Please read this page with an open mind. As the hCG Diet gains in popularity, there are also critics who try to dispute the documented results. There are also many different versions of the diet protocol available. You will need to decide for yourself what makes sense for you and something you will be able to follow. What I am sharing with you is what I have found to work for me. Your body is different than mine, and small adjustments may be needed in your diet plan to achieve satisfactory results.
How hCG Works
The hCG sublingual drops that I take work as follows. It is taken orally, under the tongue to be rapidly absorbed, which is believed to allow a person to subsist more on their stored fat than on what they eat. It is believed to trigger the body to provide a constant flow of "food" received from the fat that your body is breaking down and using. That means burning 2000 to 4000 calories of stored fat and losing 1 to 2 pounds a day!
What is hCG?
hCG (Human Chorionic Gonadotropin) is a natural hormone produced in large quantities during pregnancy to ensure proper nutrients to a developing baby. This is why a mother can still provide nutrients to her baby even when she is dealing with morning sickness and unable to keep much food down. hCG is what triggers the hypothalamus to mobilize stored fat into the bloodstream to be used as "food". If the protocol is followed correctly, it should reset your metabolism and protect your body’s good fat and keep muscle tissue from breaking down (which occurs in other low calorie diets without the use of hCG)
Who can use hCG?
Almost anyone can use hCG: Female, male, young, or old. Always check with your doctor before beginning any new weight loss program. Do not use if you are pregnant or nursing. You can follow this diet plan even if you are on medications. Some medications, such as steroids, may slow down the rate of weight loss, but success is still obtained. Do not discontinue your medications without consulting your doctor. Many people find that they are able to come off of their medications, or greatly reduce them, because they have become much healthier and are making healthier choices when completing the program.
How much weight can you lose and can you keep it off?
That depends on how serious you are about following the program completely. If done correctly, you can lose 1-2 lbs per day, or approximately 20 lbs per month. If you "cheat", you lose approximately 3 days of success. I have found it is not worth it to me to cheat. I want to reach my goals as soon as possible and that bite of something I can't have yet slows my progress down too much. I know that eventually I can eat what I want to, in moderation, so therefore it isn't all that hard to give it up right now.
I have an important note to interject here: Yes, you can lose weight eating only 500 calories a day without taking hCG. However, you will be burning your good fat and will soon become weak and sick. Eventually it will backfire because your body would think it was starving and begin to store even more fat. The hCG is what causes the hypothalamus to mobilize the fat out of the fat storage locations into the bloodstream so your body is actually operating on thousands of calories a day, not just the 500 that you are getting from the food you eat.
There are phases to the diet, and it is important to follow them so that you learn to make healthy choices for life and be able to keep the weight off. The 500 calorie part (phase 2) is only done for 21 days or 40 days at a time, then you can move to Phase 3. Once you are completely stabilized for 3 weeks, you can begin again. (Details about this will be on The hCG Diet Protocol Page)
Once you have lost your weight and you enter the maintenance phase, your body, of course, has changed and your eating behaviors have changed dramatically. You will find that you desire to make healthier choices. That doesn't mean that you can't have treats now and then. But treats should be treats... something to be enjoyed occasionally, not added in to your everyday diet. Also, importantly, your hypothalamus will be reset, your appetite will be decreased and your metabolism increased. Your fat regulation system will be reset so your body is no longer triggered into storing unneeded fat. This will allow you to eat moderately, exercise minimally and maintain your weight loss and your new healthy body.
