Is there anyone out there that has done the HCG diet?

My doctor and nutritonist has placed me on this diet, has anyone else done it? If so, what were your results?

Original Post by losinfeelsgood:

The FDA approved it to be tested for weight loss 2 weeks ago and doctors have been giving it to patients for years. 

Do you have any links proving this?

I searched and only found the following:

http://www.americanchronicle.com/articles/495 84

January 18, 2008

"Considering Safety

HCG is considered a safe hormone to take. In fact, it is produced naturally in women during pregnancy and the amount of HCG in pregnant women far exceed the amount taken to aid in weight loss. Nonetheless, the FDA still has not approved HCG for use in weight loss. The hormone has been approved by the FDA for other purposes, namely for assisting with hormonal problems and fertility difficulty, but not for the specific purpose of weight loss. Therefore, if you are someone that would rather wait until a treatment program has been thoroughly tested by the FDA, you might want to wait on this treatment program. If you are someone that is willing to try a treatment program that is recognized as safe and that has worked for many other people, on the other hand, you might want to give it a try."

http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/cos-822.html

"This deceptive practice is injection with HCG (human chorionic gonadotropin). HCG is a hormone extracted from urine of pregnant women. It is approved by FDA for treatment of certain problems of the male reproductive system and in stimulating ovulation in women who have had difficulty becoming pregnant. No evidence has been presented, however, to substantiate claims for HCG as a weight-loss aid.

An article in JAMA (Journal of the American Medical Association) in 1974 stated:

"No convincing scientific evidence exists that human chorionic gonadotropin has any pharmacologic effect in weight reduction. Hence, claims to the public that such effects do occur are a misrepresentation of the scientific facts."

FDA requires all labeling and advertising of HCG to state that it has not been demonstrated to be effective in the treatment of obesity. The ads must also state that HCG is not approved by FDA as safe and effective in treatment of obesity of weight control.

Yet the use of HCG for weight loss continues. For instance, advertisements for weight-loss clinics using HCG appeared in the Chicago area in the summer of 1982. The ads included the required disclaimer, but in type much smaller than that used to extol the virtues of the clinics' program.

The pill or shot to enable a person to lose weight without danger and without eating less has not been formulated. And the garment or other device to let one firm up or lose inches without moving a muscle has yet to be invented.

It looks like those who want to be slim will have to resort to those old, unglamorous standbys--eating less and exercising more--to shake those excess pounds.

At least until the next waving of the magic wand.

Judith Willis is editor of FDA's Drug Bulletin, a periodical for health professionals." - 1982 

I apologize candilovesjon. I did misunderstand you. :) I wasn't upset. Just defending it. It is natural and not an antibiotic, so I think we are on the same page. :)

Original Post by leidee:

I apologize candilovesjon. I did misunderstand you. :) I wasn't upset. Just defending it. It is natural and not an antibiotic, so I think we are on the same page. :)

 There is nothing 'natural' about injecting yourself with someone else's hormones.

Just want to remind others, that I started my topic.. MY DOCTOR AND NUTRITIONIST have given me this PRESCRIPTION. I am following this under a doctors care, and it is a PRESCRIBED medication, that they also precribe to women and men for other reasons besides weight loss. I did not ask to have to defend my actions to people who don't agree with it, I asked for the support of others doing the same thing.

good call jeunene! :)

Hi,

I recently answered a question entitled recipes for HCG diets.

Mary

Original Post by maryhartley:

Hi,

I recently answered a question entitled recipes for HCG diets.

Mary

I read your answer here and I was thinking the same thing.

Original Post by maryhartley:

Hi,

I recently answered a question entitled recipes for HCG diets.

Mary

 I also read this answer. It still doesn't phase me. I've experienced the way it works. Other nutritionists will say the opossite so I won't be led by her certification. I do agree that Kevin Trudeau is rather full of it, but he didn't create the diet and I didn't do the protocol soley based of of his book.

I have been reading a lot about the HCG diet. Have you heard of HCG Medical? They sent you the HCG injections via mail and I want to know if anyone knows if this is a reputable company?

I have one day left to go on the HCG Diet. I documented everything on my blog: http://fatlosschronicles.blogspot.com BEWARE!!! This diet does not do exactly as claimed. I have lost lean muscle, as well as *structural* fat. It is not just "abnormal" fat that you lose on this diet. Please research very, very carefully before trying this diet. It is not healthy for you!

