FAQs

1. What is HCG?
   
2. Since this is the pregnancy hormone, does it work for men as well? If so, is it safe for men to be putting pregnancy hormone into their bodies?
3. What are the positive effects of HCG?
4. What are some negative side effects sometimes experienced while HCG is present in the body?
5. What about homeopathic HCG?
6. How exactly does HCG allow you to lose weight?
7. Why the 500 calorie diet (VLCD very low calorie diet)?
8. Of course being on a 500 calorie diet will help you to lose weight. How is the HCG protocol different from any other diet out there?
9. What will I eat on this protocol? Do I have to buy your diet food?
10. Who developed this protocol? Is it safe?
11. How does this program compare to others?
    (As of November 2008)
12. Are there any conditions requiring additional concern?
13. What is the difference between HCG with an alcohol base and HCG with a mineral water base and does this affect weight loss results?

 

1. What is HCG?

HCG (Human Chorionic Gondaotropin) is a hormone naturally produced in large quantity during pregnancy.
HCG is used in infertility treatment for both men and women.

Dr. ATW Simeons found that small regular doses of hCG caused the body to release abnormal fat when used in conjunction with a specific 500 calorie daily diet. This is detailed in Dr. Simeons manuscript Pounds and Inches: A New Approach to Obesity. This low calorie diet is only comfortable and advisable with hCG. Most participants are not hungry and have plenty of energy.

2. Since this is the pregnancy hormone, does it work for men as well? If so, is it safe for men to be putting the HCG pregnancy hormone into their bodies?

Yes! The HCG protocol is safe for men and even works faster for men. No surprise there, right ladies? While women typically lose .5 lb. – 1lb. per day, men typically lose .75 lb. – 1.5 lbs per day. Again, HCG is prescribed for men with certain medical conditions, so this is not the only use of HCG with men.

3. What are the positive effects of HCG?

Besides the accelerated weight loss and body re-shaping with HCG, many of our clients report:

• better, more deep sleep
• lower cholesterol and blood pressure while on the HCG, and sometimes continuing afterwards
• less insulin or other medications required while on the protocol
• higher energy levels without a nervous or edgy feeling
• a general feeling of well-being

4. What are some negative side effects sometimes experienced while HCG is present in the body?

While on the HCG protocol a few patients report:

• • a headache for the first few days of the HCG protocol (which can be addressed with aspirin, etc.)
  • leg cramping (which can be assuaged if brought to the staffs attention)
  • slight, temporary hair thinning (the same phenomenon that occurs after child birth or any excess weight loss method)
  • very rarely, tenderness of the breasts

5. What about homeopathic HCG?

Homeopathic HCG comes in a liquid and is taken through drops sublingually (under your tongue). Our HCG is manufactured in the United States by an FDA approved homeopathic manufacturer.

6. How exactly does HCG allow you to lose weight?

The HCG allows your body to tap into your bodys abnormal fat deposits (shoulders, upper arms, hips, thighs, and buttocks). In obese clients, these deposits are not usually accessible to the body for fat consumption. This is the reason why no matter how much some people exercise and starve him/herself, they still have a big butt. The HCG present in the body allows these abnormal fat deposits to be tapped, releasing the abnormal fat into the blood stream and out of the body.

This release of fat is also why clients taking the HCG are not hungry. The HCG actually releases 1500-4000 calories per day into the bloodstream. This is the ONLY reason why it is okay to be on a 500 calorie diet. Without the HCG releasing the abnormal fat and, therefore, thousands of calories into the bloodstream, the client would be starving and be facing excess nutritional deficiency.

7. Why the 500 calorie diet?

You are on a VLCD (very low calorie diet) phase of the HCG diet you are allowed only 500 calories because while you are on the HCG hormone, your body is releasing 1500-4000 calories from abnormal fat into your bloodstream each day. So, with the 500 calories you are consuming plus the 1500-4000 calories being released into your system, you are actually getting the benefit of (500 + 1500-4000) = 2000-4500 calories each day.

8. Of course being on a 500 calorie diet will help you to lose weight. How is the HCG protocol different from any other diet out there?

Dr. Simeons, the physician who developed the HCG Weight Loss Cure Protocol, said:

“When an obese patient tries to reduce by starving himself, he will first lose his normal fat reserves. When these are exhausted he begins to burn up structural fat, and only as a last resort will the body yield its abnormal reserves, though by that time the patient usually feels so weak and hungry that the diet is abandoned. It is just for this reason that obese patients complain that when they diet they lose the wrong fat. They feel famished and tired and their face becomes drawn and haggard, but their belly, hips, thighs and upper arms show little improvement. The fat they have come to detest stays on and the fat they need to cover their bones gets less and less. Their skin wrinkles and they look old and miserable. And that is one of the most frustrating and depressing experiences a human being can have.”

