HCG Diet. Opinions? Facts to share?

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elizwelshman
elizwelshman Posts: 136
in Food and Nutrition
My friend was thinking about the HCG diet (drops, not injections).
I never heard of it, but she wanted an opinion from me whether or not she should do it.
I've been looking at the site, Googling questions, and I personally don't have an opinion yet.
Honestly I'm more of a fan (MFP of course, haha) of finding balance in one's life & losing weight through exercise/eating well.

Has anyone heard of it or have tried it before??
I'd like to read opinions and experiences on this from MFP community so I could
give her a more of an incite on her final decision.

Thanks a bunch!! xx
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Replies

  • Broken_
    Broken_ Posts: 172 Member
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    I don't know a lot about it other than a friend of mine is on it and has lost an excess of 250 pounds so far. He just got below 200 for the first time in 15 years.
  • dimond1610
    dimond1610 Posts: 46
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    i have a friend who lost 20 pounds on this diet in just 30days...the problem is that you HAVE to commit, no going back or cheating so make sure you would be ready for it. the only doubt of this diet though is will that weight really stay off...
  • jenblowsbubblez
    jenblowsbubblez Posts: 112 Member
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    yes,, i have a sister n law that had those done and she lost 60lbs for her wedding. But since her wedding in the last 2 years she has gained it ALL back and plus some. i wouldn't reccomend it.
  • Jennyzfit
    Jennyzfit Posts: 175 Member
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    I've heard of it and think it's a very stupid diet. One's body would be malnourished on only 500 cals a day. This diet only alows you to intake 500 cals a day. Your body needs minerals and vitamins every day. They claim that the fat stores in your body breaks down. Even though you use up your fat you still need daily minerals and nutrients. I don't think fat that you lose has the nutrients your body requires on a daily basis. Therefore starving and damaging the body. I wouldn't even consider going on this diet. My opinion. Just had to say. Honestly hope your friend doesn't go on it.
  • GladImTall
    GladImTall Posts: 65 Member
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    the drops are so diluted that you are probably only getting a micro-fraction (yes- a micro-fraction... no idea if that's a real quantity- but wanted to convey how LITTLE of the actual stuff) of the real stuff. It is also coupled with a 500 calorie a day diet.

    I did this diet and followed it to a T for the 30 day time period. I was on 500 calories a day for 30 days coupled with the drops under the tongue 3 times a day. Yes- I lost weight.... but had absolutely NO energy and when I started eating normal again (and I mean healthy)- the weight came back on. I am now 20lbs heavier than I was before I had started the HCG. Yuck.

    I tried it on a whim and wish I hadn't. I am sure the injections provided by an actual physician are more the real deal than anything... but who can survive on 500 calories?

    I'll add that I am (was) a very active person- Full time job, go to school at night and play in a competitive volleyball league twice a week. I had ZERO energy to do anything other than go home and watch TV. Never doing it again.

    those are just my two cents. I just joined MFP yesterday- and I'm going the 'eat healthy, work out and be accountable' route. :)

    Janelle
  • mariapuhl
    mariapuhl Posts: 529 Member
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    I don't like it, because I've seen what it's done to my friend.

    Yes, he has lost 100 lbs, and "maintained" the loss of 80 lbs..... but by "maintained" I mean he will start gaining weight again just as quickly as he's lost it, and then do HCG again. Then gain it back immediately, then do HCG again. So he's yo-yo-ing with about 30 lbs over and over and over. He's been doing that for 2 years.

