Friends don't let friends take HCG
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jessiferrrb
Posts: 1,758 Member
so, lately i have more and more friends who have started VLCDs, HCG and super restrictive elimination diets. i don't want to be pushy or discouraging, i want to be supportive, but it's really hard for me shut up and smile when they tell me that they hate missing out on everything but they've lost 10 pounds in 2 weeks and it's so worth it.
what i want to say is, that's awesome!! - but it's probably a lot of water weight and there are way easier ways to do this. i want to point out that i've lost 20 pounds, albeit slowly, without sequestering myself and funneling my beer money into mlm shakes. what i want to say is that HCG is not proven to aid weight loss in any way but being a 6'2 man and eating 750 calories a day is not healthy. what i want to say is that you don't have to go gluten free, vegan and alcohol free all at once to lose weight (although, to be honest, this actually doesn't really bother me as much because this friend seems super happy with what she's eating so far).
i'm honestly not against any way that people eat that makes them happy. vegan - go for it! i wish i could give up dairy but i get miserable. keto - more power to you! but if you're constantly telling me you're miserable and you can't wait till you can go to brunch and eat pizza then i want to tell you that you can! the problem is that even asking gentle questions like "why do you feel you have to eliminate everything" gets met with a defensiveness that i don't really want to push back upon.
i'm fully ready to hear that this is my problem and really none of my business and to let them do whatever they want. even if their patterns are to gain everything back and try the master cleanse in 6 months. i would just like to hear if anyone has had these experiences.
/rant
tl;dr nobody wants to drink any kool-aid but their own.
what i want to say is, that's awesome!! - but it's probably a lot of water weight and there are way easier ways to do this. i want to point out that i've lost 20 pounds, albeit slowly, without sequestering myself and funneling my beer money into mlm shakes. what i want to say is that HCG is not proven to aid weight loss in any way but being a 6'2 man and eating 750 calories a day is not healthy. what i want to say is that you don't have to go gluten free, vegan and alcohol free all at once to lose weight (although, to be honest, this actually doesn't really bother me as much because this friend seems super happy with what she's eating so far).
i'm honestly not against any way that people eat that makes them happy. vegan - go for it! i wish i could give up dairy but i get miserable. keto - more power to you! but if you're constantly telling me you're miserable and you can't wait till you can go to brunch and eat pizza then i want to tell you that you can! the problem is that even asking gentle questions like "why do you feel you have to eliminate everything" gets met with a defensiveness that i don't really want to push back upon.
i'm fully ready to hear that this is my problem and really none of my business and to let them do whatever they want. even if their patterns are to gain everything back and try the master cleanse in 6 months. i would just like to hear if anyone has had these experiences.
/rant
tl;dr nobody wants to drink any kool-aid but their own.
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Replies
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I thought you meant the pregnancy hormone lol1
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People get hangry when they are starving.
Steer clear...don't poke the bear!5 -
I thought you meant the pregnancy hormone lol
@fascha i do mean the pregnancy hormone. i have a 6'2 guy friend who is currently taking daily shots of it and eating 750 calories a day. he lost 12 pounds in a week, but of course he did! he's 6'2 and eating 750 calories!cmriverside wrote: »People get hangry when they are starving.
Steer clear...don't poke the bear!
that is good advice.
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Terrible diet! My aunt lost 80 lbs then gained 90 one year later. Her metabolism is messed up and has no more muscle tone.1
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I thought you meant the pregnancy hormone lol
Actually... It IS the pregnancy hormone. But most of the hCG products nowadays don't contain any actual hormone in it (except the injections. Which I think are illegal.)
ETA: OP beat me to it... And apparently the injections still exist!1 -
Deadlifting_Away_Doritos wrote: »Terrible diet! My aunt lost 80 lbs then gained 90 one year later. Her metabolism is messed up and has no more muscle tone.
