The HCG Diet, Yet Another Fad Diet
A reader sent me a note over the weekend asking me what I thought of the HCG diet. To be honest, I never even heard of it, but hey, I’m always open to learning about new things. So I turned to my trust search engine (hi Google!) and started researching. Here’s what I came up with.
What Is It?
HCG is a diet regimen in which you limit your daily calorie intake to less than 500 calories a day. At the same time, you inject yourself with HCG, Human Chorionic Gonadotropin, a hormone found in the placenta of pregnant women.
Does It Work?
Assuming you’re still curious after hearing that you’ll have to inject yourself daily with hormones from the a human placenta, then yes, this diet works. Dah! OF COURSE it works. YOU’RE EATING 500 CALORIES A DAY! Heck, at 500 calories a day anyone would lose weight and the injections have nothing to do with it. You can inject me every hour with hormones from the testicles of a rabid hyena and I’m still relatively sure I would lose weight on a diet of 500 calories a day. It’s not magic folks, it’s simply starving yourself, and the hormone injections are just pseudo science intended to fool you.
Do I Recommend It?
In case that last sentence didn’t get the point across. NO. NO WAY. NOT A CHANCE. NO CHANCE IN HELL. This diet is crap. You’re starving yourself plus you’re injecting yourself with something that has no basis in science. If you want to starve yourself, be my guest, but don’t fool yourself into thinking it’s healthy just because some one put scientific sounding words in the description.
Seriously
- The diet claims you will lose .5 to 3lbs A DAY. Even if you starve yourself you won’t lose this much. 3lbs lost a day means you burned 9000 more calories than you took in. Unless you’re Michael Phelps, your metabolism just doesn’t work that way. Anyone promising you more than 1 to 2 lbs lost in a week is either a quack or a liar, or both.
- Speaking of liars and quacks, let’s do some research. The guy who’s selling this diet, Kevin Trudeau, was busted multiple times already. Once by the FTC for claiming his calcium supplement cured cancer and another time by the FTC because Trudeau “has misled thousands of consumers” about his weight loss plans. This is the guy you want to buy hormone shots from? I’d rather take stock tips from my 6 month old nephew.
- While we’re on the subject of nutrition, the American Journal of clinical nutrition already looked into HCG and guess what they found? It’s useless. That was back in the 70’s, but hey, I guess everything old is new again at some point.
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Repeat after me, there are NO quick fixes. There are no easy cures for extra weight. There are no magic weight loss plans, no magic pills, no wonder drugs. You want to be fit and healthy? Eat healthy, be active and exercise. It’s that simple.
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Ha ha - enjoyed this one. As a matter of fact I was thinking of marketing essence of rabid hyena testicles as a slimming aid myself. I will theorise in my DVD that drinking the mixture under a full moon will synergise the body’s natural biorythms to the moon’s magnetic field, thus causing greater cellular activity, a higher matabolism and thus more weight loss.
I’m getting really sick of all of these fad diets. How hard is it to exercisde regularly and eat six small meals per day? Maybe it sounds easier than it is
Sadly, these sorts of diets appeal to people like me, mostly because I want to see immediate results. I’ve been working out and eating right, but it’s difficult for me to stay motivated when I don’t see or feel a difference. I often quit (come up with excuses to skip a day, then two, then stop) after about 2 or 3 weeks. But this time, I have a supportive fiance, read this blog regularly, and have a concrete fitness goal to work toward. Thank goodness a thin wallet and logical sense keep me away from these fake fixes.
Hey Jenn,
Thank you, it’s been a long and hard day at work for me and your comment really cheered me up. I’m glad that I’m able to help keep you motivated because in the end, motivation is the key. We all know what we need to do, it’s just hard to keep motivated day after day when the results are sometimes a bit slow.
Gal
Actually I lost 70 lbs in 5 months on this “diet”. I dont care how it works but it does. It makes you burn an additional 1000 calories per day and if you work out (which I did everyday) you lose more weight in a shorter amount of time. Last week i lost 10 pounds. If someone really wants to lose weight and has a strong will power to do so , this works 100% I had nothing to lose but the weight.
( and $$ but it was worth it)
Artie,
I said the diet “worked” and I have no doubt you’ll lose weight if you try it. However, it’s not because of the diet or the shots. It’s because you’re starving yourself, and yes, if you add exercise, you’ll lose weight faster.
It’s just not a healthy way to lose weight.
Gal
I just posted a comment on another website about this “diet”. I said has anyone accepted the fact that unless HcG is occurring naturally in your body (ie> you’re pregnant) than you SHOULDN’T be taking it?? I’ve been pregnant twice and I think that fooling your body by putting HcG into your body (that isn’t naturally going on because you’re pregnant) is damaging and could possibly have long-term affects. What if you’ve never been pregnant before and when you go to try you cannot produce your own HcG and therefore you cannot get pregnant.
Of course lets say that there is no bearing there, and that I’m totally wrong and false. Is being on a diet where you are not consuming a healthy balanced diet of enough fruits and vegetables a day, and consuming so much meat (that also contains hormones and antibiotics) that it also throws off your bodys’ metabolism to not know how to metabolize a normal diet. Your body will dip into your stored fat for sure, but how does that affect your metabolism for the rest of your life?
