HCG Diet?? This just doesn't sound safe.

[DisneyBeagle]

My dear friend has started the HCG diet where she severely restricts her calories to around 500 a day and takes shots of HCG (human chorionic gonadotropin-- a hormone produced during pregnancy). She has managed to lose almost 30 pounds in a little over a month, but I'm worried that the diet isn't safe. She is trying to recruit several friends to join her, but I've declined.

Do you have any knowledge of this diet?

 

[DawnCt1]

If she is getting a shot it sounds like she is being medically supervised. If she is morbidly obese, that isn't "safe" either. Sounds like she is weighing the risks.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

I don't agree with restricting calories for weight loss. I think it is just not smart and can open you up for health complications.

Now I might be more open to restrictive calorie diet for weight maintenence once you are at your goal weight.
If you eat healthy and really watch it, you can supposedly lengthen your life.

In the end it is a personal thing and if you do not feel comfortable doing this then decline.

 

[Handbag Lady]

It really doesn't sound safe.

Aren't we supposed to lose 1-2 pounds a week? How much overweight is she? Is it medically supervised?

I would worry about the loose-skin issue in losing that much weight.

Is she hungry all the time and is she excercising?

 

[themarquis]

I don't agree with restricting calories for weight loss. I think it is just not smart and can open you up for health complications.

Now I might be more open to restrictive calorie diet for weight maintenence once you are at your goal weight.
If you eat healthy and really watch it, you can supposedly lengthen your life.

In the end it is a personal thing and if you do not feel comfortable doing this then decline.

To my knowledge, restricting calories can be very safe if it's within a certain window where it doesn't cause your body to freak out and think it's actually starving (i.e., that's why a lot of programs, like weight watchers, might have a person down in say the 1200 calorie range or whatever depending on their current weight, and actually a lot of other diets like Atkins or whatever do the same by restricting food choices, even if you're not counting calories). But dropping down to 500 calories is not within any kind of margin of safety.

I guess the 500 calorie thing to me alone does not sound particularly safe, though if it's being carefully doctor supervised and medically necessary it might be okay. The hgc thing does not sound like a fantastic idea either -- really, injections of human growth hormone? What are the side effects and potential complications?

I looked around online and found this page: http://calorielab.com/news/2008/04/27/news-flash-weight-loss-is-hard/ -- it looks like all issues of safety aside, the question of whether hgc actually helps weight loss or makes you less hungry has been investigated, and it doesn't do anything. People lose weight on this "diet" do so because anyone who eats 500 calories a day would lose weight.

http://calorielab.com/news/2008/04/27/news-flash-weight-loss-is-hard/

 

[The Mystery Machine]

The hgc thing does not sound like a fantastic idea either -- really, injections of human growth hormone? What are the side effects and potential complications?

They are not injecting growth hormone to be clear. That is something else entirely. My dd was on HGH.

This is from the Wiki, so take it with a grain of salt of course.

Use in weight loss
A controversial usage of hCG is as an adjunct to the British endocrinologist Dr. A.T.W. Simeons’ ultra-low-calorie weight-loss diet[7]. Simeons, while studying pregnant women in India on a calorie-deficient diet, and “fat boys” with pituitary problems treated with low-dose hCG, discovered that both lost fat rather than lean (muscle) tissue. He reasoned that hCG must be programming the hypothalamus to do this in the former cases in order to protect the developing fœtus, and proceeded to use low-dose daily hCG injections (125 mg) in combination with a customized ultra-low-calorie (500 kcal/day, high-protein, low-carbohydrate/fat) diet to help obese adults lose dramatic amounts of adipose tissue without loss of lean, at a Salvator Mundi International Hospital in Rome, Italy, clinic mainly for celebrities. After Simeons’ mysterious death, the diet started to spread to specialized centers and via popularization by such as the controversial popular author Kevin Trudeau (search for hCG in that article for more details).
The controversy proceeds from warnings by the Journal of the American Medical Association[8] and the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition[9] that hCG is not safe,[8] indeed ineffective, as a weight-loss[10] aid on its own; yet its usage as cited above to increase testosterone production contradicts this assertion, since much late-life male obesity is associated with estrogen dominance and deficient testosterone in the mis-named, so-called andropause. Furthermore, in the Simeons protocol, it is, as in any diet, the ultra-low-calorie component (caloric deficit) that results in weight loss, if the protocol is followed strictly. hCG’s role is supposedly to trigger the hypothalamic lean-protection mechanisms Simeons thought he saw, thus promoting mobilization and consumption of abnormal, excessive adipose deposits, while protecting normal adipose and lean tissue from being consumed, with the assumption that these protective hypothalamic mechanisms exist in males as well as females, to be acted upon by hCG.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_chorionic_gonadotropin

 

[goodeats]

Um, why didn't someone tell me the HCG hormone makes people lose weight. I keep gaining so far .

 

[themarquis]

They are not injecting growth hormone to be clear. That is something else entirely. My dd was on HGH.

