Lose 20 pounds in 20 days! Have you heard of the hCG diet? I’ve had quite a few clients ask me about this “miracle” diet that allows people to shed pounds fast and lose up to a pound a day. Please, proceed with caution when you hear about these fast fix weight loss diets.
hCG stands for Human chorionic gonadotropin, a hormone produced during pregnancy that is made by the developing embryo after conception. It’s what’s detected in urine in home pregnancy tests. Nowadays it’s gaining popularity as use in a homeopathic tincture or injection that, combined with a very low calorie diet, promises quick weight loss. hCG is said to suppress appetite (preventing hunger on the 500 calorie a day model) and burn body fat while preserving muscle.
The hCG Diet: Miracle or Dangerous?
The hCG diet bans certain carbs, dairy, sugar, and booze, so you stick to protein and veggies with minimal fruit. Because the hCG suppresses hunger, you can stick to this strict diet without hunger or cravings. According to one website, you’re not hungry because hCG instructs the hypothalamus to release 3000-4000 calories in stored fat every day. You’re encouraged to stick strictly to the plan. I can’t confirm this, but I read in US News that if you blow it, you get back on track with an apple fast?! “If dieters slip up, they’re encouraged to compensate by drinking only water and eating nothing but six apples for 24 hours. That’s thought to help squeeze out water weight, a psychological boost to help them get back on track.”
The injections are apparently the most effective and truest form of hCG. You must get them from a doctor. One of the companies I buy products from distributes the hCG homeopathic tincture. Their products are not available over the counter, and they have high quality standards (you must have a license to buy from them). Many of the tinctures online have a reputation of being crappy or ineffective, but I took a look at the tincture and it contains the following:
- hypothalamus & pituitary to reset the hunger feedback loop in the brain
- various homeopathics to reduce hunger/prevent cravings, manage blood sugar (so you don’t feel shaky and weak at 500 calories!), support metabolic functions, and eliminate toxins
The hCG Diet
There are 3 phases to this diet. You are receiving injections or taking the tincture during the time you follow the phases. The first phase is the loading phase that happens during the first two days. During this phase, you eat all you want to “load up” enough fat, energy, and essential nutrients to sustain you during the rest of the days that you will be following the diet plan. Then comes the “Very Low Calorie phase,” the 500 calorie per day model wherein you eliminate certain foods such as sugar, carbs, and fats.
NO FATS?! You’ll stick to eating lean meat per day and specific kinds of vegetables. Of course you’re also taking the hCG this entire time which is melting the fat away, especially from the chin, thighs, arms, buttocks, hip and belly. Then the latter phase is “stabilization” where you’ll increase your caloric intake to 800 for women or 1000 for men.
Is the hCG Diet Safe?
A 500 calorie a day diet is not safe. Rapid weight loss can cause gallstones, and hCG is implicated in blood clots, constipation, and even leg cramps (probably because it may cause mineral imbalance). Also, if you’re basically starving yourself and tricking your body out of hunger cues, of course you’ll lose weight. Obviously the point of the tincture or injections is that it rids the body of fat, prevents hunger & prevents blood sugar instability so you don’t pass out, but not everyone will react the same. I’ve heard of a fainting case, and in another case, a woman gained back all the weight she worked so hard to lose.
The other issue is that you’re not working to change your behaviors. You’re going “on” a diet and then transitioning back to whatever eating plan you were on before. I preach strongly against diets. In fact, I despise the concept. I teach my clients what foods are right for their unique individuality, and teach them how to eat in a way that’s sustainable for life. It’s not something you go on or off. Your old habits clearly weren’t working in the first place. Losing weight is a complex issue, and there are many factors (hidden food allergies or adrenal/thyroid dysfunction, for example) that need to be explored and solved for weight loss to be maintained.
I also think there is a lot of bogus hCG out there, so if you do elect to try this diet, you must make sure you’re purchasing the tincture from a reliable source–either a doctor or nutritionist that supplies certified product–or that you’re getting the injections from a trusted doctor.