    It hasn't taught him how to eat right... he still goes to Taco Bell, and downs a quesadilla, 2 tacos, 2 burritos, and a soda as a SNACK when he's not on his diet. I just am sad for him
  • Laurenrae85
    Laurenrae85 Posts: 1
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    Actually I have! The Doctor I work for offers it as a medical weight loss program. We use pharmaceutical grade injections that are a higher concentration that what you can get online or over the counter and tend to be more effective in hunger suppression (which is needed when you are dropping to 500 cal/day). I have only seen success with it. I've seen people loose anywhere from 0.5-2lbs/day. Basically the HCG diet isn't the miracle diet where you drop the weight and go back to eating junk and laying around. It is a GREAT way to get a jump start on your weight loss when it seems like you're not getting anywhere with diet and exercise. It can get you to your goal weight and if you do it with Dr Supervision you will learn to think more about food choices and hopefully make healthy changes in your life all together to maintain the weight loss. I am obviously a big advocate of it! I've done it myself and lost 30lbs and been able to keep it off :) I think much differently now about my food choices and try to maintain an active lifestyle. No matter what diet you (or your friend ) try you will always have to make a lifestyle change to keep at a healthy weight. Hope this helps. Good luck to you and your friend!
    Lauren
  • cindytakescharge
    cindytakescharge Posts: 5
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    I took the HCG drops and lost 30 pounds in 40 days. I know they work because I tried every other diet imaginable and couldn't lose a single pound. True - you have to be committed and follow the very strict eating rules which I was and did. But it helped me to not crave any kinds of food whatsoever and changed my way of thinking about nutrition and what my body needs to function properly.
  • tigertchr23
    tigertchr23 Posts: 418 Member
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    I did the diet twice. I lost 20 lbs both times I did it and I used the homeopathic drops. The hardest part was the maintenance. For me, once I introduced carbs back into my diet I started gaining back but it also made it hard to stay away from them once I added them in.

    So, in my opinion the diet does work but you have to be super duper good about sticking with protein, fruits, and veggies after you're done or you will start to gain the weight back.
  • shawna09152002
    shawna09152002 Posts: 19
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    I also have a friend that has lost 67 pds in 2 months. He not only has to take pills on a daily basis but he looks terrible! He has no energy and is very cranky. I think the best way to go is diet, exercise and of course calorie counting. By using thhe HCG method you are not learning how to manage your weight or learning how to eat right. You are only depending on the "pills" tp work for you so in the long run you are going to gain back what you lost and more!!
  • KourtneyP83
    KourtneyP83 Posts: 319
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    Eating 500 calories just isn't enough for me - I don't see that being realistic as a life change. There is no quick answer to losing weight...we have to make healthy choices and exercise...I would not do it personally!
  • WWhitaker
    WWhitaker Posts: 309
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    Consider this: If you (or your friend) is going to have the doctor inject the shots, they'll have to pay a copay every single time he/she goes to the doctor on top of the cost of the shot. He/she also will have to confined to a 500 calorie a day diet. I doubt your friend gained weight from eating a ton of fruit and veggies...which is exactly what he/she will wind up only eating in order to eat a lot of food for such little intake. It's a DIET. Diets fail and they teach you nothing. A diet is a quick fix and that's it. It angers me to see people being applauded for losing so much weight while on the HCG because they PAID for it, they didn't WORK for it and they don't deserve to lose any of the weight they did because of that! *Sigh* Rants over!
  • Cadenpet
    Cadenpet Posts: 79
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    "No I have gotten used to it. Whenever I feel dizzy I just drink some water and I'm fine."

    Is exactly what my cousin said to me when explaining her HCG diet. She eats 500 cals a day, and those are restricted to certain foods. Doesn't seem impressively win to me. She has done this diet, with injections, twice now. Yes the first time she lost a lot of weight. But something about 500 cals a day does that to a person. Then she gained it back and then some. A lot of some.


    It has been shown in studies that it is not any more effective than just dieting and eating the 500 cals without the drops or injections. And like one of the above posters said, there isn't actually any HCG in there... its prescription level medication. Its not sold on the internet , legitimately, and you can't get it at GNC. It is a hormone used with people trying to get pregnant. If your buddy is gonna do it , why doesn't she just restrict to 500? Same level of "healthy" involved and she wont be wasting her money.
  • elizwelshman
    elizwelshman Posts: 136
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    Wow, thanks for the information everyone!!
    Anymore stories, please do share so others know about experiences with the HCG diet.
  • anilyze
    anilyze Posts: 67
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    http://www.mydietarea.com/hcg-diet/

    This article calls it a scam...

    If the drops are marketed as homeopathic then it's definitely a scam because homeopathic means it's just WATER.

