DH and I are considering starting this. You get an injection of HCG (which is the pregnancy hormone) and eat 500 calories a day. The premise is that you are "fooling" your body into using its fat stores with the HCG injections. It's supervised by a physician. It's kind of expensive, so I think I would stick with it just to avoid blowing that money, but I'm a little worried about only consuming 500 calories per day. Supposedly, it is safe because your body is still getting the calories it needs - just not from additional food. I've heard that you can lose 30 pounds in 30 days and that those results are typical.

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Kim

I have never heard of it. It doesn't sound like something I would do but it must work for some people or it wouldn't be listed anywhere. When in doubt (and if you don't get enough responses from people who have actually tried it) google!

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The political system is broke and it's a joke.

I've never heard of it either, but have you heard what happens once you stop taking the injections and eat regular meals? Seems like it would be hard to keep the weight off without A LOT of exercise once stopped.

I looked it up

HowStuffWorks "How the HCG Diet Works"

You can also take drops as opposed to the shots
HCG Diet Direct - hCG Diet Drops - Homeopathic Liquid


Frequently asked questions about hCG injections for weight loss




Will I gain the weight back after the hCG diet?

hcg for weight loss

After the hCG diet, you will find your appetite has changed, your eating behavior will be changed and your body will of course, have changed. This is the perfect opportunity to adopt that healthy lifestyle to maintain your weight.

You will find a minimum amount of exercise will be sufficient for maintaining a very healthy body- from yoga, to 15 minutes of cardio a day, or whatever you enjoy, that gets your heart moving. With your hypothalamus reset, your metabolism will be different and you will be able to eat moderately without feeling the need to overeat.

For articles and resources about adopting a healthy lifestyle, visit hCG Diet News.

This site calls it dangerous
HCG Diet: Look Elsewhere for Weight Loss | Diets in Review Blog

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The political system is broke and it's a joke.

I think I would be worried about only 500 calories a day, and injecting HCG into your body. Sounds really extreme.

I apologize ahead of time for what I am about to write. And, if you do try this diet, I hope it does everything for you that you dream about.

However --- please just make a food diary for a month and write everything you and your husband eat and drink and do the math. I did a simple search of your user name and you have many posts related to food. Your eating habits aren't all that great if your last two months of posts are any indication.

People take 10 years or more to put on so many pounds and then want some miracle fix. I can guarantee you will put back on whatever you happen to lose if you don't dramatically change your habits forever, not just some dramatic calorie restriction for a few months.

But, again, I wish you all the luck and health in the world if you choose this method.

Maybe I'm missing something, but it seems to me that if you only eat 500 calories a day, even without the injection, you'd lose a ton of weight...

Lisa

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"It's not having what you want,
It's wanting what you've got"

I think the shot replaces what you would lose nutrition wise from the missing calories in your diet.

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"When you're drowning, you don't say 'I would be incredibly pleased if someone would have the foresight to notice me drowning and come and help me,' you just scream."

John Lennon

The body does not store some vitamins and minerals and needs a constant supply. eating 500 calories a day (w/o resorting to some sort of supplementation) would appear to me to be extremely dangerous.

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Mental that one, I'm telling you. ---Ron Weasley, "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets"

Pretty much. Except, if you believe the witch doctor stuff, the hCG makes your body burn fat rather than muscle and decreases hunger. If the subject does have weight loss and if you believe actual researchers, it is more likely the placebo effect that works on the mind and gets the person to stick the the reduced calorie diet. Or, the cost of the medication gives the person more incentive to not fail.

Regardless, no one can survive for long on 500 calories. Fat gained from poor eating choices will just be gained again once the person stops starving themselves, and most likely faster than it took to put on the first time.

Thanks for your responses, nightowlm. You are right - DH and I don't eat well. We certainly realize that. Would it be better if I would just make better choices? Sure, but that hasn't worked that well for me in the past, so we are considering alternatives.

As far as the witch doctor comment, I can't say what other people are doing, but this diet is actually offered and monitored by my ob/gyn. I've worked in healthcare sales and used to sell diagnostic laboratory testing to this physician, so I am pretty comfortable with him from a knowledge and ethics perspective. He also delivered my sister's child (now 18), as well as my own 11 year old son. He is not a "witch doctor".

This the deal - you eat a lot of calories the first few days that you are on it (2500 for example). Then, you drop down to 500 calories. What that does is trick your body into thinking that it needs the full 2500 calories, so it takes the additional 2000 from your fat stores.

The daughter of my physician's head nurse is on the program and has lost 42 pounds. She is in her second cycle. Personally, I don't think I will have much of a problem keeping it off. Before I got sick, I weighed much less. Two years of complete inactivity didn't help, so I just want a little jumpstart.

Thank you all for the comments. I was just really wondering if anyone on here has done it or knows anyone else who has.

Kim

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Kim

If you want to burn fat.. just go low carb and forget about counting calories. Without carbs in you for fuel the body automatically burns fat for fuel and you don't have to pay for some hormonal injections.

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Support bacteria -- it's the only culture some people have!

If Vegetarians eat Vegetables. Do Humanitarians eat Humans?

'Vegetarian' is an old Native American word for bad hunter.

I may go that route. I did a couple of weeks of Adkins before our vacation in August and lost 11 pounds. So, it does work for me. We are just checking our options. Thanks!

