem or "cure you". Part of the process of losing weight, especially large amounts is finding out why and how you got to where you are and accepting responsibility for it. It's not just changing your eating or exercise plans, its about changing YOU!

Actually, Wikipedia has been found to be as accurate as Encyclopedia Britannica. I believe that's around a 97 or 98% accuracy rating for content.

http://news.cnet.com/Study-Wikipedia-as-accurate-as-Britannica/2100-1038_3-5997332.html

elizabennett

Before people respond to this person's HCG question, they might want to educate themselves about the diet itself. First of all, read Dr. Simeon's "Pounds and Inches" (free online, just Google it). Then go talk with some of the actual physicians (not just chiros offer this plan). This is not a fad diet or quick fix – at least it's not intended to be. It resets your hypothalamus to lower your "set point" of weight and helps you lose the desire for sugar and processed foods if you follow the plan.

The HCG and 500 calorie diet (or VLCD, for very low calorie diet) are only one phase of this program, and that phase only lasts from 21 to 40 days max, or your body can build an immunity to the HCG. The reason for the HCG and not just eating the 500 calories is that the HCG coaxes the body to use stored fat, not normal fat or structural fat (which helps hold organs in place). That's why people on HCG don't get sunken jaws and hollow eyes, or lose their chests. The purpose of the limitations is to do a type of chemical cleanse – as one person stated, our bodies are full of chemicals from the food and products we eat and use every day. I'm not a fanatic – I use my share of everyday products but am getting so much better about it now that I've educated myself. Just look at how many things have high fructose corn syrup in them, for example. That stuff is horrible for you and it's in almost everything in one shape or another.

I agree with the guy below – check out Clockster's videos on YouTube. And yes, she does sell the sublingual kits on eBay, but didn't do that until she saw how great this program worked. She lost 71 pounds. And you don't have to do shots (yes, you CAN do them yourself if you can handle doing that. My son's diabetic so I'd have no prob doing my own, but it didn't seem as handy as the other methods). Instead, you can get inhaled HCG or sublingual, which is drops you hold under your tongue for 10 minutes twice a day. And yes, you CAN use the homeopathic drops, which a few people I know have done, and they worked for them as well. I got the real thing and mixed it myself – it's easy to do and again, the gal on Youtube even has vids on how to mix it. I bought my HCG from pharmacyescrow.com and they emailed me a 120-page booklet with "Pounds and Inches," the program and a bunch of recipes.

My first day of the very low calorie diet was today, and I wasn't terribly hungry, It takes time for the HCG to build up, but that's what keeps the hunger away, so once it's in my system more, I expect the hunger pains will go away. (I also mowed, edged and raked my yard for about four hours, so that made me feel hungry.)

it's not for everyone, that's for sure. But I've counted calories, done Jenny Craig, TOPS, Weight Watchers, etc...and lost less than 8 pounds each time over many months. I even joined a gym and had a personal trainer, etc. and while I was very toned, I still weighed 20 pounds more than I should have so I hope to just do one round of the HCG and then maintain. (You have to have a six-week time period between phases of HCG to prevent immunity.) Once you lose the weight you want to lose, this plan reintroduces foods back into the diet. (I'm looking at a recipe for alfredo sauce, which looks pretty good!) Portion control and exercise, once you get the weight off, are key, as is eating foods that are REAL foods, not processed. I suggest people look into Clean Eating with Tosca Reno of Oxygen magazine as another option after doing HCG.

I think we all know that no matter how you lose it, without changing your habits, it WILL come back, so it's not so much how you lose it but how well you maintain afterward. Gaining it back is not the diet's fault...it's the willpower of the person in my opinion. I feel that losing it quickly will keep me motivated and I'm confident in my ability to maintain, since I've maintained being 20 pounds overweight for 16 years, since the birth of my second son.

I should also mention that I met with my doctor about it before I started it. I talked to my GYN at my annual physical about it, and she said several nurses she knew were on it and had lost a lot of weight. She said the hard part is keeping it off, but she felt it was fine to try and told me that if I followed it, she had no doubt I would lose the weight. That was a great green light for me, and I'm hoping to be able to share my results with her in a month's time.

Good luck if you decide to try it!

I have a good friend that is doing this right now. Yes, she has lost a lot of weight. But she looks eaten away, her skin just sitting there and flabby. She has the sunken jaw, eyes and lost her chest. It makes me mad to see how skinny she is and I am jealous of the weight loss she has had. But I think I look way better, even with my flab I need to lose, because I am strong, and I am healthy, even if I'm not skinny. She said she wasn't allowed to work out while doing part of it because of the calorie limit. If something starves you and makes you not work out, it's definitely NOT for me.

firegirlred

Well, hubby lost 70 pounds. But he's having trouble maintaining. This diet isn't good for the body or the soul.