The Hcg Diet...

Once the HCG is in your system, you NEVER feel hungry...so the 500 calorie regimen is not so hard. You cannot overloose....your body will not let you lose more than you have of stored fat....you will just quit losing on the HCG.

So pregnant women (who have loads of HCG in their systems) dont' ever feel hungry?



A.C.E. Certified Personal Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

When I was pregnant, I was always hungry. lol. I guess HCG failed me.

Once the HCG is in your system, you NEVER feel hungry...so the 500 calorie regimen is not so hard. You cannot overloose....your body will not let you lose more than you have of stored fat....you will just quit losing on the HCG.

So pregnant women (who have loads of HCG in their systems) dont' ever feel hungry?



A.C.E. Certified Personal Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

When I was pregnant, I was always hungry. lol. I guess HCG failed me.

Maybe our problem when we're pregnant is that we're peeing out all of our hunger-controlling HCG. LOL

For real though, I would NOT do it on my own, no matter how overweight/obese I was. If I was so bad off that I really *needed* to lose a lot of weight extremely fast for medical reasons, I'd seek out an experienced weightloss dr/nutritionist/dietician and work out a plan specifically for me and my body. I wouldn't start eating 500 calories a day on a whim. MFP has an excellent program in place that works well for lots of people when they follow it correctly, and it allows you to eat enough so that you can get in important nutrients/vitamins/etc. And it allows you to have the energy to exercise, which is important for limiting the amount of muscle mass you lose while losing weight. The only way I would do such extreme restriction is if my dr. said it was absolutely necessary to lose a lot of weight in a very short timeframe for medical reasons. Like if I had to lose as much weight as possible within a month to qualify for some kind of life-saving surgery. That is my personal opinion, others will differ of course. :-)

OP, have you been following the MFP recommendations and not seeing the results you thought you'd see? If you want, you can post some info about where you are (weight, height, etc) and what you've been doing (calorie goals, nutrition, exercise) and maybe some of the awesome smart people on the site can give some suggestions that might help you out. I learn new things all the time just reading where much more informed people post all kinds of facts and theories. There are people on here that have done a lot of research and can cite their sources. Or if you feel like you have been following the plan really well and it's just not working, you could consider going somewhere that they can do metabolic testing to get your real BMR/maintenance/etc numbers. The numbers that MFP works out are estimates based on formulas calculated from your info. They are really really good estimates for a lot of people, but some people that go and have metabolic testing done do find that their real numbers are different. And then some people have medical conditions that require a different approach to losing weight or special dietary restrictions (like women with PCOS, diabetics, etc).

Once the HCG is in your system, you NEVER feel hungry...so the 500 calorie regimen is not so hard. You cannot overloose....your body will not let you lose more than you have of stored fat....you will just quit losing on the HCG.

So pregnant women (who have loads of HCG in their systems) dont' ever feel hungry?



A.C.E. Certified Personal Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

The HCG in their system is what allows them to Puke everyday for the first trimester and still grow a healthy baby. It triggers the burning of fat stores when a pregnant woman can't keep any food down due to morning sickness.

Babies don't require much extra energy in the first trimester since they are so tiny. And won't fat be burned when you're not eating maintenance calories regardless of HCG? I mean everyone else doing MFP without HCG and eating their calorie goals is burning fat.

As a breast cancer survivor, this diet concerns me for reasons in addition to those already stated. There are some breast cancers that are hormone-fed (typically estrogen), and those women who have had this type of cancer are warned to be very cautious about becoming pregnant after cancer because of the increased chance of a recurrence or new primary cancer. Although HCG isn't estrogen, it still seems logical to me that it could impact the chances of developing a cancer, either now or down the road, because it messes with your female hormones. To me, it sounds way too risky, especially if you have a personal history or family history of breast cancer.

The reason you aren't hungry is because it's burning fat stores. Rather than your muscle. Which is what the hormone does when you are pregnant. Which is why you can not keep anything down for 3 months and NOT feel hungry. While you are sometimes losing weight! And that the cells multiplying at such a rapid rate causes MOST pregnant women to be exhausted the first trimester.

Can you cite any reputable, non-sales sources to back this claim up?

and hormones for it are taken from pregnant women pee!

The reason you aren't hungry is because it's burning fat stores. Rather than your muscle. Which is what the hormone does when you are pregnant. Which is why you can not keep anything down for 3 months and NOT feel hungry. While you are sometimes losing weight! And that the cells multiplying at such a rapid rate causes MOST pregnant women to be exhausted the first trimester.

Can you cite any reputable, non-sales sources to back this claim up?

Yes. Pounds and Inches is by Dr. Simeons. I can't link a thing. But if you google it a PDF version comes up and you can read it. The whole diet is based on his research and his SUCCESS with resetting the metabolism of obese patients. I am not suggesting that there are not scams out there. But his research and results seem sound. And for everyone who is continuing to say that the weight loss is being cause by the VLC diet.....you are missing the part where people are able to do that without being HUNGRY. I am not saying people wouldn't lose weight on a VLC diet. Just that they would want to eat their own arm in the process.