@Deadlifting_Away_Doritos I saw a documentary: "Facing The Fat" on Amazon Prime of, an obese man whom went 55 days without food; just water &'s currently larger than, ever because he, also ruined his; metabolism!0 -
@jessiferrrb the reason why the gentle question of "why do you feel you have to eliminate everything" is met with defensiveness is that to someone who is already defensive about their "fitness choices" (and suspects that you may not approve of them) or someone who is just plain hungry because they're basically starving themselves, it doesn't sound gentle. It sounds accusatory even though you don't mean it to be. They are already defensive so they key into the "you-message" in your question which suggests that they are at fault and making the wrong choice.
Try turning it into an "I-message". For instance: "I think that not being able to eat all of those things forever would be really hard and not a lot of fun. I do (insert advice here) and it really works for me. It's a long road but I'm making progress and I still get to eat my favorite stuff."
You could even try to get them to join you depending on what your relationship is and how much you want to be involved: "I've found that it's easier for me to stay committed and reach my goals if I have a partner or someone to be accountable to, do you want to join me?"
You can still poke the bear and change their mind. It's all about the psychology.4 -
@jessiferrrb when people tell me that, they wanna lose weight I ask them for; how long? They become, perplexed & say they never wanna regain it, then I tell them that; they do wanna lose weight because when, we lose something we desire to; find it again & what, their doing'll guarantee that; they'll find it again!
I operate, a group here & via the start I did something drastically different I, sought to help them/me change our mindset to; change our bodies! Not only do, I but most of the members of my group refer to, their journey as getting "rid" of weight instead; of "losing" it! There's such a power alone by, just changing; your terminology & thus, it's meaning because when we desire to get rid of, something we never seek to; find it again & therefore we initiate appropriate actions to, ensure that; we don't find it again!3 -
I don't know that program but it sounds heinous; had no clue you could medically inject yourself with hcg for weight loss. I always thought that was something guys on long steroid cycles did to get their swimmers back... hrm0
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Supercatie80 wrote: »@jessiferrrb the reason why the gentle question of "why do you feel you have to eliminate everything" is met with defensiveness is that to someone who is already defensive about their "fitness choices" (and suspects that you may not approve of them) or someone who is just plain hungry because they're basically starving themselves, it doesn't sound gentle. It sounds accusatory even though you don't mean it to be. They are already defensive so they key into the "you-message" in your question which suggests that they are at fault and making the wrong choice.
Try turning it into an "I-message". For instance: "I think that not being able to eat all of those things forever would be really hard and not a lot of fun. I do (insert advice here) and it really works for me. It's a long road but I'm making progress and I still get to eat my favorite stuff."
You could even try to get them to join you depending on what your relationship is and how much you want to be involved: "I've found that it's easier for me to stay committed and reach my goals if I have a partner or someone to be accountable to, do you want to join me?"
You can still poke the bear and change their mind. It's all about the psychology.
that's a good perspective, and you're right, people have all sorts of emotions wrapped up in health and fitness. i know i do still. for example, as i was typing this thread i wondered whether my friends would be more open to my suggestions if i lost my weight quicker and had made more progress at this point. that came entirely from me and my own insecurities. thanks for the thoughtful response.1 -
I did that diet - hCG, very restrictive. I lost about 30 lbs in 40 days. It was a great feeling seeing the scale go down, but the problem is this; you cannot eat that way forever. The hCG diet should only last 21-40 days. Then you have to wait like 6 weeks to do another round, by then you've added some of that weight back on waiting for the next round. It's roller coaster. I was "hangry" all the time. It ruin my taste for shrimp because all I was eating was fish and chicken, certain fruits and veggies. The actual food you eat is good for you. You cannot eat ANY processed foods and very low glycemic index fruits. No melons, no grapes, no oranges, stuff like that.
For me I had to learn the hard way, it wasn't permanent and it wasn't realistic.
My advice to you is to be supportive to your friends. Celebrate their motivation to change. If they say they are hungry all the time, tell them they are allowed to eat more wholesome foods. They shouldn't ignore their hunger.
The thing you will see, after a few months is that the weight comes back on. Just wait and watch. It's true. I had to learn to take it the healthy slow route. One day at a time. Small changes and consistency.1 -
For some people abstinence from certain foods or the placebo of rigid guidelines is what works for them. I don't judge. Like you I've found moderation is key, CICO is the ultimate conclusion, but after losing close to 120lbs there are still certain foods I stay away from lest they spin out of control.
