HCG Diet - Have you tried it?

Hi everyone!!

I need to do something different to get my weightloss going again and I was wondering about the HCG diet. A former MFP pal had great success with it, but once he reached his goal, he got out of MFP. If you've tried it, please share your experiences. Did you do injections or drops? Did you follow the meal plan exactly? Were you overseen by a doctor? Where did you get your meal plan from? Did you experience any side effects? I really appreciate your help!!! :happy:

Replies

  • HCG is still around? That's disappointing.

    HCG is, at best, an expensive placebo. Some may claim that HCG makes them feel less hungry... but the concentration of HCG administered is so small that it cannot possibly have a biological effect. Scientific, PEER REVIEWED, placebo controlled studies support this conclusion. The dramatic weight loss people experience while on HCG is due entirely to an extreme calorie deficit. Any decrease in hunger because of HCG is due to mind-games. Your mind thinks it is working and so your mind convinces yourself that it is doing something and so you experiences... something. My advice? Save your money. If you need a placebo, find something cheaper. A capsule with corn starch in it might do the trick...
  • rob1976
    rob1976 Posts: 1,328 Member
    HCG discussions get killed quickly here. MFP has pretty much taken the stance that HCG is an unhealthy option that has plenty of support sites elsewhere.
  • Jubee31
    Jubee31 Posts: 93 Member
    I had a friend do it with drops, hated it. Lost weight quickly, but gained it ALL back and more when she started eating like a normal human being again. Also she was always tired, her skin look terrible and her hair became brittle.

    Plus I don't think MFP encourages super low diets, so I think this thread will be locked soon....

    One more thing.....my friend is now on WW and doing do much better. No more diets, just a change for the better!
  • Sure you will lose weight, but everyone I know that fell for it gained more than they lost when they ended it.
  • SadiesMommy0517
    SadiesMommy0517 Posts: 16 Member
    i would recommend not doing it ... I did it and went from 240lbs to 188 in 4 months but as soon as i stopped i couldnt control my weight gain i went back up to 215 in the matter of months!!!! same thing happened to my friend ... I was still eating healthy i followed phase 3 of the diet perfectly i still exercised i ate great and just kept gaining and gaining... i also lost A LOT of my muscle mass my doctor was concerned
  • fbmandy55
    fbmandy55 Posts: 5,263 Member
    IBTL-Shining.jpg
  • jenifr818
    jenifr818 Posts: 805 Member
    IBTL-Shining.jpg

    :laugh: Most awesome picture EVER
  • fbmandy55
    fbmandy55 Posts: 5,263 Member
    In all seriousness. HCG is for yo yo dieters who don't want to put in the effort to eat a balaced diet and exercise. Why? I duuno, It's harder to inject yourself and starve.

    My mom and cousin have done HCg several times. They lose and gain more, are grumpy, sickly and blow all this money to keep spending more on it. My mom was actually hospitalized with vertigo and loss of vision while doing HCG and now has serious health problems. Her heart is messed up, her thyroid and cholesterol are too.

    DON'T DO IT!
  • aseymour13
    aseymour13 Posts: 767 Member
    Thank you! Thank you!!! I am so glad folks realize that it isnt the HCG that helps with the weight loss although it may surpress the appetite some. It's the extreme low caloric intake. It is not a healthy diet. One might lose the weight but it doesnt mean its the right way to do it and as stated in the other posts, when someone tries to go back to their normal routine, they tend to gain it all back. .
  • LoraF83
    LoraF83 Posts: 15,694 Member
    Nope, haven't done it. Haven't even considered it.

    I know it's not safe to expect my body to run on 500 calories a day - pregnant lady pee or not.
  • TylerJ76
    TylerJ76 Posts: 4,375 Member
    It's pregnant lady pee
    It's illegal

    Eat less, move more.
  • jzammetti
    jzammetti Posts: 1,956 Member
    I know it isn't popular, but I started two years ago with HCG - only did the 21 days and lost 18 pounds. I have kept it all off and lost more. When I finished HCG's 3 weeks, I transitioned into a low carb, higher calorie diet, increasing to 1200 calories a day. (I know now this is bad for our bodies, but did not then, and I really needed the scale to move or I might have given up).

    Well, I eventually plateaued and found the TDEE thread. I have lost the remainder of my weight with TDEE - I feel happier, healthier, satisfied and am in the place where I can be patient now.

    So, while everyone is correct, 500 calories a day is BAD FOR YOU, I can hardly say it won't work. But I recommend, if you choose to do it, that you do not exceed the 21 days as VLCD's cause metabolic damage and lean muscle loss.
  • amitytwibell
    amitytwibell Posts: 12 Member
    I have tried it and do not recommend it. I used the drops, and was only hungry for the first couple days, but it is extremely unhealthy to eat only 500 calories a day. Also, once you stop doing it, the weight will (probably) all come back, plus some, since you haven't actually learned any healthy eating habits from it. It's just an unhealthy short-term fix, in my opinion.
  • BGM325
    BGM325 Posts: 78
    I know a couple of people that did it. They lost a crazy amount of weight. They proceeded to gain it all back (PLUS EXTRA) soon after so I'd say it's not a good idea. It's definitely better to put in the effort and hard work and see long term results than take the quick way and fail. (This coming from a person who up until a month ago ate whatever and exercised NEVER who has been able to change their ways!)
  • riley711
    riley711 Posts: 298 Member
    I know it isn't popular, but I started two years ago with HCG - only did the 21 days and lost 18 pounds. I have kept it all off and lost more. When I finished HCG's 3 weeks, I transitioned into a low carb, higher calorie diet, increasing to 1200 calories a day. (I know now this is bad for our bodies, but did not then, and I really needed the scale to move or I might have given up).

    Well, I eventually plateaued and found the TDEE thread. I have lost the remainder of my weight with TDEE - I feel happier, healthier, satisfied and am in the place where I can be patient now.

    So, while everyone is correct, 500 calories a day is BAD FOR YOU, I can hardly say it won't work. But I recommend, if you choose to do it, that you do not exceed the 21 days as VLCD's cause metabolic damage and lean muscle loss.

    What is the TDEE thread and TDEE?
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,427 MFP Moderator
    Dear Posters,

    MyFitnessPal strongly recommends that our users follow the calorie guidelines automatically assigned by our site, unless they are under the direct supervision of a doctor. We are currently reviewing the medical literature on the HCG/500 calorie diet and reserve the right to moderate against discussions of this diet at any time in the future.

    Thank you all for your concern. We're definitely looking closely at this issue.

    psuLemon

    MFP moderator
This discussion has been closed.