The HCG Diet is all the rage right now. It’s also another major diet industry scam. While at the Arnold Classic, Shari, (of FitTalkNews.com) interviewed yours truly regarding the HCG Diet. My apologies for the poor audio, it was very noisy, but (hopefully!) you can still hear the essential message: Avoid this diet program. For additional information, I also recommend people read the reports from the Mayo Clinic, a recent NY Times article, and the write up by Ellisa Lowe if you want a more extensive discussion of the science (or lack there of!) on the HCG Diet.
Will Brink is the owner of the Brinkzone Blog. Will has over 30 years experience as a respected author, columnist and consultant, to the supplement, fitness, bodybuilding, and weight loss industry and has been extensively published. Will graduated from Harvard University with a concentration in the natural sciences, and is a consultant to major supplement, dairy, and pharmaceutical companies.
His often ground breaking articles can be found in publications such as Lets Live, Muscle Media 2000, MuscleMag International, The Life Extension Magazine, Muscle n Fitness, Inside Karate, Exercise For Men Only, Body International, Power, Oxygen, Penthouse, Women’s World and The Townsend Letter For Doctors.
He’s also been published in peer reviewed journals.
Will is the author of the popular e-books, both accompanied by private members forum access , Bodybuilding Revealed & Fat Loss Revealed.
You can also buy Will’s other books on Amazon, Apple iBook, and Barnes and Noble.
I’m not sure why there are so many reports about this being a scam? I just recently tried this diet and lost 20lbs in 32 days. I did not use the injections, I used the “homeopathic” version. My hair has stopped falling out, I don’t need my thryoid medicaton any longer, and it gave me the jump start I needed to keep going with my weight loss with a clean, healthy diet and exercise program.
I have done some experiments with low calorie diets before, and just doing a low calorie diet of less than 1200 per day, I was dizzy and sick, with the hcg, which is only 500, I was not. I honestly do not believe that it’s just a “placebo” effect! I have tried EVERY diet out there and NOTHING has worked like this one.
I do believe that diet and exercise are KEY!! But, like I said, this was the “jump start” I needed!
The reason every respectable scientist, medical establishment, etc, calls it a scam is because it is. If you can’t be convinced via what was posted here, I doubt anything else I would write would make any difference, so I’ll make no attempt here. Good luck in your weight loss/health journey 🙂
“Homeopathy” is a scam unto itself: homeopathic “medicines” are nothing more than expensive water (or sugar/fillers, in the case of capsules/tablets).
Will is calling it a scam as there’s little evidence that HCG is any better than a placebo for weight loss. Like Dumbo’s Magic Feather, placebos “work” because people believe they possess a power that they do not actually have. In your case, this is especially true, since you took no active HCG whatsoever.
FYI: “homeopathic” does not mean “natural” or whatever other fuzzy construction many people place on it. “Homeopathic” means that the active principal has been diluted to the point where no active compound can be detected. See this vid by none other than James Randi for a more vivid explanation: http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=2785985155605802136#
What most people do not understand, is that very low calorie diets (VLCDs) have an appetite-suppressing effect in and of themselves. This has been documented by research obtained from medically-supervised plans, such as the RFO Program at UCLA ( http://rfoweightloss.med.ucla.edu/body.cfm?id=32 ). And that same research demonstrates rates of weight loss that are comparable to those claimed by HCG advocates.
I mean, “active principle”… (grrrr!)
Did you write something else?
Yes – the comment immediately above that begins with “Homeopathy is a scam…”
I suspect a lot of comments that will appear here and other places are scams. Sad thing is, people still have a tendency to believe what they read, even on the ‘net. 16lbs of pure fat in 14 days. Um, ok…
Of course people lose weight with 500 cal but the weight is water,muscle and a very small amout of fat.Once they will start eating again normal they will gain all the weight back…
Not me. 80 lbs lost using the Simeons Protocol (HCG) and kept off for a year and running.
I have been using it for 14 days and lost 16 pounds of FAT. I know this because I weight train and mu strength has not fallen and because I use calipers to measure 5 sites. My LBM has only dropped 1 /2 pound. I have tried every program, including FLR, and I always felt hungry and lacked energy. With HCG (injections by Dr) I have not felt better or had more energey than right now. There is a lack of emperical evidence showing it does work – but that goes both ways as there is very lacking data to say it does not. While I am not a scientific study, I know what I am seeing, feeling and MEASURING.
