HCG Diet - Mullica Hill Medical, NJ

HCG diet is an extreme diet that involves human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) injections. HCG is the hormone women make when they are pregnant. Previously, the HCG Diet was defined as a 500-calorie diet paired with daily injections of HCG. This diet is associated with dramatic weight loss, up to a pound daily. But the problem, up until now, was that no doctor could explain how it worked, and critics claimed the caloric restrictions are responsible for the weight loss and not the HCG hormone.

Critics of the diet have also maintained that the weight loss can’t be kept off. The HCG Diet has also had some odd rules. For example, it required the consumption of only one vegetable per meal, prohibited the use of oil, body lotions, and hygiene products, and limited the use of the HCG hormone to odd cycles of 20 and 40 days. The Diet also did not allow severe exercise.

How does HCG work for weight loss?

This is a question we hear daily and often at our practice. So, this is the crash course for HCG and weight loss. HCG stands for Human Chorionic Gonadotropin; it is a naturally-occurring hormone that develops in the placenta of women when they are pregnant. After about 3 weeks of pregnancy, a woman’s placenta will supply up to 1 million units of HCG in order to send the message to the brain and the body that there is a pregnancy and a developing fetus; this is crucial because if a woman is not reaching adequate caloric intake for the day, that can be dangerous to the fetus. Therefore, the brain sends another message to the body to unlock and release stored abnormal fat and dump 2,000-3,000 k/cal of fat calories into the bloodstream to nourish the fetus.

When we give HCG injections or sublingually to the body, it sends a similar message, in a much more subtle way (a whisper rather than a scream) it will still cause weight loss in the same way as above; the brain does not know there is not a pregnancy, it is still getting that HCG hormonal message. Therefore, on a low-calorie diet and the HCG injections daily, we see very rapid weight loss, which is safe and effective. When used in this fashion, it is believed that the HCG resets the hypothalamus by sending signals to begin breaking down and using abnormally high body fat as a primary fuel source. These signals are believed to be sent when the body is experiencing a reduced and low-calorie diet. It is also believed to help maintain lean body mass (muscle), which in turn prevents basal metabolic rate is maintained. Other low-calorie diets reduce significant lean, dry mass, which in turn leads to a long-term inability to burn the energy stores a.k.a “fat”. Without using HCG to assist you during a low-calorie diet, your body will begin to deplete muscle, which over the long term, will lower your resting metabolic rate. What that means is if you lose muscle, you also lose metabolism. So, for each pound of muscle your body loses, you lose about 50 calories in your daily basal metabolism. This could actually cause you to gain weight over time, and without muscle, you look “saggy” in your skin.

The HCG diet was developed by Dr. Simeon in Rome, Italy, in the mid-1950s. He postulated that we have three types of fat:-

One is structural fat, such as the fatty cushions in the soles of our feet. One is normal fat that acts as a reserve of energy stores. Finally, one is abnormal fat, such as the large fat deposits in the pot bellies, the saddlebags, the love handles, and the hips. The latter is the large fat reserves that make us look “fat”. This abnormal fat is responsible for most obesity-related medical problems such as hypertension, coronary artery disease ( which causes heart attacks), hyperlipidemia, dysmetabolic syndrome, diabetes, fatty liver disease, and atherosclerosis of arteries causing clogging and blockages.

* Results are not guaranteed and individual results may vary. Reach out to us now for your consultation appointment.

Benefits of HCG Diet

• The HCG formula, combined with a very low-calorie diet, tricks and resets your hypothalamus hormones to help liberate from 2000 to 4000 calories per day from the abnormal fat stores in your body.
   
• The HCG diet targets the abnormal fat – the fat that you can not lose with diet and exercise alone, and it will help your skin retract as you lose the fat.
   
• The HCG diet will make your body undergo some amazing transformations by losing FAT weight and NOT MUSCLE. Your body contour will actually change, decreasing its circumference and reprogramming itself to make adjustments to its metabolic process.
   
• After you stop taking the HCG, you will find that your appetite has also changed. The new eating behavior will become part of your new lifestyle.
   
• To maintain the weight results you have achieved, you will want to implement healthy living and a regular exercise routine to keep those pounds off.
   
• Another benefit to shedding the extra pounds, besides the overall health of a person, is believed that it helps normalize cholesterol levels, the thyroid gland, and balance hormones while rebuilding the adrenal glands (by reducing the stress of excess fat on the body).
   
• Benefits of HCG over other diet plans:
  • Testosterone levels are slightly elevated and metabolism is increased
  • A redistribution of fat is realized and one notices a decrease in flabby fatty areas
  • There is no starvation from lack of calories because the body is naturally fulfilled
  • Fat burning without compromising muscle is produced
  • An increased libido in both men and women has been reported

How are we different when it comes to weight loss?

We take a full body approach to weight loss and at your consultation with the doctor, a comprehensive history will be taken, at which point it may be decided to help further your weight loss journey by additional supplementation to further optimize that aid in weight loss. Along with the Medical Doctors, who are highly involved and motivated towards your success, we have a certified Holistic Nutritionist and a group of professionals on staff who are dedicated to the weight loss practice to answer your questions and help you in your journey.

Phases of HCG Diet

There are 3 phases of the HCG diet plan. They are known as the Loading/Binge Phase, the Maintenance (low calorie) phase, and the Stabilization Phase.

• Loading Phase: This consists of 2 days in which regular caloric foods are consumed, as you would on any other given day. This is crucial and you must eat food as you regularly would, as these couple of days will not affect your fat reserve but will prepare the body to combat the low-calorie diet days while the HCG levels are building up. You can eat regular meals, including fried chicken, pork, pizza, burgers, cookies, chocolate, pasta and potatoes, or anything else you normally would eat.
   
• Maintenance Phase: This is days 3- 40 this is when the 500-calorie diet comes into play. For about 3 weeks, your body will get in the very low-calorie diet along with the combination of the HCG. With this brilliant combination, your body will target its own abnormal fat banks that are usually located in various parts of the body such as the chin, thighs, flabby arms, buttocks, hips and lower abdomen, in and around the deeper organs, the arteries etc. HCG burns the abnormal fat bank and releases the energy into your bloodstream, burning from 1500-4000 calories. So, this additional bulk energy, coupled with the 500 calories, helps reset your metabolism and melts the excessive fat from the body. Please note: a minimum of 21 days is a must in this phase, even if you only have a few pounds to lose. This phase can be as short as 21 days or as long as 80 days. You will not consume sugar, starch, or fried food items in this phase.
   
• The Stabilization Phase: This is the final phase, where you will have completed the HCG and will transition from the very low-calorie diet and to a controlled diet with moderate calorie restriction. You will still completely avoid sugar and starches to keep the weight stable. This phase prevents reaccumulation of the fat reserves while allowing disciplined eating behavior and healthy lifestyle to be set into a daily regimen. This helps in combating weight gain over the long term. We offer various programs to help our patients thru this process. It has been shown again and again that if the modest calorie restriction is not maintained for at least 6-9 months after the completion of the HCG Diet plan, the weight gain is quite likely as the fat cells you emptied out during earlier phases, will fill up with any extra calories (converted to fat). This period is crucial as the unwanted fat cells will be naturally removed by the body’s maintenance mechanisms to solidify long-term weight loss.