HCG Diet

So, do you think if instead of using this "diet", if you'd subscribed to healthy eating and workout out regularly...would you be where you are today? All diets are fads...because they do not work, it's that simple. It takes hard work, eating right, and discipline. No shortcuts. But shortcuts sell, so you'll see every diet in the world regurgitated over and over...just like this one.

I was on this diet in the 80's under a Doctors care and lost a lot of weight. However, for me, the downside was not being able to have a BM everyday, constipation was a problem. But it does work and I can't call it a fad diet since it's been around for decades. Good Luck to anyone trying it!

Wow yet another person who just simply doesnt bother doing his homework before hitting enter on the keyboard....

HCG protocol is a fad diet - with a quick fix mentality.
Nothing more to say.. good luck.

How much money do you spend a month on GNC supplements that have not been scientifically proven to do anything except cost you money...dont lie...I know you have, I have been in your shoes...hell I was probably in even better shape. Things change, people change, what works for some doesnt work for all...and really unless you have the proof to back it up...dont post ridiculous things.

So, do you think if instead of using this "diet", if you'd subscribed to healthy eating and workout out regularly...would you be where you are today? All diets are fads...because they do not work, it's that simple. It takes hard work, eating right, and discipline. No shortcuts. But shortcuts sell, so you'll see every diet in the world regurgitated over and over...just like this one.

I was on this diet in the 80's under a Doctors care and lost a lot of weight. However, for me, the downside was not being able to have a BM everyday, constipation was a problem. But it does work and I can't call it a fad diet since it's been around for decades. Good Luck to anyone trying it!

Speaking of proof, I would really love some links to reliable, peer-edited research papers backing up all these scientific claims about HCG you bring up. There are dozens of articles disproving it, and I've found only one showing a near negligible difference between a 'regular' 500 calorie diet vs and a 500 cal diet used in conjunction with HCG.
There is a lot of misinformation around, so without 'proof', its hard to take your claims seriously.
Edit: Not meaning this aggressively, so please dont get offended! Internet tone is hard to convey. But if theres reading I can do on it, it'd be nice.

Really? So 50 years is a fad? Thats a long fad. I disagree with you, but that is pretty obvious. Enjoy your creatine monohydrate, nobody has determined what the long term negative effects of that are either.

You seem to be disagreeable in general
My diary is public - did you even bother to look at it?

Your comments seem to be as myopic as the hcg diet. Congrats on finding something that fits your style of thinking.
Good luck.. I think you'll need it.

Thanks, did you need a thesaurus to look up myopic? I wouldnt say disagreeable, as much as I would say defensive...which I am, because we have people like you come in and make broad generalizations about something that you know nothing about...now in my book...thats myopic.

Ok, I just wanted to chime in here. I don't want to offend anyone, but there were a few things said that kinda bothered me.

First, I've never heard of you fat cells storing vitamins along with the fat. I think that is a bit of misinfirmation being handed around. If anyone can find anything to substantiate this I'd be very interested.

Second, while the offer to produce peer reviewed studies supporting HGC's roll in the diet non have been. After looking for myself I found one that claimed a statistically significant difference in weight loss, body composition of weight loss, and fewer feelung of hunger when compaired to a placebo group. The base group was 600 or so people and they were split into 3 groups - 2 on different dosages of HGC and one on sugar pills. All groups followed the same diet. At the end of the 5 week study those on HGC lost a "statistically significant" .02 kilograms more than placebo, and a "statistically significant" .0005% more body fat. Personally I take from this study that "statistically significant" means "actually irrelevant." If anyone can offer a different study with better results, please do.

And lastly there may be no side effects from the HGC itself, but there are common and frequent side effects that are often severe, of a 500 calorie a day diet and lack of nutrition. Including hair loss, and organ failure, the later leading to death.

In severely obese people 500 calorie a day diets are sometimes prescribed because the risks of being so over weight out way the risks of the diet. These people are monitored closely and given vitamin, mineral, and proteib supplements to further decrease their risks. If you are not severely obese and under a doctors care, please consider a safer approach to your weight loss.

Nutrients Must Be Soluble
In order to use the nutrients that we take in when we eat, we must first break the food down into its nutritive components. These components are then either absorbed by the body, or they pass through the intestinal tract and are removed from the body in the feces. The nutrients that are absorbed pass through the lining of the intestinal tract into the blood. The blood carries these nutrients to the sites where they will be reassembled and used by the body. If the nutrients are not used immediately, they will either be stored for later use, or excreted in the urine. Each of these fates of the absorbed nutrients (immediate use, storage, or excretion via urine) requires that the nutrients be soluble. To be transported from the stomach to other parts of the body, the nutrients must either be soluble in water (the main component of blood plasma), or be solubilized by some other particles (e.g., proteins) that are carried in the blood. Nutrients that are stored in the body are typically stored in fat cells, so they must be soluble in fat. And of course, to be excreted via the urine, a nutrient must be water-soluble. Hence, understanding the solubility of nutrients in the different substances of the body is very important for understanding how they can be used or processed in the body.