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Kim

"In our clinical setting, however, HCG per se offered no advantage over placebo injections in
regard to weight loss, distribution of fat lost,..." http://www.ajcn.org/cgi/reprint/29/9/940.pdf

FYI -- 500 calories a day is about 2000 calories too little for the average male. 2000 calories x 30 days = 60000 calories. 60000/3500 = about 17 pounds. Add to that the water loss of around 10 pounds due to the extreme low carb aspect of the diet. Then, add the possibility the person is motivated to increase daily exercise = 3 pounds.

17 pounds,+ 10 pounds + 3 optional pounds = 27-30 pounds. No hormone shots required.

The fatter you are the more initial weight loss due to the additional water contained in fat cells. As soon as you add carbs back in, that weight will pop right back on like magic.

If you can't change your poor food choices before this radical diet, how exactly do you think you will change it when you lose weight? My husband and I use a website called FitDay. It is free. It tracks your calorie intake, monitors goals, lets you know how much excercise it takes to burn a calorie or two if you want to add exercise.

But, that's just my opinion. Again, good luck. At least with Atkins, you can eat relatively normal. But, your current diet is so full of breads and pasta, I doubt you could stick with it.

My concern with dramatic weight loss is the inevitable depression that comes after the weight is regained. Changing habits is so hard. Crash diets don't change habits.

I am reading the book Cracking the Fat Loss Code by Wendy Chant. It deals with reprogramming your metabolism by eating differently on different days. It doesn't recommend a 500 calorie day however.
I am not sure how long term sustainable Chant's program would be but she does have a large following.

I was able to pick up the book at the library.

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Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass
It's about learning to dance in the rain.

Counting calories and making better choices worked for me. 500 calories a day does not seem healthy at all. I "tricked" my mind by eating small amounts of food often and looking forward to the next little treat/meal. That way I never got really, really hungry.

One of my problems with this plan, and others that I have heard about is the fact that even if you manage to shed some pounds, it doesn't mean that you are necessarily healthy. As much as I get discouraged, and often complain about it.....exercise is an important key to maintaining a healthy weight. Being around lots of skinny teenagers all day long, I can tell you from first hand experience, that skinny....does not mean healthy. Some of these girls can't walk, let alone run a mile, and can't do one push up or pull up. They often eat chips and cookies for lunch, and come to school in the morning with a breakfast that consists of a soda and a candy bar! JMHO...they are settting themselves up for a very unhealthy lifestyle, no matter how skinny they may be now. I know its none of my business what they eat or the fact that they get little to no exercise, but being a mom...I often find myself feeling very sad for these young women.

As always, there was some interesting feedback. I appreciate the responses and the links to articles and studies. At the very least, I need to do some more research, but I think I agree that this is not the best way to go. "sigh" I was hoping for a quick fix, but it looks like I just need to get my butt to the gym. I just did the BMI calculator and it shows that I need to lose about 35 pounds to get to a healthy weight. If the people on Biggest Loser can lost over 100 with better choices and exercise, I'm sure I can, too.

Thanks again!

Kim

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Kim

My husband and I recently rediscovered biking. Our knees and backs are starting to show their age, so many types of physical activity leave us sore and unmotivated. However, biking has been absolutely the best thing for us. We can do it together, it wasn't too expensive to get the right equipment, and our knees and backs don't hurt at all. We have discovered 100's of miles of bike paths that we never knew existed. What we really like about it is being able to combine it with something fun. We put on over 1000 miles this summer. We've riden to parks, lakes, ball games, fairs, etc. We started out with 5-8 mile rides near the house. By the end of the summer, we were biking 10-20 miles every weeknight and 50 miles on Saturday. The time goes fast because we have things to look at and have to concentrate about not falling over

I am not disciplined enough to stick to a gym or "work out" program. I like being able to push myself in a way I can't if I were to ride a gym bike. If I bike an extra 5 miles away from the house, I have to bike back

If you have kids, it is a family activity for all ages. I just wish we had discovered biking years ago. I can do knee bends again, I don't need to use my inhaler as often, my biceps and butt look fabulous!

Good luck in your journey.

DH and I bought bikes this summer, as well. We really enjoyed it. I liked listening to books on CD when I rode my bike. I had something to look forward to and if I was in a good part, I would keep riding to keep listening.

It's pretty cold here right now (27 this morning), but DH and I are planning to get back on our bikes, as well. We ride around our neighborhood and were riding about 5 miles 5 times a week before we went on vacation in August. Then, we just totally slacked and haven't been back on them. Time to get recommitted!

Thanks for your comments.

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Kim

I had various problems with my hormones for years and based on the hell that put me thru I would say not to do it.
There is no body size, no matter how tiny, that would make me ever want to take a chance on having my hormones go haywire again.

Sadly, there is no quick fix. Most people don't gain weight all at once, it creeps up a little at a time and that is the only way to really lose it-a little at a time.

Good luck whatever you decide.

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Jesus SAVES by shopping smartly and using double coupons!

Dh and I have been talking about getting bikes, my kids already spend half their time on theirs. I used to walk / jog occasionally but I have rheumatoid arthritis and it's getting harder and harder. I think biking would be far less impact on my joints.

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Once the game is over, the king and the pawn go back in the same box.

I am with you on this! I have had issues with my Thyroid for a while now, and I wouldn't want to do anything to mess my hormones up anymore than they already are! This *diet* option just sounds unsafe, and it would seem to me that it would really mess with your metabolism.