    It's been diluted to the equivalent of a drop in the ocean. Homeopaths basically propose that water has a memory and if it's been in contact with a molecule of whatever, it retains a memory of that and keeps the properties of that molecule.

    Now you tell me that's not a load of a crap. Dilute it til there's nothing left of the original, so you're basically selling people water, but then say no no, but it works because the water remembers! Yeah... does my water also remember when it used to be sewage too?

    If you're eating 500 calories and taking these drops, news flash the weight loss is from the HUGE CALORIE DEFICIT, not the drops. There's no study I've seen showing an effect that was blind and used a control group who got a placebo drop and did the 500 calorie diet, so they can tease apart whether the drops actually ADD anything at all.

    The plural of anecdote is not data! Personal anecdotes are not a substitute for a double-blind study to establish the efficacy of the treatment SCIENTIFICALLY (as is, with actual evidence).
    Sorry to sound preachy... I'm a scientist/researcher.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,708 Member
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    HCG is a money making scam. ANYONE can lose weight on 500 calories a day. That's just basic math.

    Here's the warnings and studies on HCG:

    warnings by the Journal of the American Medical Association and the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition that hCG is neither safe, nor effective as a weight-loss aid.

    And:
    Controversy about and shortages of injected hCG for weight loss have led to substantial internet promotion of "homeopathic hCG" for weight control. The ingredients in these products are often obscure, but if prepared from true hCG via homeopathic dilution, they contain either no hCG at all or only trace amounts. These preparations are generally advertised for oral use. Proponents of injected hCG for weight control have objected to homeopathic hCG as ineffective.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_chorionic_gonadotropin

    http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/truth-about-hcg-for-weight-loss

    http://www.dietscam.org/reports/hcg.shtml

    Here's a review from Bariatric Health:

    In 2009, the American Society of Bariatric Physicians issued a position statement which stated:

    Numerous clinical trials have shown HCG to be ineffectual in producing weight loss. HCG
    injections can induce a slight increase in muscle mass in androgen-deficient males. The diet used
    in the Simeons method provides a lower protein intake than is advisable in view of current
    knowledge and practice. There are few medical literature reports favorable to the Simeons
    method; the overwhelming majority of medical reports are critical of it. Physicians employing
    either the HCG or the diet recommended by Simeons may expose themselves to criticism from
    other physicians, from insurers, or from government bodies [15].

    Even this person in favor of HCG states:

    ABSENCE OF SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH ON HOMEOPATHIC HCG

    My favorite source of information on medical research is the PubMed database at the U.S. National Institutes of Health, which offers titles and abstracts from thousands of scientific journals. As of July 2009, a search for articles involving 'human chorionic gonadotropin' found 519 research articles on this topic. A co-search of this term with 'homeopathy' or 'homeopathic' yielded no articles at all.

    This does not mean that no research has been done or is being done on homeopathic HCG. It just means that there are no studies that have been published for public examination. This is in spite of the fact that a handful of scientific journals are dedicated to homeopathic medicine. No homeopathic researcher has published a study on HCG.

    If homeopathic HCG worked, believe me the drug companies would patent it.
  • Jamessliminup
    Jamessliminup Posts: 7
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    I lost 40 pounds just looking at the HCG bottle!!! How's that for weight loss.
    I have a neighbor who took the HCG and after 3 days she was fainting...she lost 6 pounds but couldn't continue because of lack of energy. If I have to go down to 500 calories a day.....COME ON!!! anyone can lose weight at 500 calories a day and you don't need something under your tongue.

    I think with everything else...it's a diet money making scam for real...if you can't eat healthy and exercise...ain't no liquid or a pill going to do any magic for you. It took some of us 3-4 minutes to down that Big Mac for 15 years...some of us..everyday...it's not going to take 30 days to lose the 100 pounds you put on from the 15 years of abuse...just doesn't work.

    I like the way we are doing things her on MFP....it helps you watch and figure out what you are eating and encourages you to exercise and drink water and get health. I love the support on this thing as well.

    My advise...be careful what you pay for in this diet craze world. Losts and Losts of silly wight lose ideas out here.

