HCG Diet

I'm very skeptical with all those weight loss supplements. But then, I'm very skeptical about medication as well and only take it if I just can't bear the pain anymore.

I think a veggie diet with reduced portion sizes and cutting out sugary drinks out is a good start to loosing weight without suffering too much from depriving yourself from food.

And regular exercise to keep your metabolism working. I actually just finished a nice 62 mile bike ride this morning, little windy, but there is nothing better than 3.5 hours in the saddle while the sun is shining and the birds are chirping.

Thomas

 

I agree. If there is such a thing as a fountain of youth, it's diet and exercise. It requires discipline and hard work - which is probably why most people would rather just take a pill - but a long, healthy life is well worth the effort.

 

It is trivial (and common) for a drug company to modify a formulation for patent reasons. E.g, HCG+caffeine in a specific formulation can be submitted for approval and patent protection. The problem from a profit standpoint is that other companies can do the same with other trivial modifications. It is not that regulatory costs are too high, it is that they are too low to use as a barrier to entry against competitors.

That said, regulatory approval does take years. So if a company thought that the increase in sales from legitimacy covered the FDA costs before competition was also approved and completely erased increased revenue, they would play the game.

Of course, if the company expects the FDA to deny approved use e.g. with HCG, they market it off-label.

 

Maybe this is too cynical, but is it fair to assume that FDA approval implies that the drug actually works?

 

What I see is that when someone finds some "diet" or "medication" that results in weight loss, using it also often results in the same person develop even worse eating and exercise habits.

Winning the weight battle can be via chemical warfare or self-discipline.

I have also noted that the best results seem to come from the simple effort to
1) Stop eating after dinner
2) Walk an hour a day

 

IIRC, the requirement would be at least 95% likely to be more effective than placebo, or at least as effective as another agent currently approved for the indication.

Note, that no requirement exists for a threshold of *how much* more effective than placebo. The FDA does have a risk benefit thing going on to try and rationalize a drug's side effects but it is pretty blunt. Death is counted, and perhaps events like infarctions.

 

Here's the ultimate diet - and I will give it away for free... consume less calories than you utilize daily. Don't skip meals. If you still consume too many, increase your calories consumed by increasing your physical activity. If you run at a calorie deficit all the time - your body will convert fat into energy to use.

 

That's pretty close to my 'bank account' analogy for weight loss. If you put in more than you take out, your 'savings' will grow.

 

The calories in / calories out theory probably does apply to fat cells. But fat storage/mobilization is controlled by hormones, particularly insulin. Overweight people have an imbalance where fat storage dominates over fat mobilization. Once the fat gets into storage, it just stays there and the person has to eat more in order to provide nutrition to live on.


In order to lose weight, you have to mobilize fat. That just doesn't happen very effectively in a high insulin environment.


So to lose weight, the level of circulating insulin has got to go down.


Two ways to drive insulin down are a low carb diet and a low fat diet. Another way is exercise. They all work, although with differing side effects.


Insulin packs the fat into cells. Apparently HCG has the reverse effect. HCG mobilizes fat into the bloodstream where it can be consumed as fuel.

 

Way to go! Congratulations! :cheer2:



Figure you can average about a half pound fat lose per day. A little more weight at the start, but it comes back when you return to a normal diet. Rule of thumb is that the HCG is effective for about 6 weeks, and then you have to take a break of several months. Sounds like you're doing better than that, but don't be discouraged if it requires several 6 week sessions.


I assume you're getting injections at the doctor's office? Do you mind sharing the dosage and schedule? What brand is your HCG? The oral stuff I used has to be taken twice a day. Is there anything else in the injection besides the HCG?


Do you follow the Simeon diet, or just something low calorie? Since I try to follow a vegan diet, the Simeon set of foods wasn't an option. I may have gotten it down to 500 calories on a few days, but certainly not every day.


One find for a low calorie meal is to use shirataki yam noodles. They are sold in most Oriental markets. They're packed in water and kept refrigerated in the cooler section. A one pound package costs about $2, and is good for 1 or 2 servings (package says 5...).


Calorie count is zero.


I don't know how they are used in Oriental cooking - I just use them as a spaghetti substitute. Drain off the water through a sieve, add nonfat marinara sauce, and zap it in the microwave for a few minutes. Almost like having something to eat!

 

That's really impressive! As I mentioned before, HCG alone is generally associated with losing about a half pound a day. So the B5/B6/B12 injections must be adding to the overall effect. You may want to look into continuing the B5/B6/B12 even after you reach your goal weight. Maybe your body just needs that much.


My mother-in-law used to be a medications nurse at a hospital. According to her, the nurses would give each other B12 shots regularly because it gave them more energy. I attended a small meeting where a young lady told her story of how she came to take 700 mg (IU?) of B6 a day. For most people that would be regarded as a toxic dose. For her, it allowed her to function normally during her periods. I don't have a story about B5, but I notice that it is part of your successful weight loss program.


Your HCG must come from a compounding pharmacy. As far as I know, the regular supply of it is in vials intended for injection. Compounding pharmacies take ordinary medications, and mix them into different dosage forms such as sub lingual. Regular pharmacies basically take large bottles of pills and count them out into smaller bottles of pills. It's interesting that the sub lingual tablets don't have to be kept refrigerated like the reconstituted liquid.

 

I agree, that's an impressive weight loss. But, I see nothing to indicate it has anything to do with HCG or B vitamins. It's entirely possible the restricted diet is wholly responsible for the weight loss, and the injections have no effect. Without a more rigorously controlled experiment, there's no way to know.

 

I miss bread, too. You don't realise how prevalent some things are until you try to do without. Hopefully, if you can resist the cravings long enough, you'll develop healthier eating habits that will benefit you for your whole life. If you can gradually introduce more physical exercise into your daily routine, you'll gain muscle mass to become stronger and more resistant to injury.

The more you do, the more you're able to do.

 

I have lost 34 pounds in 8 weeks without any assistance. It's all changing my diet and getting exercise. It really is amazing what good real food can do as opposed to processed food. Good luck with what you're doing.