Hard to know where to even begin with your post. How long have you been dieting? What’s your BF%? What is the exact dose you are being given? How does one try “every” program and ever expect to succeed? You say there’s a lack of evidence, that’s incorrect. There’s solid evidence it does not work as a diet aid. For example:
“… Dutch study in The British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology tried to resolve the question of whether the hCG diet really worked by analyzing 14 randomized clinical trials of the diet. Only two, including one co-written by an advocate of the diet, found that people on hCG lost more weight, felt less hunger and had an improved body shape, compared with people on the same 500-calorie diet who received a placebo, like saline injections.But several studies concluded that the ritual of the daily injection and the instant gratification of quick weight loss helped motivate people to stay on the diet.”
HCG is derived from the urine of pregnant women, and used in fertility clinics and as post steroid therapy by some athletes. It may also be dangerous as it raises estrogen and androgens, so say a women with a hormone dependent cancer (breast, etc) or a man with prostate cancer, etc, could make their condition worse. Doc mention that to you? It’s your body, your life, do what makes you happy. I just supply the actual science based facts as they exist, and they don’t change with your comments, or as my old proff used to say “emotions can never alter facts, but facts can alter emotions”
Finally, there is of course the matter of the biggest problem with weight loss: keeping it off, which is FAR more a challenge then getting it off….good luck 🙂
What do you think about the Ideal Protein diet? just curious….I know alot of people who have lost weight doing this diet (hcg) .and have actually kept the weight off, I just can’t see injecting myself with some kind of anything for that matter. I fluctuate in my weight about 10 pds a year, although I workout and try and eat clean most of the time, I was considering maybe trying this Ideal Protein diet to help get the 10 lbs off. I don’t want to lose any muscle though…
Sissy, read my article The Big Picture or Permanent Weight loss:
http://www.brinkzone.com/articles/the-big-picture-of-permanent-weight-loss/
The major problem is NOT getting it off per se, it’s keeping it off. If the above diet passes “the test” in my article, go for it. If not….
BMAMA….Ya first mistake is thinking that any version of HCG OTHER
then inject will work,don’t believe me,call any urologist and tell him you
HCG in pill..spray,or tabs,and listen to the laughter
Will,I strongly disagree with your assumptions.While on this diet I have lost 98 pounds,and I feel great.My metabolism has been reset,and I know other people who have done this,and lost signifigant amounts of weight.One of my coworkers has lost aproximately 170 pounds in this last year I think you should research this more before giving your oppinion without predjudice.John
I have been weight lifting for over 20 years and have tried several diets, clean eating, etc and have been successful on every diet as directed the issue has always been keeping it off. I don’t have an emotional eating issue, I just love good food. So I heard about HCG, did a bit of research and decided to try it because bottom line is if it worked, it wouldn’t matter what anyone says because results are the bottom line. Well, not only have I had results but this is the first time I have maintained the weight loss. I have lost 30 pounds and haven’t even been extremely disciplined in what I eat (I have a red velvet cheesecake in the fridge as we speak), but my portions are definitely smaller and based on the diet instructions whenever I go over 2 pounds of my set weight I do the steak day and it has always brought me back to my starting point. I have now maintained this 30 lb weight loss for 8 months, so bottom line is for me, it wasn’t a placebo but something that worked as no other diet ever has so though I respect your opinion the results are what convince me. As far as so called medical experts, health advocates, etc usually if something is not financially rewarding to the industry it is not endorsed, I mean these are the same people that advocate drugging children because they are over active, funny when I was growing up that was just being a child. (sarcasm, I know some children need assistance but I’m not buying the masses because I was like that and instead of drugs they just gave me more difficult work and tasks to occupy my brain & time).
