Hcg

[Misshalfway]

Does anyone have any personal experience with HCG?

Thanks.

[MorningStar]

The pregnancy hormone? Yes, plenty.

[Misshalfway]

:) LOL.

I mean as a way to lose weight, silly.

[Gwen]

all pregnancy did to me was make me gain weight and screw up my other hormones.... i guess actually being pregnant is different than the shots. i know some ppl that are talking about doing it but no one that has. i don't know much about it. i've had great success with getting my hormones balanced so i know they can control your ability to manage weight.

[Honor]

Does anyone have any personal experience with HCG?

Thanks.

Shoot StrawberryFields a message. I know she's recommended it. My room mate and best friend have also been on it and have lost weight, but I haven't studied enough about it myself to know much. I'm generally pretty skeptical of most diets.

Edited November 30, 2009 by Honor

[Wingnut]

Don't do it. Everything I've read about it (from reliable sources, not people who developed or are trying to sell it) is bad. Doctors don't recommend it, and it doesn't work long term. The reason you lose weight with the hCG program has nothing to do with the hormone, but rather with the fact that your diet is knocked down to about 600 calories a day. Well, yeah, then, who wouldn't lose weight? You do that for 30 days, and when you stop, you start putting weight back on again because you're eating normally and healthily again.

[Misshalfway]

Don't do it. Everything I've read about it (from reliable sources, not people who developed or are trying to sell it) is bad. Doctors don't recommend it, and it doesn't work long term. The reason you lose weight with the hCG program has nothing to do with the hormone, but rather with the fact that your diet is knocked down to about 600 calories a day. Well, yeah, then, who wouldn't lose weight? You do that for 30 days, and when you stop, you start putting weight back on again because you're eating normally and healthily again.

This is exactly my first gut reaction. BUT.....I am hearing that people are keeping the weight off even after you increase your calories.

[Wingnut]

Whether they are or not, 600 calories a day is not healthy, even for a month.

[Honor]

I seems like any diet should include lifestyle changes. That it should be a diet that comes with a plan for how you're going to eat/live after the "diet". I guess that's why I've never dieted specifically. I don't have a ton of willpower to start when it comes to what I eat so I know I'll never stick with something huge. Any changes I've been able to make when it comes to my weight have been things I can stick with for good - (rarely drinking soda, trying to eat foods in their freshest form, avoiding a lot of red meat).

I guess what I'm saying is, I'd bet that most diets have a way to actually keep the weight you lose off, but people don't usually look at it as a lifestyle change. Kinda like having weight loss surgery. It comes with changes afterwards too. I know someone that didn't change anything about their lifestyle after the surgery not only put the weight back on but did terrible damage to his body, and ended up sick after every meal. If you're gonna do it, do it right and research the health risks.

[MarginOfError]

Speaking as a statistician, everything I have read about the Hcg diet absolutely appalls me. I wouldn't wish this diet on my worst enemy.

As a friend, Halfers, don't do it.

[bytor2112]

Simple weigh loss formula= eat less and exercise more. -

[sensibility]

hCG is working great for me. My clothes are too big, my wedding ring falls off when my hands get cold, and I'm definitely thinner. Of course that's because I've been throwing up everything I eat for the past seven weeks, courtesy of horrible morning sickness. Is that not what you were thinking?

[Revelationstoo]

Misshalfway,

I am a newbie on this forum and this is my first post.

I must admit that I am very amused at the various uninformed or misinformed responses to your question about HCG diet. I will give you my personal experience regarding the diets effectiveness.

I was excessively overweight for a long time. I had tried many different diets without any real long term benefits. (A very frustrating dilemma!) My primary care physician told me I needed to lose weight. I suffered from acid reflux, heart murmur, gout, arthritic pain and sleep apnea. On May 9, 2009 I weighed 260 # wore 48" waist pants and all my shirts and coats were 2XX large size. Yuk!

I was among the worst skeptics of almost all diets including this new thing called the HCG diet, since most diets limited the types of wonderful foods one can eat and required strict exercise regimen. One of our daughters (unbeknown to me had done extensive research on the HCG diet discovered by doctor Simeon).

