Tuesday, March 16, 2010

HCG Diet Breakdown

If you don't know much about the HCG diet, other than that a lot of people are trying it and losing a lot of weight on it, I'll give you a brief background (in my own words).

HCG is the hormone released by the placenta of a pregnant woman. When on the HCG diet, the patient either injects or absorbs sublingually (under the tongue) tiny amounts of this natural hormone. The doctor who started this diet observed that his obesity patients who used the hormone and followed a strict diet of lean meats, vegetables, fruits, and a very small amount of specific starches, lost--and kept off--large amounts of weight. The HCG tells the body to draw fat from the abnormal fat reserves (those on the body which enlarge fastest as one gains weight--often the tummy, hips, thighs, buns, etc.) rather than from muscle, healthy fat reserves (such as those that cushion the organs) or from normal fat reserves (those which can be broken down quickly to give the body energy when there is insufficient nutrition). Therefore, a patient on the HCG diet doesn't lose muscle or healthy fat (this would be counter-productive to a pregnant woman trying to grow a fetus), but from all the "right" spots. And as the abnormal fat reserves are unlocked and broken down, the energy from them is released into the blood stream, so that although the person is on a very low calorie diet, their body is actually recieving quite a lot of calories and shouldn't feel hungry. Also, the body begins to reset the hypothalamus, so that when the diet is finished and the maintanance portion of the diet is finished (3 weeks of slowly re-introducing normal fat and sugars), the person's metabolism is better and they are less likely to regain the weight than with any other redued calorie diet.

So that's the background. If you want to read the actual manuscript, it's quite intesting, and the whole thing is online here.

Most people lose 1/2 lb to 1 lb (more for some men) of fat per day. PER DAY. You can see why this is such an attractive diet. When I lost 18 lbs over four months on Weight Watchers, and tend to lose 1/2 lb per week when I exercise and try to eat right on my own (if I'm lucky), the idea of losing all the weight I need, which is about 13 lbs, in only two weeks of dieting (although you have to finish out the whole 3 week diet + 3 week maintanance diet if you want to keep it off) is absolutely amazing. I can honestly say I am EXCITED to be donig this diet. Knowing it will work and that I will actually be skinnier at the end, is just thrilling.

8 comments:

Tiffany said...

I'm intrigued. It certainly sounds reasonable! Thanks for being the guinea pig!

Sara said...

I think you look great! Hope it works for you.

mCat said...

This is very interesting. I have heard the opposite of what this states, so I am super interested to see how it works for you. Keep us posted!!

Kristina P. said...

I have some honest, non snarky questions about this diet.

You only eat 500 calories, correct? Is this honestly healthy?

Can people keep the weight off? I know people who have done several rounds, because as soon as they go off, they gain the weight.

I totally did Phen-Fen when it was all the rage, and then all the stuff came out about it basically being speed. This seems like another one of those fad diet things, but I don't know that much about it.

I really do hope it works for you and has no side effects. I read Sue's post about it and almost died! :)

Anonymous said...

Wow.

Good luck.

Alex said...

I’m happy to say I am another HCG diet success story. I have lost 32 pounds and 4 sizes of clothes!!
Whatever the mechanism is in HCG that causes people to lose weight at an amazing rate, eat only 500 calories and not be hungry, cannot be explained at least by me. It certainly does exist for me and many other people. I would suggest you read Dr. Simeons' Pounds and Inches manuscripts before you start. You can find a free copy at http://www.hcgweightloss.com/category/pounds-inches-by-dr-atw-simeons.

kado! said...

how much does it cost and where do you get it?

Omgirl said...

Option 1) You join a doctor-supervised program. It costs about $1200. They give you everything, supervise everything, etc.

Option 2) You get a doctor to order you a prescription. It costs about $100 per vial. You get it from your local pharmacy.

Option 3) You order it from a pharmacy overseas. It costs about $15 per vial! (Plus exorbitant shipping, of course, so more like $60 for three vials and shipping).

I went with Option 3