Will’s not arguing that people cannot lose significant amounts of weight while following the HCG protocol. He’s disputing that the HCG has anything to do with it… other than the effects that go with any good placebo. Placebos can – and do – often work for people… this is an indisputable fact that has created ethical dilemmas for doctors (see: http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2008-12-10-placebo_N.htm ). This is why double-blind, placebo-controlled experiments represent the “gold standard” for testing drugs and other therapies: they’re necessary to discriminate the “signal” from the “noise.”
John, I’m not convinced you’re real person, but regardless, I knew about HCG decades before any doc currently using it for weight loss, and if you really read my comments here and read my articles, you can see I do my research and then some.
Will – I have a great deal of respect for you and your expertise and have followed you for years. However, after many previous attempts at diets from BFL, Atkins, Testosterone Diet, Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle, I have never even come remotely close to the success I’ve had on the original Simeon’s Protocol. I’ve done several rounds and have lost over 80 lbs and have kept it off for over a year. I have also completely changed (through the discipline instilled through the protocol) new, lasting lifestyle habits of whole food eating. I have also seen many valid refutations of the previous studies which failed to find evidence of effectiveness of HCG. In fact, none of the previous studies actually followed the protocol exactly as Simeons prescribed. I know you are evidence-based so, I challenge you to take a more in-depth look into the protocol, keeping in mind that, while we do have the answers as to why the protocol works so well, we cannot deny the success of people on it.
Until you, or anyone else, supply, actual hard data vs “I tried XYZ and only that worked” will fall on deaf ears. Again, HCG may be dangerous, the data that exists, does not support its use for weight loss, etc, etc. Deal with it.
The reason why people say that HCG doen’t work is simple. Its becauseof the pharma’s who will lose billions of dollars in income every year, when people discover that Simeions protocol is the cure for all of it. NO other diet is worth a toss, don’t bother with them.
@FitDiva, my situation is about the same as yours (although you are further along in keeping your weight off than me). I don’t know why or how this worked, but it did ……”homeopathic” or not. I tried the hcg injections for one week and became very ill and had to stop.
A little back story: I had ONE injection of DepoProvera in 1996 and it threw my body into total chaos which caused me to gain 25lbs in a month that I couldn’t get rid of! And since that time, I have worked out with MANY trainers and all were bodybuilders except one and I have had a terrible time keeping weight off or maintaining energy levels. I felt lethargic, moody, depressed, my face was breaking out and my hair was falling out…it was awful! I tried MediFast, SlimFast, Jenny Craig, Nutrisystem, Cleansed, Juiced, Isagenix (suggested and sold to me by Amanda Savell, a female bodybuilder) Atkins, bootcamps, and was spending 6 days a week at the gym. I went to several different doctors for bloodwork and testing, was eventually given Synthroid and hormone patches. The most weight I lost was 10lbs and that came back quickly.
@Will, I have ALL your e-books, I have Tosca Reno’s Eat Clean books, I follow Recipes for Gals in Bodybuilding, Debbie Kruck, Lee Apperson, Hugo Rivera, and I agree with it all! Eating clean and working out is the best way. But like I stated earlier, I needed a jump start and I was shocked that it actually worked! I love weightlifting and running and I’m getting back in to all of that now, thanks to the “hcg”.
I didn’t post comments here to be disrepectful, or try to convince anyone of anything. And I especially didn’t post here to be ridiculed or belittled “Benny”. Ya know?
I can see how Benny’s comment came off as intending to belittle. Can’t speak for him, nut not my intent at all. However, what you took has no HCG in it, nadda. HCG is prescription only period. No pills, drops, etc people are currently purchasing in stores contain HCG and Elissa supplied real info on ”homeopathic” products. So they are actually double duped in my view, a sub scam of the original scam. If what you did worked for you, great, but it was not HCG that did it for you. It’s frankly amazing how many levels of this scam exist, the “real” version being bad enough….I wish you all the best in your health and weight loss adventures! 🙂
Thank you Will, and I intend to use all of the information in your books! Because I believe in it! I understand about the homeopathic version, and I read all the reports against it and some for it (with homeo meaning “like”). The ingredients say hcg, but maybe it really doesn’t include it. I don’t know, but I know that I didn’t lose muscle this time (like I did with MediFast), but FAT (according to my bodyfat scale), which I haven’t been able to do in quite some time.