Near the end of her first diet session she disclosed to my wife and I the amazing results achieved by this "new" diet which we had never before heard of. I later discovered that it was only "new" to us, for it has been tested and used for more than fifty (50) years. At her "show and tell" visit and disclosure of this permanent weight loss program our skepticism was replaced by a willingness to actually put it to the test.

The bottom line is that from only two sessions of the program starting from May 9, 2009 to Sept. 5, 2009 I got rid of about 75 pounds of unneeded and unwanted weight. From 260 # to 181#. I have been able to maintain close to that ending weight +=5 # since Sept. 5.

So what are the positive and negative stats that affected me?:

I got rid of 75 # A +

I went from 48" waist pants to 34" waist pants. A+

Coat and shirt sizes from 2XXL to Medium coat and medium or large shirt. A +

Shirt neck size from 17 1/2" to 15 1/2". A +

No heart murmur. A+

Dr, Romney cancelled my acid reflux medicine prescription. A+

No sleep apnea breathing machine need. A +

No arthritis pain or medication required. A+

No more painful gout attacks and medicine. A+

Energy and vitality level in every way is greatly increased. A+

I can ski twice as many runs without tiring. A+

No baggy skin after effects from this program. A+

I got to gladly donate ALL of my former clothes and purchased much smaller sizes. A+

Blood pressure went from 120/70 to 105/50. A+

Those are the pluses. I do not know of any real or lasting negative effects.

BTW my wife has experienced similar positive results.

I think common sense should prevail. During the weight reduction phase. It would be foolhardy to run a 26 mile marathon, triathelon, extensive mountain hiking, biking, swimming marathons or other extreme physical functions.

To those with unfounded negative gossip, gainsaying or other uninformed views I would suggest seeking a deeper understanding from experienced sources. Talk is cheap. Success is hard to deny!

My Medical stats before and after, in my opinion speak volumes!

For those who are actually serious about permanent weight loss I might suggest exploring the following official website: hcgforlds.com

I hope this response from those who know by personal experience is helpful.

Best regards,

[MarginOfError]

Misshalfway,

I am a newbie on this forum and this is my first post.

I must admit that I am very amused at the various uninformed or misinformed responses to your question about HCG diet. I will give you my personal experience regarding the diets effectiveness.

I was excessively overweight for a long time. I had tried many different diets without any real long term benefits. (A very frustrating dilemma!) My primary care physician told me I needed to lose weight. I suffered from acid reflux, heart murmur, gout, arthritic pain and sleep apnea. On May 9, 2009 I weighed 260 # wore 48" waist pants and all my shirts and coats were 2XX large size. Yuk!

I was among the worst skeptics of almost all diets including this new thing called the HCG diet, since most diets limited the types of wonderful foods one can eat and required strict exercise regimen. One of our daughters (unbeknown to me had done extensive research on the HCG diet discovered by doctor Simeon).

Near the end of her first diet session she disclosed to my wife and I the amazing results achieved by this "new" diet which we had never before heard of. I later discovered that it was only "new" to us, for it has been tested and used for more than fifty (50) years. At her "show and tell" visit and disclosure of this permanent weight loss program our skepticism was replaced by a willingness to actually put it to the test.

The bottom line is that from only two sessions of the program starting from May 9, 2009 to Sept. 5, 2009 I got rid of about 75 pounds of unneeded and unwanted weight. From 260 # to 181#. I have been able to maintain close to that ending weight +=5 # since Sept. 5.

So what are the positive and negative stats that affected me?:

I got rid of 75 # A +

I went from 48" waist pants to 34" waist pants. A+

Coat and shirt sizes from 2XXL to Medium coat and medium or large shirt. A +

Shirt neck size from 17 1/2" to 15 1/2". A +

No heart murmur. A+

Dr, Romney cancelled my acid reflux medicine prescription. A+

No sleep apnea breathing machine need. A +

No arthritis pain or medication required. A+

No more painful gout attacks and medicine. A+

Energy and vitality level in every way is greatly increased. A+

I can ski twice as many runs without tiring. A+

No baggy skin after effects from this program. A+

I got to gladly donate ALL of my former clothes and purchased much smaller sizes. A+

Blood pressure went from 120/70 to 105/50. A+

Those are the pluses. I do not know of any real or lasting negative effects.