Interesting experiment, fatloss, and I'm surprised the moderators haven't taken it down.....  From your blog it appears that by using a 500 cal/day diet that you have lost about 17 pounds in 28 days.  Based on your start weight, I'll guess a sedentary burn of about 2000 calories per day, or a deficit of about 1500 calories per day.  I'd expect about 12 pounds loss, but maybe you were more active.  Or maybe the injection boosted the metabolism a little.  The loss of muscle mass is disturbing, but fits what is expected in starvation.  Whether HCG contributes something or not, your experience does indicate starvation is a major mechanism for how this diet works.

You mention loss of visceral fat, so I'll ask how much this changed your waistline, which I have been using as my own measure of visceral fat.  Also, what is structural fat, and where did you lose it?

Finally, with a BMI of 27 at the start, why on earth did you do this?  You could have achieved the same results in a much healthier way in 2-3 months.  It might make sense for someone who is morbidly obese, but not for someone who is only moderately overweight.

I can't believe that there are actually people who think that since hcg is natural this is perfectly safe. You know my estrogen that I take for hormone replacement is natural too, and people do produce their own......however, I can only take a certain dosage of it. There are a lot of people who are taking it without a doctor's prescription and whoever wrote that their doctor prescribed it, this doesn't apply to you (but I personally think quack). Cortisol is natural and produced by the body too, but would you take it if you heard it caused weight loss? HCG is not meant for weight loss, in fact when the body produces it all by itself........it generally results in a weight gain for at least about 9 months.

I've been researching, reading forums and it's just crazy....people get this stuff illegally from anywhere in the world they can get it from, and they think they can trust whoever sent it, but how many stories have we heard about tainted medicines, outdated medicines?

Weight loss is supposed to be about getting healthy. It's not healthy to eat 500 calories a day, period. It's not healthy to lose 1 or 2 pounds a day, and I don't care who wrote what 50 years ago. It's pretty simple, eat only 500 calories a day, you'll definitely lose weight, you don't need a shot to help you. No way is anything going to allow you not to lose muscle at that rate. Sometimes it just takes a little common sense. And by the way we will always have our fat cells, all we can do is make them smaller.

It's also a shame that right now this very minute there are women who need hcg to help them conceive but they can't get it because there isn't enough of it because of all these greedy, instant gratification seeking, lazy, nonsensical people who have no regard for their own health. I would guess that without a little self esteem and willingness to work hard to lose weight by a sensible diet and exercise, there really isn't much point.

In this day and age, it's hard to believe this country has dumbed down so much that there are still people who will fall for the 'too good to believe' scams. I'm sorry, but imho, what else could it be?

Original Post by jeunene:

Just want to remind others, that I started my topic.. MY DOCTOR AND NUTRITIONIST have given me this PRESCRIPTION. I am following this under a doctors care, and it is a PRESCRIBED medication, that they also precribe to women and men for other reasons besides weight loss. I did not ask to have to defend my actions to people who don't agree with it, I asked for the support of others doing the same thing.

 Jeunene,

Has Hcg gone well for you?  I didn't see any more of your posts.  I started this week (Monday 5/4/09) and today (Sat 5/9/09) have lost 6 in 6 days.

Original Post by fatlosschronicles:

I have one day left to go on the HCG Diet. I documented everything on my blog: http://fatlosschronicles.blogspot.com BEWARE!!! This diet does not do exactly as claimed. I have lost lean muscle, as well as *structural* fat. It is not just "abnormal" fat that you lose on this diet. Please research very, very carefully before trying this diet. It is not healthy for you!

Your blog is great.  Instead of just the usual imperative -- "don't do it", you let the reader follow you on your journey and find out for themselves why they shouldn't follow this kind of diet.

I found it really interesting to read about how your body basically started crumbling because it wasn't getting the nutrients it needed.  I also liked that you continued to post after the end of the injections.  Anyone who thinks a vlcd of any kind is a good idea should read your blog. 

do u still have something on FaceBook...and if so what name is it under???

Original Post by bdmullaly:

It's also a shame that right now this very minute there are women who need hcg to help them conceive but they can't get it because there isn't enough of it because of all these greedy, instant gratification seeking, lazy, nonsensical people who have no regard for their own health. I would guess that without a little self esteem and willingness to work hard to lose weight by a sensible diet and exercise, there really isn't much point.

 

 I think the vast majority of hCG is used by men who are on anabolic steroids, not people seeking weight reduction. hCG is supposed to keep testosterone production at a normal level for steroid users who shut down their own production by injecting huge amounts of testosterone. This is the drug that Manny Ramirez was caught using by Major league Baseball that got him a 50 game suspension. I wouldn't touch this with a ten foot pole.