I tend to lean towards the science side also (one of my best friends is a Reg. Dietician!), but decided to try this, and it worked. Honestly, I didn’t like the way I had to prepare the food and I didn’t like most of the veggies that were permissable. I would have much rather followed your programs and some other clean eating programs again. But this worked for me, and it worked for lots of others that used the “homeopathic” version that I talked to after I finished my round. I don’t know how???
Believe me, I understand where you’re coming from!! I’m not here to convince, or persuade, because I’m not a scientist, or a dr. This was just simply my story.
I look forward to reading more of your posts on FB!! Thanks again!
I hear you and agree 100% BahamaMama. I’m not going to try and convince anyone of anything either, just stating what is factual for me and it appears many others who have tried this diet. Fact is, it doesn’t matter what anyone else thinks or says when it works for you, it works for you. I believe in working out hard and doing my research as well, but everything has risks and one just determines whether one is willing to take the risk set forth. All I know is I lost the weight in the areas that were always difficult, my back and midsection and I fell better and look better than I have in years. As a matter of fact the trainers at Gold’s Gym keep trying to convince me to go out for shows! To each his own, Do YOU because I, too, did not know what to expect either but I am more than happy with the results and my new wardrobe!
@FitDiva – Go for it!! And if you do decide to compete – Good Luck and Best wishes! :0)
I recommend you, and others here, watch:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yfRVCaA5o18&feature=player_embedded#at=61
All about the placebo effect, and just how strong it can be.
Your metabolism has been reset is right. It will be much lower with your much lower lean body mass. Now you will have to eat that much less in order to keep from putting on fat.
Thanks John, I’m reading lots of “scam” blog posts but looking at all the comments from real people. It’s not one but many in soo many blog posts it has worked. Sorry Will, but when there are lots of people who has experienced weight loss/ fat loss and are upset by these “scam” claims, maybe you should try it yourself.
thanks, much needed information…………………..
the bottom line is all this time,not 1 real study,test,or pictures,just people who claim it works…its very simple learn about a product first…
and if you did,you would see no form other then inject can be used by the body,and in no way does it work..and its simple,if it works so good it should work no matter how many calories you take in,as I said I challenge anyone to prove it,before and after pics,a few months down the rd…I dare you..not 1 add,article,write up,news show,magazine,PROVING IT WORKS ! just message boards full of phoneys
*Sorry Mr Brink I did not mean to or want to belittle anyone.
It’s all good Benny…
@Benny, I did my research on this stuff for over a year before doing it. The first time I did the injections and got incredibly sick! So, I gave up on it. I read about the “homeopathic” version for a while and decided to try it. That’s all. I’m no phoney and I’m not sure why you’re so hostile. I’m just speaking for myself and only myself. I still have a another 15lbs to go (which I’m doing with weights and clean eating) and I would be more than happy to post before and after pics for you darlin’. You should check out Dr. Oz’s website, he did a story on this whole thing as well. He was on the fence, stating there is something to it. There were some that suffered hair loss and became ill (like me), there was a surgeon that tried it and it worked for him, there were also ladies that tried the “homeo” version and it worked for them. Everyone’s body chemistry is different…. what works for one, may not work for another. Lighten up.
Exactly and on my second round I did up my calorie count to around 800-1000 by adding more protein, instead of 3.5 oz of protein I ate 6-8oz servings and still lost the weight. However, I did use the actual pharmaceutical HCG.
sorry to sound that way,but the only thing funnier then HCG is non inject HCG,ok let me ask you,since HCG is mainly for fertility…call a clinic and tell them hey,.I have drops..listen to the reaction,why is ‘you’people make up your own rules ?? HCG DOES NOT WORK IN THE BODY UNLESS ITS INJECT FOR ANY REASON…and DR OZ said it was nonsense,lets be real,with the obesity in this country so out of control,and kids dieing,umm,so whats the hold up ? how come all these people losing 30,50,100 lbs are never on tv,the news
talk shows ? hmm…(cant wait for that response) the only people to speak good about are people who sell it,I challenge any one to prove it, Ill Pay Pal $1,000 get a DR who dont sell it to NOT laugh at you…ans proof is not you cult like followers who CLAIM it works
ok and this is not mainstream why ?? * cause’THEY’ dont want you to know..ha ha,also I did a lot fo research on its creator,did you read where he said it failed so many times ?? and it was not better
then a 500 cal diet with out it ? I hate to sound rude,but its so stupid
it makes me mad a lil,words like special fat,fat pockets,stubborn fat,lol wow……….3 yrs later,I’m still waiting for proof on over 10 message boards.