BTW my wife has experienced similar positive results.

I think common sense should prevail. During the weight reduction phase. It would be foolhardy to run a 26 mile marathon, triathelon, extensive mountain hiking, biking, swimming marathons or other extreme physical functions.

To those with unfounded negative gossip, gainsaying or other uninformed views I would suggest seeking a deeper understanding from experienced sources. Talk is cheap. Success is hard to deny!

My Medical stats before and after, in my opinion speak volumes!

For those who are actually serious about permanent weight loss I might suggest exploring the following official website: hcgforlds.com

I hope this response from those who know by personal experience is helpful.

Best regards,

The next time you want to imply that I'm uninformed, you might want to say it about something where you actually know more than I do.

I refer you to this post (http://www.lds.net/forums/advice-board/22522-i-think-i-may-have-problem-food-4.html#post380082) in which I reviewed several articles about the hcg diet. There were a number of blinded, placebo controlled trials that all concluded that hcg was no more effective than saline as an aid for weight loss.

I can't stress this enough. hcg does nothing to improve or aid weight loss. The so-called hcg diet causes weight loss through a severe and sudden reduction in caloric intake. It is unhealthy, unwise, and dangerous. The FDA has not approved the use hcg of FDA for weight loss, and the biggest proponent of the hcg diet is a known fraud and quack. I don't care what your experience is. If you think that you lost weight because you took hcg, you've been hoodwinked.

Oh, and in case anyone is curious, hcg is harvested out of the urine of pregnant women. One of the biggest sources is India, where pregnant women will donate urine by the bucket from which the hcg is extracted. It's amazing the things that we will put into our bodies.

[MarginOfError]

And I'm sorry, but now that I've actually visited The HCG Diet for Latter-day Saints - Official Site, I have to comment on the atrocity that it promotes.

hcgforlds.com promotes itself as the companion website to the book The HCG Diet for Latter-day Saints. The book is available through lulu.com. I'd never heard of it, and lulu didn't have any reviews of the book available, so I went searching for the book at Amazon where I could hopefully find a review. This is when I discovered that Amazon didn't carry the book. Do you know what kind of books Amazon doesn't carry? The self-published variety.

That's right! The author of The HCG Diet for Latter-day Saints had to self-publish her book. My guess is because she isn't qualified to be giving medical or weight loss advice. In fact, let's take a look at her disclaimer on the hcgforlds website.

DISCLAIMER:

The weight loss information contained on this site is my opinion of Dr. A.T.W. Simeons' hCG diet which is intended to help individuals in their personal weight loss. I am not a doctor, surgeon, pharmacist, nurse practitioner, or even a nutritionist. I am just a person who understands and has successfully used Dr. Simeons' hCG diet protocol. Please seek competent advice from a medical professional before following the information provided here. If you have any medical conditions, consult your doctor before starting any diet protocol. All information on this site should be considered my opinion, and NOT medical advice. The information on this site is intended for use only by healthy adults. Any other age group or persons with more serious medical conditions who would like to try this diet should consult a local hCG clinic which is staffed by doctors or nurse practitioners and their corresponding personnel. Modifications to this diet could result in internal injuries or death. This is not a typical diet, so please use wisdom and inspiration in any choices that must be made outside of this protocol.

Judging by the table of contents, the book is absolutely terrifying. While the book is supposedly committed to Simeons' hcg diet, it only takes until chapter three for the author to sing the praises of Kevin Trudeau. You might have seen me explain that this guy is a fraud.

Another quote from the website I will always treasure is this one:

Those who criticize this diet are either skeptical or have unsuccessfully completed the diet. Well-informed dieters have about a 90% success rate, while the remaining 10% usually struggle with a lack of commitment.

But nowhere are the reasons for skepticism addressed! I want to ask this question. Which should I trust more? A book that was written (and self-published) by someone with no medical or scientific background, or a number of trained scientist physicians doing placebo controlled trials and published in peer-reviewed journals? Of whom should I be more skeptical?

Books like The HCG Diet for Latter-day Saints make free speech seem like a terrible idea.

