HCG Dieter...any others?

Please don't listen to your boss -- or anyone else that recommends that dangerous HCG diet scam! Most people that attempt the HCG diet are not only not able to keep it off, but they end up gaining more than they lost -- and finding it more difficult to get rid of than ever! Trying to live on 500 calories for weeks on that diet can cause all sorts of health problems, and no doctor worth trusting would recommend it.

This article from WebMD can answer your questions about the HCG diet and provide you with solid scientific information on why it's such a bad idea

http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/truth-about-hcg-for-weight-loss

Please check out this post by Olivia, the Community Manager at My Fitness Pal:

Mon 01/07/13 02:00 PM
Hey Folks,

I wanted to provide an explanation for locking this topic...

Our Community Guidelines ( http://www.myfitnesspal.com/welcome/guidelines ) prohibit the creation of any forum posts, groups, or posts in groups that encourage the use of Very Low Calorie diets (including, but not limited to, VLCDs that use the HCG protocol).

MyFitnessPal has always promoted a healthy, sustainable, and gradual path to weight loss. But HCG products are typically promoted in connection with a very low calorie diet, usually one that limits calories to 500 per day. Research has demonstrated that calorie intake at these levels can lead to increased risk of gallstones, hair loss, constipation, an irregular heartbeat, and many other dangerous side-effects.

Moreover, numerous medical studies have shown that the results of HCG-use in combination with a very low calorie diet are indistinguishable from the results of the low calorie diet alone. In light of this research, the FDA has required the labeling and advertising of HCG products to state:

“HCG has not been demonstrated to be effective adjunctive therapy in the treatment of obesity. There is no substantial evidence that it increases weight loss beyond that resulting from caloric restriction, that it causes a more attractive or “normal” distribution of fat, or that it decreases the hunger and discomfort associated with calorie-restricted diets.”


Regards,
Olivia
Community Manager

Would never recommend it or support it.

A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

I lost 35 lbs. before my daughter's wedding last year but gained it all back plus a few pounds. The worst part was the loss of muscle - I am struggling to get my energy and strength back. I would not recommend this diet to anyone - ever.

I was on HCG a few years back and lost (and kept off) 35lbs. I really wasn't looking forward to doing (or paying for) the protocol again, so I maintained until my wife had our son and I reset my counter to '0' to do the "Eat Less, Move More" diet instead.

On a side note, be careful with this on MFP. People (usually ones that are ignorant to the protocol) will lambaste you for even mentioning HCG. You've seen a few already.

HCG isn't for everyone. I lost some weight and learned a LOT about what certain foods do to my body. I still use that knowledge to this day. Too many people don't read the manuscript and just eat what they think they should while taking the drops and don't learn anything. Then they wonder why the weight comes back after they go back to eating crap. Then they say "HCG doesn't work" when they didn't even follow the guidelines properly.

Dear Posters,

I wanted to explain why I locked this topic:

Our Community Guidelines ( http://www.myfitnesspal.com/welcome/guidelines ) prohibit the creation of any forum posts, groups, or posts in groups that encourage the use of Very Low Calorie diets (including, but not limited to, VLCDs that use the HCG protocol).

MyFitnessPal has always promoted a healthy, sustainable, and gradual path to weight loss. But HCG products are typically promoted in connection with a very low calorie diet, usually one that limits calories to 500 per day. Research has demonstrated that calorie intake at these levels can lead to increased risk of gallstones, hair loss, constipation, an irregular heartbeat, and many other dangerous side-effects.

Moreover, numerous medical studies have shown that the results of HCG-use in combination with a very low calorie diet are indistinguishable from the results of the low calorie diet alone. In light of this research, the FDA has required the labeling and advertising of HCG products to state:

“HCG has not been demonstrated to be effective adjunctive therapy in the treatment of obesity. There is no substantial evidence that it increases weight loss beyond that resulting from caloric restriction, that it causes a more attractive or “normal” distribution of fat, or that it decreases the hunger and discomfort associated with calorie-restricted diets.”

Thank you for your understanding.

Respectfully,
Olivia
MFP Staff