Maybe, you’re thinking of trying the HCG Diet. Weight loss is hard, and if something makes it easier, you should look into it right? Maybe someone you know is on or has tried it and you’re asking yourself how you can introduce them to the HCG Diet Dangers. Regardless, I’m here to tell you that not only is this diet ineffective long term, but it’s dangerous and you should steer clear.
What is the HCG Diet, In a nutshell?
HCG is a hormone that is released in women during pregnancy. It’s also used as a treatment for women who have had issues carrying a pregnancy to full term. The program or diet itself, basically outlines that you take injections or supplements of HCG in addition to an extremely restrictive 500-800 calorie diet, and makes claims that you’ll lose a ton of weight. If the red flags aren’t going off for you after hearing that, let me explain.
- Weight loss IS essentially a calories game; calories in and calories out. Therefore, if you restrict yourself to 500-800 calories a day you probably will lose weight (AT FIRST) but before long, your body goes into starvation mode and before you know it, it’s holding onto every last drop of food that comes in; out of fear.
- When you starve yourself, human instinct kicks in. You start craving sugars and carbs, things that will store in the body long term making it harder to be healthy.
- Adding hormones to trick your body into thinking you’re pregnant at first, but science hasn’t even begun to unravel what havoc that wreaks on your body, immune system, or your weight in the long run.
- Starvation diets DON’T work. Making yourself feel deprived, is the fastest way to use your brain to work against you.
Even our government’s FDA (who, currently is not worried about things we KNOW are bad like GMO’s and toxins) is shouting “Look out!” from the roof top. Quoted from a recent consumer alert, “Miller explains that HCG was first promoted for weight loss in the 1950s. “It faded in the 1970s, especially when it became apparent that there was a lack of evidence to support the use of HCG for weight loss,” she says.”
What are the risks or dangers of trying this diet?
The risks are bountiful, but to make a point, I’ve devised a list of the biggest problems with this, and the things someone should watch out for.
- Irregular Heartbeat, Heart Palpitations
- Muscle loss (yes, you could lose strengths and your muscles could deteriorate)
- Missing nutrients, metabolic issues.
- Nerve issues and migraines
Those are the biggest concerns that are documented. However, the long term effects of the hCG alone are unknown, and still a mystery to doctors and scientists. However, almost everyone agrees – weight loss on the HCG diet is more the result of starving yourself and much less the result of hormones obtained from a pregnant woman’s urine.
I’m desperate, what can I do to lose weight?
Weight loss is a battle, anyone who’s been overweight (myself included – highest documented weight 350lbs) knows it can be uphill. But please trust me when I say, healthy balance diets that are completely natural and good old fashioned exercise are the only way to successfully lose weight in the long term that don’t include surgery. There are resources out there, there are entire websites dedicated to Women’s Health and Fitness and you’re NOT alone.
The sources you may find throughout this article include the Mayo Clinic, FDA, and WebMD.com (comments on starvation diets).