[pam]

Judging by the table of contents, the book is absolutely terrifying. While the book is supposedly committed to Simeons' hcg diet, it only takes until chapter three for the author to sing the praises of Kevin Trudeau. You might have seen me explain that this guy is a fraud.

For those that don't know who Kevin Trudeau is: You may have seen him on numerous infomercials.

Kevin Trudeau - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Edited January 19, 2010 by pam

[pam]

Also taken from WebMD website:

The Weight Loss Cure 'They' Don?t Want You to Know About

[Revelationstoo]

Dear margin of error,

You are certainly entitled to your opinion along with any margin of error.

I people continue to try diet plans that don't work then they become victims of circular reasoning.

" If you always do what you have always done. You will always get what you have always got."

I also find a great many church members that are also afraid to step outside their little comfort zone and as a result they never seek and search the deep things of God.

You profess to claim that rapid weight loss is destructive of good health...... I remind you that I have had careful physical examinations prior to, during and after my weight loss regimen and our wonderful IHC primary care doctor has discovered NO lasting ill effects whatsoever. I have also had extensive monitoring by my urologist and others with no negative results.

I do not not know how your opinion is more qualified than my group of highly respected medical professionals, but if you have certified proof of your superior expertise then please list your credentials.

I have heard the hype about rapid weight loss over and over. Maybe you can show how obesity is less dangerous than weight loss?????

I question your ability to judge the authors weight loss book for LDS, since I seriously doubt you have even read or obtained a copy of the same. Have you honestly purchased a copy of the book much less read it?

I purchased a copy of her book and if you had actually read it you would have known that she strongly recommends seeking medical examination prior to implementing a serious diet as HCG.

I myself am not an expert, but can attest to the diet's effectiveness. Some say that this diet allegedly diminishes muscle. If that is the case, can you explain why I am now able to make 62 ski runs in a day without tiring?

[MarginOfError]

Dear margin of error,

You are certainly entitled to your opinion along with any margin of error.

I people continue to try diet plans that don't work then they become victims of circular reasoning.

" If you always do what you have always done. You will always get what you have always got."

I also find a great many church members that are also afraid to step outside their little comfort zone and as a result they never seek and search the deep things of God.

I think you would find most people here know that I am all to eager to step out of my comfort zone.

You profess to claim that rapid weight loss is destructive of good health...... I remind you that I have had careful physical examinations prior to, during and after my weight loss regimen and our wonderful IHC primary care doctor has discovered NO lasting ill effects whatsoever. I have also had extensive monitoring by my urologist and others with no negative results.

Anecdotal evidence means nothing to me. I will happily and vociferously denounce anyone who attempts to extend to the population what they have learned from a sample size of one. It's great that you're healthy, but that's a product of the fact that this diet was short lived. Extended or repeated use of this diet will cause damage to the internal organs.

I do not not know how your opinion is more qualified than my group of highly respected medical professionals, but if you have certified proof of your superior expertise then please list your credentials.

What you gave above was your physicians' opinion of your health. I never offered an opinion on your health. I simply stated that the hcG diet is a garbage diet that should not be used (except under careful watch of a physician in the most extreme cases of obesity where the life of the patient is at immediate risk).

But if you would like to know my credentials, then sure. I have a Master's degree in Biostatistics, and I am currently employed in one of the top hospitals in the United States where I am the lead statistician for research in women's health. My credentials and experience make me very well suited to critically assess medical studies and determine the validity of their results.

I have heard the hype about rapid weight loss over and over. Maybe you can show how obesity is less dangerous than weight loss?????

That's a foolish question, because I never claimed that obesity was less dangerous than weight loss. I said that rapid weight loss can be unhealthy. Sustained lifestyle changes that result in slow and steady weight loss are what physicians encourage for those trying to reduce their weight. Let's take, for instance, the Mayo Clinic (currently ranked the #1 hospital an the United States by US News and World Report), which recommends "When you're considering what to expect from your new eating and exercise plan, be realistic. Over the long term, it's best to aim for losing 1 to 2 pounds (0.5 to 1 kilogram) a week..."

I question your ability to judge the authors weight loss book for LDS, since I seriously doubt you have even read or obtained a copy of the same. Have you honestly purchased a copy of the book much less read it?

