The Truth about the HCG Diet

It’s finally time to address the HCG diet. This plan calls for injecting yourself with human chorionic gonadotropin or HCG while on a 500 calorie diet. Some companies offer pills or drops to take under your tongue instead of the shots.

There are so many things wrong with this plan; and on Tuesday, the Food and Drug Administration agreed. The FDA and Federal Trade Commission went after a bunch of companies that sell homeopathic HCG to help people lose weight. In the eyes of the FDA and FTC, the way these companies market their products makes them "unnapproved new drugs." It also makes their actions "illegal."

For those of you unfamiliar with HCG, it’s hormone made by the placenta during pregnancy. That’s right pregnancy. The companies that sell HCG for weight loss claim this pregnancy hormone allows you to eat 500 calories a day while not feeling hungry. And eventually, this diet and the drug are supposed to reset your metabolism.

The idea is actually more than 50 years old. It first hit the scene in 1950 when endocrinologist Dr. Simeons created a diet protocol to be used in conjunction with HCG injections. His plan was very specific and had a defined set of rules. Most diet companies adapted this same restrictive diet for their clients to obtain the desired results. In general all of these plans contain a high percentage of protein, low percentage of carbohydrates that only come from fruits and vegetables, and very little—almost no—fat. 

Several people say (and continue to claim) this plan was/is the answer to their prayers, assisting them to drop dozens of pounds. But, come on! It’s 500 calories a day. 

Even a fairly small woman with a light activity type lifestyle has the potential to burn 1500 calories a day, giving her a 1000 calorie deficit. You are definitely going to lose weight. The first few weeks are going to be dramatic as you drop water weight in addition to fat, simply from the reduction of carbs. 

The plan also claims the first three days are tough, but by the fourth day you feel better and have more energy. This is the same principal used in the Atkins diet and other ketogenic based plans. After about 72 hours, most people have used up their glycogen stores for fuel (stored form of carbohydrate energy).  Your body then switches to using ketones for fuel. The transition can leave you with headaches, feeing tired, nauseous and even jittery. But if you make it through those first three days you are fine.

And what about when your weight loss stalls? The HCG diet has you do a "refeed." While Dr. Simeons never called it that, essentially he is having you ramp up certain hormones that are low because of the restrictive diet. He does this by requiring you eat up to six apples over a 24 hour period and just consume water. Like most refeeds, weight loss picks up a day later when you resume the diet. You are also required to take diet “breaks” every 26-40 days before beginning the next round. There is plenty of research to show a diet break is good for your body, both physiologically and psychologically.

So, a 500 calorie high protein, low carb, very low-fat diet with built-in diet refeeds and diet breaks will definitely help you lose weight at a dramatic pace. It has nothing to do with taking HCG. The reason you don’t feel hungry is because your body is using ketones for fuel. If you were very overweight to begin with, this can have a profound effect on your appetite. Over time you eat less, your stomach shrinks and you are satisfied with less. On top of all that, there is the "high" that comes with losing weight almost every single day. You are more motivated to stick to a plan when it’s working. 

Now if the companies called for eating 2000 calories a day of whatever you want while taking HCG and you still lost a pound a day, then there would be something to talk about. There is nothing miraculous about HCG; it’s the diet that does the work. And like any diet, if you stick to it long enough you are going to become a success story. For your sanity, and long term health, find a plan that allows for more food and flexibility.