HCG Diet Popular diet “Hormone” What do I think?

Many people are using the pregnancy hormone (HCG) diet to lose weight, and they have been very successful with it and some not. I still have reservations about taking a drug and eating only 500 calories a day. Is this healthy? Does the HCG Diet really work? And can you keep off the weight after stopping the medication?  These are my concerns on this protocol.  The fact that you are in taking in the first few days as much fat as possible, not taking into consideration cholesterol & Trans fat worries me.  Important to clarify what kind of fat you should be eating in the first place.

How does the HCG work?

In order for the HCG hormone to access abnormal fat reserves, your body must be in “starvation mode.” By definition, “starvation mode” is a caloric intake of less than 800 calories daily.

What is ‘Human chorionic gonadotropin’? Is a hormone produced by the fetus after 3 months, because the pituitary gland in the brain of the mother stops the produce of the hormones ‘FSH’ and ‘LH’? The fetus produces this hormone to stay alive inthe womb.

Interesting comment from client’s diet on HCG:

That’s great- listen to your body. It’s great to hear someone finallysay that maybe HCG isn’t a long term solution. I’m doing it right now through a doctor who doesn’t believe it’s ethical to prescribe more than one round. He says it fries your thyroid- which is why there are so many people who have to be super strict on maintenance after they have done multiple rounds. I was on the verge of having to take meds for blood sugar and blood pressure plus I had metabolic syndrome.

Your best bet is;

Where are you getting your Prescription HCG? If you are ordering random drops premixed from someone else, you don’t know 100% what were in the drops that’s not good. Your best bet is to ask your doctor for prescription HCG or someone who has a doctor that can recommend HCG.

My Opinion  Pro’s and Con’s

• Quick results not a long term solution.
• Eating all the fatty foods, you want/Create bigger problems if you have a family history of cholesterol.
• Skipping breakfast/ Very unhealthy way to start the day; in the morning after many hours without food, it is essential to refuel, or your body goes into starvation mode and will compensate by making sure you overeat during your next several meals.
• Eating breakfast= weight loss
• Keeping off the weight after stopping the medication.
• You start slowly regaining weight when you are off 500 calories a day unless you are committed to a healthier lifestyle by good nutrition, exercise (breathing) and good mental& emotional health.
• Side effects ex: Headaches, dizziness, nausea, bloating…

 If you are still feeling adventurist and wanted to go ahead, I prefer this protocol!

 New Protocol for HCG diet

 The idea is not to go above 800 calories and also incorporate daily multi-vitamins/minerals, eat breakfast (breakfast skippers are 450% more likely to store fat if the body has no fuel), eat more protein (burns fat, curbs appetite), and continue light exercise for 30 minutes daily This new modified protocol is safer, more effective and much more tolerable for patients. The weight stays off long term because the hypothalamus in the brain resets the body’s metabolic rate. Look up 800 calorie HCG diet  

Anna R. Dias Naturopath/Reflexologist

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