Benny – I get it, really. When I read everything about both forms, I thought it was beyond ridiculous. And, I CAN’T prove that either of them work. But if the crap I took was a placebo, then it was worth it…to me (and my husband’s wallet!). I was on the verge of suicide because I was having such a difficult time losing weight or “fat”, couldn’t stand looking at myself, couldn’t stand for my husband to look at me, couldn’t stand to go out in public, because of the way I looked and felt about myself. All I know is that I feel better, look better than I did 20lbs ago. I feel like I’m on the path back to “normal”. I’m not selling anything, and I would never suggest that anyone follow that diet without talking to their dr, I haven’t even told anyone that’s how I lost it. If I wanted to sell anything, why would I use a screen name and not my real name? I just wanted to post my experience because I used both methods and to ask why it’s considered a scam. One worked for me, and one didn’t.
I’m finally back at the gym, and starting to run again, as well as feeling healthy. Why is that so bad?
I haven’t seen one person on here that is trying to sell anything, just telling their experience.
Peace
The ‘newest’ snake oil, or the newest fairy dust… people are constantly reaching for the magic bullet, the magic pill, whatever, that will achieve what they DON’T WANT TO WORK FOR THEMSELVES!!!
I work in a weight loss group for men. I lost 50 lbs there myself and have kept it off for almost 8 years. They get motivation lectures, weekly weigh-ins, a sheet to record their food intake, a card that outlines how much of what various foods they can have at any given meal, and coaching sessions (if they opt for them). The restrictions are on how much, not what, they can eat, with a few minor omissions like nuts and crystal sugar. They are taught to read labels for contents and portion information and avoid or eliminate trans fats, high fructose corn syrup, salt in its various forms, most artificial sweeteners, and lots of junk that masquerades as food. The results of those who follow the program are great; usually a couple of pounds a week. Some lose more because they control their intake more rigorously. Some don’t lose at all, for lots of reasons, but mainly due to not doing what they need to do- control their food and burn more calories than they used to. A lot of the men that come to our group came from other diets that may have worked for a while, or not. Some even try to keep their old diet going WHILE THEY ARE IN OUR PROGRAM. People love to reinvent the wheel…
Will, what I like about your words and your advocacy is that you don’t fluff or BS. You call it like you see it. This hCG diet is just the newest thing to throw your money away on. Every program I have ever seen says whatever magic you must swallow (that they sell you) and a calorie-reduced food intake will result in X weight loss. What you swallow may be different with each program but the calorie-reduced food intake is consistent with all programs. My only regret is that I can’t in good conscience, sell snake oil and make some of the billions of $$$ that wishful fools are ready to heap on the latest guru of hype.
Bottom line on weigh loss program is this. Eat less but better quality, exercise more and pay attention to what you stick in your piehole.
Thank you for your straight talk.
I always appreciate your exposing “the industry” of health, so called. Good tips, too. I have come to respect your work. Read an interesting article in Life Extension Magazine last week. I have been a member of the Life Extension Foundation (LEF) since 1990. I trust them above all other sources. the article was on the lack of quality control in the pharmaceutical industry.I just happened to notice the author, which said Will Brink. I have to confess, that it left me feeling even better about you. LEF seems to avoid direct counsel on body building, since life extension is their primary goal. But I think it is hard to have health and not also develop your body to a good level. That is why I like your work. Keep up the good work.
Wll for actual proof I use my caliper & tape measurements, scale, weight lifting strength on primary lifts and I will tell you I lost a few (2 – 3 pounds) of muscle and over 20 poounds total in just 19 days. Now I don’t care if this was a double blind study I know what I am doing. I ahve followed even FLR for over 3 years and was never able to maintain a good calorie cut to burn fat and still remain active and feeling good. I am in the middle of my 1st HCG and I actually have great strength and feel awesome.
