Trying to find out some info on the HCG diet..

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Hello friends!

A girlfriend of mine who has PCOS (I do, too) was telling me about her struggles with weight loss. Now, I've always been very particular about making sure not to use PCOS as an excuse as to why I'm not losing weight, but I know that chemically, it does make it a little more difficult.

She was telling me about her use of homeopathic hcg that she buys online through various websites, specifically from Dr. Simeons. She was telling me about how much it can help with infertility as well (common with PCOS) and about how you eat 500 calories and are not supposed to exercise... What!?

Everything sounded so great, until the 500 cals part and no exercise.. could this even be healthy? They say you only get 500 cals because the drops that you take produce chemicals in your body that allow you to burn off the fat as a calorie source, and that you're not supposed to exercise because it throws your body off balance and requires you to consume more cals.

Can someone help me out with this stuff? Is it just another fad diet or is it a natural remedy to some of the struggles with PCOS?

Thanks Mfp!

Replies

  • melsinct
    melsinct Posts: 3,512 Member
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    If you do a search on this website there has been tons and tons of thread about it.
  • StefD78
    StefD78 Posts: 18 Member
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    Personally,I wouldnt do it because it doesnt sound healthy and yeah,you'll lose weight only eating 500 calories a day. As soon as you go off the diet and eat "normally",you'll gain back what you lost and probably more.
  • KaylaBlu2019
    KaylaBlu2019 Posts: 118 Member
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    Well, I did do a search and I'm trying to weed out the info. Thanks - I'll try again.
  • jagh09
    jagh09 Posts: 555 Member
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    Rule of Thumb: If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

    This cannot be healthy for you. Adding HGC to a body can cause so many problems. There are links between this and cancer, as HGC can mask the cancer in your body and allow it to spread wildly unnoticed. It's a bad thing to play with!
  • ashleynicoleb
    ashleynicoleb Posts: 376 Member
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    From my understanding, you get great results while you're actually following the diet, but it's near impossible to sustain your losses once you gradually return to eating normally.
  • littleluvbug
    littleluvbug Posts: 137 Member
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    I know there are a lot of opinions out there, but as someone who has lost over a hundred pounds, let me caution you...there is NO substitute for healthy eating and exercise. Anything that promises amazing results quick will see you amazingly putting the weight back on. This weight loss journey is a forever thing...you cannot lose the weight and then go back to how you were, you have to change everything and the hCG diet is a gimmick, a crutch, making someone else rich. Do it right, don't mess up your body....

    -From someone that's been there....
  • Hopeinanguish
    Hopeinanguish Posts: 101 Member
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    I realize your journey may be more difficut because of your condition, but that is not the way to go. ANY pill or weight loss supplement is going to backfire when you come off of it. NO SHORTCUTS! You can only truly take ownership and pride in your weight loss if YOU did it, not some pill.
  • DizzieLittleLifter
    DizzieLittleLifter Posts: 1,020 Member
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    This was on the Dr.s yesterday. The best source of information is to talk to your own Dr. :wink: That being said some of the stuff they said on the Dr.s about it would be enough to turn me away.
  • stormieweather
    stormieweather Posts: 2,549 Member
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    Some studies have shown that the HCG is basically a placebo effect, the real loss comes from eating 500 calories a day. Sadly, a lot of is likely to be muscle, since there is no exercise allowed. People frequently gain all the weight back because they never actually learned to eat proper nutrition and portions, and/or they rushed thru the later stages of slowly adding food back to their diet.

    I know it's rough trying to lose wigh PCOS or other condition, but in the long run, I'd say it's safer and more permanent.
  • hendricksonpower
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    I have tried this diet 4 times. My advice is if you are still in the quick fix frame of mind go ahead and try it. it is a risk and It never worked for me. Yes I lost weight but I felt so weak. Only 500 calories is not healthy and you do NOT get the nutrients you need. Health is about living life, experiencing things, living a long time to be there for the ones you love. For me it messed with my blood sugar, made me feel weak, and I felt like crap when I caved into my cravings which gave me an unhealthy perspective about food. Please just remember why you want to be healthy. Plus if your just losing weight you dont build strength, endurance or muscle. All of which has now given me a much better outlook on life. you just have to be ready for it. Best wishes :)
  • KaylaBlu2019
    KaylaBlu2019 Posts: 118 Member
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    Thanks for all the replies! I kinda figured this is what I would see. :)

    I've gotten this far without any help, I can definitely keep going, and I know that.

