HCG Diet

I know people may no want to hear this, but I posted a link about the HCG diet, and the drops don't work. They are expensive, and I see people saying that it will cost a lot. So...just trying to save you all some money. Take it or leave it...I'm not trying to sway you one way or the other, just trying to save you all money

Good luck!

I know where you are coming from, but I think that is a very broad generalization. My first round was with homeopathic drops and was succesful, also those who mix their own drops from HCG receive the same benefits that would be received from injections. There are definately some scammers and false advertising in the drops market, which I would agree, unless you know someone very well and want to take their advice on which drops to buy...to simply stay away from them altogether and get HCG from the pharmacy to mix themselves for injection or sublingual application.

I know people may no want to hear this, but I posted a link about the HCG diet, and the drops don't work. They are expensive, and I see people saying that it will cost a lot. So...just trying to save you all some money. Take it or leave it...I'm not trying to sway you one way or the other, just trying to save you all money

Good luck!

I'm basing my info on science and studies that have been done. Like I said...not trying to sway people, but there is no scientific data that shows support for the HCG hormone. It's the 500 calories a day that makes people lose weight. And please don't take this as me being mean, or trying to start something. Like I said, I'm just trying to help people save money. If you still want to use the drops and all, it's your decision.

Take care

I purchased a bunch of candy bars, muffins and other high calorie foods, since I do not keep these in my home... So this diet will end up being kid of pricey once it's all said and done...

I've read and re-read the protocol several times, It just seems so counterintuitive to force yourself to eat tons to "bad" foods I havent eaten for years... I hope all this sugar and starch doesn't make me feel sick come day 3 when it's time to start the vlcd...

Probably too late now...but there are NO caloric regulations for the loading days. Give in to your every craving. The loading days are basically your oppourtunity to get out every little craving you could possibly have. In fact the protocol mentions that the higher the fat and sugar the better...and do midnight snacks to. One of my loading days consisted of Pizza, moon pies, french toast, cookies, candy...all sorts of bad stuff, you will gain weight but it will drop off nearly immediately once you start R2. How is it going for you BTW?

That's what was thinking, we will see how the first round goes, luckily I have 18 months until my wedding and should be able to reach my goals by then!

Started loading day 1 this morning- I guess I'm used to the 1200 calorie diet I've lived on for the past few years! I ate a large breakfast and I feel stuffed! The only confusing part about the protocol- it doesn't give any caloric recommendations for the loading days- I don't want to overdo/underdo it!

You should be eating FATTY foods, not sugary and starchy junk foods.

There are plenty of fat filled foods that are healthier than sugar filled junk foods.

Go get a quality, REAL milk shake...............make some chicken wings dripping in butter. Go buy a fat filled, Huge steak and eat the fat as well as the meat............

Stay away from the muffins, candy bars, etc......

No, I would not take it as being mean, if you browse throught the thread, a few pages back you will find where I pasted several links where Dr.s where in disagreement as to the benefits of using HCG. Additionally, I also provided links to two seperate double blind studies that were conducted which both proved a significant difference in weight loss between a placebo group and the HCG group. I urge you to check them out, there is alot of misinformation out there, and most of it is negative about HCG, the science is there, and the proof is in both the research conducted by Dr. Simean as well as modern research, such as what is provided in these double blind studies, not to mention the 1000's of people who have experienced dramatic success. If it was truly the 500 VLCD that caused the weight loss there should be severe muscle atrophy, but research has shown through the use of hydrostatic body fat testing that while most diets, the ones the nutritionist endorse, will lead to 10% of total weight loss from muscle mass, those on the HCG diet have only lost a corresponding 2-4%. This fact alone proves that their is an element at work here beyond caloric starvation.

There is nothing with providing your opinion or interrpretation of articles or studies conducted, it leads to healthy debate, but I would have to firmly disagree as the science and experiences have proven HCG's (as a prescribed hormone) effectiveness.