Now lets ask - Would you therefore stay on this diet for the rest of your life, or just until you’ve eaten only 500 calories a day to get down to your “ideal weight”… Taking the HcG is a crutch, you have not changed your way of life through a normal pill-less world with healthy BALANCED eating and exercise - what makes you think that you would be able to magically pick it up and adapt that way of life when you never could before?
I’m sorry but I am not a believer; my mother in law and her daughter are both on this and are still hungry after 2 weeks. Perhaps there are more possibilities for every excuse to go on fad diets; if someone cannot seem to manage their impulses, perhaps getting to the source or root (emotional) of those issues is more important than using a crutch.
This diet DOES indeed work, and it IS different from other fad diets. If you want to know why, you can read Dr. Simeon’s manuscript “Pounds and Inches”, which is available free to download on several sites. It isn’t just the reduction in calories that causes the weight loss. It is the hcg itself that blunts hunger, and causes your body to burn calories differently. As for it being dangerous. The amount that you take is very minute as compared to the amount a woman has in her system when pregnant. HCG also acts more like a protein in the body than a hormone, which is why it is not feminizing for men to take. As for injections, that is not the only way to take hcg for weight loss. You can use a sublingual form of 333iu mixed with colloidal silver and liquid b-12, taking a 1/2 ml morning and night. That is a much easier way to administer the drug yourself, and it is much less expensive than going to a clinic. I have lost over 70 pounds and I have tried EVERYTHING ELSE! As for the two women who were hungy after 2 weeks, it could be that they did not follow the diet to the letter, or their hcg had lost it’s potency. You can check your hcg potency by purchasing an inexpensive pregnancy test and seeing if it still reacts. This is another reason to mix it yourself and not rely on a clinic supplying the hcg pre-mixed to you. You can make sure you are mixing it fresh and refrigerating it. I think before you make up your mind about this diet, you should read the original manuscript. It is not the same as a starvation diet, I have been on enough of those, I know… With this I have lost over 70 pounds so far in a very short amount of time. I have not been able to exercise due to a knee injury, so it was important to get this weight off. I am very glad I found this diet, I feel I finally have a solution to my weight problem.
I love this article, especially the fact you posted the literature ref. There is not much in the literature featuring this diet and I think most of it is a scam. The good old Dr.’s research was good, I do not think he is a scam artist, but the other people like Kevin are. I think when people go on it there also losing a lot of water weight and they are craping out a lot of waste since they are only eating 500 Cal. The argument about the different types of fat is his hypothesis, not proven. If you starve yourself like this you will lose all of that unwanted fat. People who starve themselves tend to look unhealthy and just loose muscle b/c they are not eating at all or they just have food w/ out any nutritional value. This 500 Cal diet he has proposed works well b/c the food you eat is nutritious-not b/c of the HcG. But if you think the HcG does help-go for it.
@G: some people have a bad ideea about exercising. they had bad experiences maybe that’s why they are a bit affraid to do anything… i know such cases myself and it’s really unfortunate, because they are missing on a lot.
Sure you-know-all, of course on a 500 cal/day you will lose weight, but who can do it? Of course if I run 50 km/day I cal ALSO lose weight, but… can you do it? A 500 cal/day diet is impossible to do (plus excercises). HCG shots frees fat into your bloodstream and you see weight shedding incredibly fast. I bet that those -ion this column- who advocate “six small meals per day and excercise” are not fat at all. I am tired of those skinny and muscled guys who want to give us advices… It’s like I -a man- trying to tell my wife how to feel now she’s pregnant.
Hello Alejandro,
Yes, I’m in good shape today but that wasn’t always the case. I was about 100lbs too heavy and completely out of shape a few years ago. I had tried many different diets and none of them worked, so I understand the frustration you’re feeling.
However, I just don’t believe that diets like these are the answer. They’re scams, intended to rip you off and they are often very unhealthy.
If you want to lose weight and be fit then the answer is eat healthier (and you can do that while eating 2 or 3 times a day, you don’t need to go for 6), be physically active and exercise. I’m sorry, but there is no other solution than that.
Gal
I have been on this diet for a week and have lost weight. I have PCOS and also gained 50lb with my pregnancy. Before going on this diet, I ate a healthy diet and jogged 4 miles a day 5 days a week without any results. I did this for a year and in a year lost maybe 8lbs from eating healthy and exercise.
Since I have started the injection for a week I have lost 8lbs. The injection makes it easy for me to resist the cravings I have and suppresses my hunger. I haven’t increase my workout and yes I eat less then before the plan. I plan to stay on this diet for 3 more weeks.
Hello Jessica,
A couple of things. You say you gained weight with your pregnancy, which is perfectly normal. why then do you think that a diet that relies on starvation level calorie restrictions and a hormone derived from pregnant women will work?
Also, you say you will stay on this diet for three more weeks. What do you think will happen when you stop living according to this diet? My guess is the weight will come right back.
