What is HCG Diet

In a world that puts a premium on appearance, having a fit body is a dream for many. However, obesity is more than about appearance - it is one of the most pressing health problems in the US. Linked with obesity are various health problems such as formation of gall stones, heart failure, diabetes, and chronic fatigue.

Atkins diet, cabbage soup diet, tapeworm diet - they all came and went, and their lack of staying power is because fad diets simply don't work. However, you've probably heard of HCG diet, which many people, who have suffered from weight problems, are agog about these days as it succeeds, where other diet plans don't.

The HCG diet is designed to promote very rapid weight loss - an average of 1-2 pounds per day - using a substance in the body called HCG. Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (HCG) is a hormone produced in the placenta by pregnant women to feed the developing fetus in their embryo. HCG increases the woman's metabolic rate to metabolize the nutrients the mother and child need. HCG diet mimics the same mechanism by introducing into the body of the dieter, small doses of HCG.

While other diet programs require cutting on fat and sugar while increasing intake of certain food groups such as lean meat, carbohydrates, or vegetables and fruits, the HCG diet requires lowering the daily calorie consumption of patients. Dieters are put on low-calorie diet - a total of 500 calories a day - while taking daily shots (125iu to 200iu) of HCG either orally or through injections.

Once inside the body, the HCG hormone signals the hypothalamus to release the abnormal fat around the tissues in order to provide the body the calories it needs for the day, preventing dieters from suffering hunger pangs caused by their low-calorie diet. Once excess weight is dropped, treatment needs to be stopped because HCG hormone works with abnormal fats only.

By strictly following the HCG diet, program users can expect to lose 1-2 pounds a day or 15-30 pounds a month. The program is very effective in eliminating hard-to-burn fats in common problem areas such as the abdomen, hips, and thighs. It is safe for both men and women.

History of HCG Diet

The HCG is not quite new; it has been helping people struggling with their weight for over 4 decades. The British endocrinologist, Dr. Simeons, was the first to discover the relationship between HCG and weight loss in the 1930s, and also the first to formulate a diet plan using the HCG hormone. After devoting more than 20 years putting his diet formulation to test, Dr. Simeons found that people on low calorie diet would not experience the usual drawbacks to low-calorie diet such as hunger pains, weakness, and irritability when combined with HCG. In 1954, he published in the medical journal "The Lancet" that patients on 500-calorie diet and HCG injections daily were able to lose 20 to 30 pounds, and that 70% were able to maintain their weight after going off the program. Since the conception of HCG diet, it has never stopped gaining momentum.

How Does the HCG Diet Work?

HCG diet relies on the hormonal mechanism, which makes it unique from other popular diets. HCG works with the hypothalamus, stimulating it to release body fats instead of slowing down body metabolism to conserve fat stores. Since our body normally requires 1,500 to 2000 calories a day, a person can burn up to 1000 calories a day on the calorie-restricted HCG diet program. In an exercise plus diet program, it would take the body more than an hour to reach this fat-burning zone.

HCG diet is protein-preserving; meaning, it targets abnormal fats in the body only and preserves muscle, normal and structural fat of the body. With the program, patients lose body fat but not the muscle tissues.

How to Lose Weight with HCG

The Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (HCG) diet is getting very popular, all around the world these days, for successfully helping people lose weight. The key to its success is that HCG diet works at the hypothalamic level in order to encourage adipose tissue metabolism. This mechanism helps people suppress their appetite without making them feel weak, woozy, or suffer hunger pains while undergoing a low-calorie diet. To optimize your success in the program, follow these simple steps:

1. See your physician

It is always best to get medical supervision when planning to take up any sort of diet program. While HCG diet has no known side effects, seeing your physician for a general health assessment before starting on the program is always recommended, to ensure that you have no health problems that might complicate the treatment.

2. Maintain a 500-calorie diet

The goal of the low-calorie diet is to "starve" the body, while the goal of injecting HCG hormones into the body is to trigger the hypothalamus to signal the body to release abnormal fats for the body to use as energy fuel. By maintaining a daily 500-calorie diet, HCG dieters will be able to burn 1000 calories or more each day! That translates to a daily loss of 0.5 - 2 pounds of body fats.

3. Take HCG hormones

There are three forms of HCG that you can use to lose abnormal fat deposits: HCG injections, oral HCG, and HCG transdermal (topical) gel.

Your physician can administer the injections, but if you prefer self-injecting, the steps are quite simple. Simply mix a vial of HCG power with a vial of bacteriostatic water at the proper HCG levels (125 IU to 200 IU). Once mixed, keep the solution refrigerated to keep the compound from deteriorating. Using a sterile Sub-Q injection, administer the medication into the fatty layers just beneath your skin once a day.

Sublingual (oral) shots are droplets administer under the tongue, and best when taken twice a day. Swallowing oral HCG tablets has not been proven to be effective at all.

Those who do not want to experience the discomfort of injections can opt for transdermal HCG. Transdermal creams are to be applied topically, under the side of the wrists or the forearms. The downside of topical HCG applications is that it takes longer to attain visible results.

4. Eat healthy

The program recommends a diet high in protein in combination with less starchy and fatty foods. Increasing vegetables, fruits, and water intake is also important. To allow the body to detoxify better, the program recommends that you choose organic foods as well.

5. No exercise

No need to spend hours running on your treadmill or lifting weights - HCG diet helps you burn up to 1000 calories a day, but engaging in moderate exercise 3 days after your first HCG shot - just 15 minutes of yoga or some cardiovascular activity - will speed up your metabolism even more.

6. No make-up, lotions, or lip gloss

Use of lotion, make-up, conditioner, and other personal care products that contain animal fats should also be avoided as they can add more fats to the body. HCG diet aims to detox the body, so dieters are also advised to stay off alcoholic drinks.

7. Stop after 40 days

Dr. Simeons, who discovered the benefits of HCG in systematic and safe weight loss, recommends that dieters stop after 40 days because the body develops immunity to HCG after that period. Dieters should have at least a 6-week break between treatments, and should use no more than 4 treatments in total.

As you can see, HCG diet is a fuss-less and easy way to lose weight and achieve a healthier body. HCG diet also aims to make a permanent change in your lifestyle choices by teaching you to value portion control and choosing the right food.