Anyone doing the HCG diet?

I just lost 26 lbs (in 40 days) since the beginning of April and I am now on Phase 3 for maintenance. Basically I turned P3 into the Atkins diet for myself for 3 weeks and then start adding in carbs and sugars slowly in week 4. My appetite is certainly smaller thank goodness.

Has anyone had any experience on how they did when they went on a cruise? I am nervous and don't want to gain on the trip. I'll definitely work out so that will help out.

I thought that diet must be phoney but now I know 4 friends of friends in other states that think it is fabulous.

So tell me how you did it? Injections, sublingual, or homeopathy?

congratulations, you must be thrilled.

I thought that diet must be phoney but now I know 4 friends of friends in other states that think it is fabulous....

the hCG "diet" is a VLCD (very low calorie diet), consuming 300-500 calories per day. any weight loss will be via calorie restriction, not some magic weight loss caused by hCG injections.

that's what I thought too, except i do know a couple of these people and for decades they were unable to loose weight until they did this. They aren't using the injections though.

I just lost 26 lbs (in 40 days) since the beginning of April and I am now on Phase 3 for maintenance. Basically I turned P3 into the Atkins diet for myself for 3 weeks and then start adding in carbs and sugars slowly in week 4. My appetite is certainly smaller thank goodness.

 

Has anyone had any experience on how they did when they went on a cruise? I am nervous and don't want to gain on the trip. I'll definitely work out so that will help out.

There is more food on the ship than you can possibly imagine. And you can eat it anytime of the day. I diet before the cruise because I know that I WILL gain weight on the cruise. It's just a fact of life that I have come to accept. :)

This is what I did, granted I wasn't at my ideal weight, but I didn't gain any on an 18 day transatlantic. I took the stairs everywhere, no elevators. I walked the deck at least 3 miles a day there is usually a sign telling you how many laps per mile. Our cabin was at the back of the ship and to get to most things we had to walk the whole length so I figured I was doing around 6 miles a day.

I am no expert, I struggle. YMMV

I can relate to not wanting to disembark and loose ground.

I have done the HCG diet and I am attempting to do it again prior to my cruise.

Wake up people. These fad diets have too many of you yo-yoing through life. The only reason this "works" is because it is a very low calorie diet. Of course, it is not something that most people can do for long periods, hence the weight gain...yo-yo.

http://articles.latimes.com/2009/nov/02/health/he-nutrition2

http://www.dietscam.org/reports/hcg.shtml

I realize that some folks are really against this controversial diet and falls under the yo-yo dieting category. My question is really for the people that have done this diet and then went on a cruise not those who are judging. I feel that this diet started me on a lifestyle change. My internal medicine doctor has been very supportive and she knows how determined I was. The reason for the HCG (I took the drops) was because there is no way anyone could eat 500 calories a day without starving. Not only was I not hungry but had lots of energy. Forty days was tough though. It is a quick fix that I needed to start me on a better path of moderation. It has also helped me mentally.

I am on Phase 4 now where you can add sugar and starch slowly. This past weekend I ate sushi, salsa and chips and fajitas in moderation. I went low calorie yesterday and today and lost the pound I gained over the weekend and another pound on top of that.

I would like to lose a bit more weight when we come back to our cruise and probably will just go 23 days this time. I had a physical with my dr and she says that all is well with me. My husband tells me I am not snoring anymore so that is good too!

I think I'll be ok on the cruise. Maybe I'll be good during the day and cheat a little at night. I'll also work out everyday too.

Shellgoodman, the story you report is identical to many people I know. It amazes me. Many of the folks I spoke to had completely given up. After seeing people who hadn't lost a pound for 30 years finally start to believe in their ability to control their weight, all I can say is, where did you get those drops!

The folks I know did injections with their doctors.

Best of luck on the cruise. Congratuations on your success, it is inspiring.

Shellgoodman, the story you report is identical to many people I know. It amazes me. Many of the folks I spoke to had completely given up. After seeing people who hadn't lost a pound for 30 years finally start to believe in their ability to control their weight, all I can say is, where did you get those drops!

 

The folks I know did injections with their doctors.

 

Best of luck on the cruise. Congratuations on your success, it is inspiring.

Thanks Hula for your kinds words! The diet is drastic and of course there are articles out there about diet scams and yo yo dieting. All I know is that it worked for me and now some of my friends are trying it with amazing results.

I got my drops for $39.99 at a place like GNC (Family Health Market). I could have done the injections I guess but that was not for me at all. I hate shots and they cost at least $500 for injections. I got excellent results because I never cheated - ever. Even on Mother's Day, my husband took out his mother and our kids and I stayed home eating my "mouse meals". I felt bad for myself but I had gotten myself into this mess so I was determined to stick to the diet no matter what.

Are you using the homeopathic kind? 10 drops 3 times a day? I know there is also a regular product sublingual too.

Maybe it is easier to send that info off the board if you want.

I am so inspired by those of you who did this.

What are the drops called? We have a GNC close and I might take a look at this..

Thanks!

