Thread: HCG Diet: Read and try not to laugh

I haven't read the article yet, but seriously...what is up with this whole "HCG diet and weight loss" plan?

Women injecting or taking hormones to lose weight yet restricting themselves to sub-1000 calories?

Originally Posted by djlance

I haven't read the article yet, but seriously...what is up with this whole "HCG diet and weight loss" plan?

Women injecting or taking hormones to lose weight yet restricting themselves to sub-1000 calories?

Yeah, no shit...do you think it was the hcg, or the fact that you weren't eating anything???

Completely ridiculous.

Since I haven't been in OB for a good while....HCG is "a naturally occurring hormone, created by the body to nourish and protect the fetus by taking the stored fat reserves and changing to nutrition for the placenta. If this new discovery could actually drain fat cells and transform to positive natural energy, it might actually help people with obesity."

Way to go science...throw your bodies natural balance out of whack...

This is kinda old news. I saw huge billboards in Miami about two years ago promoting the hcg diet, I was like

Originally Posted by Vibrant

This is kinda old news. I saw huge billboards in Miami about two years ago promoting the hcg diet, I was like

Yea this is just now starting to "infiltrate" my area of the country

I thought it was a scream because the woman that wrote the article was on a 500 calorie/day diet. No wonder she lost weight!

What? All 500 calorie a day starvation diets work. For weight loss. Sadly that's the only benefit. I have some coworkers who think I'm nuts for the way I eat. So they being much smarter, did the HCG diet. Congrats on 30lbs lost... of course they gained back 60 and are fatter than ever... but they did lose weight while on it.

I've had three family members lose a lot of weight on the stuff. One of over 100lbs. He hadn't been able to loose weight for years. The other two didn't change diet and exercise. I don't know much about it, but I've seen the results.

Im doing a lean bulk on this diet and the results have been stellar so far.

Originally Posted by returnofthdragon

I've had three family members lose a lot of weight on the stuff. One of over 100lbs. He hadn't been able to loose weight for years. The other two didn't change diet and exercise. I don't know much about it, but I've seen the results.

He or she? At least around here, the people doing this are women.

I know of a bodybuilder on another forum who used to never incorporate HCG into their cycle and on the latest one they did. He said it restored his testicular size (obvious) and leaned him up significantly.

http://hcgdietinfo.com/hcgdietforums...-do-hcg-20766/

I guess men are on "it" also...

Originally Posted by djlance

He or she? At least around here, the people doing this are women.

People doing this are fat, desperate and gullable.

Contrary to what is posted on the net, HCG does not promote weight loss at all.

Ineffectiveness of human chorionic gonadotropin in weight reduction: a double-blind study.

Stein MR, Julis RE, Peck CC, Hinshaw W, Sawicki JE, Deller JJ Jr.

Our investigation was designed to retest the hypothesis of the efficacy of human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) on weight reduction in obese women in a clinic setting. We sought to duplicate the Asher-Harper study (1973) which had found that the combination of 500 cal diet and HCG had a statistically significant benefit over the diet and placebo combination as evidenced by greater weight loss and decrease in hunger. Fifty-one women between the ages of 18 and 60 participated in our 32-day prospective, randomized, double-blind comparison of HCG versus placebo. Each patient was given the same diet (the one prescribed in the Asher-Harper study), was weighed daily Monday through Saturday and was counselled by one of the investigators who administered the injections. Laboratory studies were performed at the time of initial physical examinations and at the end of the study. Twenty of 25 in the HCG and 21 of 26 patients in the placebo groups completed 28 injections. There was no statistically significant difference in the means of the two groups in number of injections received, weight loss, percent of weight loss, hip and waist circumference, weight loss per injections, or in hunger ratings. HCG does not appear to enhance the effectiveness of a rigidly imposed regimen for weight reduction.

PMID: 786001 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

Originally Posted by heavyiron

Contrary to what is posted on the net, HCG does not promote weight loss at all.

Ineffectiveness of human chorionic gonadotropin in weight reduction: a double-blind study.

Stein MR, Julis RE, Peck CC, Hinshaw W, Sawicki JE, Deller JJ Jr.

