HCG weightloss clinics ?????

[LAinSEA]

Has anyone out there tried HCG weightloss system? Any successes/failures?

My sister has had success with a similar plan (B12 supershots only not the HCG from the clinic in her area because she doesn't have a large amount of weight to loss, but she tells me colleagues of her's have been very successful on the program.) It is a very low calorie, low fat plan for 6 to 8 weeks at a time, then a three week break on maintenance plan, then back to the 6 to 8 week VLC with shots until the desired goal is met.

Any information would be much appreciated.

Laurie

 

[LAinSEA]

Since it doesn't look like anyone has tried this program, I will post my experiences at my first visit and then begin a WISH Journal for progress (and to keep me sane.)

The HCG diet is a very low calorie diet in combination with HCG to rev up metabolism and speed fat loss. HCG can be taken in either an oral or shot form. The shots can be taken daily for 6 days straight or in a once-a-week form in combination with vitamin B12 and other nutrients. (I opted for the daily form as I live a good 30 minutes to an hour commute from the clinic and I can administer the shots to myself at home.)

The diet is very restrictive and is almost a combination of "Optifast" and "Atkins" as patients are supposed to have 4 eight oz. shakes mixed from HCG Ultra Slim powder spread out throughout the day from half an hour after waking up to half an hour prior to sleep. Lunch and dinner consist of 100 grams (measured uncooked) of lean protein, handful of veggies (from a list/can be a combination), and either one medium apple, one small orange, 1/2 grapefruit, or 5 medium strawberries eaten with meal (not separately as a snack). Salad dressing can only be juice from either half lemon or lime, teaspoon of apple cider or red wine vinegar mixed with MCL oil (which since I'm alergic to Coconut oil I opted not to purchase - the shake mix has coconut dirivative also, but I didn't end up with a reaction at the office today, so I'll try and keep my fingers crossed for no reaction.) No oil can be used to cook with either. All spices/herbs are OK, except salt should be limited in amount and to sea salt if at all possible.

The weird part about this diet is that for the first two days on the HCG shots, I have to gorge myself on high fat food--"Go eat a greasy hamburger or prime rib for dinner. Go to the movies and order popcorn with extra butter." is what I was told to do tonight and tomorrow. My first day of shakes, lean meat and small amounts of veggies/apples starts on Friday. I was told if I didn't load up on the high fat for two days that it would be more difficult for my body to begin metabolizing the stored fats in my own body.

Truthfully, I'm skeptical, but willing to try anything for two weeks. I was told that if there are no results in two weeks that the amount of HCG could be adjusted in the shots (as long as I am not cheating in anyway). If there are no results within 4 weeks there is another metabolic reason for no weight loss (like a thyroid disorder...which still may be the case, but I'll go into that in the journal.)

By the way, I had to be seen by a licensed physician to begin the program. On the internet there are ways to order all of this without being seen, but my sis, the RN, said not to do this without being monitored by medical staff. Since I just had recent blood work done, and had my records with me, I didn't have to wait to begin the program until lab results came back.

So that is the deal; results for women are supposed to be between .5 and 2.0 lbs lost per day, men 1.0 to 3.0 lbs lost per day. The doctor told me that the goal for each cycle is 35 lbs then a break and maintenance, then another 35 lb cycle on the HCG. It should take approximately 4 weeks to lose the first 35 lbs. High intensity exercise is discouraged for the first two weeks, but I was cleared to continue walking 20 to 40 minutes/day as long as I don't "speed walk." I should not feel hungry or tired after the first week. OK, we'll see...

Laurie

 

[Parkhopper]

Laurie, my DH and I did the HCG diet and had fabulous results. We did it through my Doctor, not a center and the diet we were on sounds different than what you are describing. We did not have any shakes to drink. We followed the very low calorie diet and weighed and measured everything. We were allowed NO fats or oils (not even lotions for body) and could not mix the vegetables (pick one for each meal). All food was grilled, boiled or broiled with no fat or oil.

We both had great results. The first time I did the diet, I lost almost 50 lbs and DH lost 35 (he started 3 or 4 weeks after me). We took a short break of about 4 months and ate "normally"...or our new normal anyway. I had more weight to lose so I went back on it again for 6 more weeks and lost about 30 more lbs. DH joined in again for the last 3 weeks and was able to lose the last 10 lbs of stomach fat that he had. I went from a size 18 to a size 6 and DH went from a 38 inch waist to a 30 inch waist. He now weighs less than he did in High School!

DH's primary Doctor has been thrilled and has asked several times for details to pass on to his other patients. DH is now off of cholestoral medication and has had one blood pressure medicine eliminated and the other is now at the lowest possible dose (and his Dr. says that they might eliminate it all together in about 4 months if his numbers continue to look good). I have been able to eliminate medications as well.

We followed the Simeon Protocol TO THE LETTER during the diet. We did not have ONE bite that was not allowed. I don't eat seafood, so I ate a TON of chicken and I don't care for several of the allowed vegetables, so I had cucumbers most meals ...sometimes I would have lettuce or a tomato, but I never combined items. The only seasonings we used were sea salt, pepper and garlic powder. For a salad dressing, we would use raw undiluted apple cider vinegar. We drank a gallon of water a day.