I know where you are coming from, but I think that is a very broad generalization. My first round was with homeopathic drops and was succesful, also those who mix their own drops from HCG receive the same benefits that would be received from injections. There are definately some scammers and false advertising in the drops market, which I would agree, unless you know someone very well and want to take their advice on which drops to buy...to simply stay away from them altogether and get HCG from the pharmacy to mix themselves for injection or sublingual application.

I know people may no want to hear this, but I posted a link about the HCG diet, and the drops don't work. They are expensive, and I see people saying that it will cost a lot. So...just trying to save you all some money. Take it or leave it...I'm not trying to sway you one way or the other, just trying to save you all money

Good luck!

I'm basing my info on science and studies that have been done. Like I said...not trying to sway people, but there is no scientific data that shows support for the HCG hormone. It's the 500 calories a day that makes people lose weight. And please don't take this as me being mean, or trying to start something. Like I said, I'm just trying to help people save money. If you still want to use the drops and all, it's your decision.

Take care

Thanks for letting me know! I'll check them out! I have been doing searching and I couldn't find anything...maybe I just wasn't looking in the right places.
Thanks!

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.

Statistically significant, by definition, means exactly that...it made a difference. Where did you get the study from? Where was it conducted? Was muscle mass loss determined as well? What were the results of that particular bit of information? This is the point that so many have a hard time comprehending: You are not reducing your body to 500 calories a day; the calories are being released into the blood stream through the metabolization of fat caused by the hormone. Thats why so many of these clinicals are nonsense, because while the results may of been comparable weight loss wise the amount of muscle atrophy in each study would have been significantly different.

The study can be found here: http://www.indexmedico.com/english/obesity/hcg.htm

The conclusion was:

"Discussion and conclusions

The hCG protocol for the treatment of obesity has been loved and hated for the last 40 years. In 1974, the FDA banned the use of hCG in the US based on a series of studies maintaining that weight loss was similar both in the Placebo and hCG-treated groups. Our study corroborates those previous findings."

They do go on to say that they have some curious results and further study needed to be done on a few issues. Bottom line is HCG beat the placebo group by such a small margin that it could be explained by someone sneezing before they got on the scale and losing an extra ounce of snot.

Oh and I was wrong about the size of the study group it was only 60 people, not 600, which makes the margin of error greater.

Hi! I just wanted to quote this, so that if I hear an answer back, I can let you know. But I read the study, and had some questions. So I emailed them...and this is what I emailed them:

Hi! I read your study "Utility of an oral presentatin of hCG Human Choriognadotropin)for obseity treatment: A double blind study" and I just have a few questions that maybe you could answer for me.
1. Is this study published somewhere? And if so, what journal is it in?
2. This study was conducted by doctors associated with hCG? If so, how was any bias controlled for?
3. What is the p value for statistical significance you used? I'm in the social sciences, and for us anything less than .05 is significant. I know the medical field, because it deals with people's health, requires a lower p value. I believe at .01. Why did you chose not to use .01 as your significance point?
4. What is with the disclaimer at the end: "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" Is this just saying that the hCG hormone really doesn't work?
Thanks!

I'll keep you posted on what they answer. I think if they can answer these questions, and it is a published journal (which I couldn't find on the page) it will offer positive evidence to hCG. But that last quote on their site...my number 4, really threw me for a loop. I'm not trying to be for it, or against it, I just deal with quantitive data on a daily basis, and reading ALL studies makes me have some questions for the authors.
Thanks!

@ambrosij...ok, I wanted to do that because the quote is getting really long:) That study I do not believe was done in the US. It's by indexmedico and intersol, and the conference for hCG is in Argentina. I'll keep you posted. I found your lnks for the other articles you posted, and I'm reading them too. I do have a couple of problems with them...but I'll continue to read and make my mind up at the end.
Thanks!

