Is HCG diet safe???

lculian

I was wondering, I have a friend who is planning on starting the HCG homeopathic diet and her BMI is around 25. Is it safe to do such an extreme diet, (500 calories a day and hormones to keep your body confused and thinking its not starving) when you are not terribly overweight?

I want to support her in getting healthy, I'm just concerned for her well being. Can anyone shed some light on this?

hamiltonba

It certainly does not sound healthy. I think "your friend" will not last long on this starvation diet. Why the extreme? She would only gain the weight back again anyway!

jennylynn84

I wouldn't think this would be a good idea if she doesn't have a lot to lose.

I know some doctors will recommend extreme diets with larger calorie deficits to kickstart the weight loss of someone morbidly obese, because the benefits outweigh the risks (as with any treatment or medication they prescribe).

But 25 is not unhealthy. It's actually on the far range of healthy according to MFP. I mean, goodness, it's what I'm shooting for.

I think this might be a bit drastic in her case. Has she talked to a doctor or nutritionist?

MattySparky

hopefully those hormones keep your friends hair and teeth from falling out! in alll seriousness though, that doesn't sound healthy at all!

MattySparky

hopefully those hormones keep your friends hair and teeth from falling out! in alll seriousness though, that doesn't sound healthy at all!

lculian

She works for a homeopathic dentist whom she trusts and he gave her the information and said it is safe. You aren't even allowed to exercise while doing the 30 day detox/ diet and then you can not exercise until you bring your calories back up slowly. It just sounds sooooo dangerous I have a hard time telling her to go for it.

sinman22807

No matter how big or small you are your body NEEDS 1200 to function right. And that the nutrients from food, and all the stuff. No hormone will help right and your body will still "starve" and she will not lose weight like she has planned.

Mom2Emery_Liam

Doesn't sound like a great idea for someone with a bmi of 25. My mom just started this diet a few weeks ago with supervision of her dr. She is 5'3" but over 200 lbs. She eats healthy and exercises occasionally but the weight wasn't coming off like it should. So I guess she decided to do this as a last resort....I was questioning it b/c 500 calories just doesn't sound healthy, regardless of what hormone you're on. I'm sure her body is in some sort of starvation mode but can't help loosing the weight (1st week she was down 8lbs). I don't think it's the best idea for long term weight loss...sure a quick fix but definitely doesn't sound healthy. I mean, she eats practically nothing...and no protein really, some fruit, lettuce salad, melba toast and a small dinner.
I haven't talked to her this week on how it's going...but I imagine you have to have some crazy strong willpower to make it through the 2 months of hormones. After the 2 months, you transition off the hormone and start adding regular foods to your diet...I'm just afraid she's going to have a hard time keeping the weight off afterwards.
Also, she's supposed to exercise some with the diet but I can't see how she would have any strength to....

Anyways, I disagree with it and think there's much healthier ways...but many drs will prescribe it as a quick fix for obese individuals. If your friends not being supervised by a dr, I'd suggest to forget it all together...a bmi of 25 isn't bad at all.

jennylynn84

She works for a homeopathic dentist whom she trusts and he gave her the information and said it is safe. You aren't even allowed to exercise while doing the 30 day detox/ diet and then you can not exercise until you bring your calories back up slowly. It just sounds sooooo dangerous I have a hard time telling her to go for it.

Wow. I would not trust my regular primary care to give me serious dietary advice, I'd have to go to a nutritionist. A dentist is even worse. I'm sorry to say it, but I doubt he really knows anything about it and if it would be best for her. Tell her to go to a doctor with a specialization in nutrition (a license dietician please) and find out if they think this is good idea. 25 BMI is not even overweight!

_Bunnytown

you might just tell her that a dentist is a dentist and a medical doctor is a medical doctor and she should consult a doctor. not a dentist before she commits to such treatment.

lculian

All good points. Thank you!

MattySparky

you might just tell her that a dentist is a dentist and a medical doctor is a medical doctor and she should consult a doctor. not a dentist before she commits to such treatment.

Wouldn't she want to consult a nutritionist then?

megamom

Several people where I work did that a while back. Most lost, some got very sick and all gained back more.

suziblues2000

huh? 500 calories? She's got to be kidding!!
I don't know much about all this dieting stuff, I know to loose weight and get fit you should watch your portions and eat good food. I also know that eating only 500 calories a day is NOT a good idea!

abnovak

First, I'm not health care professional but HCG has been VERY successful for me and my wife. I have gone from 220 to 170 over the 18 months and 3 courses for HCG (including some slight gain backs). Both of us have discussed this with our Drs and they have had no concerns. It is not as bad as it sounds - it is NOT a starvation diet. The HCG product directs your body to consume the fat you have stored in the past. The 500 calorie is there just to keep basic intake/digestion inline. You get nearly all of your nutrients from your "emergency" stores. If you just go on 500 without HCG your body will actually think that condition will be prolonged and will not immediately dip into these stores. I know dozens of people know that are doing it and none that I know of that have had problems and they all rave. I am sure there are stories on the internet but my personal experience has been life changing. Your decision but research it to get the facts and don't rely on forums.

