Diets & Weight Maintenance Support Group

I'd be very leary of this if you are of child bearing age. May interfere with your birth control. Also the studies have not been done on the possibility of cancer. Also will definably interfere with blood work to diagnse cancer as it is a cancer maker (a substance produced by tumors) Also produced during pregnancy. BE VERY CAREFUL!

Why one would take something that may have results that are the same as a proper diet and regular exercise, I cannot fathom.
You mentioned getting bottles on the net; you do know that this diet talks about injections, and not oral hcg, rigt?
And along with the injections, you will be on a 500calorie daily diet?
Have you consulted your dr for the OK to start this plan?
Do you know how to properly inject for this diet?

Read below, but I have to say that if you eat a healthy diet, consuming 500calories less than your daily needs, and exercise daily, you will lose weight.
Do it the healthy way.


Info on HCG:
HCG is an acronym for the hormone Human Chorio Gonadotropin, which is found in both men and women, though pregnant women have the highest levels of HCG in their bodies. HCG injections or supplements are typically given to women who need help ovulating and to men who want to increase their sperm count. A daily HCG injection is also one component of the controversial HCG diet plan.

The HCG hormone can be made synthetically or extracted from a pregnant woman's urine and then processed for use by other humans. The HCG diet shots are said to benefit both men and women similarly, though experts don't recommend that women get the injections if they are already pregnant or nursing, and thus already have elevated HCG levels.
Advocates of the HCG diet believe that, by adhering to the diet plan and taking daily injections of HCG, participants can successfully reach their targeted weight. They say that dieters following the HCG diet should expect to lose somewhere between a half pound and 3 pounds (.23 to 1.36 kilograms) each day on the low-calorie, high-fiber plan [source: HCG Diet Info]. The diet has its fair share of believers. After all, any eating plan that consists of a mere 500 calories will most likely result in weight loss. But, at the same time, some people have found that the injections made no difference [source: Sylvester]. And the drug lacks substantial research, so exposing your body to such a restrictive diet may not be in your best interests.

To know if the HCG diet is right for you, be sure to read about the specifics of the plan and the possible dangers. Check out the next page for information on the day-to-day dieting plan.
Shifting into the HCG diet is likely to be quite a lifestyle change. Participants are required to cut their caloric intake to roughly 500 calories and take a daily injection of HCG hormones. More water, vegetables and fiber in the daily meal plan is said to accelerate the weight loss [source: HCG Weight Loss]. There is no established exercise regimen, and the duration of the diet is up to the individual, as the plan dictates that the rules be followed until the target goal is reached.

The original HCG diet plan is quite restrictive and particular. For breakfast, you can have only tea or coffee without sugar. The diet puts a one-tablespoon limit on how much milk you can consume each day, so if you require milk with your coffee and tea, you'll want to keep this in mind. For lunch and dinner, you can cook 100 grams (.22 pounds) of lean meat or seafood and pair it with one vegetable from this list of 13: asparagus, beet greens, cabbage, celery, chard, chicory, cucumbers, fennel, green salad, onions, red radishes, spinach and tomatoes. For lunch and dinner, you can eat one toast cracker and an orange, apple, half a grapefruit or strawberries [source: Goldsmith].

Advocates of the HCG Diet say that combining the extremely low-calorie diet with the HCG hormone injections will lead to immediate weight loss without the common side effects of many restrictive diets, such as hunger pains, headaches and nausea. They believe that because the HCG injections burn fat, the hormone provides the body with necessary energy while reducing hunger and keeping the body out of starvation mode [source: Derma Health Institute].

Read the next page to explore the other component of this diet, the HGC hormone injections.

The HCG diet's success rests on its namesake -- the HCG hormone. Before starting, it's in your best interest to understand how the hormone is administered and what it does. Administration is usually through two methods -- either an oral supplement or a liquid injection. An injection for weight loss contains somewhere between 125 IU and 200 IU [source: HCG Weight Loss]. The best places for HCG injections are just beneath the skin or straight into a muscle. For your safety and comfort, you may want to ask your doctor to demonstrate the correct injection technique before trying it on yourself [source: Drugs].

You also need to understand what the hypothalamus is. This gland is responsible for regulating your body's fat storage and metabolism. The HCG shots are said to command your hypothalamus to release fat from storage, which triggers your body to combine that fat and your 500 calories as energy. Then the shots should help your body get rid of excess fat by burning it daily [source: HCG Diet Info].

After dedicating yourself to the daily 500-calorie diet and the HCG injections, advocates say you'll have better eating habits for the rest of your life. Once you've achieved your target weight, it's a good idea to leave the drastic diet but maintain a sustainable, healthy lifestyle [source: HCG Diet Info]. After all, you can't count on your body to maintain your goal weight if you immediately fall back into your old eating habits.

Click to the next page to find out what dangers exist if you decide to go on the HCG diet.

Don't Try to Dodge the HCG Shots
The diet plan that is recommended for those who are entering the HCG diet is quite strict. It limits you to 500 calories per day, which is far below the recommended daily value. Proponents of the HCG diet suggest that this kind of low-calorie diet is not safe unless combined with the HCG injections. Don't attempt a 500-calorie diet plan without the injections and certainly not without talking to your doctor first [source: Brennan].

The FDA has approved HCG injections for use in fertility issues, but not in dieting. There haven't been enough comprehensive studies to test and ensure its capabilities. While advocates claim that lower doses of the hormone are used for dieting, the scientific and medical communities still lack substantial evidence that the HCG shots are safe over an extended period of time [source: Goldsmith].

There are a few dangers that come with injecting HCG into your body. First of all, you want to make sure the medication hasn't gone bad, either by changing color or accumulating particles. As with any injected medication, the potential for blood clots exists. Some women who have injected HCG have experienced a serious condition called ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS). OHSS can be deadly, so you should take note of symptoms like pelvic pain and stomach, arm or leg swelling. Other less serious side effects might be headaches and depression. Young boys taking HCG might experience premature puberty [source: Drugs]. Pregnant or nursing women could cause harm to their babies if the hormone is passed on [source: HCG Diet Info].

And although advocates claim that HCG keeps the body functioning properly, a diet of 500 calories is below virtually any healthy amount recommended by most doctors. Weight loss is almost guaranteed when you're eating so much less than the recommended daily allowance, but you may risk your health. And although the HCG is supposed to help with side effects, in one study the HCG injections showed no different feelings or results than a placebo injection [source: Sylvester].

The HCG diet has the potential for incredible results, but not without the risk of significant side effects. As with any diet, you should always talk to your doctor before implementing any significant change. To learn more, visit the links on the following page.

The link for the source of the above:
http://health.howstuffworks.com/he...

I have been on the HCG diet since Sept. 23. I have lost 26 pounds as of this morning, and I feel absolutely fantastic.
I take an injection in the morning and adhere to a strict intake of 500 calories a day. My HCG diet is administered and overseen by my Dr.
As far as I am concerned this program works wonders.

I had a friend that did the injections. It did not work for her yet I don't think she could ever stick to 500 calories a day. Every time I seen her she was eating desert. She had a huge sweet tooth.

What happens when you reach your goal weight and want to go back to normal eating? Just be CAREFUL

Good luck! Just be careful becasue it sounds like a diet that you will lose the weight on, but its not a lifestyle change, so you will probably gaine it all back...