Scientists have developed several ways to discuss the important concepts of solubility. For salts (ionic solids) that dissociate into ions in water, such as the compounds containing the dietary minerals, a solubility product (Ksp) is typically given. The solubility product is the equilibrium constant for the dissociation reaction of the compound into ions in aqueous solution. This quantity is useful, for instance, in determining which compound containing a given mineral is more soluble, and hence would be better absorbed as a dietary supplement (e.g., calcium carbonate vs. calcium sulfate). The solubility of organic molecules, such as the vitamins, is quantified using a different scale known as Hidebrand solubility parameters (which will not be discussed in this tutorial). Organic molecules may be soluble in water or in lipids, depending on the functional groups on the molecule. A vitamin's solubility in water or in lipids determines where it can be used, and whether it will be stored in fat cells or excreted from the body if it is not needed for immediate use.

Just a reminder folks - please keep the discussion respectful at all times. If you disagree with someone, you must do so respectfully. As per our forum rules, personal attacks and insults will not be tolerated at any time, under any circumstance. Members who insult or attack other members can have their posting privileges suspended or can even be banned from the site. So please make sure to adhere to the forum rules at all times.
[/quote

That is so myopic of you!

I admit it, I don't know what myopic means.

What is the cost comparison between the injections and the drops?

I am doing the injections and I got my prescription from my doctor. She wrote prescription for the HCG, mixing kit and insulin needles. It cost me $124.56 for enough HCG for 2 rounds. She also wrote me 2 refills.

My insurance didn't cover it, so I paid for it out of pocket because for women it is used as a fertility treatment and my insurance did not cover fertility treatments at all.

I'm so glad to see so many people on here who are trying or have tried this, and have positive remarks. The negative criticism is going to happen regardless because people don't understand how it works (never bothered to read it). I have to admit that I gave a co-worker the same "that's not safe" speech when I first heard about it, but after she had me actually read it, and then I did A LOT of research myself, I was ready to try it too. Another co-worker and I are on this together now, and though it's not easy, we're both doing great. We are only day 10, and she has lost 9 lbs, I have lost 8 (well, probably 1.5 since I gained day 2 before started the VLCD - and my ticker is off because of my previous weight from before this diet). I did have a bit of a standstill, where I went from losing 1 1/2, then two days of 2 1/2, I had two days where I lost absolutely nothing. I assume I was retaining water, because I wasn't going to bathroom every hour like I had been from all the water. But this morning, back to losing a pound. I'm very happy with this so far. Granted, I have a ways to go, but as long as I can see the results, I can still with the low calories. And for those that are concerned we're in starvation mode, I can tell you that now that some of the fat is melting off my arms, I can actually see the biceps that I had previously worked so hard on before. The fat is going away, and the muscle tone is starting to show through. YAY!!! Thank you to all who are here for support. To all who are not, well....

People seem to have done alot of research on this topic, and many seem to have come away with the belief that hcg causes your body to release stored fat to be used for energy. Perhaps I'm just horrible at searhing the internet, but I can't find any study or report or opinion offered by some one not trying to sell me hcg that says that hcg has been scientifically proven to do anything in regards to weight loss. I've asked for links and links and other information have been promised, but so far no one has been able to say go here and read this study to see proof of hcg at work. If anyone can, please help me to understand where this information is comming from.

http://www.ajcn.org/content/26/2/211.full.pdf

---

THIS IS THE DOUBLE BLIND STUDY BY TWO MEDICAL DOCTORS

OK a double blind study but it's kinda hard for me to accept. One of the people conducting the study owns operates an HCG clinic. And they had a tiny base group of 40 with nearly half the placebo patients not completing the study, and 1/3 of the total participants dropping out by the end .

http://hcgobesity.org/research/Double_Blind_Study_hCG.pdf

---

DOUBLE BLIND STUDY WITH PHOTO DOCUMENTATION

The one study that sems to be legit, and have some positive results about Hcg.

http://guidetoplasticsurgery.com/what-is-the-controversy-surrounding-hcg/

This is an interview with a doctor that runs an HCG clinic. Really? He's gonna say I sell sugar water for a small fortune?

And even he says - The only question left is how exactly the HCG injections work. Dr. Moulavi admits that there is a chance that HCG patients lose more weight simply because their commitment level is higher than dieters who have not invested in the plan.

http://www.stltoday.com/lifestyles/health-med-fit/fitness/article_1afd3eb8-1a85-508f-8634-eb96435599db.html

An anecdotal story in the St Louis Today that in no way can attribute their weight loss to the HCG as opposed to the VLCD. This article is more about the couple than the diet.