CyberWoolf

If people are getting sick and gaining it all back then they are not doing it correctly. Abnovak is absolutely correct. You get all your nutrients (less the 500) from your fat stores, not muscle or bone or anything else.

I take my sublingual for around $30/bottle which lasts about a month.

For 23 - 40 days you eat the 500 calories. You have 2 sources of proteins, 2 veggies and 2 fruits with 2 liters of water. You cannot just eat anything you want. You can't have sugars, starches or fats, unless they are in the proteins/veggies/fruits.

after that you go 21 days reintroducing fats (like beans, nuts, cheese, etc) and double your protein, but don't eat sugars and starches and bump your calories to 1500 - 1800.

After those 21 days are over you reintroduce starches and sugars. You should also be eating correctly for your weight/height now.

The reason you do it this way is because it trains your body on how to process foods correctly and for me, it really introduced me to proper eating. I used to be a carb junkie but I've really learned to balance my meals and really see how the foods I ate really impacted my body.

I finished round 1 and lost 34 lbs and am starting round 2 and cannot wait to get the weight off!

Congrats Abnovak!!

BamaRose0107

She works for a homeopathic dentist whom she trusts and he gave her the information and said it is safe. You aren't even allowed to exercise while doing the 30 day detox/ diet and then you can not exercise until you bring your calories back up slowly. It just sounds sooooo dangerous I have a hard time telling her to go for it.

Since when did dentists start giving out diet and nutrition advice?

msrichmond

I lost about 50 lbs on it and feel great! I'm currently taking a break from it to stabilize at this new weight, then I plan to go back on and lose another 50 to get back to my college weight!

There's no reason to freak out about the 500 calories/day diet. While on the HCG, you're using 2500-4000+ calories of fat per day! So you're not starving! You're just getting your calories from another source than food: your stored fat! Isn't that what we all want?

I started at 292 and ended at 242. 50 lbs in 51 days. And I was hungry a grand total of 2 times during that entire time. And even then only because I *forgot* to eat lunch because I wasn't hungry then!!

Will I gain it all back? Well, if I go back to eating McDonald's, pizza, and ice cream every day, yes, I will. but that holds true for any plan. So far on my break I've fluctuated between gaining back 0-3 lbs. Everytime I reach 3 lbs, I simply eat a little less and it comes right back off. My eating habits have been fixed, I no longer crave candy bars and crap any more. Instead I crave fruits and proteins.

I tried "move more and eat less" off & on for 15 years. Worked great for a few weeks, then stopped, then I'd get frustrated and quit. Sound familiar to anybody? HCG is the solution to permanent weight loss, IF you follow the plan correctly.

Since not exercising seems to be an issue with many in this thread, it's perfectly fine to exercise while doing HCG IF you were exercising before. IE, if you are used to exercise. It's only recommended not to START exercising while on the HCG if you haven't exercised before. It's not necessary. I lost my 50 lbs and did little exercise, maybe some pushups and squat thrusts every so often. You're burning fat with HCG, not exercise. Lose the weight first then exercise to get back in shape.

If you want to know more about HCG, do a search on me. I posted a HUGE post about it a month or so ago...

misslizz6958

Holy **** I want to do this

Mom2Emery_Liam

Like I mentioned before, my mom is still in the 500 calorie a day part of it and is always starving. She cheats on her diet almost every day b/c of it. She gets dizzy and weak very easily. Definitely not a great idea for someone with low blood sugar...she's pre-diabetic as well and her dr wasn't too happy she was on the diet (rx to her by a homeopathic dr). So it's definitely not for everyone...regardless of how "easy" it may be for some.

msrichmond

@Mom2Emery_Lian: Either your Mother is not following the program correctly or her doctor doesn't know what he's doing (more likely). Here is what you wrote: "I mean, she eats practically nothing...and no protein really, some fruit, lettuce salad, melba toast and a small dinner. " The no protein is key as the program clearly states that you must eat 100 grams of protein twice/day.

Also, what fruit is she eating? Some are good and some are bad.

I suggest that you find the free eBook called "Pounds and Inches" by A.T.W. Simeons on the Internet and have her read it. If she's doing anything far different from that, then she's not following the program as intended and should fire her doctor.

AmandaB4588

When I heard about this, I didn't even bother looking into it. In my experience, things that sound too good to be true always are. So I definitely cannot answer if this is healthy for her or not!

The thing that concerns me is that she cannot find it in herself to lose weight and get healthy the natural way. I understand why someone with a ton of weight to lose would feel that way but feeling that way with a BMI of 25?? To me, that suggests that she will not have it in her to maintain the weight loss once she stops this diet.

drp121274

My best friend is on this, and swears by it. She eats healthier than she ever has, and has lost 20 pounds in 20 days. She hasn't had any side effects, and she has cheated. She tried talking me into doing it, but I can't drop my calories that far - I like food too much. When I complain about not losing weight, she reminds me that she is losing fat, and I am gaining muscle. Although we have the same goal of losing weight, we are approaching it two different ways. I will be very interested to see how she does after the shots. I am afraid that her eating habits will be unhealthy