    Oh...I also lost 40 pounds looking at the Cinnamon bottle.
    Good looking out ninerbuff!
  • joejccva71
    joejccva71 Posts: 2,985 Member
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    HCG is a money making scam. ANYONE can lose weight on 500 calories a day. That's just basic math.

    Here's the warnings and studies on HCG:

    warnings by the Journal of the American Medical Association and the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition that hCG is neither safe, nor effective as a weight-loss aid.

    And:
    Controversy about and shortages of injected hCG for weight loss have led to substantial internet promotion of "homeopathic hCG" for weight control. The ingredients in these products are often obscure, but if prepared from true hCG via homeopathic dilution, they contain either no hCG at all or only trace amounts. These preparations are generally advertised for oral use. Proponents of injected hCG for weight control have objected to homeopathic hCG as ineffective.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_chorionic_gonadotropin

    http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/truth-about-hcg-for-weight-loss

    http://www.dietscam.org/reports/hcg.shtml

    Here's a review from Bariatric Health:

    In 2009, the American Society of Bariatric Physicians issued a position statement which stated:

    Numerous clinical trials have shown HCG to be ineffectual in producing weight loss. HCG
    injections can induce a slight increase in muscle mass in androgen-deficient males. The diet used
    in the Simeons method provides a lower protein intake than is advisable in view of current
    knowledge and practice. There are few medical literature reports favorable to the Simeons
    method; the overwhelming majority of medical reports are critical of it. Physicians employing
    either the HCG or the diet recommended by Simeons may expose themselves to criticism from
    other physicians, from insurers, or from government bodies [15].

    Even this person in favor of HCG states:

    ABSENCE OF SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH ON HOMEOPATHIC HCG

    My favorite source of information on medical research is the PubMed database at the U.S. National Institutes of Health, which offers titles and abstracts from thousands of scientific journals. As of July 2009, a search for articles involving 'human chorionic gonadotropin' found 519 research articles on this topic. A co-search of this term with 'homeopathy' or 'homeopathic' yielded no articles at all.

    This does not mean that no research has been done or is being done on homeopathic HCG. It just means that there are no studies that have been published for public examination. This is in spite of the fact that a handful of scientific journals are dedicated to homeopathic medicine. No homeopathic researcher has published a study on HCG.

    If homeopathic HCG worked, believe me the drug companies would patent it.

    Also the fact that the FDA so calls "approves" the HCG is completely and utterly mind-boggling. I find it rather amusing which is why I don't really respect what they have to say or "approve" anymore. I'll stick with NIH studies and research and maybe a few other sources at best.

    If the NIH says that HCG is completely fine then I'll be on board with it for HEALTH purposes, however it's still a lame crash diet that works temporarily while people gain all the weight back.

    Amusing to say the least. This diet is a joke.
  • MrsCon40
    MrsCon40 Posts: 2,351 Member
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    I found speed to be faster and more effective - and you don't have to worry about sticking to 500 calories a day because you don't care about eating at all.
  • Wyoruby
    Wyoruby Posts: 175 Member
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    I recently just did the HCG diet and dropped 20 lbs in 28 days. Yes the diet is strict and if you don't follow it you wont lose the weight. Also if you go right back to eating the way you did before just like any diet you will gain the wieght back. I did the HCG diet because for over a year I worked out hard watched my calories and nothing changed!!! Witht eh HCG I was forced to get rid of all the processed sugar and also found out that there is a lot of hidden sugars in a lot of so called healthy food that we eat!!! DO not take the homeopathic drops as those are the ones that are a scam the ones I got were the real thing only cost me a little over 61 dollars and I never felt tiered or hungry. It all depeneds on the person also people react differently to the hormone nobody reacts the same way. I am now working on maintaining my weight loss by adding back in exercise and keeping sugar totally out of the picture. I might try adding in some carbs soon but it that throws me off then I will just take them back out. You can friend request me and I can give you the web site that I got my drops from if your friend wants to get the real things!!!
    ANd for all you haters out there please don't bash something you your self haven't tried because even if you seen someone else do it and fail you weren't there 24 7 watching everything they did so you don't know if they ate the right things or not!!!!!

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