Dr. Simeons' protocol has been proven to be a fraud. Here is the evidence, from one of many sources...

We conclude that there is no scientific evidence that HCG causes weight-loss, a redistribution of fat, staves off hunger or induces a feeling of well-being. Therefore, the use of HCG should be regarded as an inappropriate therapy for weight reduction, particularly because HCG is obtained from the urine of pregnant women who donate their urine idealistically in the belief that it will be used to treat an entirely different condition, namely infertility.

Source: British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1365103/)

Do you have any other sources that prove that HCG is helpful in weight loss, or that a Very Low Calorie Diet is recommended for anyone that is not morbidly obese?

Can you cite any reputable, non-sales sources to back this claim up?

Yes. Pounds and Inches is by Dr. Simeons. I can't link a thing. But if you google it a PDF version comes up and you can read it. The whole diet is based on his research and his SUCCESS with resetting the metabolism of obese patients. I am not suggesting that there are not scams out there. But his research and results seem sound. And for everyone who is continuing to say that the weight loss is being cause by the VLC diet.....you are missing the part where people are able to do that without being HUNGRY. I am not saying people wouldn't lose weight on a VLC diet. Just that they would want to eat their own arm in the process.

When stacking Dr. Simeons' recommendations against the oodles of recommendations by reputable doctor and scientists, I would conclude that Dr. Simeon's protocol is quackery. Any doctors prescribing this are misled, and have not done their homework, as studies have proven it to be quackery. Nobody has been able to replicate Dr. Simeon's results, which would lead one to believe that it was an anomaly, other factors were present, or it was fraudulent.

"We conclude that there is no scientific evidence that HCG causes weight-loss, a redistribution of fat, staves off hunger or induces a feeling of well-being. Therefore, the use of HCG should be regarded as an inappropriate therapy for weight reduction, particularly because HCG is obtained from the urine of pregnant women who donate their urine idealistically in the belief that it will be used to treat an entirely different condition, namely infertility."

- British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1365103/)

"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."

- American Society of Bariatric Physicians (http://www.asbp.org/resources/uploads/files/HCG Position Statement.pdf)

In 1976, the FTC ordered the Simeon Management Corporation, Simeon Weight Clinics Foundation, Bariatrics Management Corporation, C.M. Norcal, Inc., and HCG Weight Clinics Foundation and their officers to stop claiming that their HCG-based programs were safe, effective, and/or approved by the FDA for weight-control. Although the order did not stop the clinics from using HCG, it required that patients who contract for the treatment be informed in writing that:

THESE WEIGHT REDUCTION TREATMENTS INCLUDE THE INJECTION OF HCG, A DRUG WHICH HAS NOT BEEN APPROVED BY THE FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION AS SAFE AND EFFECTIVE IN THE TREATMENT OF OBSITY OR WEIGHT CONTROL. THERE IS NO SUBSTANTIAL EVIDENCE THAT HCG INCEASES 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-RESTRICTIVE DIETS (Federal Trade Commission Decisions. Complaint in the matter of Simeon Management Corporation et al. Order, opinion etc., in regard to alleged violation of Secs. 5 and 12 of the Federal Trade Commission Act. Docket 8996. Complaint, Oct 15, 1974. Final Order April 29, 1976.).

Since 1975, the FDA has required labeling and advertising of HCG to state:

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.

Hello All,


I have tried HCG and it does work I took the homopathic route though because I am afraid of needles. I lost weight but I gained it back not because of the drops because I didn't do what I was suppose to do/. I sruggle everyday because i am an emotional eater and I have become very lazy. I plan on getting back on it actually. It is strict but worth it. My aunt who is on here VJ150 has done and she looks great. you can see her pics Sbe was also able to get off some of her blood pressure meds NOW WAIT since there has been so much buzz about it compnies are making fake bathes etc.... they are selling it vvery expensive. my adive is AMAZON..GREEN WEB products. My aunt likes non alcholic but I don't. In additon to my aunt I know several people have done it and they look and feel great. I fellt great too after dropping 31 pounds but I let my head and emotiuons get the best of me. BTW it took me a year to gain it back.

If you want try it. You alwasy quit if you don't like BUT PLEASE READ THE ENTIRE PROTOCL FIRST

That's what the scam artists want you to believe - that it was YOUR fault.

Ahh, the "fitness" industry. In what other business could you not only sell fake products, but also convince people to blame themselves when your fake products don't work; and not only blame themselves, but apologize and ask to come back and buy more fake products.

BTW, if someone is taking "homeopathic" versions of HCG, you have absolutely no idea what is in those products. There is no regulation or testing whatsoever. So not only are you taking a "scam" product, you might be taking a FAKE version of it.

Here are two good threads on HCG. You will lose weight, but you will kill your metabolism. Also, keep in mind this is more design for those who are severely obese and if you plan on having kids, this could affect it.

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/356410-hcg-diet


http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/382578-day-1-of-hcg