Men are doing it, women are doing it, young, old and obsessive – people are going goo-goo for pregnancy hormones, but, instead of swelling ’em…. this time it’s working to shrink ’em down. I recently spoke to two weight-loss success stories, who claimed to have gone on this special diet, which uses HCG pregnancy hormone injections to stop hunger, and re-direct the body’s daily fuel needs to take from excess fat which is stored.

HCG stands for, “Human Chorionic Gonadotropin”. This is a hormone which is created in everyone’s body and mass-produces in pregnant women, as it assists with increasing the fat stored in the baby so that the baby can develop healthily.

Is this for real?

That’s what I said at first, but when I began to do some more research, it became evident that everybody I spoke to, having tried the diet, was not only a weight-loss success story, but they had also kept the weight off. The hormones which have to be administered by the participant each day via injection, tricks the brain into thinking that the person is in fact pregnant. Mother Nature dictates that the amount of food a mother takes in is not dependent on how much the foetus grows. If the mother under-eats, the foetus will still develop and grow at a normal rate once the mother is not malnourished for weeks on end. This happens naturally, as the nutrients and fat can come from the mother’s body rather than from the food she may or may not take in each day. The principle is the same with the diet, whereby the person reduces their caloric intake to as little as 500 calories per day, similar to that of a fast, and the rest of the energy needs are met from the fat which is stored in the body. HCG triggers the body to draw from excess fat stores to fuel daily energy needs, as if the body were feeding a foetus.

Real vs False Hunger

The result is that the person experiences no loss of energy or vitality, the weight drops off very rapidly, and the distinction between real hunger and craving food is made very clear. If your body is getting all that it needs from its stores, it is not calling for calories, and therefore you are not experiencing hunger as you had before. Your only experience of hunger is that which exists in your mind. The smell of food, may entice you to want to eat, but the feeling of hunger is not actually there. And so, those successful participants who stuck with the meagre daily 500-calorie regime that accompanies the injections, had to disconnect real hunger from false hunger. This is an exercise of mind power, and can really benefit people in the long run to manage their cravings and curb unhealthy eating patterns. They all claim to have begun to really see how food has a psychological fix and a very strong effect on their behavioural eating patterns.

Water

Despite the daily 4 litres of water that are required of the participants, the feelings of hunger were described as not as strong as the thoughts of food. Water is the thing that cleanses a person’s body on many different levels. It cleanses the palate, the organs, kidneys, and the mind. Being clean on the inside provides a different experience of thinking, much like what the Buddhists believe. I compare this process of distinguishing “craveness” from hunger, to a spiritual practice. Just like a meditation, it takes one’s last shred of self-control to fight off those urges to want to taste and enjoy food in the palate. Step away from the saliva! Focus, focus, focus.

Results

Up to 14 pounds of weight has been lost in as little as 2 1/2 weeks, others claim even more drastic weight loss results. One thing that is for sure is that it teaches you to eat properly, it teaches restrictions and trains you how to eat within a framework of lean, small and healthy proportions. You realise that all the excess food that you were eating previously was unnecessary. By eating along the lines of this diet, you will have a good path laid out for you to experience a healthier, slimmer you.

After the diet

Everyone knows that the flipside of “fast” is “fat”, SO how you go about re-introducing food into your life after hormones? This is now the tricky part. After three or four full weeks of nothing to eat, you need to be ready to decide to call it quits and begin a new relationship with food, if you want to go forward with your new bod.

Common side efffects

As with anything that you do with your body, it is always important to be aware of the possible side effects. It can also be said that side effects can be had by almost anything, whether it be good or bad, it is always a subjective argument.

Nausea, fatigue, hair loss, acne, and sudden mood swings are side effects which have been found in persons who have followed the HCG diet. Some people have also claimed to notice a rash show up shortly after starting their HCG injection treatment.

Side Effects for Females

You’re more likely to get pregnant while using HCG injections than while you’re not using them. Your ovaries are also capable of creating multiple ova, even though they normally only create a single ova. Once this happens, it’s more likely to have an ectopic pregnancy or a multiple birth.

Side Effects for Males

The most common side effects for men who use HCG injections for weight loss would be an enlarged prostate and enlarged outlining of the breasts. These things are likely to occur due to the oestrogen levels which occur from HCG being in the body.

Make sure you are informed about exactly how HCG injections for weight loss (and the diet) works, and if it’s really right for you before you use it. This may be the answer to being overweight or obese, but it’s not for everyone.

As well, even though many people have claimed to have successful results from this treatment, it’s important to understand that there’s not much evidence to back up that it really works and doesn’t have any possible long-term side effects.

Do not take this as a cop-out!

HCG should not be used to compensate for unhealthy bingeing or yo-yo weight gains in the extreme. It is not a replacement to exercise and healthy weight management – in the least. I believe that it should be taken as an extreme remedy for persons who are obese or who have serious health issues that require a drastic weight loss quickly. IT IS a method. What I do advocate about it is that it can be a source to lay out a healthier eating pattern for yourself, to teach you to make better food choices and to train yourself, your mind and your palate to be a better eater – for life!