![Diet Plans and Nutrition [Home]](/images/everydiet5.png "Every Diet [Home]"){kind=small}
HCG Diet
Background
The basic concepts of the HCG Diet were first made popular by A. T. W. Simeons MD. in 1971 through his book entitled Pounds & Inches A New Approach to Obesity, but was only available at expensive spas and weight loss clinics. However, 2009 brought a massive surge in the popularity of the HCG Diet as it is now readily available for people to try at home.
HCG stands for Human Chorionic Gonadotropin Hormone
- This hormone is excreted in the urine of pregnant women and is the marker of pregnancy as the fetus is producing and releasing the hormone as well as the placenta. The hormone is believed to stimulate the continued production of progesterone essential for fetal development and it’s believed to prevent an immune response from the mother which would result in the rejection of the fetus.
- This hormone is also excreted by certain tumors and can be a marker of cancers such as testicular.
- The interaction of this hormone in adults is not understood and it isn’t believed to have an active role in humans after prenatal development.
- HCG is used in combination with some anabolic steroids and is therefore listed on some of the illegal sports drug lists.
The HCG diet would be classified as a Fad Diet as there isn’t much evidence that HCG works in promoting weight loss in healthy adults, but only has been proven effective in boys with Fröhlich’s syndrome.
In fact, researching the history of HCG, shows that in the 60′s and 70′s some doctors were paid up to $100,000 a year to sit in a room and write prescriptions for HCG once a week for the weight loss clinics without ever seeing any of the patients.
In a recent double blind study published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, it was determined that using HCG was ineffective in promoting weight loss.
HCG Diet Basics
The core of the HCG diet consists of extreme Calorie restriction of around 500 Calories a day mainly from lean protein and a daily injection of 125mg of the HCG hormone. Other programs promote taking the hormone orally. The diet proponents claim that the body will begin to burn fat reserves as the HCG prevents the body from breaking down muscle for energy. They claim that dieters can expect to lose “26 pounds in 26 days” with up to 3100 fat calories being used for energy per day.
Recommended Foods
Lean protein (fish, turkey, chicken, beef), celery, asparagus, spinach, tomatoes, onions, strawberries, grapefruit, oranges, apples, and tea.
Exercise
Exercise isn’t recommended on the HCG diet, in fact, it is discouraged.
Program Costs
There are many HCG diets springing up everywhere as this fad continues to gain popularity, but expect to pay around $140 per month for the HCG drops and additional costs for recipe guides, books, and meal plans. Costs could be significantly higher for those that go to clinics for their injections and consultations.
Pounds and Inches was updated and republished in 2010. Click here to purchase a discounted copy.
Discounted HCG supplies are available here.
Pros
- Dramatic, fast weight loss is possible.
Cons
- Weight loss is most likely due to Calorie restriction, not HCG.
- Side effects include headaches, risk of blood clots, restlessness, and depression.
- Exercise is not promoted as part of overall health.
- Calorie restriction is way below what is deemed safe by the majority of the medical profession.
- Side effects of the long term use of HCG are not understood.
- Some cancers could not be caught early as HCG injections will hide tumor markers.
- Lifestyle changes aren’t stressed, but falls under the quick fix mentality.
- HCG is not approved by the FDA
Conclusions
While many dieters are lured in by the HCG Diet’s claims of fast weight loss without exercise, dieters are warned to steer clear from the HCG diet as it is not a healthy way to lose weight and the use of HCG drops could potentially lead to other health problems down the road. The 100′s of testimonials being promoted across the internet are no doubt from people who experienced weight loss, but did so because of the extreme Calorie restriction and the high protein diet which promotes ketosis.
The HCG diet is not recommended, but if a Calorie restricted plan is what you are looking for why not try a healthier option such as the Medifast Plan.
Is the HCG Diet a Scam? See what the majority thinks in this online poll.
I have done it, and it works. Like another reviewer said, it eases you back into normal eating habits and certainly does stress lifestyle changes. Never gained my weight back.
I’m currently on day 3 of this hcg diet. I’m also taking phentermine 37.5 mg. For those of you who say you won’t get hungry, you are WRONG! I’ve been starving every day since I started. I’m miserable. I don’t know how long I can stick to this diet.
I have done this diet and lost 58 lbs. The claim that it doesn’t stress lifestyle changes is completely false, as it is built better than any other program to ease you back into eating normally and learning what foods you can tolerate and what foods you can’t, into planning meals, getting used to smaller portions, paying attention to calories and preparing and eating *quality* food rather than pre-packaged crap that many other diets offer as part of their program. I feel better and healthier and have more energy both during and after than I have any other diet/exercise program. This is a fantastic program, especially for those who are so overweight that exercise is difficult, it produces results that are visible and as permanent as any other program that is out there.