I apologize, I don’t mean to sound rude or offend you. I am genuinely worried about people who will spend money and time on this diet and only end up hurting themselves. 8lbs a week is NOT healthy weight loss…
Gal
I think people forget that Nutrition is a science and science has been known to be wrong as well, science does not always apply to every one. Before you judge someone take into consideration that their body may not be responding to traditional old fashioned weight-loss methods. I agree the diet is extreme, severe, all those words but it has to better than surgery and we have a serious obesity problem in our country. The diet is not a fad, just because you have heard of it before. It has been around for 60+ years and counting. The facts are the same, it works IF you can stick to it and it seems people are and they can. If it seems wrong to you then don’t do it but if it works for someone else, why do you even care? Just remember every one is different, try not to be so judgmental.
Hello Amy,
If you can stick to this diet then you’re starving yourself, plain and simple. Hormones or not, the human body was not meant to live on 600 calories a day. And if you can’t stick to the diet then it’s meaningless. So even if I ignore the hormones, this diet basically comes down to either starving yourself for the rest of your life or giving up and gaining the weight back. Doesn’t sound like much of an option.
If you can stick to a 600 calorie a day diet then you can also stick to a much healthier lifestyle with a normal amount of calories and a good dose of exercise. It may not be as quick as starvation but it’s far healthier.
And I write these posts because I do care. Because I’m tired of seeing desperate people get robbed of their money by snake oil salesmen.
Gal
I just stumbled upon this site and read everybody’s opinions. Although I respect your opinions, I have to say that you arent starving yourself with the 500 cal diet because the hcg is actually processing about 2000 cal of that individuals stored fat, hence the ability to follow the low cal diet without feeling week and tired. I understand that this diet is questionable because it isnt FDA approved but a lot of diets on the market arent. I also have read Dr. Simeon’s Pounds and Inches and it seemed very logical to me. I think the diet hasnt been too popular because the diet industry doesnt want people to lose weight. A billion dollar industry would suffer for sure! This diet is for people who try and try to lose but thier metabolism is non existent either due to dieting too much or other reasons. I dont feel there is anything wrong with it. It is a hormone that is naturally made by pregnant women. No woman could carry a fetus to term without it because her blood needs to be constantly saturated with nutrients and no human woman could consume enough food to ensure that. That is where the hcg comes in. It draws from the stored fat in your body to add to what you already eat during the day and night. How can you say your starving yourself and sure you are gonna lose weight if you only eat 500 cal a day? If you ate regularly (healthy) and took the hcg you would gain weight because it still is going to draw from you fat stores just like its suppose to. Thats what its for! Like I said, everybody has an opinion and that is fine, but dont poo poo something just because. Get all the facts first. I thought the same way until I really started reading up on it.
I just wanted to also say that I am very active, I know what a healthy diet is and I also know how many calories my body needs everyday to keep my weight where it should be. A long while ago I did not and was stupid enough to fall for all those “fad” diets and it ended up screwing up my metabolism, so no matter what I did, no matter how healthy I would eat, or how much fitness I incorporated into my life my body would not respond. So I am trying the hcg diet and have been on it since Sat 11/1 and am happy to say that I have lost 8 lbs so far. I do not feel weak nor do I feel starved. The only thing is that I miss tasting fat and starches. Once I lose the weight I will resume my healthy way of eating and believe I will do just fine. My metabolism will have been corrected and I now have control over my portions. No it is not easy but it does work. If I only fed my body 500 calories a day then I would eventually pass out at some point but that doesnt happen because of the hcg feeding my body. And I am losing fat, not water. Thank God someone like Dr. Simeon cared enough about the obese and any others struggling with their weight to research this and find something that really does work and has the data to explain it and why it works.
@Michelle
A couple of things:
1. Your body would dip into fat reserves regardless of the HCG. That’s what the body does when it’s starving. In fact, that’s the whole point of fat, to provide us with reserves for when there is not enough food. However, what you’re doing is dipping into these reserves in a way that is not conducive to a healthy lifestyle. Starving yourself lowers your metabolism and forces the body to consume less. You could get much better results with less drastic changes.
2. In your second comment you say “Once I lose the weight I will resume my healthy way of eating and believe I will do just fine.” This is incorrect. Once you stop this diet, one of two things will happen. Either you will go back to eating the way you did before, in which case the weight will come back. Or you will eat in a healthy manner which will maintain your current weight. If you’re planning to go with the second option, why bother with this extreme diet at all? Just eat in a healthy manner designed to support your target weight and eventually you’ll get there, with no need for starvation diets or hormone shots.
Gal
eventually isnt quick enough with a non-existent metabolism. a couple of years ago I was in optimal health and doing great at my ideal weight. Then I became a stay at home mom and gained 30 lbs. Well I decided to go back to work and to resume my healthy way of life. Low and behold, nothing I did worked. I just couldnt eat healthy enough, couldnt work out enough. It was more than depressing. My whole moral was just crap. So I decided to give myself a jump start after reading about the hcg diet. Because it makes you lose so fast I felt it was just what I needed to see SOME KIND OF RESULT then go back to my healthy way of eating as I did before. I realize that what I am doing is not natural nor is 500 calories barely enough to live on but its my own personal quest and feel empowered just to be able to withstand the lcd. I am somewhat of a vain person when it comes to what I look like and need to see some fast results this time to get me pumped up and ready to enjoy my healthy way of living. Before, a week ago, I was miserable. Now, I have hope.
anybody who says the hcg protocol is a fad diet and doesnt work… stay fat then stay forking your money over to these so called diet programs (weightwatchers, nutrisystem, 3 hour diet, etc etc)
this protocol cures the problem it doesnt temporaly treat it…. do your research you brainwashed morons….