In short, I cannot recommend this diet due to the fact that I don’t agree with its tenets–the loading, the starving, and the lack of uncovering behaviors or physiological reasons that have caused weight gain or prevented weight loss. To me, this is an example of the “magic pill” syndrome that our society thrives on–quick fixes. This is not holistic.
I can imagine this potentially as a last resort for obese folks who have a lot of weight to lose–they can get down to a manageable weight working with a doctor or nutritionist and then get down to the nutrition education. But it just doesn’t feel right to me to recommend that someone who has 30 pounds to lose eat 500 calories a day. If someone is experiencing difficulty losing weight, there may be physical reasons behind it: thyroid, adrenal, digestive, detox, or deficiency issues that must be addressed. I just can’t get behind that magic pill philosophy. And there’s a lot of risk involved in the hCG diet plan, which is why most reputable health organizations don’t endorse it.
Mary Vance is a Certified Nutrition Consultant and author specializing in digestive health. She combines a science-based approach with natural therapies to rebalance the body. In addition to her 1:1 coaching, she offers courses to help you heal your gut and improve your health. Mary lives in San Francisco and Lake Tahoe in Northern California. Read more about her coaching practice here and her background here.
Nice post…would be helpful to differentiate between hcG and hc3, the latter being the homeopathic version. The picture you used, and a little about the ingredients says your commentary might address the homeopathic version, BUT, hcG includes shots of animal or synthetic compounds whereas hc3 does not.
Thanks for the feedback on differentiation, Cheryl!
I agree, I would stay well clear of this program. Focus on making your body healthy as healthy bodies lose weight faster than unhealthy bodies.
Excellent points! I especially resonate with the premise of “going on a diet,” which inevitably means going off of it, and not addressing the relationship with food, which is at the root of the “issue.” Going for the magic silver bullet gets pushed by our culture, whereas real behavioral change is a process that follows our biological time clock, not a digital, artificial one. When we stick to a healthy way of being, it becomes the “new” habit, no longer takes effort, and over time we create real, lasting change. Water dripping on a stone eventually turns that stone into a bowl. Thanks for the thought-full post!
Amen!! 🙂
My concern is why in the WORLD would you want a pregnancy hormone in your body when you are not pregnant? Or worse yet, if you are male? Hormonal balance is key in the body and when one is added, it has the potential to affect numerous others. I wonder who ever thought this was a good idea in the first place……
This product saved my life…I have lost 30 lb on HCG and kept it off 5 years now without complications of any kind! Most ppl that speak negatively about HCG don’t even know what it really is. No one speaks out against those mega multi dollar corporations that rip you off and you get to eat their disgusting GMO poisoned foods…with HCG you eat your own healthy food. It’s natural and no side effects!
Multi thousands of people have been successful in losing weight with HCG and that is what worries the Medical profession who control us and who have less knowledge about health than a first grader. They are bed fellows with FDA and others like Jenny Craig, WWatchers, NutriSystem and others who rake in billions upon billions of $$$$ while HCG cost $29–$69 and YOU MAINTAIN YOUR WEIGHT LOSS!
lET’S DO OUR RESEARCH and not listen to those who are controlled by media who is controlled by corporations that run this world.
HCG has also taught me how to eat and what foods I no longer need to eat (allergic foods).
Hi Mary-
I agree with your concerns about the HcG diet and the low calories. I have a friend who did this last year & lost 25 lbs. in 2 months but started it again in the fall (as she gained most of her weight back) and started having gall bladder issues after the fat-loading days. It just seemed problematic to me but she was determined to do it. She is starting it again and it’s really hard to not say something regarding concerns, but she gets mad if I do. I guess I wanted to see what nutritionists felt about this diet so googled you. I have been changing my eating habits and exercising for the past year. It has been a slower road for me but I have lost about 18 lbs. with regular exercise & diet changes that I intend to be life-long choices. It’s not the quick fix that some diets offer but the more I read and older I get, it seems to always come back to healthy choices of food & regular exercise.