We made permanent changes to the way we eat. Neither one of us drinks any soda or diet soda any longer. We drink water pretty exclusively (although I occasionally drink a glass of green tea which is allowed). We have learned that many times when we thought we were hungry, we were actually THIRSTY. We have eliminated all prepared and fast food from our diets. We cook from scratch and read labels and try to avoid anything that has any artificial sweeteners, high fructose corn syrup, and MSG (and all of the numerous names that manufacturers use to "hide it in foods).

We both have way more energy than we ever had before and take walks together. We did not exercise much during the diet because (weird as it sounds) we found that it caused the weight loss to slow (perhaps because of the way you metabolize the HCG?)

I have about 10- 15 lbs more to go to be at a "perfect" weight, but I am within a healthy range and plan to try to tone up my problem areas with exercise. I won't rule out the possibility of doing the diet again some time next year.

In some ways this was the easiest diet that I ever did...it just took planning. During the Winter, we cooked our meals on our George Foreman grill inside.

I will not tell you that the maintenance has been easy, as we still struggle with choices every day. We just got back from a cruise to Alaska and were able to maintain our weight by walking, taking the stairs everywhere onboard and making decent food choices. That is not to say that we have denied ourselves everything...my DH has a homemade chocolate chip cookie (we know EXACTLY what is in it) just about every night prior to bed.

I wish you much success with your diet. It has truly changed our lives for the better.

Suzi

 

[LAinSEA]

Thanks Suzi for posting about your success--I feel so much better now and much more hopeful.

DH and I both made a great many changes several years ago; we rarely eat out, are very careful with processed foods and too many starchy carbs and no high fructose corn syrup. However, I've been addicted to Diet Coke since I was five years old. Still I can't maintain weight, but continue to gain. The doctor at the center and the nutritionist both told me yesterday that I will not have difficulty adjusting to maintenance once the weight is lost as we already have healthier eating habits than most couples.

I made the switch to iced teas today for morning hours (my second load day--and loading seems to counter productive, but the doctor warned me not to skip this step.) And I will up the water consumption--we installed a filtration system when we remodeled the kitchen last year so our water tastes good all year round now. I'm not thrilled about the shakes as I just noticed that they have a coconut component in the ingredients and I'm alergic to raw coconut and sensitive to products made with coconut dirivitives. So I will contact the center today and ask if there is an alternative.

I read the Simeon Protocol prior to going into the center, so that I would be prepared. I asked about the topical fats in lotions and the doctor didn't tell me not to use anything specific--they have been running their own clinical studies within the Natural Health Center Technologies clinics and haven't seen a difference between those who do use products and those who don't. Again, with my coconut alergy, I avoid many products that are fat-based or use sodium laureleth suffate (sp?) already.

It was suggested that I use the MCL oil as a base for salad dressing and to cook with (if an oil is needed). Did you use this stuff and/or is there an alternative? (It is coconut based also.) Also, how did you measure your vegetable portions?

So many questions! Again, thanks for posting your success. My DH is reserving judgement for now, but is very supportive and will not sabotage. (He could stand to lose the belly too.)

Laurie

 

[momoflizandains]

I am interested in hearing more about this.

 

[Parkhopper_Vince]

My Doctor would not allow ANY oils at all and no lotions on the face or body during the HCG portion of the diet. I "cheated" with hand lotion a couple of times during the first round because it was Winter time and I either gained weight or lost VERY little on the days when I "cheated". That was motivation enough!

The meat had to be measured VERY carefully, but for the vegetables, my Doctor said "a handful" was a portion size. I usually had 1/2 of a cucumber for my vegetable most meals. Occasionally, I would substitute a tomato or a handful of lettuce. We were not permitted to mix vegetables (oh how I would have loved to have had lettuce WITH cucumber and tomato!). We followed the Simeon Protocol EXACTLY as written. The only modification that my Doctor made was a requirement to drink one full gallon of water each day while taking the HCG. It was difficult sometimes to get it all in ...especially if we got a late start...or had a long car ride, but we did it together.

My Doctor was VERY firm that I had to promise never to have artificial sweeteners again (no more caffeine free diet Pepsi). He says that aspartame and the like are excitotoxins and that they cause you to crave more sweets while they damage your hypothalimus (spelling?) I HAVE noticed a dramatic decrease in my desire for sweets since stopping.

The hardest part for me was giving up my gum. All of the gums with a nice long lasting taste have artificial sweeteners in them. Oh well, gum and diet soda ...I don't mind the sacrifice when I am 80 lbs lighter!

Good luck to you on the diet. Let me know how you progress!

Suzi

 

[Parkhopper]

whoops! I just realized that I posted the above post from home and DH must have been logged in. Sorry for any confusion I may have caused!

Suzi

 

[LAinSEA]

No problem Suzi!