PrImO
Actually it works. My mom did it and has lost (and KEPT off because her hypothalamus has been reset). Like previously said, it cures the problem, not treats it. When you eat just 500 calories a day without HcG, your body loses weight by burning/eating its muscle or shedding water weight. When you eat 500 calories a day with HcG, your body metabolizes the HcG which aids in burning fat instead of muscle. Not to mention, people who are overweight have extra calories FROM FAT, so a starvation diet doesn’t work because it doesn’t burn the fat (unless you stay on it for an extremely long time…then after all of the muscle, it will eventually start living off of fat). Anyway, I’ve watched my mom struggle for years. She could lose weight but couldn’t keep it off..she’s kept it off for a while now…47 pounds OF FAT.
Now the exception to this is me because apparently my body just really enjoys being fat and even this miracle diet didn’t work. (Anorexia didn’t work too well either). I’m just immune to weight loss. But everyone else who’s tried it has had success and I’m giving it another week or two in hopes of not being the ONLY person to not have had success since the PROGRAM was discovered in the late 40’s/early 50’s.
And to Jamie: If you’re doing this program through a well respected doctor (and not off the internet, no wonder it has a bad rep!!!) the food is ORGANIC…i.e. NO HORMONES or ANTIBIOTICS. It’s not a crutch when you have tried EVERYTHING (including starvation diets.) That’s usually just a projection by skinny people with fast metabolisms who have NO idea. And if you’re not skinny or haven’t always been skinny but lost the weight, perhaps your hereditary obesity (if it exists) isn’t as intense as some others. I was in freaking BOOTCAMP for the MILITARY…the UNITED STATES army forbidden from all sweets and sodas and DIDNT lose an INCH, not a POUND. I’ve already explained the difference between this and starvation diet and yes, the only lie is that you’re hungry. I’m very hungry right now. I could eat my left arm….but that’s per person. My mom was hungry too. You go from 2500 to 500 calories…most people are hungry because they don’t eat the 2500 calories they’re supposed to…I thought Thanksgiving covered that, but apparently I was wrong. But you have to understand that if I (or anyone else) who follows this program religiously is unsuccessful…that we’d be the first people to not have success….SINCE THE DIET STARTED. I’ve been trying to find people who haven’t had success on the internet for TWO days and have yet to do so. I mean, I’m a little discouraged because my body’s stubborn (wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t), but that says a lot about it no?
i love this one very funny and true good way of putting it lmaf
Alejandro, you still maintaining? Primo - when you going to vlog again?
Guess I’m glad Terri didn’t read this before her and her 5 co-workers lost a total of 180 pounds in a month.
“The diet claims you will lose .5 to 3lbs A DAY. Even if you starve yourself you won’t lose this much. 3lbs lost a day means you burned 9000 more calories than you took in…your metabolism just doesn’t work that way. Anyone promising you more than 1 to 2 lbs lost in a week is either a quack or a liar, or both.”
Most people I work with lose 15-20 lbs the FIRST WEEK on the protocol, and many have documented their losses on YouTube for all to see. Dr Simeons was neither a liar nor a quack, at least I have a few hundred people who would dispute that claim.
Funny that the only people who challenge the validity of the protocol have never TRIED the protocol. A doc in Silver Springs MD administered it to a patient who was harrassing him, he figured it’d cause no harm and once they found out it didn’t work they’d stop bothering him about it. After concluding her course, he added it to his clinic’s repretoir.
I’ve been in contact with no less than 5 physicians from around the country, all administering it with amazing results. If it was ineffective or dangerous, wouldn’t you think the govt would step in and put a stop to it, a patient would sue?
Someone in decent shape - I suggest doing something like the Body for Life program. But before going under the knife for lipo, stapling, bypass, balloon, or band - YES, might want to think about trying the protocol. (Plastic surgeons suggested it in lieu of liposuction in an ’80’s professional journal) Far from a fad.
@Delmem
A few things. First of all, 15 to 20lbs in the first week? Ask any doctor out there, that’s not realistic and it’s not healthy. Again, this isn’t me arguing, it’s basic math. You would need to stop eating altogether and exercise non stop to get even close to those numbers.
Second, do I need to try out the protocol in order to see how bad it is? No, not really. Starving myself on 600 calories a day and injecting hormones is not something I have any desire to do. Smoking will also help me lose weight and hey, I have no desire to try it nor do I need to in order to tell you it’s bad.
Third, you’re claiming that no one from our government stopping this protocol means it’s ok. That’s nonsense. Our government cares very little about things like these.
Finally, if you’re going to come here and preach the benefits of this diet, you may want to let people know that you work for the HCG protocols website. I practice full disclosure on this site and I think my commentators should as well.
Gal
I listed my website in the field provided, thought that was sufficient disclosure, especially since I made no attempt whatsoever to sell anything.
“15 to 20lbs in the first week? Ask any doctor out there, that’s not realistic and it’s not healthy.”
Not realistic - just REALITY. Not healthy per whom? The same good folks that pushed the 4-4-3-2 for nearly 20 years after they knew it was causing obesity? Or the ones who condemn hCG for weight loss, but approved the use of Fen-Phen ?? The professionals I’ve been in contact with are bound by “do no harm” & they are passionate about the benefits of the protocol.