To rephrase Dr. Simeons:
The HCG allows your body to tap into your bodys abnormal fat deposits (shoulders, upper arms, hips, thighs, and buttocks). In obese clients, these deposits are not usually accessible to the body until the person has gone through both his normal fat and structural fat as described above. This is the reason why no matter how much some people exercise and starve him/herself, they still have, for example, a big butt. The HCG coupled with the very low calorie diet allows these abnormal fat deposits to be tapped into, released into the blood stream and used by the body similar to how a pregnant woman who is nauseous for weeks at a time typically remains relatively healthy and and is additionally able to give birth to a healthy baby.

This release of fat/calories into the blood stream is also why clients taking the HCG are generally not hungry and generally have plenty of energy. The HCG actually releases 1500-4000 calories per day into the bloodstream. This is the ONLY reason why it is okay to be on a 500 calorie diet. Without the HCG releasing the abnormal fat and, therefore, many calories into the bloodstream, the client would look haggard, be starving, and be facing excess nutritional deficiency.

Most diets begin weight loss by depleting your structural fat (that fat which cushions your organs) and your normal fat reserves. However, they are slow to affect the abnormal fat which is stored in your abnormal fat deposits (shoulders, upper arms, hips, thighs, and buttocks), which seem to have only one efficient key to unlock them: HCG.

Besides tapping into the abnormal fat deposits, HCG also proposes to affect your hypothalamus and your base metabolism. This protocol provides a detox and gives your entire system rest from the onslaught of food and drinks by allowing only a small amount of relatively healthy items to be processed in your body and your hypothalamus. Some experts feel this detox allows your hypothalamus to clear itself of the chemical build-up that could be preventing weight loss and re-establishes the natural functioning and hormone release of the hypothalamus.

9. What will I eat on the HCG protocol? Do I have to buy your specific HCG Diet food?

You will eat fresh food that you buy from the grocery store. There is a very detailed list of the foods you can have while on the protocol in Dr. Simeons manuscript and on our HCG Information page here. There is no program food or special diet food we require you to purchase from us.

10. Who developed this protocol? Is it safe?

Dr A.T.W Simeons developed the HCG Protocol in Italy in the 1950s. He worked on the study of obesity for 40 years and on this protocol specifically for about 20 years. He helped countless patients in his clinic. Patients would spend thousands of dollars to go to his clinic in Italy for the duration of their course, receive injections each day, and be monitored by Dr. Simeons. Thanks to modern medicine, we now have a homeopathic HCG option which allows clients to administer their own HCG daily (without having to consult with a physician or illegally order their HCG over the internet).

Both we and Dr. Simeons have found the protocol to be extremely safe and effective. We have had hundreds of clients use the protocol with great weight loss and significant improvement in overall health. Keep in mind, this is the same hormone producednaturally in a pregnant womans body. It is also frequently used in infertility treatments for both women and men. Additionally, in both of these situations, the HCG present/administered is substantially higher than the amount administered for weight loss in the HCG Weight Loss Cure Protocol. Just to put it into perspective, Dr. Simeons advised each patient on the HCG protocol to administer 125 units of HCG per day for a maximum of 40 days. However, during pregnancy, a woman can produce up to1,000,000 units per day.

11. How does this HCG program compare to other weight loss programs?
(As of November 2008)

12. Are there any conditions requiring additional concern while on the HCG Diet?

If any of the following conditions apply to you, whether diagnosed by a physician or not, we particularly recommend that you review this protocol carefully with your physician to avoid complications and/or recognize concerns:

• Gallbladder Issues
• Gout
• Brittle/Unstable Diabetes
• Fibroids

Additionally, if you are on medications, such as for high blood pressure and/or diabetes, you should be monitored by your physician because some medications require adjustment during the protocol as a natural (and good) side effect of the HCG. It is important for you to understand that Pounds and Inches Away is staffed entirely by weight loss consultants who are not physicians or pharmacists.

13. What is the difference between HCG with an alcohol base and HCG with a mineral water base and does this affect weight loss results?

From our experience, both the alcohol based HCG and mineral water based HCG drops are equally effective. 

The reasons you may choose one type of HCG versus the other are:

• During a round the mineral based HCG is recommended to be refrigerated; while the alcohol based HCG is not. (Recommended, not required)
• Some people have an aversion to alcohol or avoid alcohol for various reasons, so the mineral based HCG provides an alternative.
• The mineral base has little to no taste while the alcohol has a sweeter taste and hint of alcohol which some people prefer to psychologically feel safe that the HCG isn’t “just water.”