The HCG Diet

It seems like every day there is a new diet out that some celebrity is claiming they are losing tons of fat, all due to some miracle diet plan they follow.  It is getting pretty ridiculous, but deceptive ads are fooling people into believing there is a magic cure for removing unwanted fat.  I've had a few people ask me about this diet lately and if it was really a good way to drop weight fast.  Here are some of my thoughts on the HCG Diet.

First a little background on what HCG is.  Human Chorionic Gonadotropin is a hormone that is produced during pregnancy by the embryo after conception.  It is also produced by some cancerous tumors.  In fact this is one hormone that doctors will test for to see if a person has a cancerous tumor.  It is suggested that high levels of HCG can cause morning sickness.  Not only that, but those who inject it may also experience other signs of pregnancy like tender breasts, water retention, and swelling.

So the HCG diet began back in the 1950's when a doctor was study a group of pregnant women in India on a ultra low calorie diet and while studying overweight men with pituitary problems.  Despite claims made after years of research their hasn't been anyone able to duplicate the success seen in the 1950's.

For this diet you either take injections of HCG or drops coupled with a 500 calorie a day diet.  The claims are that the injections will reduce hunger, preserve lean tissue, and "reset" your metabolism so you continue to lose weight after you take it.

The funny thing is, even the FDA, is calling B.S.  HCG is approved by the FDA for infertility purposes.  However, they have said it is illegal and fraudulent to sell it for weight loss purposes.  There is just no scientific evidence that it is safe or effective.  The HCG label actually states, there “is no substantial evidence that it increases weight-loss beyond that resulting from caloric restriction, that it causes a more attractive or ‘normal’ distribution of fat, or that it decreases the hunger and discomfort associated with calorie-restricted diets.”  Despite this doctors can still write prescriptions for it.

Side effects from taking HCG include headaches, blood clots, leg cramps, temporary hair thinning, constipation, and breast tenderness.  However, it has not been studied very much in this circumstance for side effects.  Researchers had determined it was not effective, so they saw no need to continue studying it for side effects when used for weight loss.

Hopefully after reading this you can see what my suggestion is for this diet.  There is just no need for this.  It is amazing that people will inject themselves with a hormone and go on a starvation diet to lose weight, instead of just exercising and eating more wholesome foods.  Once we see these claims for fast weight loss we tend to just stop thinking.  People who lose weight on this diet is because you are only eating 500 calories.  You are just starving yourself to lose weight.  Even if these injections helped with the hunger it just isn't worth it.  You will lose muscle mass and slow down your metabolism. 

Please, no matter how good it sounds, don't try this diet.  There is never going to be a magic diet that will get you looking like a supermodel.  Just continue to exercise intensely and more nutrient dense foods and you will be fine. 

So the short answer is yes you will lose weight fast on this diet, but how long will you keep this weight off since it is unrealistic to remain on a 500 calorie diet.

You Stay Healthy San Diego!

Mike Deibler MS, CSCS
San Diego Premier Training
My Workout Creator