HCG Hormone

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timetoembrace
timetoembrace Posts: 77
in Health and Weight Loss
Has anyone heard of this new hormone for losing weight, apparently its the pregnency hormone and it causes major weight loss? I read that Dr.Oz is supporting it, but is it just another fad or is it something to consider?


Just looking for opinions or facts if you know someone who has used it.

Replies

  • didi7422
    didi7422 Posts: 14
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    I know someone who did it through a medical office. It was super expensive and she did lose some weight but they also told her only to eat 500 calories a day - so clearly you'd lose weight only eating that!! They also told her no exercise...it just really didn't sound healthy at all. She lost weight while she was doing it but then put it all back once she stopped taking the hormone and went back to normal eating. But that's just one person's experience - not sure how it's worked for others.
  • Robyn1733
    Robyn1733 Posts: 58
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    I have read similar results from people on here that state they loose a bunch of weight, but once they go off (which you are supposed to every 3 month), they gain weight. And yes your diet is only 500 calories and no exercise.
  • Kirsty_UK
    Kirsty_UK Posts: 964 Member
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    Why would you ever mess with your body's hormonal balance without a good medical reason? that makes zero sense to me.
  • McBody
    McBody Posts: 1,703 Member
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    It's a trend. It's simply another drug that the FDA won't approve that you take temporarily and lose weight. It is not a lifestyle change, so you're not changing your old habits. There aren't any valid studies showing that the hormone had anything to do with the weight loss- but the strict calorie intake definitely had results. By reducing your calorie intake to 500-800 calories a day you'll have the following delightful side effects (hope you're not married): Fatigue, irritability, headaches, and in males- enlarged breast tissue.

    I say, save your money- it's a diet fad, Dr. Oz is probably getting some money to endorse it.
  • chizzledfrmstone
    chizzledfrmstone Posts: 58
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    I haven't had Endocrinology in a while but I'll tell you what I know about it.

    When a female gets pregnant the placenta starts making HCG within a few days in very small amounts. This is what pregnancy tests detect.

    The thought behind taking HCG is that it will trick your hypothalamus to change your metabolism and release fat from adipose tissue. The reason the diet suggests a very low calorie diet and so that the body will use the released fat for energy.

    For men I know HCG mimics luteinizing hormone and causes leydig cells to produce testosterone.

    I don't believe I've ever seen any studies that it actually works and it's not approved. The fact that a bunch of people lose .5 lbs a day might have something to do with them only eating 500 kcal a day.
  • runlorirun
    runlorirun Posts: 389
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    Ah, man... I like Dr. Oz he's usually not a promoter of fads! I have read some about HCG and it just sounds to risky. I think the reason your not allowed to exercise is because you would most likely pass out from not having enough fuel for you body to get through a routine or a walk/run, bike ride.

    I will keep loosing the old fashion way here...lol It maybe slow but it's working :wink:
  • chels1605
    chels1605 Posts: 206 Member
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    HCG makes a lot of people feel sick...... probably why people loose weight because they don't want to eat!
  • zoink66
    zoink66 Posts: 116 Member
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    I did a short round (21 days) of the HCG diet some time ago and lost about 6 kilos. It got me over a plateau I'd been struggling with for MONTHS. I'm only about half a kilo away from my goal weight, and the last pounds have been verrrry slow to come off, and HCG definitely helped with that. I simply don't have the willpower to do a longer round though, as the diet is very restrictive.

    I've not gained any of the weight back. In fact, I'm still losing. Like any diet, you have to change your eating habits for the long term and people who haven't done the diet don't realize that the very restrictive 500 calorie plan is only a small portion of the diet--later on you start reintroducing other healthy foods and exercise back into your diet for maintenance. But HCG certainly helped me and I haven't suffered any ill effects. There are many people on the board who have tried this diet and several threads, as well as a HCG support thread of users who would be able to answer questions more knowledgeably than me.
  • klabeau
    klabeau Posts: 261 Member
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    She didn't do it correctly. You cannot just go back to eatting normal. You slowly re-introduce other foods into your diet. After the drops it's a six week process for that. I can tell you I never felt sick. And after two weeks on HCG, I visited my doctor. And after checking my Blood Pressure, he deterrmined there was no need for the medicine anymore. I had been on it for 11yrs. I then told my doctor what I was taking. And he has been monitoring me since I began. I've lost 32 lbs on it.

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