See the problem I have with studies, or the lack of studies conducted in the United States is that the only way a drug manufacturer is going to research a medication is if they can profit off of it. Because HCG is a hormone it can not be patented, and much of the money associated with the research neccesary for FDA approval would be lost. Also, the FDA is a government entity and like all governement entities it is ultimately swayed by the biggest piggy bank aka Lobbyists. There is alot of reason not to allow or endorse HCG for weight loss, to include the billion dollar weight loss supplement market, and the billion dollar weight loss drug (of patented drugs like alli) market. The only way HCG will ever get a fair shake is through an independent research effort conducted at a college somewhere...and even then most will dismiss the results.

@ambrosij...ok, I wanted to do that because the quote is getting really long:) That study I do not believe was done in the US. It's by indexmedico and intersol, and the conference for hCG is in Argentina. I'll keep you posted. I found your lnks for the other articles you posted, and I'm reading them too. I do have a couple of problems with them...but I'll continue to read and make my mind up at the end.
Thanks!

Yes about the independent study!!! Anyone in the medical field who wants to do a research study?? This would be a great on done in the US, with US standards for significance ratings! You'd get published A LOT!!! Any takers?

I purchased a bunch of candy bars, muffins and other high calorie foods, since I do not keep these in my home... So this diet will end up being kid of pricey once it's all said and done...

I've read and re-read the protocol several times, It just seems so counterintuitive to force yourself to eat tons to "bad" foods I havent eaten for years... I hope all this sugar and starch doesn't make me feel sick come day 3 when it's time to start the vlcd...

Probably too late now...but there are NO caloric regulations for the loading days. Give in to your every craving. The loading days are basically your oppourtunity to get out every little craving you could possibly have. In fact the protocol mentions that the higher the fat and sugar the better...and do midnight snacks to. One of my loading days consisted of Pizza, moon pies, french toast, cookies, candy...all sorts of bad stuff, you will gain weight but it will drop off nearly immediately once you start R2. How is it going for you BTW?

That's what was thinking, we will see how the first round goes, luckily I have 18 months until my wedding and should be able to reach my goals by then!

Started loading day 1 this morning- I guess I'm used to the 1200 calorie diet I've lived on for the past few years! I ate a large breakfast and I feel stuffed! The only confusing part about the protocol- it doesn't give any caloric recommendations for the loading days- I don't want to overdo/underdo it!

You should be eating FATTY foods, not sugary and starchy junk foods.

There are plenty of fat filled foods that are healthier than sugar filled junk foods.

Go get a quality, REAL milk shake...............make some chicken wings dripping in butter. Go buy a fat filled, Huge steak and eat the fat as well as the meat............

Stay away from the muffins, candy bars, etc......

I'm curious to know the detailed biology behind the diet. I know it's been mentioned but can you direct me to a scientific source that specifically outlines the chemical processes that would support the use of the hormone in burning of excess fat. The more detailed the scientific explanation, the better.

I know that in the case of some vitamins, any EXCESS of the vitamins are stored in fat cells for later use. But if you are not getting the vitamins in your diet, then would you not run out of excess stores quickly? Also, you risk not getting proper amounts of vitamins and minerals that are not fat soluble and thus will not be stored in the body (vitamin B, C, thiamine, etc...). Is it possible to get sufficient amounts of these vitamins from the restricted diet and/or use of a supplement?

The diet may be effective, whether this is due to the restricted calories or the hCG or a combination of the two, but does that necessarily mean that it is healthy for your body? Is there evidence that it is? I just can't imagine how it doesn't cause headaches, fatigue and trouble concentrating the way that not eating in general would (I expect I'll be told that it's because of the calories burned from the fat cells, but I'm skeptical). Is it advisable to exercise moderately or heavily while eating so little?

I also want to point out that different medical journals and sources have different levels of credibility and guidelines for publication, and that it is important to take into consideration who is conducting/funding the study and read it critically taking these factors into account.

None of this is meant to be combative or judgmental. I'm actually very curious about the ins and outs of the diet from a biological perspective. If the diet is giving you the results you are looking for and you feel good doing it, then that's great and I wish you all the best in your weight loss!