Our investigation was designed to retest the hypothesis of the efficacy of human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) on weight reduction in obese women in a clinic setting. We sought to duplicate the Asher-Harper study (1973) which had found that the combination of 500 cal diet and HCG had a statistically significant benefit over the diet and placebo combination as evidenced by greater weight loss and decrease in hunger. Fifty-one women between the ages of 18 and 60 participated in our 32-day prospective, randomized, double-blind comparison of HCG versus placebo. Each patient was given the same diet (the one prescribed in the Asher-Harper study), was weighed daily Monday through Saturday and was counselled by one of the investigators who administered the injections. Laboratory studies were performed at the time of initial physical examinations and at the end of the study. Twenty of 25 in the HCG and 21 of 26 patients in the placebo groups completed 28 injections. There was no statistically significant difference in the means of the two groups in number of injections received, weight loss, percent of weight loss, hip and waist circumference, weight loss per injections, or in hunger ratings. HCG does not appear to enhance the effectiveness of a rigidly imposed regimen for weight reduction.

PMID: 786001 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

Exactly. It might have something to do with them eating only 1000 calories a day.

Heavy, your the man! Sad thing is, if I printed this out and showed people, they probably still wouldn't believe it.

hcg works!

Take my word for it she lost weight i swear!

Originally Posted by djlance

He or she? At least around here, the people doing this are women.

My parents did it. They were a little overweight. They exercised regularly and dieted before and as far as I know they made few changes with that when starting the hcg. My wife's uncle has been pushing 400 for a decade. He's lost over 100. I have no clue about his diet /exercise routine except that historically they suck.

I have no idea how or if it works. I really don't give a shit either way. My first instinct was to call it crap. I do know three people who look much better now than they did before starting hcg. Also, knowing them, I would bet heavy that they didn't go on a 1000 calorie diet.


Does anyone else remember when everyone said creatine was bullshit? I even read studies in college that "proved " it didn't work. Maybe there is something to hcg. Normally I would write it off, but not after seeing the changes ive seen.

As of 1995 there were 12 quality studies proving that the HCG diet does not promote ANY weight loss. The HCG "diet" is a starvation diet. You lose weight because you starve yourself not because of the HCG.

Br J Clin Pharmacol. 1995 Sep;40(3):237-43.

The effect of human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) in the treatment of obesity by means of the Simeons therapy: a criteria-based meta-analysis.

Lijesen GK, Theeuwen I, Assendelft WJ, Van Der Wal G.

Source

Institute for Research in Extramural Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

Abstract

1. A meta-analysis was conducted to assess if there is scientific ground for the use of human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) as adjunctive therapy in the treatment of obesity. 2. Published papers relating to eight controlled and 16 uncontrolled trials that measured the effect of HCG in the treatment of obesity were traced by computer-aided search and citation tracking. 3. The trials were scored for the quality of the methods (based on four main categories: study population, interventions, measurement of effect, and data presentation and analysis) and the main conclusion of author(s) with regard to weight-loss, fat-redistribution, hunger, and feeling of well-being. 4. Methodological scores ranged from 16 to 73 points (maximum score 100), suggesting that most studies were of poor methodological quality. Of the 12 studies scoring 50 or more points, one reported that HCG was a useful adjunct. The studies scoring 50 or more points were all controlled. 5. We conclude that there is no scientific evidence that HCG is effective in the treatment of obesity; it does not bring about weight-loss of fat-redistribution, nor does it reduce hunger or induce a feeling of well-being.

PMID:8527285 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
PMCID: PMC1365103

First it says there were 8 controlled studies then it states that the 12 that scored 50 were all controlled.

Am I reading that right?


A meta-analysis of 15 year old studies? Has there been any more recent research?

why cant doctors do mankind any real good and develop the sperm diet. one load of sperm a day keep cals low and women would lose weight.

Originally Posted by returnofthdragon

First it says there were 8 controlled studies then it states that the 12 that scored 50 were all controlled.

Am I reading that right?


A meta-analysis of 15 year old studies? Has there been any more recent research?

The Simeon's HCG diet is a starvation diet. HCG has no effect on weight loss. Once it has been proven over and over why would it be studied again? The HCG diet was submitted in the 1950's so of course the research would follow.

The placebo effect of HCG can be very motivating for people to eat better and exercise. That's all it is. And 15 year old studies aren't too old to be reliable.

If you're convinced that the HCG diet works because you saw family members lose weight on it, then you aren't being very scientific in your thinking.

First, testimonials should never convince us of anything. Secondly, correlation does not equal causation, meaning that just because people on the HCG diet lose weight, does not prove that HCG was the cause.

Originally Posted by exphysiologist88

First, testimonials should never convince us of anything. Secondly, correlation does not equal causation, meaning that just because people on the HCG diet lose weight, does not prove that HCG was the cause.

^^^This!
500 calories will drop weight quick. Sad thing is, they will gain it back tenfold.