I went on this diet back in August 2010. Before the Hcg diet, I lost 22 pounds the old fashion way by exercise and balanced meals in the previous 8 weeks. I needed to lose an additional 20 pounds. So my friend introduced this diet to me. She said it is fast and easy, that should have been a clue. Nothing worthwhile is fast and easy.
Does it work? Yes and No. Let me explain...
I did lose the twenty pounds in about thirty days, but it was draining and very restrictive. You consume 500 calories a day, combined with the Hcg drops. However, once you go into maintenance, you must weight yourself every single morning and should you bounce up by more than 2 pounds even by an ounce, you must do a “steak day”. This was ok, but after awhile, all I wanted to do was go back to my counting calories and exercising where I did not feel a slave to the damn scale.
About a month ago, my husband researched some double blind studies where people who thought they were taking Hcg, but were really on a placebo LOST the SAME AMOUNT of weight.
You see, all this diet does is put your body into a Ketosis state and you end up burning the fat and this state also reduces one’s appetite. You have limited carbs and limited calories and Hcg no Hcg, the weight will come off.
The reason I think it ultimately doesn't work is that unless you change your eating and exercise habits to healthy levels, you will continue to have weight issues. My husband called it the “concentration camp” diet because of the small number of calories.
I am currently at a healthy weight, but I eat a balanced diet combined with daily exercise. Remember there are no free rides to a healthy body.
well you know what?....she found out she was DIABETIC and her sugars were very high and had been high for some time.....you should see her legs....no muscle at all.....
btw...we are seeing more and more women in the hospital with many problems AFTER and sometimes years after having gastric bypass or similar...
be careful what you do to your body....
The Atkins diet does the same thing. If one only consumes protein and fat the body goes into ketosis. It works, but it is not a pleasent diet for a prolonged period.
I understand the idea; getting the body to pull from fat stores while deprived of caloric intake. It seems to me that there are better ways to do this, but we all want instant results, don’t we?
The best plans I have seen have a diet that has the amount and type of food structured to keep blood sugar levels steadily above triggering “hunger” and below the level that causes insulin release. Insulin stores surplus as fat; that is its job. Add in exercise and you are there. Rather straight forward and healthy.
There is just one teensy problem: it takes time, and one is likely to leave behind all of the garbage we shove into our faces on a daily basis. Don’t expect to see this advertised next to acki-breaki berries by dopera anytime soon.