Is it Dangerous?

I've done my homework on this and you can rest assured, it is NOT dangerous.  HCG is a hormone that women produce when they become pregnant.  It is widely used to treat infertility.  However, the FDA does not approve the use of HCG for weight loss.  This does not mean that it is against the law to use it for that purpose, but it does mean that it is harder to obtain HCG for the purpose of weight loss.  Many companies have gotten around that obstacle by producing Homeopathic HCG.  A prescription is required to purchase HCG in the US, so the only way to legally obtain HCG without a prescription is to buy it from overseas.  Homeopathc HCG (hHCG), however, can be purchased in the US without a prescription.

So, what are the alternatives for an obese person today?  Eat less and exercise.  I've done that with less than impressive results and I am not alone.  Other alternatives?  Prescription medications that have been approved by the FDA but later were found to be detrimental to one's health.  Um, no thanks.  Last, but not least, gastric bypass.  Hmm, should we bother asking what the dangers of gastric bypass are?  First of all, there are always risks involved with surgery including severe bleeding, infections, and possible death.  Some other health dangers of bypass include vomiting, dumping syndrome, nutritional deficiency, gastritis, formation of gall stones, loose skin and even weight regain in the period of 3-5 years following the surgery.  I know several people who have gone through this surgery, and I'm sure some believe it was right for them, but I can assure you that gastric bypass is not for me.

Here is my summary of the HCG Protocol.  Dr. Simeon, the author of Pounds and Inches, claims that the use of HCG in combination with a very low calorie diet (VLCD) rids an obese person of the stored fat that is otherwise so difficult to eliminate.  It also tricks the body into thinking it is taking in more calories than it actually is.  HCG in combination with the VLCD is prescribed for a set period of time (21-41 days).  This combination can result in weight loss of .5 to 1 pound per day for the average woman (and, of course, more for the average man).  The next phase is a higher calorie diet to be resumed for a period of not less than 6 weeks, in which time the person is to maintain the weight loss within a 2 pound range (not exceeding 2 lbs. over or losing 2 lbs. under the weight that was reached on the last day of HCG).  This is a very important step and it is said to reset the hypothalamus.  Thus, this establishes a new "normal weight" for the body, which is said to be maintained more easily, though one must stick with the rules of no sugar and no starches during this period.  At this point, one must decide whether or not they need to lose more weight, and may do so by restarting the phases.  The final stage of the diet, the maintenance phase, allows you to slowly add previously forbidden foods into the diet.  You then see how you react to these foods and decide whether or not you are able to add them in and still keep the weight off.  Everybody reacts differently to different foods.

Here I am with limited options to rid myself of the excess weight that, I admit, I added to my own body.  I am choosing to try the HCG Protocol because, in my opinion, it is a way to relearn and re-establish healthy eating patterns.  It is not a license to go back to eating the way I did before, as that will most certainly cause the weight to return.  I know this and I am ready to change the way I eat forever.