Ask any doctor out there ? Did you miss the part where 5 doctors have contacted ME, and their patients have similar results? Or Dr Gonzalez in MD who thought it was garbage and would slow metabolism until he saw the results for himself and now offers it on a regular basis in his clinic?
Then there’s the “placebo effect” & “anyone can lose weight on only 500 cals a day” arguments. I had a failed 2nd round, was hit with immunity 10 days in & hunger hit me like a ton of bricks. IF it was placebo effect - that simply would not have happened as I had fully intended on completing 30 days & reaching 200 lbs by Jan 1, 2008. It also brought to light how impossible it’d be for me to do 500 cals for asny extended period without effective hCG.
“…it’s basic math. You would need to stop eating altogether and exercise non stop to get even close to those numbers.”
You might need to buy a new abacus.
Messages from participants - everyone ate approx 500 cals, none exercised at all, yet alone non-stop:
“…just wanted to let you know that IT IS WORKING. I feel great, not hungry and the first 2 days I lost 7.8 lbs unbelievable.”
Andy: 15.2 lb loss in 6 days.
load 333
vlcd1 327 cheated
vlcd2 324.3 cheated
vlcd3 321.1 cheated
vlcd4 317.8 cheated
Eddie - lost 27 lbs in 20 days.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2WJ8POHfkEQ
Dave - lost 27 lbs in 29 days.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zILHmfKnQBU
I personally lost 15 lbs in 9 days, 30 in 33. As a side note - when I first posted in 2007 I had no thoughts of offering supplies, no alterior motives, just documenting my experience regardless of which way it happened to go, being open minded enough to give it a try since there are very few possible side effects from hCG.
“The diet claims you will lose .5 to 3lbs A DAY. Even if you starve yourself you won’t lose this much. 3lbs lost a day means you burned 9000 more calories than you took in.”
You really didn’t practice full disclosure as you’ve stated personal OPINION as fact. You threw above statement out like it was a fact…there are several participants who have disproved that statement. And those results ARE typical, +/- 5 lbs.
Don’t think I was preachy at all - but you really shouldn’t act surprised when you make false claims and someone wants to take an opposing position.
I believe my own eyes & personal experience with a few hundred people, the clinical experience of 5 medical degreed practitioners, a handful of NDs, 2 PhD’s and Dr ATW Simeons.
And your Trudeau slam is a moot point - as the reference material below was written before he had a misdemeanor. Even a slime ball might screw up and mention something that actually works from time to time.
Unless you know what you’re looking for you probably wouldn’t be able to find them - 2 references to hCG for weight loss that have a positive spin published in AJCN, both from Asher/Harper - the 2nd a rebuttal to one of the negative studies, pointing out how it was erroneously skewed to the negative.
http://www.ajcn.org/cgi/reprint/26/2/211
http://www.ajcn.org/cgi/reprint/27/5/450
Lastly, a link to a plastic surgery book published in 1987, which suggests surgeons should use the “hcg protocol… safe, reliable technique for the treatment of obesity” prior to even considering lipo. (see table of contents & pg 84)
http://books.google.com/books?id=Tydte5aJTW0C&pg=PA276&dq=Advances+in+aesthetic+plastic+surgery+1987&ei=RCZXSZuLLJWckATNvdSAAg#PPP15,M1
Gal
You are so not listening to what people are saying. Yes, 500 calories a day BY ITSELF is not healthy. You will lose muscle instead of fat, look gaunt, and be very weak.
The difference is the HCG, it is what makes the diet healthy. It supplies calories for your body to burn and boosts your metabolism.
You say ask any doctor around about it, well it is a doctor that gave me my prescription and his wife was on the diet too. And no he is not some quack.
Instead of holding fast to your closed minded opinion and repeating the same things over and over without really taking in what other people are saying, why don’t you do some serious research?? That’s what I did before I started the diet and it answered all my concerns. For example, you don’t gain all the weight back when you are done because you reset your body and don’t go back to pigging out at McDonalds everyday. For a lot of people who have bad eating habits, they learn discipline on this diet and there is a maintenance program for them to follow after.
I personally eat very well but have hypogylcemia so it is very hard to lose weight, but I do maintain very well. I can’t do 1500 calories a day let alone 500 by themselves. HCG has worked great for me and my hypoglycemia has been non-existant because my bloodsugar is under control.
Also, as far as exteme weight loss goes, they do not want you to lose more than 1 lb per day on average. If you do then you are supposed to contact the doctor immediately. Of course if you did some research you would know all this.
A note to everyone else who might be considering this diet, do your research too. Don’t buy HCG online. Go to a respected doctor in your area who is not doing it for the money. It will be cheaper and you know you are getting human HCG that is still potent instead of God knows what from China that isn’t even refrigerated.
As always, knowledge is power.
JB
I am listening JB. I’m just not hearing anything that makes sense. 500 calories a day is not healthy, nothing is going to change that. No doctor I know of is going to disagree or recommend that I inject myself with hormones. All you two have offered so far is “5 doctors have said it was good” and some youtube videos. I have good science on my side, what do you have? A man who was busted by the FTC. Sorry, not buying it.