I’m a 62 year old 5’10″ male who lost 17 lbs on the diet in less than 3 weeks in 2009 from 170 to 153. Today I weigh 162 with more muscle and I’m at 16% body fat. I used the drops under the tongue. It worked for me. Just remember one thing it’s a strict diet.
i’m sorry but this program seems as bogus as your voice in that vidio
The HCG Diet Protocol was the ONLY diet that I lost weight on and I tried many after gaining 40 lbs when I quit smoking. On my first round I lost 20 lbs. and kept it off for 6 months (gained 5 lbs. during the holidays). Currently finishing up my 2nd round – so far have lost 11 lbs.
There is NO way I could exist on 500 calories without taking the HCG Drops. So to those who say you will lose weight on 500 cals, perhaps, if your body doesn’t go into starvation mode first and if you can keep at it. I highly doubt anyone could maintain a 500 cal. diet for very long.
I’m thrilled with my results!
I should have sold my urine while I was pregnant. LOL If anyone eats only 500 calories a day, you will lose weight. Too bad people are so gullible with some of these diets. I need to think of a diet and someone will for sure buy it.
on the diet now. only have 25 pounds total to lose. I’m on day 5 and have lost 4.5 pounds so far! yaay. My sister did her ‘first round’ of the hcg diet last month and lost 40 pounds. She is going to do one more round and lose 40 more. She is an MD (an OBGYN specifically) and she researched thoroughly and found it to be medically sound and secure. Bottom line. It works. Don’t do it if you will not read the ORIGINAL book and follow directions. Otherwise People have been losing weight on this diet for over fifty years. Naysayers will always be around, but what else is new?
Reenee, not trying to be argumentative but I feel that people want to give comments when the “haven’t followed the protocal to a T.” Therefore how can the person’s comment be valid? You lost the weight but didn’t follow phase 2 or 3? So I am assuming you may not have gained the weight back if you would have adhered to all phases?
I also very much agree to the “eat right and exercise” plan. I have been doing Zumba since Sept. 2010 faithfully…due to massive back issues it is getting harder everytime. Hopefully the weight loss will improve my pain level. I have to lose 120 lbs. Can’t seem to get the food part right. I am starting Hcg tomorrow. I am hoping the appetite suppression is accurate b/c that is what I need.
That’s not what it said… 1971 was when his book was released to the public for the first time.
First of all, the article does not have it’s facts: Dr. Simeons did his research in 1954 not 1971. For those of you who feel scammed, it may be who or where it was purchased from. The hCG diet does work and not because of the 500 calorie restriction. Anyone knows that is normally unhealthy and while you may lose weight initially on 500 calories, your body will go into starvation mode fairly soon, and you will not lose weight. The hCG works with your pituitary to release abnormal fat stores from your body, and so you are not hungry. The 2nd most important part of the diet is the 21 day maintenance phase where your metabolism is reset, so you don’t gain the weight back.I wish people would get their facts straight , instead of just trying to promote another weight loss product like this article does.
I have tried the hHCG diet from and I have lost weight every time. If someone tells you that HCG doesn’t work, they just don’t know what they are talking about. If you follow the protocol, IT WILL WORK and you won’t be hungry!
Its a scam. The research proves this. Anyone who cuts down to 500 calories per day will lose the weight WITHOUT the hcg. NO STARS.
Mel, who is they? Anyone can say anything about anything. Who are you talking about? I’ve been pregnant twice and the huge amounts of HCG never caused me health problems.
I am currently doing the HCG drops and they work great!! you just have to carefuller who you buy them from, a lot of places water them down…. i’m on day 10 and lost 17.2 pounds
They say that using hcg can cause other health problems. What kind of health problems?
I got the bottle of HCG thru a veterinarian, it’s the same product used in mares (horses) to cause ovulation. I mixed the bottle with lactated ringers NOT the water that comes with it, drew up all 45 syringes & froze them. Used 1 inch 25 gauge needles to inject myself in the MUSCLE. I lost over 40 lbs, I was never hungry or bored, never depressed, slept just fine. I started drinking & eating bad about 6 months after I lost the weight, due to a change in where I lived etc etc, but only gained less than half back. It really does reset your metabolism. I will do this diet again if I need to lose more than 20 lbs. The drops are a joke, one has to follow the ORIGINAL diet to have it work.
Good luck to everyone.
Seriously dont buy hcg stream , i was wondering how do i use it for
It to work properly since i just got a box with a difrent bottle and no instructions
so guess what I said to my self lets call customer service and
Taraaaa their phone dosnt work always busy i was scamed