Now you may not consider my results as proof – don’t really care as I know what has happened to me.
PS I have been lifting for over 5 years now and I have trained with some pretty awesome trainers – this is not something I am ignorant about or have not researched. There are not enough studies EITHER way – at least not peer reviewed groups. And please no more citing the first study that group was very small and the “controls” were not exact wither. For instance – it states that both lost about the same weight but it DOES NOT show where that weight came from.
I have no dog in this fight – use it, don’t use it – I don’t care I just wanted to post my actual findings from having tried it first hand.
With all due respect, I’m going to have to disagree. The HCG diet has helped thousands of people to lose weight quickly and effectively, while also reprogramming one’s approach to food/eating; self discipline is key with any successful weight loss plan. Many of the hcg products being sold online and in stores are not the real thing and this diet should only be done under the close supervision of a doctor. Blood tests are also essential, prior to going on any type of diet, since there could be other underlying health problems or risk factors involved.
I have been on the diet for 20 days and my energy levels are through the roof. I sometimes even have to force myself to eat, since I never feel hungry and the results that I see on the scale and in the mirror, speak for themselves. Furthermore, my bad cholesterol and blood sugar levels have also been dramatically reduced, without any medication.
This diet is not for everyone and only your doctor can determine whether or not its right for you, but the same holds true for any other diet or rapid weight loss program. For instance, the risks associated with lap band surgery far outweigh any risks that may be associated with the hcg diet and let’s not forget about phen-phen. This diet has been around for over 30 years and I would venture to say that its much safer and more effective than a lot of other diet products on the market. Of course, this is just my humble opinion and I realize that not everyone will agree.
SRecord
Rockwall, TX
BTW, I am taking the daily injections, which are prescribed by my doctor.
but see yet again Shelby,them same prob..you CLAIM it works,with no proof yet again,if you (brain washed folk) almost cult like would stop and really think about it,things special fat ? lol troubled fat,fat pockets,releasing fat from stubborn areas,learn about the human body,and how fat cells work,then ask your self these same things,ok tell me again why being over weight is killing more and more people every year but yet,its not mainstream again ? on no real news shows,no magazines,etc……..
Ken, I am not here to try and “prove” anything; to you or to anyone else. I am merely sharing MY personal experience, so I don’t appreciate your condescension and name calling. You are entitled to your opinion, but the way I see it is unless you have personally tried the diet, you really can’t form an honest opinion about it, one way or the other. Its like saying, “I don’t like spinach”, without the benefit of ever even having tasted it. I am neither “brainwashed” nor “cult like”, but instead, a free thinking individual with a good working knowledge of how the body stores and proccesses fat. You haven’t even mastered the English language, yet dare to insult others who have tastefully disagreed with something they have personally tried? My grandfather used to tell me, “Its far better to let people think you are stupid, than to open your mouth and remove all doubt.”
It’s very simple…over what 5 yrs now,and not 1 solid study nor proof,end of story,no major news,TV,etc..end of story,and all I ask is,do research on HCG ,and not on or from someone who sells it ! Call your local urologist and tell them you need some HCG DROPS,PILLS,and listen to the laughter,listen very carefully..IF HGC WORKED THEN IT WOULD WORK WITH NO MATTER WHAT YOU ATE.. END OF STORY,u people fall for fancy words which do not exist like fat pockets,trouble fat..lol yes I find it funny,and a lil sad. the protocol has been proven to not work any better then a low cal diet,even by it creator OK ,bodybuilders people on TRT,women and lil boys with UN descending testicles all use HCG and gee they dont lose no weight. it.. as I said prove it in 1 real study,and I will PAY PAL ANYONE $1000 CASH
I’ll tell you what, why don’t you just try it, yourself? But, first….please try a 500 calorie a day diet without the hCG and see how long you last, using the same food intake of 6oz of lean protein a day, 6 cups of green veggies a day, 2 servings of fruit per day and at least 90oz of fluid (water, unsweetened tea and black coffee) per day. You can also throw in 2 pieces of melba toast. hCG must be prescribed by doctor and injected as directed. This will be all of the proof you need, which is far better than asking for proof from someone else, who you aren’t going to believe, anyway.
