HCG and Weight Loss: What is the HCG Diet Protocol?
Many patients have seen their doctor for general checkups and have been advised to lose weight.
But getting help losing weight is a different story.
Unfortunately, approved medications to help patients excel on a calorie-restricted diet
are not very effective.
The proven amount of weight loss is quite small and the Food and Drug Administration
(FDA) only requires that weight-loss medications help a patient lose at least 5% of their body
weight.
These medications can be quite expensive as many are not covered by insurance.
For these reasons and others, many patients seek out alternative therapies and supplements
for weight loss that might not be scientifically proven.
What is HCG?
Human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) is a naturally occurring hormone made by the placenta during
pregnancy.
The levels produced are very high and can be detected in the urine of pregnant females.
That’s right!
HCG is the same hormone that is measured by home pregnancy testing!
Doctors can prescribe HCG at high doses to help patients with fertility issues, but it
is also used in an “off-label” way for weight loss protocols.
Does prescription HCG cause weight loss?
The original HCG diet protocol recommends a daily HCG injection in combination with
severe calorie restriction: around 500 calories per day.
The science suggests that people lose weight on the HCG diet because of the small amount
of calories they eat, not because of the HCG injection.
What is the HCG diet protocol?
The HCG diet dates back to the 1950s, but has become popular over the last ten years.
The initial work with HCG and diet was done by a famous British endocrinologist, Dr. Albert
T.W.
Simeons.
He first noticed that when HCG was injected into boys with low levels of the male hormone
testosterone, the patients lost body fat.
What Dr. Simeons discovered is that at low doses, HCG mobilized fat breakdown and protected
the patient from the muscle loss that often accompanies low-calorie diets.
HCG also helps to suppress appetite and combat the decreasing energy levels that patients
often feel while eating very few calories.
Several studies done on HCG in the 1970s did not show that adding HCG to a strict diet
helped patients to lose more weight.
Please consult a medical professional to make sure a very low-calorie diet and HCG are safe
for someone like you.
The original Simeons HCG protocol called for daily HCG injections in addition to a very
low-calorie diet of approximately 500 calories.
Compare that to the 4,500 calories an average American consumes on Thanksgiving day.
What can I eat on the HCG diet protocol?
During the diet protocol, most foods are removed — especially fatty and starchy ones.
The diet participant eats the following: 2 servings of lean meat per day, 2 servings
of vegetables per day, 2 fruits per day, The option for 2 Italian Grissini breadsticks
daily.
Within these tight limitations, breakfast is typically replaced with a large glass of
lemon water instead.
During the protocol, the dieter is also encouraged to avoid applying oil-based makeup and moisturizers.
Depending upon the individual, the diet plan and injections last from a minimum of 21 days
to a maximum of 40 days.
Where is the HCG used in the HCG protocol derived from?
Most of the HCG commercially available in the United States is actually extracted from
the urine of pregnant females.
What about over-the-counter HCG and HCG diet drops?
The FDA has taken a strong stance on over-the-counter homeopathic HCG products like oral pills,
drops and sprays that are marketed for weight loss.
At this time, all drug products that include “homeopathic” HCG are considered by the
FDA to be marketed illegally.
Vegetarians or vegans and the HCG protocol.
Vegetarians should expect about one-half the weight loss on the HCG protocol as compared
to those who eat meat.
Vegetarians on the HCG diet protocol must drink 500 milliliters of skim milk daily for
protein intake, but milk has sugar, which the unaltered protocol is quite low in.
Beans, wheat and nuts are not allowed on the HCG diet plan, so vegans cannot safely participate,
as they would have too little protein intake.
What are the side effects of HCG (HCG diet protocol)?
Like all medications, HCG has side effects.
Those on the HCG protocol can also experience consequences from the very low-calorie diet
itself.
Side effects from the HCG diet protocol can include blood clotting, gallbladder stones
and attacks, electrolyte problems, fatigue, and depression.
If a blood clot travels to the lungs, a pulmonary embolism can occur, which can result in cardiac
arrest and death.
Again, please consult a medical professional to make sure a very low-calorie diet and HCG
is safe for someone like you.