And I question your ability to critically judge the results of medical research. Heck, I'll even question your ability to access medical research on the topic. Let me remind you again, that I am Biostatistician by trade. So when I read a half dozen studies from physicians in peer-reviewed journals that make the conclusion that hcG has no effect on weight loss, mood, or fat distribution, I don't need to think twice before rejecting a book that is self-published by a woman armed with anecdotal evidence, two talks from lds.org, and no medical training to speak of.

I purchased a copy of her book and if you had actually read it you would have known that she strongly recommends seeking medical examination prior to implementing a serious diet as HCG.

Of course she does. She's liable to be sued if she doesn't. That doesn't change the fact that the diet she advocates has been rejected by the scientific method and discouraged by the FDA. That doesn't change the fact that the only people that are pushing this diet are those that have a financial stake in it.

I myself am not an expert, but can attest to the diet's effectiveness. Some say that this diet allegedly diminishes muscle. If that is the case, can you explain why I am now able to make 62 ski runs in a day without tiring?

It was obvious that you are not an expert. You cannot attest to this diet's effectiveness because it is not effective. You can only attest to the fact that starving yourself for a month will cause you to lose weight. Thanks for making that miraculous discovery for us!

What's more, no one has ever claimed that the hcG diet diminishes muscle. What has been claimed--and demonstrated in medical research--is that rapid dieting causes damage to muscle tissue. The advocates of the hcG diet claimed that use of hcG prevented this damage (a claim which subsequent studies have shown to be false).

I'm happy that you can make 62 ski runs in a day. But I have to tell you up front that hcG did nothing to help you do this. What would make it possible for you to make 62 ski runs in a day is an improved physical fitness regimen that improves your stamina and strength. But exercise has nothing to do with using hcG.

So, let's sum this up real quick

• Yes, I am more qualified than you to speak on this topic
• Anecdotal evidence does not outweigh population based studies
• A general evaluation of your health does not provide evidence that hcG can effectively reduce weight
• An improved exercise regimen is not evidence that hcG helps you lose weight
• hcG has no effect on weight loss whatsoever
• Starving yourself will result in weight loss
• And just because I like saying it, Yes, I am more qualified than you to speak on this topic

And just because I'm a nice guy

• S Afr Med J. 1990 Feb 17;77(4):185-9.

  Human chorionic gonadotrophin and weight loss. A double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.

  Bosch B, Venter I, Stewart RI, Bertram SR.

• West J Med. 1977 Dec;127(6):461-3.

  Human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) in the treatment of obesity: a critical assessment of the Simeons method.

  Greenway FL, Bray GA.

• Arch Intern Med. 1977 Feb;137(2):151-5.

  Human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) treatment of obesity.

  Shetty KR, Kalkhoff RK.

• Am J Clin Nutr. 1976 Sep;29(9):940-8.

  Ineffectiveness of human chorionic gonadotropin in weight reduction: a double-blind study.

  Stein MR, Julis RE, Peck CC, Hinshaw W, Sawicki JE, Deller JJ Jr.

• Br J Clin Pharmacol. 1995 Sep;40(3):237-43.

  The effect of human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) in the treatment of obesity by means of the Simeons therapy: a criteria-based meta-analysis.

  Lijesen GK, Theeuwen I, Assendelft WJ, Van Der Wal G.

  Institute for Research in Extramural Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

[StrawberryFields]

I have not been one to get very involved in posts over the last few years and for good reasons.

It just so happens that I stumbled onto this thread for the first time today and realized that I have been referenced in a "thread". I had misshalf contact me and I gave her the information she requested but didn't know her request came from this thread. I am not here to convince anyone of anything but my experience with HCG was a good one. I lost quite a bit of weight and I too got off the only medications I take. I feel good about my time on The HCG Protocol but it isn't for everyone. I would recommend that anyone interested in the protocol to do their homework, check with their doctor and then proceed as their heart directs them. We need to be our own masters.

I am once again wanting to continue on with what I started last year and I will do so this time with a different approach. I want to sculpt and tone along with losing more pounds. I will do so with a carefully selected 1800-1900 calorie diet and fitness training. HCG worked for me and I don't regret becoming a healthier me from doing the very strict protocol. This time I also want to gain strength and endurance and I will need more calories to get me there.