And the only real reference to any type of study in this article -
"Recently, the FDA said that while the hCG chemical isn't harmful, the sale of it amounts to economic fraud.
And in 2009, a federal judge ordered Trudeau, author of the book that jump-started the recent trend, to pay a fine of more than $37 million to the Federal Trade Commission for violating a 2004 order, because he had misrepresented the content of his Weight Loss Cure book.
Dr. George Griffing, an endocrinologist and professor of internal medicine at St. Louis University Medical School, points to a 1995 meta analysis that looked at 24 studies on the efficacy of hCG as a diet drug. Several of them compared hCG to placebos, and just one of the 24 showed any benefit of hCG."

http://www.yumasun.com/articles/diet-67829-hcg-barnett.html

An article from the Yuma Sun in Yuma Arizona. Again anecdotal story, no evidence. And from the article, this is written on every vial of HCG

“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.”

http://www.nevadaappeal.com/article/20100306/NEWS/100309682

So some legislators decided to allow it to be sold in Nevada, provided it gets final approval from another board. Again not evidence that HGC does anything.

From the article -

"According to the Mayo Clinic, studies have found HCG is no more effective in reducing weight than placebos. What loses weight is exercise and eating healthier foods, the clinic says."

http://www.lvrj.com/health/safe-effective-weight-loss-116643674.html
http://www.aestheticmedicinenews.com/follow-jeffs-hcg-weight-loss.htm
http://www.wpbf.com/health/25149581/detail.html

Again, all 3 no evidence and just anecdotes. One from the Las Vegas Review Journal, one a blog from a doctor who's trying the diet, and one from a T.V. station ABC 25 in West Palm Beach.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1237915/pdf/westjmed00268-0035.pdf ---Double blind study that says HCG is not effective...notice that the study does not take the actual protocol into as nearly as much consideration as the studies above. Additionally, notice that the study is published on a .gov website, as I have stated before the FDA would not support HCG for weightloss because the big drug companies dont want it to be approved, there is no money to be made on a hormone.

You linked a summary of the study, not the actual study itself. Of course they don't go into massive detail about what the patients were allowed to eat. It's 3 pages long and the diet portion of the other one was a full page by itself. It does say however that -

"Instructions regarding diet, cosmetics and handling of patients
at return visits were identical to those described
in the study reported previously by Asher and
Harper."

Which is the first study you posted. So in summary the patients were on the same diet, weighed and measured the same on return visits, told about cosmetics, and everything just like your study, but with different results.

There are simple 1000 positive experiences to every 1 bad experience

This is simply not true. The problem is that every one who stops the diet because they can't seem to focus their mind, gets headaches, or is ravenously hungry all the time, is labeled a failure, and you ignore their bad experience.

regardless of all the provided information below, I dont think you can dismiss the 10s of thousands of individuals who have documented their success through the use of HCG

Look, all I'm saying is everything claimed to be done by the HCG is also done by a VLCD. When you don't eat enough your body has to mobilize your fat stores to make up the difference. It has to. There is no magic. If it doesn't you die. And I know you say that the percentage of loss is more from fat when on the protocol, but the evidence just isn't there to make that claim.

VLCDs can be effective for severely obese people because the risks of the diet, out weigh the risks of being severely over weight. But they should only be done under a doctors care.

What upsets me is that while you claim the FDA is in the pocket of the big drug companies you're more than willing to listen to the snake oil salesman who tells you the government doesn't want you to know about this but 1 tbls of this a day cures bad breath, toe jam, and cancer, provided you follow the protocol of hourly teeth brushing, twice daily toe cleaning, and no screenings for life.

I think I've had my say here so I'll leave you to it. I may be wrong but I seriously doubt that you or anyone already convinced of the power will be persuaded by anything I have to say.

Thank you for the links, and the mostly civil discourse.

*edited to fix all those dang quotes

Interesting reading from both points of view. Thank you.
I have just started this diet and reading all the information on the web is confusing me.
Can/should you take a multivitamin? Potassium, magnesium, biotin, B12?
Some sites say supplement, others say take nothing.
Some say exercise, others say you don't have too.
Some say certain shakes are OK, and "miracle noodles" ??
I want this to work but the food/ supplement advice is so varied.........help, anyone???

Interesting reading from both points of view. Thank you.
I have just started this diet and reading all the information on the web is confusing me.
Can/should you take a multivitamin? Potassium, magnesium, biotin, B12?
Some sites say supplement, others say take nothing.
Some say exercise, others say you don't have too.
Some say certain shakes are OK, and "miracle noodles" ??
I want this to work but the food/ supplement advice is so varied.........help, anyone???