They are sublingual homeopathic called HCG Plus and I take a half a dropper full in the morning and at night. I am not sure if they have them at GNC. If you order online, I think it can be alot more money.

I just went to a doctor today, who gives out patches of this. His plan for me was a 700 calorie diet. Of course I thought the same thing anyone eating that few calories would have to lose wieght. But of course they would be shakey and hungry. The hcg is supposed to take away that feeling, and make you lose fat instead of muscle. The price for the program was 400 the first month and 300 each month after that. I don't think so. Can anyone tell me exactly what the diet consist of. Is it mostly protien?

I haven't heard of the patches, sounds better than shots, but expensive. The diet that you find on line varies but the original one was by Simeon and is posted. Except for the first 2 days it is 500 calories.

I tried some homepathic drops but got a headache for 5 days, no drops no headache, So now i am trying a 1100 calorie diet to see how that works out.

Good luck

Thanks, I will check this out. I have seen hcg pills at the health food store I wonder if that would be ok.

I found a good place to answer diet questions at diets in review dot com.

Congrats on your weight loss, but I just had to mention HCG drops really cannot work orally. Your loss is due to the drastic cut in calories. You must have amazing willpower.

My daughter was on HCG shots, brand name Humatrope. It is waaaay expensive, several thousands of dollars a month, but covered by insurance for idopathic short stature. Without the shots she would have only been 4'7. We eventually got her to 4'10. She hated the shots at first, so I asked if there was an oral type. The endo. laughed and said the diet people would have you believe there is but taking the hormone orally means it is digested and never makes it to your blood stream. Shots were the only way to get it.

I agree with the above poster. Real HCG is a controlled substance and it has to be delivered either subcutaneously or IM to be effective. Those drops are not the same thing as real HCG, even tho they put a lot of convincing "studies" on their websites and bottles. Those studies are not scientific and none of them are published in any medical journals.

If anything, im glad those people doing this are losing the weight..even if its a starvation based unsustainable diet plan.

As a side note, males should never take the HCG (real hcg not the fake pills) unless its prescribed to raise your sperm count, or for other PCT reasons. It can have very unpleasant side effects in males and can shut down your HPTA after taking it for a bit.

HCG works by ELIMINATING fat cells. It does not shrink them, it ELIMINATES THEM.

IF a person has read the actual science, and not just the de-bunk articles, then they would be informed and not talking out of their ...

ONCE HCG is introduced into your system, after 2 load days, then it allows your body to use stored fat as energy, and not simply your food intake. So, yes, you are losing weight because you are on a restricted calorie plan... you are LOSING INCHES because the HCG in your system allows your body to burn fat as stored energy.

When I recently completed a 30 day HCG cycle, I lost 20 pounds and over 14 inches on my body. I was INCREDIBLY hungry the entire time - and the first 2-3 weeks were the easiest for me, it was the last week and a half that was really difficult! It was great to see the physical changes, not just the scale change.

I also agree that on the cruise, you should just try to get in some exercise each day and not worry about if you gain weight! Enjoy yourself, enjoy the food, and when you get back home get right back on track with only the guilt of having ejoying yourself!

As far as purchasing HCG, the homeopathic form will not be very effective as it is minimally pure. The injections you purchase may have to be 'mixed' before you can use them. I suggest searching for a doctor that prescribes it, and you will also be monitored during the program. The doc visits are covered under most commercial insurance plans but you will have to pay for the HCG. I paid $250 for 30 days of the oral HCG drops, 2 months of multi-vitamins, vitaminD with probiotics, probiotics, and betten-aid.

There are many good articles on this site in regards to HCG diet, as well as probiotics and vitamin D with weight loss. Also, this doc has tried for over 22 years to lose weight - he is a very holistic MD and doesn't believe in pills, vaccines, drugs or surgery. He has lost over 90 pounds on HCG in the last year...

www.homefirst.com

I just posted this same question before I read yours..

Wake up people. These fad diets have too many of you yo-yoing through life. The only reason this "works" is because it is a very low calorie diet. Of course, it is not something that most people can do for long periods, hence the weight gain...yo-yo.

 

http://articles.latimes.com/2009/nov/02/health/he-nutrition2

 

http://www.dietscam.org/reports/hcg.shtml

Most diets will make your body hold fat since it thinks it is being starved but with HCG that is not the case; you are using body fat as part of your energy which is how you loose the wieght so fast....plus it teachs you what to eat and portion control ...it has worked for several of my friends...and one had lap band surgery before..

I have taken both the shots and sublingual drops. In May, our state pulled the sublingual the Dr's were giving off the market saying they weren't effective. Now, I lost 20 lbs on them and struggled to eat my food. Now, I am on day 32 of shots and went to a different doctor for the shots (which average $125 per week) and I love this diet even better. Although the diet is about the same, each doctor had a slightly different twist, and this one allows for a scoop of protien powder per day. I add it to my coffee and then, I struggle to eat my food for the day. But the nice chocolate flavor is such a treat! My goal is to not gain the weight back before October Epic Cruise!