Shelby, a few comments:
” the way I see it is unless you have personally tried the diet, you really can’t form an honest opinion about it, one way or the other.”
Of course he can. There’s opinion and there’s informed opinion. If someone told me dog poop in a blender caused weight loss, do I need to try it to form an opinion? My knowledge of drugs, physiology, biology, etc allows me to have an opinion on many things I have no need to try. As an example, Serum Creatine was all the rage some years ago. My knowledge of the issue allowed me to tell people it was not going to work, and I got “but have you tried it?” and so forth, as I do for everything people are emotionally vested in, as if that trumped science. Years later, tests showed essentially no creatine in Serum Creatine….same issue with CEE, studies show it’s junk, people have strong placebo effects with it, etc, and around we go… See Ellisa’s comments above, see the vid I posted, read the reports, etc.
Science works on objective collection of data points, not on “it works for me.” If you are happy with the results, then by all means do what you feel is best for you, but as my proff use to say “emotions don’t alter facts, but facts can alter emotions”
“with a good working knowledge of how the body stores and proccesses fat.”
Not good enough it appears. VLCDs (minus any HCG…) are last ditch efforts and not based on sound nutritional principles. I suspect you know very little about the actual pharmacology of HCG.
Again, best of luck in your weight loss journey and I wish you success!
Some of you state you have lost a significant ammount of weight and also know someone who has lost up to 170 lbs. Its not had to see this is a starvation diet and anyone who has close to 200 lbs to lose will drop weight fast on a 500cal a day diet.
I am witnessing a man in my gym who lifted weights for many years go through a HCG diet as its called. He lost 30 lbs of weight in january when he started and loll and behold he is putting that weight all back on and then some now that he is gaining weight back he says he needs to go back on a cycle because its his fault fo r not following HCG diet protocol or whatever. I think its his fault but for different reaons. The man looks plumper not more muscular.
Having been a yoyo dieter I can say that low cal diets do provide a tempoary high and a feeling of being invincible and on top of your game like you have it all in control, then again so do manic depressents… and both parties crash
ANYWAYS after 10 years of dieting I finally have developed the discipline to maintain healthy eating habits and stay consistent in the gym. I purchased will brinks E books a few weeks ago and they have definately tweeked and corrected a lot of what I know and what I thought I knew, now I can say I know how to keep weight off.
Purchase the E books before you invest in learning a hard lesson through the HCG diet way.
The guy at your gym that you are refering to admitted that he wasn’t following the protocol, which would explain why he didn’t keep the weight off. Protocol must be followed to the letter or it will result in failure; Dr. Simeons makes this very clear.
lol Shelby,are you the spokesperson for HCG ? If it had any special features it would work no matter what you ate,and why dont other people take it lose 40lbs a month..
No, I’m not the spokesperson for hCG and no, it would not work no matter what you ate; you’ve got it all wrong! This is a very strict diet with a very strict protocol that must be followed to the “T”, in order for it to work. I wish there was some magic diet out there that would allow us to lose weight, while we continued to eat whatever we wanted, but that’s just not a reality and the hCG diet is certainly no exception.
There are a LOT of people out there who have successfully lost 40lbs and more in a month on the hCG diet, however, I am not one of those people. Although, my husband has lost 20 lbs in 22 days, so its entirely possible that he could lose 40lbs by the time he’s finished with phase 2 of the diet, but he has a lot more weight to lose than I do, so I don’t expect my results to be as measureable as his.
I know ‘THEY’ claim what u can eat, umm….chew gum while you eat 500 cals and you will lose 10lbs a week thats the point I made..
wow Shelby,good stuff, and I am not attacking you at all,and its not personal =) do you even know how and where fat cells come from ?(If Im wrong MR Will let me know) you eat more then you burn,end of story,1st it was genetics,proven not true,then it was thyroid,then cortisol,then fat,carbs,stress,this that now its the hypothalamus,do you know what HCG is made up of ??Did it every occur to you the biggest scum bag and fraud in history ,Kevin Trudeua,did this to make $$ everything he touches is a fraud and a scam,but not this ? lol.so tell me what HCG is………….research who and what fat cells are and do,then tell me how this would lead to fat loss,and again,show me proof,and I’ll PAY PAL you $1,000
Kevin Trudeau didn’t invent the hCG diet, he merely introduced it back into mainstream society, along with a lot of other things that the FDA does not want us to know about. I cannot speak for Mr. Trudeau’s character, since I don’t know the man, but I do know that he crossed the government. The pathway to hell is paved with good intentions, so who knows what happened, but Kevin Trudeau has absolutely nothing to do with the hCG diet I am on.
