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I am on my second round of the "homeopathic" version of the diet. I lost 22 lbs in 22 days, took a short break, and went on to lose 16 more lbs. Since I need to lose quite a bit more, I am on a second round.
The hCG does not abate hunger. It mobilizes stored fat.* This fat retains nutrients, so when it is mobilized it floods your blood stream with calories. You are only taking in 500 cal/day, but your body has closer to 2,000 cal available to use for energy. It's important to note that this very low calorie diet is all fresh whole foods and is only continued for a short period of time. After no more than 40 days, you increase your caloric intake (still fresh whole foods) in steps until you either are ready to eat normally for life or you go on to another round if more weight still needs to be reduced.
The diet was created by a doctor in the 1940s (if I'm not mistaken). It's not a fad. I can understand why folks would not want to believe that the homeopathically-prepared version works as well as Rx injections, but that's what I'm using and it works for me.
Since doing the 1st round, I have lost my cravings for simple carbs and other unhealthy foods and I feel full after just a small bit of food...a normal amount. I tried to eat a large-sized BK meal the other day and couldn't finish it, whereas in the past I would have eaten it and still been hungry for more.
*Quick history: I gained about 80 or so lbs with my 1st pg. I had normal morning sickness and then quit working early in the 3rd tri, so I basically sat around and ate junk and got fat. With ds2, I had hyperemesis. I lost 10 lbs right away and never put on another lb until I hit about 40 wks. From 40 wks to 42 wks I gained 10 lbs, so that put me back to where I was when I conceived. I gained another 10 in the next 3 days til ds was born, but it was all water. I had pitting edema, so gross. When ds2 was 3 days old, I got on the scale and was already more than 10 lbs under my conception weight. So basically, my body had been burning fat all through the pg. I couldn't keep down a single bite of food for the entire pg, but I gave birth to a big fat roly poly 9 lb-er. After reading about the hCG diet, I remembered reading that hyperemesis was usually caused by super high levels of hCG. So I guess I was mobilizing stored fat all through my pg, which allowed to baby to get all the nutrition he needed.
I was morbidly obese when I got pg with ds. hCG in a weight loss application does not cause people of healthy size to lose weight. It only causes fat burning, not muscle burning, so if you are not fat and try the diet, you won't lose weight.. Perhaps a mama who is still hungry while pg is hungry bc she is of normal size and therefore the natural hCG has no fat to mobilize which would provide calories, which in turn would curb hunger.
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