HCG Diet

Human Chorionic Gonadotropin, or hCG, is a hormone that is present in both men and women, but is produced in much greater amounts during pregnancy. In those who are not pregnant, increased amounts of hCG can increase metabolism, leading to significant weight loss in a short perood of time.

The hCG diet was introduced in 1954 by Dr. Simeons following years of research with his patients who were suffering from obesity. He discovered that when hCG injections were paired with a very low calorie diet (VLCD), patients lost weight directly from fat, and not muscle. He also discovered that patients did not experience as many symptoms as would normally be associated with a VLCD, including hunger pains, headaches, irritability and weakness.

The hCG diet works by causing a person’s stored body fat to release through the kidneys. When injections are combined with a diet of around 500 calories a day, the person ends up using more stored fat then the fat they are eating, causing them to lose between one and two pounds daily. The goal of the hCG diet is to change the person’s long term relationship with food, resulting in long term weight loss.

Obesity is a medical condition, and therefore, the hCG diet should be closely monitored by a licensed physician. The ultimate success of this diet is closely linked to the following of specific medical protocol, and the chances that it will work significantly decrease when it is not supervised by a physician.

Only a licensed physician can establish who is good candidate for the hCG diet, and prevent or manage possible side effects that may occur. A full medical evaluation is needed, to see if there are any undiagnosed issues that may affect the outcome of this diet.