This is from the Wiki, so take it with a grain of salt of course.

Use in weight loss
A controversial usage of hCG is as an adjunct to the British endocrinologist Dr. A.T.W. Simeons’ ultra-low-calorie weight-loss diet[7]. Simeons, while studying pregnant women in India on a calorie-deficient diet, and “fat boys” with pituitary problems treated with low-dose hCG, discovered that both lost fat rather than lean (muscle) tissue. He reasoned that hCG must be programming the hypothalamus to do this in the former cases in order to protect the developing fœtus, and proceeded to use low-dose daily hCG injections (125 mg) in combination with a customized ultra-low-calorie (500 kcal/day, high-protein, low-carbohydrate/fat) diet to help obese adults lose dramatic amounts of adipose tissue without loss of lean, at a Salvator Mundi International Hospital in Rome, Italy, clinic mainly for celebrities. After Simeons’ mysterious death, the diet started to spread to specialized centers and via popularization by such as the controversial popular author Kevin Trudeau (search for hCG in that article for more details).
The controversy proceeds from warnings by the Journal of the American Medical Association[8] and the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition[9] that hCG is not safe,[8] indeed ineffective, as a weight-loss[10] aid on its own; yet its usage as cited above to increase testosterone production contradicts this assertion, since much late-life male obesity is associated with estrogen dominance and deficient testosterone in the mis-named, so-called andropause. Furthermore, in the Simeons protocol, it is, as in any diet, the ultra-low-calorie component (caloric deficit) that results in weight loss, if the protocol is followed strictly. hCG’s role is supposedly to trigger the hypothalamic lean-protection mechanisms Simeons thought he saw, thus promoting mobilization and consumption of abnormal, excessive adipose deposits, while protecting normal adipose and lean tissue from being consumed, with the assumption that these protective hypothalamic mechanisms exist in males as well as females, to be acted upon by hCG.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_chorionic_gonadotropin

Lol, you're right. When I read that article about it , I realized it was not human growth hormones, and then I forgot to go back and change my response.

 

[jordansmomma]

HCG makes/helps you lose weight?

 

[Robmom]

A friend of mine did that through her doctor. She did loose some weight, but I don't think that much. I told her that I didn't think it sounded safe, but she believed it was, since it was her doctor administering the shots.

 

[ckay87]

Wonder what is going to happen when she stops the diet?

So much safer (and not all that difficult) to eat healthily and exercise a ton. Aerobic exercise annihilates the pounds and to me, it is far preferable to starving yourself. But then again, I LOVE to eat. I'll bike for hours for a piece of chocolate cake!

 

[NotUrsula]

High levels of HCG are a factor in causing morning sickness -- are these people throwing up? THAT would certainly cause you to lose a lot of weight quickly, especially if your calorie intake was tightly restricted.

For me, the HCG in pregnancy was always a major weight loss trigger because it completely killed my appetite for sweets, along with making me slightly nauseous most of the time. I just never wanted to eat when I was pregnant, so I lost weight especially in the first trimester. I finished each pregnancy with a zero net weight change before delivery, and a 20 lb. instant weight loss after. This was fine because I was overweight to start with; I essentially was losing just as much as the baby gained.

Thirty lbs. in a month seems really fast, however. Is her thyroid being monitored through this?

 

[Todd&Copper]

Is she considered "morbidly obese" according to medical charts? That sounds like an awful lot of weight to lose in one month.

500 calories sounds like way too few to me - I was told a good rule of thumb to start is to add a zero to the end of your goal weight and start with that many calories a day and adjust fromt here so you are losing approx. 2 lbs a week; e.g., Mary's goal is 135, so she starts with 1350 calories per day and if she doesn't lose weight on that amount, adjust down by 50 and see if she loses then.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

Is she considered "morbidly obese" according to medical charts? That sounds like an awful lot of weight to lose in one month.

500 calories sounds like way too few to me - I was told a good rule of thumb to start is to add a zero to the end of your goal weight and start with that many calories a day and adjust fromt here so you are losing approx. 2 lbs a week; e.g., Mary's goal is 135, so she starts with 1350 calories per day and if she doesn't lose weight on that amount, adjust down by 50 and see if she loses then.

HUH....that is pretty cool. I can see that being a good guide.

Frankly to go back to the shot thing. I would believe it that is actually worked if people were taking in a healthy calorie count and they lost weight with the shot.

I think the severe calorie restriction is what is causing the weight loss not so much the expensive shots they are pushing.

 

[cseca]

I'm no doctor but that just sounds scary.
Regardless of whether your friend is obese or not, I don't think 500 calories/day is good for you. Especially if she can't maintain the weight at the end. What's the point?
Losing weight is a lifestyle change. Unless she wants to be permanently attached to those shots, I think eating healthy and exercising are still the core of healthy living.

