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Oral HCG for Weight Loss

The HCG diet is a restricted calorie diet designed to accelerate weight loss and to help maintain a person's desired weight. Integral to the program is HCG administration, usually via injections as well as a strict 500-calorie a day diet. The HCG diet is one of the more popular weight loss programs being used today.

  1. HCG

    • Human Chorionic Gonodotropin is a hormone released by an embryo soon after its conception and is the basis of many home pregnancy tests. HCG serves to continue the production of another hormone, progesterone, that is critical for pregnancy. The discoverer of the HCG diet, observed that pregnant women did not become obese and that HCG prevented fat being used for long-term storage, thereby limiting obesity.

    The HCG Protocol

    • Before starting the HCG plan, you should consult your doctor. The physician will determine if the HCG diet is safe for you. Once you are weighed and decide how many pounds you want to lose, the number of injections and length of treatment will be determined. Over a 26 day period, you will use 23 injections (one per day) of about 300-400 mg each. HCG is available widely over the Internet, or you can receive it from your doctor.

    The Five-Hundred Calorie Diet

    • During the time of injection, follow a five-hundred calorie a day diet. An average day on five-hundred calories would include unsweetened coffee or tea for breakfast; artificial sweeteners are fine. Lunch includes approximately one hundred grams (or just under a quarter pound) of veal, beef, chicken breast, whitefish or shellfish, one type of vegetable (usually green leafy), a breadstick, and apple, orange, one cup of strawberries or a half of a grapefruit. Dinner would have the same choices. You can use a juice of one lemon per day for seasonings as well as salt and pepper. Butter, oils and dressings are off-limits. Tea, coffee, water are the only drinks allowed. 2 liters of water per day is suggested.

    Final thoughts

    • The HCG diet has proven to be relatively safe. Some people report headaches and loss of sex drive, but overall the side effects are few while the effectiveness is high. You should not take HCG longer than 40 days at one time, but you will find that is more than enough to reach your weight loss goals.

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