An HCG diet is a multi-phase plan that involves a short period of food loading followed by very-low-calorie intake and a stabilization period. Throughout each phase, administration of the hormone HCG is intended to redistribute fat and quell hunger pangs and other symptoms associated with low calorie intake. Due to the possible health risks associated with prescription HCG and a very low calorie diet, talk to your doctor before starting an HCG regimen.
About the HCG Diet
According to the 1971 book, "Pounds and Inches," Dr. A.T.W. Simeons was in India treating obese teens. He found that coupled with a very low calorie diet, human chorionic gonadotrophin, or HCG, a hormone produced in the placenta, affects metabolism, may redistribute fat and ease hunger and fatigue. By the mid-1970s, studies showed that this was not a safe or effective method of weight loss. However, HCG was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of infertility, and doctors are permitted to prescribe it off label.
Phases
According to HCG Diet Info, which published Simeons' original diet protocol, the first phase of an HCG diet, which lasts less than a week, is fat loading. Dieters are encouraged to essentially gorge on fatty foods in preparation of the next phase. Phase 2 severely limits calorie intake -- 500 to 550 calories. Restricted foods include anything with sugar and starch. Meat must be lean, with excess fat trimmed prior to broiling or grilling. Phase 2 can last anywhere from three to seven weeks. During phase 3, you gradually increase your calorie intake to between 800 to 1,500 calories. The only foods forbidden in phase 3 are those with sugar and starch.
HCG Hormone
There are two ways to do an HCG diet. You can buy homeopathic HCG over the counter at health food stores and follow diet protocols from a book or website. You can also participate in a medically supervised plan using prescription HCG. The hormone prescribed for dieters is the same used for treating infertility. Homeopathic HCG is not regulated by the FDA, but an investigation of formulas that advertise weight loss capabilities were deemed fraudulent, according to a Jan. 23, 2011 USAToday.com article.
Risks
An HCG diet can be dangerous. Consuming 550 calories is less than half of what the National Institutes of Health indicates the body needs for normal functioning. The FDA has received at least one report that a person on an HCG diet had a pulmonary embolism, according to a March 7, 2011 article published in "The New York Times." HCG increases your risk for blood clots, headaches, depression and tenderness or enlargement of the breasts in men and women. "The New York Times" article mentioned one doctor who will only enroll individuals in an HCG regimen once they have an EKG and demonstrate no history of a heart condition.
References
- "The New York Times"; Diet Plan With Hormone Has Fans and Skeptics; March 7, 2011
- U.S. News Health: HCG Diet Dangers: Is Fast Weight Loss Worth the Risk? March 2011
- HCG Diet Info: The Original HCG Diet by A.T.W. Simeons
- MedlinePlus: Tips for Losing Weight
- USAToday.com: HCG Weight Loss Products are Fraudulent, FDA Says; Jan. 23, 2011
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