Plus 500 calories is nothing. Isn't your friend hungry (= cranky) all the time?
I did my own losing weight method (based on years of understanding what works or doesn't work for me personally) with 1200-1500 calories diet (healthy eating + extra activities). Even then some days I get so darn cranky because my head is telling me I'm still hungry (even when my belly is not). So I'm surprised your friend isn't biting people's heads off...

 

[DisneyBeagle]

If she is getting a shot it sounds like she is being medically supervised.

From what she has said it sounds like she met with a doctor on her first visit and now she gives the shots to herself.

Frankly to go back to the shot thing. I would believe it that is actually worked if people were taking in a healthy calorie count and they lost weight with the shot.

I think the severe calorie restriction is what is causing the weight loss not so much the expensive shots they are pushing.

I totally agree. I'm also not sure how much the shots cost, but she has mentioned that she is on a payment plan.

 

[Todd&Copper]

Is she considered "morbidly obese" according to medical charts? That sounds like an awful lot of weight to lose in one month.

500 calories sounds like way too few to me - I was told a good rule of thumb to start is to add a zero to the end of your goal weight and start with that many calories a day and adjust fromt here so you are losing approx. 2 lbs a week; e.g., Mary's goal is 135, so she starts with 1350 calories per day and if she doesn't lose weight on that amount, adjust down by 50 and see if she loses then.

HUH....that is pretty cool. I can see that being a good guide.

Frankly to go back to the shot thing. I would believe it that is actually worked if people were taking in a healthy calorie count and they lost weight with the shot.

I think the severe calorie restriction is what is causing the weight loss not so much the expensive shots they are pushing.

Not to go too far OT, but I went to a copuple of those "calorie calculators" to determine what my calories should be to get to my goal weight, and it was pretty close to the "goal weight with added zero" idea (within 25 calories or so), so I guessed it was a pretty good starting point.

I think you are onto something - 500 calories a day should produce massive weight loss, until your body goes into starvation mode and you plateau.

 

[DizBelle]

Not to go too far OT, but I went to a copuple of those "calorie calculators" to determine what my calories should be to get to my goal weight, and it was pretty close to the "goal weight with added zero" idea (within 25 calories or so), so I guessed it was a pretty good starting point.

I think you are onto something - 500 calories a day should produce massive weight loss, until your body goes into starvation mode and you plateau.

It sounds like the idea of these HCG shots is to prevent the body from going into starvation mode. Apparently, a pregnant body produces HCG naturally if it is not getting enough calories in order to protect the fetus.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

It sounds like the idea of these HCG shots is to prevent the body from going into starvation mode. Apparently, a pregnant body produces HCG naturally if it is not getting enough calories in order to protect the fetus.

Yes but it has to be hell on your internal organs, right? I mean you need a minimum amount of calories for healthy body function and 500 doesn't cut it.

You will have weight loss but at what cost?

 

[Parkhopper]

Okay, I am going to be the lone voice of dissent because I have actually done the HCG diet as has my husband and we have had wonderful results.

You DO have to follow the diet EXACTLY as even a small deviation will cause problems in the amount of weight lost.

The HCG allows your body to use calories from your "abnormally stored fat" to make up the difference between the calories that you take in (about 500 per day) and what you need. I lost weight immediately and most of the weight lost came from my hips, thighs and stomach. My husband lost 35 lbs and almost all of it was "belly fat".

I lost about 45 lbs last year and had absolutely no hunger after the first 3 days or so (and after the doctor made a slight adjustment to the amoung of HCG that I was getting). I opted to go with a program that used an oral HCG rather than the shots.

I was under the Doctor's care the entire time that I was on the diet and checked in with him frequently during the week and had a visit with him about every 2 weeks on average.

I lost weight swiftly which was so very encouraging. I had no hunger which was amazing and even now...3 months later, I have been able to maintain my weight loss (within a 2 lb tolerance) with very little trouble. The diet broke my need to have sweets!

I convinced my DH to try the diet as I was having such wonderful success and he is a true convert. I am really convinced that this is the diet that many of the stars use to get back their bikini bodies so quickly after giving birth.

Both my DH and I followed the diet "to the letter" which was sometimes difficult...but was mostly manageable as long as we planned things out. The hardest part was explaining to family and friends who all thought that our new diet was "weird", but even they could not argue with the great results.

Bottom line, this diet broke my bad relationship with food. I am no longer addicted to diet sodas...in fact, I don't touch them. I no longer have an insatiable appetite and I don't have any problem eating until just full.

Because the HCG caused your body to release the "abnormally stored fat", you lose from the areas that you really NEED to lose from. My hair and skin have never looked better. I have even found that I sleep much better now than I did before. My DH has lowered both his cholesterol and his blood pressure and his primary Doctor was so impressed with his results that he asked for more information to pass along to some of HIS patients.

I agree that if you just hear the basics about this diet, without understanding the whole picture, that it sounds crazy and dangerous, but if you read Dr. Simeon's Pounds and Inches and understand that your body is drawing upon your abnormal fat reserves to make up the difference in calories, that it makes a lot more sense.

I wish your friend continued success in her diet.

Suzi