Finally, let me remind you of one last thing. How long are people supposed to stay on this diet? Because unless it’s permanent, you’re just going to gain all the weight back when you come off it and start eating like you did before. And if you tell me that you’re going to change your eating habits after this diet, then why do you need the diet at all? Just change your eating habits now and the weight will eventually come off.
You’re snake oil salesmen, trying to sell desperate people on a quick fix of dubious quality.
Gal
JB -
I’d submit that reputable online pharmacies use Bharat (contracted with Great Britian) & Organon (who has a working relationship with US based Schering-Plough) As such, they adhere to the same cGMP (current Good Manufacturing Practice Regulations) as those in GB & the USA.
The “made in the USA means it’s safe” is a false sense of security - does “tainted heparin” ring a bell? Although labelled as Baxter ( a US firm ) the raw materials were imported from China - who supplies about 70% of the world with sodium heparin. Those in the United States who were responsible for testing it for purity dropped the ball, and people died as a result.
As far as finding a local doc that provides it at a “reasonable price” - easier said than done. Unless an hCG clinic, most docs don’t know anything about it and you have to persist. I heard from one person who’s getting married in 2 months, and their doc was onboard - just wanted $2,000 for the treatment. A tad pricey when all the materials required are around $100.
Gal - the 5 I mentioned are 5 physicians who I’ve been in contact with personally. There are no less than 20 hcg clinics with multiple clinicians promoting through web sites (which you can see on the Google ads along side this page) and I’d guess 100-200 clinics in the USA that openly offer hCG for weight loss, more surely to come as some are franchises.
If I didn’t make it clear I think Trudeau is a piece of trash. The FTC was correct that he misrepresented the ease of doing it, and that you could eat anything you wanted after and never worry about gaining it back. He’s the one that falsely called it a “cure” - Dr Simeons never did.
Come to think of it - why’d they sue Trudeau at all ? “…our government cares very little about things like these”?
Heck, they already had lawyers in the courtroom - why not go ahead and say it was unsafe & ineffective ? Could it be after more than 30 years they still have no evidence that it’s either ?
Just for a laugh, maybe read through Pounds and Inches ? If you did, you’d know the length of time on hCG is self limiting, that following the hCG doses there are daily weigh ins, and steps to take any time you gain 2 lbs above last hCG dose. IF everyone follows it to the letter, they’ll never regain the weight. So once done with the hCG, in effect you never stop protocol maintenance.
Without any formal guidance, a good many DO think of food differently, think twice before eating junk and take a healthier approach.
This is America, home of the 30 minute pizza delivery, the 1 hour photo. People want results, and they want them yesterday.
The only thing worse than a diet that delivers minimal results is the freely available surgical procedures for weight reduction, some which diminish the body’s ability to absorb nutrition to the point that supplements must be taken for the rest of one’s life. There’s HARD data as to the complications from the surgical procedures, just conjecture as to any possible long term effects of hCG.
I hear you - eat right, exercise… expend more calories with physical exertion than you take in. In a perfect world my friend.
For someone 300 lbs plus who can barely get off the couch, thighs raw from rubbing together and joint pain - jumping on the treadmill doesn’t look very inviting.
Take that same person after losing 30-40 lbs, joint pain & hypertension greatly reduced, getting a little self confidence and ‘tude - and they might actually WANT to jump on, power walk, take up weight training.
I don’t view the protocol as a “quick fix” -more of a springboard to get those to the point where they’re apt to do it the way you view as more appropriate.
As sound as your view is regarding traditional eat less, burn more… does it appear that anyone is listening - with current statistics claiming 30+ % of Americans are obese and an additional 30+ % are “just overweight”, studies projecting upwards of 90% of Americans being overweight or obese by the year 2030 with per annum expense to treat weight related issues estimated at close to a trillion dollars?
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080728192936.htm
One last positive double blind study references other studies on the effect of hCG on adipose tissue:
http://www.sarasotafamilymedical.com/dotnetnuke/WeightLossProgram/hCGInformation/tabid/60/Default.aspx
Well Gal - I guess I’ll move along. I don’t recommend hCG as a first diet, but for those who have had no joy with other programs I view it as a much safer choice than surgical alternatives made much more readily available. (and I do take that personal, having a friend die from lipo complications, another having a cardiac event on the table for gastric bypass & a 3rd friend who had the lap-band and still isn’t right after multiple additional surgeries to correct)
I must say in general the banter has been civil, and while apparently no one who’s been successful on the protocol will change your opinion, I do appreciate you being good enough to post opposing views, as well as the links to the positive studies.
Have a great 2009.
Tim
Tim,
Great post! I do agree if you do some good research you can find good HCG online, but for people who are new they might be better off if they can find a good local doctor. In my case it was easy and under $700. The supplies may be cheaper online, but I don’t know who I can trust yet. The comment about China came from a personal friend. She found out there was a local nail salon that was pedaling HCG in the back room out of a box from China and it was not refrigerated. It was most likely synthetic too.
Gal,
As Tim showed above, there are some people who don’t have eventually. My sister in law ended up doing gastric after her doctor told her she had to do something right then or face some serious health problems, even death. Lucky it worked out for her at first but she had to have a tummy tuck because of the weight loss, another surgery! Now she is inching back up in weight because gastric doesn’t help your body reset.
