HCG diet?

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bstamps12
bstamps12 Posts: 1,184
in Food and Nutrition
My mom just started this HCG diet...I haven't done too much research but it sounds like it is totally unhealthy to follow it for 23 days like you are supposed to. Has anyone here tried it or researched it?

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  • warrior_underdog
    warrior_underdog Posts: 39
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    I had never heard of it so I googled and their main website says: Lose 1-2 pounds per day. Yeah, that's incredibly unhealthy and downright dangerous.
  • Jennbruce10
    Jennbruce10 Posts: 10
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    My friend just started this diet and has lost 7 lbs in 4 days. I'm not sure what to think about this kind of diet....Sounds like you get results fast but I'm wondering if is unhealthy, what is so unhealthy about it?
  • amycesich
    amycesich Posts: 1
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    Dr. Oz had this on his show. He had people that had done really well on it, and people that had some pretty scary side effects. I would watch the show, maybe online? There is no evidence as to why this works, but he was saying that he was interested in more research, because it clearly works for some people. The healthy calorie ammount for a day is 1200 and on hcg its only 500! that really can't be good. Apparently on the HCG diet, you aren't hungry!

    check out the Dr. Oz show!
  • elloradannon
    elloradannon Posts: 111
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    Isn't that the diet where you get the injections and then eat 500 calories a day? A few co-workers have done this and gotten good results- but there is no way you could live the rest of your life eating 500 calories. I would think that it would just come right back once you get back to normal living but i could be wrong
  • treena99
    treena99 Posts: 37 Member
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    I knew a few people that tried it for a week and they became sick. One of them even passed out. You have to be very careful on the HCG diet.
  • NoAdditives
    NoAdditives Posts: 4,251 Member
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    It's really not healthy. You can only eat 500 calories per day, which doesn't give your body enough nutrition and doesn't allow you to exercise. The diet is also very restrictive.
  • Fat2FitChick
    Fat2FitChick Posts: 451 Member
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    I won't be taking any type of hormone just to lose weight, that just sounds really scary to me. Your only eating like 600 calories a day to begin with and on top of that if you start to gain they tell you to fast all day then eat a steak for dinner and then the next day you should be back at your goal weight. WTH!!! That sounds down right unhealthy and doesn't sound like it is easy to even maintain the loss afterwards without fasting most of the time.

    Not worth it IMO. Make sure you do your research before you inject this foreign stuff into your body please! I'd rather see you be healthy and get to your goal at a slower steady pace than to risk your health to do it in a unhealthy speed and not be able to maintain.

    You are worth more than that!!
  • wkschuster
    wkschuster Posts: 144
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    Unfortunately this is one of those topics that will get everyone riled up :( The people not doing the HCG diet will claim its horribly dangerous and that the weight loss will never be maintained and that the people using it are lazy and cheating their way to weight loss. Most of the people using HCG will stay away because its not worth the bashing they will recieve. If you are really interested then check this link to the HCG users

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/179728-hcg-progress-updates-page-2-for-people-on-it-or-thinking-a

    Good luck and my you find the info you are looking for :)
  • bstamps12
    bstamps12 Posts: 1,184
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    That's what I have been telling my mom. I would never do this diet! She was basically just asking what was so unhealthy about it and I didn't have a good answer other than "you shouldn't be eating only 500 calories, even if it is all fruits, veggies, and protein" or "your body will be so broken down that when you are allowed to exercise again, you will be starting over at square one"

    Thanks everyone!
  • Senta7
    Senta7 Posts: 8
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    Someone I talked to at work is on it and as she was describing it to me, I kept thinking "That sounds so unhealthy!" I'm not an expert, but the very low calorie intake will throw your metabolism off kilter (she's only eating 800 calories a day). And I've also been reading in Jillian's latest book on metabolism how adding hormones to the body can be bad for your health. And I just had a thought...how can a pregnancy hormone "flush fat"? A pregnant woman's body holds on to fat, it doesn't release it! Does anyone remember the HCG hormone making them skinny? I think people are losing weight because of the extremely low calorie intake. I think the rest is hype and not only that, possibly a health deterrent. What will these hormones do to a non pregnant woman? To a man? I would encourage anyone to pick up Jillian's latest book on metabolism. It's backed by scientific data and totally balance and sound. It was a total eye opener. A friend of mine just walked into my office and says Dr. Oz weighed in on the topic and says it's unhealthy diet and you'll gain all your weight back and then some. He says it messes with your body chemistry. I'm sure the full discussion is on his web site. OK. I'll get off my soap box. Haha. I'm just so frustrated with fad diets!
  • Grokette
    Grokette Posts: 3,330 Member
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    That's what I have been telling my mom. I would never do this diet! She was basically just asking what was so unhealthy about it and I didn't have a good answer other than "you shouldn't be eating only 500 calories, even if it is all fruits, veggies, and protein" or "your body will be so broken down that when you are allowed to exercise again, you will be starting over at square one"

    Thanks everyone!

    Your mom's body will not be broken down. This plan is done in a very structured way and if she does the Protocol as written, she will not gain any weight back after she is done and she will not be unhealthy either.

    Conventional wisdom has basically brainwashed everyone to think that we need xxx amount of calories. Calories are not what is important to be healthy. It is the quality of the food you are eating that is what counts.

    I have maintained a 38 pound weight loss since last October and just this week started another round and have lost 4.8 pounds since Wednesday.

    I am already sleeping better and I have tons of energy. I have spent 3 days this week spring cleaning my house to include taking down blinds, curtains and shampooing carpets.

    I also exercise everyday. I take my dogs walking at least 2-3 miles per day (weather permitting) and I do Jillian Michaels Yoga Meltdown. Some days I do Turbo Jam also..................

    My doctor asked me if I would like to try this and I told her yes I would. So far, it has been the best decision I have made.
  • Grokette
    Grokette Posts: 3,330 Member
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    Someone I talked to at work is on it and as she was describing it to me, I kept thinking "That sounds so unhealthy!" I'm not an expert, but the very low calorie intake will throw your metabolism off kilter (she's only eating 800 calories a day). And I've also been reading in Jillian's latest book on metabolism how adding hormones to the body can be bad for your health. And I just had a thought...how can a pregnancy hormone "flush fat"? A pregnant woman's body holds on to fat, it doesn't release it! Does anyone remember the HCG hormone making them skinny? I think people are losing weight because of the extremely low calorie intake. I think the rest is hype and not only that, possibly a health deterrent. What will these hormones do to a non pregnant woman? To a man? I would encourage anyone to pick up Jillian's latest book on metabolism. It's backed by scientific data and totally balance and sound. It was a total eye opener. A friend of mine just walked into my office and says Dr. Oz weighed in on the topic and says it's unhealthy diet and you'll gain all your weight back and then some. He says it messes with your body chemistry. I'm sure the full discussion is on his web site. OK. I'll get off my soap box. Haha. I'm just so frustrated with fad diets!

    This is not a fad plan first of all, it has been around since the 1950's. Hardly a fad.............

    Also, it is 23 days of eating lower calorie and then you start upping the calorie intake with Phase 3, just no sugar and no starch. Then Phase 4 you slowly add back in small amounts of sugar and starch until you find what YOUR body can handle. Lower calories for a couple of weeks will not ruin your metabolism........Another conventional wisdom fallacy.

    I have maintained 38 pound loss since last October. That means going through Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years without gaining any weight while everyone else I know and what I have seen online has gained quite a bit during the holidays.

    This plan actually works to bring your body into homeostatis (balance).

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