If someone wants to do the (fake) hcg diet, that's great for them, hopefully they use that momentum to keep it going forward after.
(pretty sure real hcg has been banned quite a while)1 -
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You guys realize that hcg is not used for weight loss right? Hcg is generally used by men on a cycle of test to keep them from shutting down, it keeps the testes from shrinking and also allows them to produce testosterone naturally while on cycle, this makes recovery easier after the cycle... I'm thinking the super low calories are making you guys lose weigh not the hcg0
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You guys realize that hcg is not used for weight loss right? Hcg is generally used by men on a cycle of test to keep them from shutting down, it keeps the testes from shrinking and also allows them to produce testosterone naturally while on cycle, this makes recovery easier after the cycle... I'm thinking the super low calories are making you guys lose weigh not the hcg
That's why it's illegal to be given for weight loss, and whatever the OP's friend is using is either illegal or fake. The "hcg diet," complete with injections or drops, is still alive and well, administered by scam artists.0 -
jessiferrrb wrote: »I thought you meant the pregnancy hormone lol
@fascha i do mean the pregnancy hormone. i have a 6'2 guy friend who is currently taking daily shots of it and eating 750 calories a day. he lost 12 pounds in a week, but of course he did! he's 6'2 and eating 750 calories!cmriverside wrote: »People get hangry when they are starving.
Steer clear...don't poke the bear!
that is good advice.
Where do these fads crop up from? I would really like to know the rationale behind taking HCG.1 -
PaulaWallaDingDong wrote: »You guys realize that hcg is not used for weight loss right? Hcg is generally used by men on a cycle of test to keep them from shutting down, it keeps the testes from shrinking and also allows them to produce testosterone naturally while on cycle, this makes recovery easier after the cycle... I'm thinking the super low calories are making you guys lose weigh not the hcg
That's why it's illegal to be given for weight loss, and whatever the OP's friend is using is either illegal or fake. The "hcg diet," complete with injections or drops, is still alive and well, administered by scam artists.
It serves no purpose in weight loss, real hcg is easy to buy, its not over the counter but can be found and purchased easily.. " hcg diet" is definitely a scam as hcg does nothing for losing weight and hcg can only be administered through injections, needs to be mixed with bac water and stored in the fridge ... idk what these people are taking but I'd stop it ASAP1 -
PaulaWallaDingDong wrote: »You guys realize that hcg is not used for weight loss right? Hcg is generally used by men on a cycle of test to keep them from shutting down, it keeps the testes from shrinking and also allows them to produce testosterone naturally while on cycle, this makes recovery easier after the cycle... I'm thinking the super low calories are making you guys lose weigh not the hcg
That's why it's illegal to be given for weight loss, and whatever the OP's friend is using is either illegal or fake. The "hcg diet," complete with injections or drops, is still alive and well, administered by scam artists.
It serves no purpose in weight loss, real hcg is easy to buy, its not over the counter but can be found and purchased easily.. " hcg diet" is definitely a scam as hcg does nothing for losing weight and hcg can only be administered through injections, needs to be mixed with bac water and stored in the fridge ... idk what these people are taking but I'd stop it ASAP
this is my point though. it has no effect on weight loss but it's marketed with a 700 calorie / day diet (for men, it's 500 for women). it's like $600 for the shots, and it's stupid and dangerous and nobody wants to to hear that. hence my original dilemma.0 -
HCG is not banned. Its prescribed legally everyday for women at fertility clinics and kids with pituitary gland issues when their nuts haven't dropped yet, it has never been a diet or weight loss substance.0
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HCG is not banned. Its prescribed legally everyday for women at fertility clinics and kids with pituitary gland issues when their nuts haven't dropped yet, it has never been a diet or weight loss substance.
https://www.google.com/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8#q=hcg+diet+miami
i mean, that's not its intended use, but it clearly has been marketed as such.
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