I am really starting to question your overall experience with different groups of people who have much different lifestyles than your own. You seem to be somewhat oblivious to the challenges faced by extremely obese individuals. Yes, they got there somehow, but taking the weight off is a lot harder than putting it on.
And finally, once again you are not listening and repeating the same statements over and over and over. Snake oil salesman??? Give it a break. And as Tim recommended read Pound and Inches, gee some research for you!
P.S. Kevin Trudeau is a fraud in my opinion and I can’t believe you just ASSUMED that I was on the diet because of his book. This diet was around long before he cheapened it!!
Everyone have a great New Year!!!
JB
Hi,
I am a believer and think this diet works. I have lost 11pounds. Can anyone give me any tips on how to loose any faster. I seem to loose 2lbs every other day. Is this normal? Does anyone lose weight everyday. Any other tips would be awesome!!
Hi Annette,
You are doing great, you really don’t want to lose more than one pound a day on average and not everyone loses everyday. I don’t lose on the one day a week that I don’t do a shot on the 40 shot program, but I am right back to losing a pound the next day.
Just stick to the protocol and your loss will continue. 2 pounds every other day is awesome! Hang in there!
JB
I have learned much by reading all the comments for and against the HcG. I feel better about having read and gained more information about yet another choice for our bodies. In the late 1990’s with the Herbalife and Mark Hughes, I did lose 25 lb by increasing the amount of protiens but like other weight loss programs, it is expensive to use as you are inducing their products which cost more then this weight loss program. I have no problem not eating and yes my metablolism is very slow. The doctor has tested and found the same without reasons to be the case. Maybe this is just what I need after having worked out for 1 1/2 yrs only to lose aprox. 10 lbs.
JB,
I don’t think you and I are going to agree on this. I believe in long and gradual changes to life, leading to a better overall level of health. You’re recommending a quick fix that people will have to keep maintaining for life.
However, there is something that we both seem to agree on. Before starting something like the HCG diet, people should consult with their doctor. They should NOT rely on an opinion from the internet. They should go to their doctor, show them the information on the diet and ask for their opinion.
My guess is the doctor will say “are you crazy?” but hey, what do I know, I’m not a doctor.
Gal
Gal,
Actually my friend who first told me about the diet has diabetes and went to her regular doctor to ask him what he thought about it. He told her that it was currently the best way for her to lose weight since she was completely unable to lose weight with the diabetes no matter what she did. He had absolutely no connection to the clinic she went to for the HCG. She is currently off of her diabetes meds because of the diet and her bloodsugar is under control.
By the way the gradual changes you recommend have to be maintained also for a lifetime. What makes you think that HCG doesn’t require the same changes?? Still haven’t done your research I see.
I don’t expect us to agree, everyone does have a right to what they believe. I just don’t want you discouraging people who could really use this diet when you don’t even know the facts or have any personal experience with it.
JB
If your doctor recommend this, then feel free, I’m not going to override a doctor. However, I would NOT take the word of someone on the internet who says a doctor may have recommended this to a friend. Please, consult YOUR doctor and get their opinion.
Also, I absolutely agree that my own gradual change need to be maintained for a life time. However, I would much rather maintain a healthy lifestyle than 600 calories a day plus hormone shots.
You’re right though, I don’t expect us to agree. However, as this is my blog, I can voice my opinions on it. Based on the facts which I have read and researched about this diet, I believe it’s total nonsense and does more harm than good. You can disagree if you want and I’m not going to delete your comments because I believe in a free and open discourse. However, I would still recommend that people believe neither me nor you and check with their doctors if they are thinking about something like this.
And yes, I have no personal experience with this diet. I also have no personal experience with heroin. Doesn’t mean I can’t tell people to stay off of drugs.
Gal
I am undergoing the blood testing this week and will start the program as soon as i get the green light. I have researched the HCG diet online and it seems that for every negative comment I read, I found ten positive ones to contradict it. I will keep you updated. Wish me luck!
wow Gal, you go, just keep stamping your feet and everyone will eventually listen, your opinions are uneducated, unfounded and just dumb to be honest, just because you havent heard of anything doesnt mean its not good. Nothing you have said makes sense, scam? of what?
ill tell you what why dont you go try 500kals a day without hcg
then try 500kals a day with hcg
you will then know it works, simple solution eh?
@Jason
1. You’re right, I can say whatever I want. That’s the beauty of having my own blog. Luckily for you, I’m a nice blog owner and allow people who disagree with me to post comments.
2. Nothing I made makes sense? I believe the part where I said check with a doctor makes sense. I also think the part where I pointed out that 500 calories a day is unhealthy also makes sense. However, if it doesn’t make sense to you, you obviously have a different opinion.
3. Trying 500 calories a day with or without HCG? That’s the whole point. You shouldn’t be on 500 calories a day EITHER WAY. It’s not healthy. You’re starving yourself and there are much better ways to lose weight and get in shape. Don’t believe me? Fine, consult with your doctor. And no, someone on the web who says they talked to a doctor does NOT count.
Have a good day,
Gal
Hi,
I`m ready to get started but scared as hell from needles. does anyone know if the mouth drops are as affective as the shoots?
PS
My Dr’s wife has done the diet…He is all for it. Lol…
Just a funny coincidence i guess.
