The 411 on the HCG Diet

When it comes to trying to eat healthy and stay in shape, it can be a very hard process because people are always facing a shortage of time. It is not easy to find time each day to prepare meals as well as to hit the gym for one or two hours to help you lose weight and to maintain the type of shape for your body that you wish for. To that end, the diet and fitness markets have exploded over the last decade. Unfortunately, many of the lose weight quick or crash diet programs don’t always work and in some cases they end up doing more damage than they do good. You have to be very careful before putting anything into your body so you understand what it is you are using and what are the potential side effects that you may face that could potentially have long term impacts.


One of the more popular programs for helping people to lose weight is the HCG Diet. Produced during pregnancy, HCG, also known as Human Chorionic Gonadotropin is a hormone. It seems counterintuitive to think that something that is produced during pregnancy, at a time when you are gaining weight can actually help you to drop pounds. A doctor found in the 1950’s that HCG in very small amounts helped to reduce the hunger and appetites of people that were overweight. The most common areas where people were able to shed pounds were in the thighs, stomach and by the hips.

How it Works

Taking HCG reduces the temptation to eat beyond what is needed and the body then uses the stored fat to feed itself. Combine this with a food plan that restricts the amount of calories you eat each day and you are now living more off of the stored fat than the daily food you are consuming. When we talk about a restrictive diet, it means around only 500 calories. That can be quite a shocking number for those of us that have grown up used to consuming 1,500 to 2,000 calories or more per day. In reality though, the HCG Diet will make you feel that 500 calories is even too much and you are full. This reduced calorie amount is not to be used on its own, only with the HCG Diet. If you do not, you run the risk of headaches, insomnia, severe fatigue or possibly even worse symptoms.

How Much Weight Will You Lose?

If you follow the diet and the recommendations, people typically see a loss of one or two pounds per day. While on the diet, it is okay to do a light exercise program but you want to avoid doing any type of heavy exercise routines. An example of a light exercise would be a fast walk around the block as compared to a heavy exercise of running on a treadmill at a medium to fast setting.

How is HCG Taken?

HCG is taken in oral form three times a day underneath the tongue. There are two different types of programs you can follow, either two 26-day programs (if you want to lose under 20 pounds) or one 40 day program (if you want to lose more than 20 pounds). It is very important to read through all of the materials and directions when you pick up your first supply and that you continue to maintain a healthy lifestyle if you stop the HCG Diet for any reason in order to help keep whatever weight loss progress you have made.