For those wanting more info, I will post the link to the Simeon Protocol and the one to the diet center I'm visiting in Tacoma.

http://www.thehcgdiet.com/pdf/pounds-and-inches-by-dr-a-t-w-simeons.pdf

http://www.hcgslimagain.com/

A web search on HCG diet will probably yield clinics in your area.

A word of caution--given to me for my DH who is NOT on the diet (although he certainly is supportive of me to the point of eating what I eat for dinner, and lunch and dinner on weekends and not eating extra/forbidden things in front of me): do NOT attempt the very low calorie diet without the HCG. The doctor said it would put my husband's metabolism into a "starvation" mode and do much more harm than good if he isn't getting the HCG. My sister, who is getting a weekly B12 shot (no HCG) is eating a similiar diet that is 3x the calories (1500 instead of 500/day). She does not have the restrictions on kinds of fruit or vegetables that is found on the HCG/Simeon Protocol. The doctor also warned against ordering the HCG online (most come from China or India and it is not pure for humans). Find a doctor or a clinic that will prescribe it if you want to try this.

I started a journal and please drop by and follow my progress (posts welcome). I promise to be honest about my appetite and losses--I'm still a bit skeptical (as nothing else has worked for me) and that is why I call it a "grand experiment."

Laurie

 

[LAinSEA]

After two "load" days and eight days on the HGC plan, I've lost 15 lbs.

I can't say that I haven't been hungry at times, but it is transient and since I'm alergic to an ingredient in the shakes and MCT oil the plan calls for, I've found an alternative that I can use if I get into a very hungry mode and need a snack besides lunch and dinner on plan. I had no difficulty getting into ketosis and staying there (which I don't think I ever did while on strict Atkins years ago). Drinking half my weigh in ounces of water as required keeps me not too far from a restroom. But otherwise, I'm not tired and I've been able to keep walking for exercise.

Perhaps, this is not for everyone, but if you cannot seem to drop any weight, no matter the plan, you might want to give this a try. So far it is working for me.

Laurie

 

[marmoytx]

I am starting it Feb 1 and at present just reading every thing I can find.

 

[LAinSEA]

After approximately 7 months on the HCG SlimXpress' protocol (not truly the Simeon's original protocol), I have lost 65 lbs and dropped from size 2x/18 to 12s and 14s depending upon the brand of clothing. Currently, I'm taking a break from the hormone and plan on resuming it in April to lose the last 20-30 lbs.

I was astonished that the first 30 lbs came off with little effort in the first 35 days, and it took approximately 70 more to get the next 30 off, however, it has been difficult to go much lower for me. I'm 5'3 1/2" and curvy - I need to get down to 140 to be at the top end of a healthy BMI. While the clinic I use does not believe in immunity to HCG, I do keep in touch with others who have experienced what they call immunity - an increasing hunger and a slowing of weightloss. That is why I decided that it time for at least an 8 week break; a time to maintain the loss and build confidence that I can keep the weight off on my own.

During the summer and fall months, before the weather turned increasing wet, I was walking about an hour a day at about a 3.2 to 3.5 mph pace. I really don't know how this impacted my weightloss, as others on HCG have had the same results with no exercise at all. Since the end of October until just recently, I was lucky to get in a short walk once a week--I don't like to walk in the dark and wet. This past week, I'm back up to 40 to 60 minutes a day.

What amazed me about this protocol, was that I have no sagging skin. None! My upper arm area lost 3" and there is no sag. I even lost weight in my feet. I have an hour-glass figure now, even though I still have more weight to lose off of my mid-section. I've gone from 45" (measured at my bellybutton) to 32" and from 48" hips to 38".

Truthfully, I was not hungry until the past month, when I began to experience in the late afternoon between lunch and dinner--that sign of immunity. I thought "500 calories a day, are you kidding? I'll starve" and honestly, I had to make myself eat my lunch and dinner portions. We've found ways to cook that does not use any fats that is flavorful and interesting. The only drawback, is that I lost about half my "thick" hair volume in November, but with additional vitamins and minerals, it stopped and I only notice that it looks thinner when I tried to use the large barretts I normally use to pull my hair back when exercising. By the way, those who have lapband, gastric bypass, or lose weight quickly on other plans often lose hair volume too.

All in all, I haven't found that my overall health has gone down, it hasn't. My BP and cholesterol have improved. I used to have some digestive upset, and since eating on protocol, it is gone too. My skin tone has improved and during the same time I lost 65 lbs, my body comp test show I've actually put on 18 lbs of muscle mass.

There are a great many critics of this plan, but it has worked for me, it has worked now for my brother-in-law (has lost 45 lbs), and it also working for the colleagues of mine at work who have just started it. Maintaining my loss and then resuming to finish the job is my next challenge, but I would have that challenge regardless of what plan I used to get the weight off. Getting the weight off quickly, at first, is a tremendous motivator. In the past, I've been diligent about dieting, and exercising, only to lose a pound a week--and put it right back on the next after being as diligent. It is frustrating and made me feel like I would always be large no matter what I did. This protocol has given me hope that I can make permanent changes and stay healthier weight for life.

Laurie