Gail, Gail, Gail,
People, me think the lady doth protest too much! I guarantee that you are SECRETLY giving the HcG diet/protocol a chance and are trying it as we speak. Your inability to see that 500 calories a day CAN BE healthy while HcG is releasing the STORED fat to boost your calories is bordering on ridiculous. DO YOUR RESEARCH AND OPEN YOUR BRAIN TO WHAT IS BEING SAID HERE. 500 cal/day alone IS unhealthy. 500 cal/day WITH HCG is NOT unhealthy due to the mechanism therein that makes your body release the extra calories that prevent the redundant word you keep using–”starvation”. Cannot happen my dear. Now, please, for God’s sake pull down that brain barrier preventing you from seeing things as they REALLY are scientifically. Ah, whatever, you and I both know you are giving the HCG diet a whirl right now anyway. Tell us how it works out will ya??? Thanks.
I just started the hcg diet on Saturday, doctor supervised. I expect to have a great result …it’s not only the weight loss (I don’t have much to lose), it’s other health issues. I have been to every medical discipline to try to conquer this lethargic feeling I have had since 1990…today, I still feel the same way. I’m hoping that this diet can help reset whatever it does so that I can start feeling better. The only thing that has gotten me through feeling like this for so long is my innate desire to achieve.
I will let you know how I feel in a few days. Does anyone know a reputable HCG company on-line?
Wow the author did a whole google search before he wrote his misinformed trash blog post.
Obviously anyone will lose ”weight” eating 500 calories a day. The point of the HCG injection is NOT TO MAKE YOU LOSE WEIGHT. HCG causes muscle sparing. Body builders have been using it for years and years to make them not lose muscle after getting off of their steroid cycle.
the whole point of the hcg is to make sure you keep all of your muscle while losing nothing but fat on the 500 calorie diet. the hcg itself does not make you lose weight.
please do some research before you make an ass of yourself.
A few other points for your benefit :
1. No one consistently loses 3lbs a day. That is basically for the first two or three days. It levels off at .75 - 1.25 a day, with some days being zero.
2. Kevin Trudeau did not invent this diet. See Dr Simeon’s protocol ” Pounds and Inches ” - you may know what you’re talking about if you give it a read. Trudeau found the diet, thought it was interesting and wanted to make a buck so he released his own book on the topic.
I am currently using HCG, and i have experienced zero lean muscle mass loss and ive lost about 13lbs. The point of the 500 calorie limit also stops you from gaining massive amounts of weight. HCG floods so much fat and stored nutrients into your bloodstream for you to live on, a slight variation of the diet will have terrible results.
A friend of mine ate 1 normal plate of spaghetti while on hcg ( he thought it wouldn’t be a big deal ) and gained 6lbs . That’s how powerful it is.
J,
First of all, this is my site. If you’re going to be rude, I will delete your comments from now on.
Second, let me see:
1. I did a lot more than just Google this.
2. Are you arguing that steroid using body builders like HCG and so it’s good? I’m sorry, but that’s not a good reference. Steroid using body builders are not healthy and I think that copying their methodology is not something I would recommend to anyone.
3. .75 to 1.25lbs a day is still starving yourself. I don’t care if HCG helps you retain muscle mass, starvation is still starvation and is not good for you.
4. Gaining 6lbs by eating a plate of spaghetti is impossible. It violates not only the laws of good health but also the laws of physics. Unless you ate 6lbs of spaghetti, you can’t gain 6lbs of weight. And if your friends ate 6lbs of spaghetti, I think he has issues other than HCG.
5. Do you plan to keep this regimen up your whole life? If so, good luck to you although I think you’re headed to an early grave. If not, how do you expect to retain the weight loss after you stop starving yourself?
Sorry, but there are much better ways out there to lose weight. If you want to starve yourself while injecting hormones into your body because “that’s what bodybuilders do after using steroids”, you’re more than welcome to it. I believe there are much healthier ways.
Gal
went on the diet lost 18 pounds and gained it all back and I exercise daily. I run 1 mile plus do martial arts. My breakfast consists of fruit for breakfast, anything I want for lunch and salad for dinner. I also took several medical tests like thyroid etc. that would make me lose weight. My calorie intake is between 1250 and 1500 a day. The hcg promises that it is a weight loss cure and you keep the weight off. This has not been my experience
@Deborah
Yep, that’s the problem with diets like these. You’ll lose weight but then you’ll gain it back when you stop the diet. At the same time, you’re doing damage to your body by starving it (not to mention the effects of these hormone shots).
Gal
I get tired of people saying that everyone can be thin by exercising and eating six small meals a day. Unfortunately not every one has the same body. There are numerous medical conditions that contribute to people being overweight such as PCOS or hypothyroidism. Get educated. Perhaps read a little about it and you might understand how it works. I have watched many people be on this diet and lose the amount of weight promised, some losing 30 pounds in a month. I personally have lost 13 pounds in my first week and I am doing this under a doctor’s direction. So please, before you go around talking about how the way you keep thin is the way for everyone…maybe think about all those people who have tried your way and don’t have any results. It is not as simple as it may seem.
There are specific guidelines when you go off the diet Gal. If you don’t follow them to stabilize your wait after going off of the shot, you will gain the weight back.