He “crossed the government” because he’s a con man and a scam artist who has done a great job of scamming people like yourself out of their $$$. He’s everything I dislike about the industry, and a model/poster child for what I have always tried to help people to avoid.
lol did you just say good intentions ? he coned and scammed hundreds of millions of dollars ,out of people did jail time, sued over and over…he’s a 1st class scum bag,I’d pay $$ to talk to him for 10 mins,do some research and I do not mean he scammed people jsut on the HCG..
In addition to the links Will has at the top, Tom Venuto has a fantastic article on the subject: http://www.tomvenuto.com/asktom/HCG_diet_is_it_a_scam.shtml
great stuff Elissa,need I say more ? and from the most respected journals .
I tried the HCG diet by injection and lost about 16-17lbs in 23 days. That’s b/c I only consumed 500 calories a day. I was hungry as hell and felt weak. My doctor told me that I was experiencing cravings and not hunger and I had to laugh – I know the difference. Jedi mind tricks don’t work on me. The placebo effect can be powerful – we’ve all heard the stories of cancer patients going into remission after some kind of herbal or spiritual treatment, so I don’t want to knock it completely – do whatever works. In fact, one might say that the diet worked for me b/c I was damned if I was going to throw $600 away, so I stuck w/ it. But my advice would be to buy a gorgeous $600 dress 2 sizes too small and hang it by your fridge for 23 days. Just to give you an idea of what this diet is: concentration camp victims were given between 300-600 calories per day and a HEALTHY person (don’t try this at home b/c you don’t know if you truly are healthy) can survive 4-6 weeks w/out food (warning: may resort to cannibalism by week 3.) So you can do 500 calories a day but w/out the placebo effect it is BRUTAL. If you succeed, or even if you don’t, follow it up w/ a healthier diet like Dukan or Weight Watchers & by comparison it will seem easy.
Watch for “hidden” sugar in processed foods like breads, catsup, mayonnaise, canned fruit, applesauce, peanut butter, and soups. And be careful with “fat-free” products. Sugar is often used to replace the flavor that is lost when the fat is removed.
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Um, I know I am late to this party…
I work at a rural school where this has been “the rage” for 2 years. Yes, women have lost weight. However they have ALL put it and more back on. Several have complained of “fatigue” and one said her doctor told her she had some problem using protien after using this product. (I don’t know if it is related, but it would have to be an amazing coincidence, right?).
Some of these women eat “protien” bars and drink sports drinks…You actually need to work muscle to build it…I mean DUH. Drinking a sports drink “just because” is stupid and doesn’t mean you are fit.
I started working out a year ago. I lost 35 pounds (which was 5 more than my goal) through eating “clean” non-processed foods, lifting free weights for toning and running. It took 6 months and I have kept it off these additional months (well…I lost another 5 training for a half marathon). It took a lifestyle change. One cannot maintain a cycle of 500 calorie crashing and think it won’t affect the metabolism. Plus I am actually fit! I remember that nutter butter women with the whole “Stop the Insanity” motto…but here we are 15-20 years later with a new form of insanity!
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I used the homeopathic HCG diet two years ago and lost 9ks in 21 days and have kept it off.
I am a Figure Competitor so I needed to make sure I didn’t lose any muscle and I didn’t.
I have a heap of energy and was not starving.
I highly recommend the HCG diet.
Perhaps the one supplied by my Australian Naturopath and close friend could be different to overseas?
There was no HCG in any of the products you used. See comments above on homeopathic HCG above by people like Elissa (a true scientist) and others. What ever you did, it had nothing to do with the product you used.
I know, right?! Yet, millions made off it.