    I wasn't necessarily looking for something to make the weight shed super fast, and I know damn well that 500 cals is not healthy, especially accompanied with instructions to not exercise.

    But - I had never heard of this today and it just seemed.. strange.

    And like I said, I work very hard to never use PCOS as an excuse for being overweight or for not losing weight, More cals out than cals in equals success, period.

    Thanks for all the thoughts and responses!

    xoxo Kay
  • Satchi16
    Satchi16 Posts: 1 Member
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    I can't speak about the PCOS , except to say I have a good friend who had gastric bypass surgery, lost over 100 lbs and her PCOS went away after her weight loss. She has since had 4 children without any fertility treatments.

    As far as the HGC diet, I have another friend who did it last year, has lost over 60 lbs andhas kept it off. It was a very difficult diet, but she was fed-up with her weight and so she tried it. She went through a provider and followed a prescribed diet and no exercise, which was good because she hates to exercise anyway! I can't imagine it's easy to keep it up forever, although you finally increase your intake until you gain weight to test your set point. She still doesn't eat much, but really, who does who is really thin?
  • KaylaBlu2019
    KaylaBlu2019 Posts: 118 Member
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    Interesting. =/
  • khk2010
    khk2010 Posts: 451 Member
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    Someone I know is doing it and she loves it. She has lost weight and says she feels great, isn't hungry, and has plenty of energy.

    Personally I wouldn't do it. I have had my share of quick fixes. I need to develop a lifestyle I can live with - well - for the rest of my life. I think for me to do that I need to eat reasonably, develop healthy habits, and exercise. It is taking a while to get where I want to be, but it is working.
  • misadele
    misadele Posts: 16 Member
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    I have taken the HCG drops about a year and a half ago. I lost 21 lbs in 3 wks and lost it in the most difficult places to lose. I maintained that loss up until about 2 months ago and gained back 15 by eating out too much! Date nights with hubby werre kicking my butt! I'm currently on day 9 of counting calories/excercising and getting discouraged. I had been toying with idea of getting a jumpstart again with HCG and saw a thread on here of HCG dieters, so I ordered my botttle about an hour ago. I am the type of person who needs instant gratification or I give up. So I intend to get back on them to get me going, once I start feeling better about myself and my progress I'm hoping I will be able to stick with the calorie counting regimen. I personally have never heard about the cancer issue and have done a bit of reading about it. I had more energy, found it hard to eat my 500 calories some days but generally the fact that I was able to do it at all..... I impressed myself.
  • Kuvee
    Kuvee Posts: 12 Member
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    I have been on the diet for a week and a day now. Like any diet, fad or medical approved, it's what you put into during and after. I am personally tired of being obese. I take ten oral drops three times a day. Yes, I eat 500 calories. Breakfast is nothing but water and tea. Then a piece of fruit for a snack. Then 100 grams of meat/fish and a 100 grams of one vegetable for lunch. My second snack is another piece of fruit. Dinner is the same as lunch. I drink 3 liters of water a day not counting the tea. I haven't been hungry. Cravings is more in my mind of seeing something that I would generally purchase and eat without a thought. I am planning ahead for my maintenance phase and beyond. Yes, many people don't approve of this diet and are very anti hCG. I don't know the science behind it all. I have seen people say that it's all part of my mind getting through eating 500 calories a day. I walk 30 minutes a day briskly to keep my muscles up. One of the things that convinced me to do this diet is the Dr. Oz show (http://www.doctoroz.com/videos/weight-loss-controversy-hcg-diet-pt-1) as well as many youtube videos of people who have lost the weight and have kept it off. I believe in it. I am going to continue with it until I reach my final goal weight. I would suggest to anyone planning to do this diet to prepare themselves by getting there portion control set with at least 1200 so you are prepare for lowering down to 500. You can see my vlogs on youtube under the name simoneminyettehcg.
  • Kuvee
    Kuvee Posts: 12 Member
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    Here is Slim Steve who is an inspiration to a lot of us. He has lost 150 and has been able to keep it off. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BPIhJBskwX8&feature=player_embedded
  • KaylaBlu2019
    KaylaBlu2019 Posts: 118 Member
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    That funny, he's from a town not to far from me!