Help me work through my hCG diet questions

[blessedwithboys]

So basically the issues are:

it works great!/it doesn't work at all

and

is it safe?/is it dangerous?

WRT it working, if it works...awesome! If it fails...oh, well, I wasted some money and I'm still fat.

But the safety issues are nagging me still. I guess the main danger, if there truly is one, of taking hCG, is Ovarian Hyperstimulation Syndrom.

From what I am reading, OHSS is usually mild and self-limiting. Being under 35 can up the risks, but it seems that one would also need to have an existing hormone imbalance, like PCOS, for age to make a difference.

Also, I wonder if the dose given for the diet is so much lower than the dose given for fertility treatments that OHSS isn't really a true risk at all. Thoughts? Links?

Those are my main concerns, but I also need to know if the hCG was obtained by consenting women, or if it is taken from pregnant women who just peed in a cup for their OB and had no idea it was being used for this purpose.

I've read over some of the other threads, and I'm pretty sure I'm going to try it at a local clinic, staffed by MDs. When I was pg with ds2, I had hyperemesis and ate all manner of unhealthy foods, figuring I would just be chucking it soon anyway. I'm talking a burger, fries, and shake from McD's every other day or so. At 2 days pp, I weighed 30# less than I did at conception. If that's what hCG can do, I am pretty sure I can get this 100# off within a year.

[binxsmom]

i can't answer all of your questions but i can share my own experience and research.

i started taking hcg homeopathic drops 11 days ago and i have lost 13 lbs. my naturopathic doctor suggested the drops. he uses a specific and highly reputable company. while i have great trust in my natruopath, i did my own research. from what i read, i decided to give it a shot.

i have a friend who lost 30 lbs in 40 days. she went through the maintenance portions of the program and has had no problem returning to her former diet and has not gained the weight back. i must say, her former diet was very healthy (whole foods, no processed foods, no sugar, etc) but she simply had difficulty in loosing weight.

if you google around, you will find that it works for nearly everyone. i read TONS of information and i can only recall finding one person that had difficulty with the program and she was just too hungry and couldn't stick to the protocol.

there are tons of naysayers around and a good deal are on this board. i can only state my own experiences and they have been super positive. i'm excited about the program and feel awesome. for me, the hcg has really been beneficial.

good luck to you in your quest to become healthier!

[blessedwithboys]

I wasn't planning on trying homeopathic drops, but I am open to learning more about them.

Here's what I don't understand...in classical homeopathy, the remedy is intended to match the symptoms. hCG is a pregnancy hormone, but I am not pregnant. hCG stimulates release of excess fat, but I am not currently already doing so, and if I was, I sure wouldn't want to take a remedy that would make it stop.

I can't help but feel that "homeopathic" hCG is scammy. I am not one who thinks the whole weight loss method in general is scammy, I really do think it can work. But at this point, I would need way more info on the drops to even consider them.

[kerpav]

I too cannot answer all of your questions, but my personal experience thusfar has been positive. I decided to do the homeopathic Hcg because it was less expensive and I had read positive experiences from the mamas on the thread. It also just seemed less drastic to me somehow (I guess the needle thing?) But I did have apprehensions about it and was generally a skeptic--but I figured I would give it a whirl and if it really failed miserably I wouldn't be out too much $$.

During the first 3 days of VLCD (phase 2) I truly began to doubt. I was hungry, empty feeling, and at times lightheaded, especially on day 2. But by day 4 that had really disappeared, and I am now VERY sure that the Hcg levels in my system just kicked into gear. When I was a clueless teenager, many years ago, I decided to do my own 500-800 calorie crash diet, and believe me, I remember what it felt like physically. This is NOT the same. I am satisfied with meals and feel no hunger unless I forget to eat or don't get around to lunch/dinner until very late. Of course I miss eating many things that I love and occasionally crave something sweet, etc. But in general it has been manageable.

As far as safety and danger issues: the main argument against this diet is its very low calorie regimen in phase 2. Many do not believe that just because one is taking Hcg, that means their bodies are not in 'starvation mode' during this phase. Based on my personal experience, I disagree with that. As I said before, I have done a super low cal diet in the distant past and know what it feels like, and this is just not the same.

I had never heard of Ovarian Hyperstimulation Syndrome, but from what I recently read it seems that the amounts of hcg in the system would not cause anything like that...certainly not with those who go the homeopathic
route.

[MamaChicken]

I did the injections. My goal was to go from 155 to 140. I lost 2 pounds during my loading days and the rest of it in two weeks. I maintained that weight for one more week of shots and now through three weeks of P3.

There are lots of programs based on Simeon's protocol. Some are more true to his intent than others, and the only stories of failure I've personally heard do not follow the original protocol exactly.

[blessedwithboys]

I have decided that if I go for it, I defintitely won't try any kind of drops or anything OTC. I am going to go through a doctor for Rx hCG injections.

It's still on my mind how the hCG is obtained. Do the donors actually know they are donating? And are there any diseases that can be passed on through the urine? Or is that not a concern because of processing...

[Maiasaura]

Hi, well, I'm new to this also. I just did 30 days of VLCD plus 2 days of Loading. I do the homeopathics based on the experience of some of the mamas on this board.
I have had a wonderful experience so far! I lost 21.6lbs in 30 days and it was pretty easy, really, so far. I did experience some hunger in the first day or two but it completely went away. My cravings have pretty much gone away. I am a hardcore sugar addict and honestly? If you offered me chocolate or ice cream right now (my "crack" ), I'd say forget it.

I am sorry I can't help with your questions. If you are doing the protocol through an MD, s/he might be able to answer your question as to where the hcg is obtained.

I don't think it's unhealthy. I, too, wonder how and why it works, but the fact of the matter is, I'm not starving myself. I have asked friends and they all say I look vibrant and healthy, not gaunt and starving. I have the same energy as I did before. I am not languishing around. I'm happy!

I did LOTS and lots and lots of reading, on this board, on the Skinny Me forums, the original P&I by Dr. Simeons...lots of reading, before I plunged in.

HTH!

[blessedwithboys]

I just spoke with the local medical clinic and they deviate from the Simeons protocol.

Shots are only M-F and the VLCD is 825 cal/day. They are willing to sell 6 or 7 injections per week, but very strongly recommend against 500 cal/day. They say weight loss should be in the range of 2-3 lbs/wk (But later in the call I spoke with a nurse who said 3-5???)

I am fat and I can barely breathe and I need to lose weight fast or I am afraid I just won't wake up one morning. We eat very healthy; TF as much as possible. But I have fibromyalgia and if I force myself to work out, after about a week or so I find myself unable to get out of bed. Not good when I have 2 kids to get off to school each day!

Three or 4 years ago I lost 65 lbs in about 9 months by avoiding bad carbs and exercising. Then I got the flu and had a bad fibro-flare and had to stop working out. Within a year I had gained it all back, plus more.

I feel like if I don't do something soon, I could die. Never mind self-esteem.

Do I spend $130 for an exam plus $50/wk to do a modified Simeons hCG diet, do I buy their hCG and just eat 500 cal/day, or do I keep looking for a clinic that sticks to Simeons? I need a weekly appt for accountability. Can't do this on my own again.

Blech. Thanks for reading.