This report has been written for the former, current and future HCG dieter. The HCG diet has gained a lot of attention over the years and most people know someone who has tried the diet. As with many diets, some people are successful and others aren’t. What makes the HCG diet different is that if you follow it properly it DOES work and it works WELL! I’ve offered this diet at my clinic for a few years now and have seen thousands of patients. Some of my patients have lost the last 10lbs or have lost over 100lbs. It’s safe and I know the HCG diet works because I see its results everyday.
My concern is the recent attempts by the weight loss industry to fool many HCG dieters into buying fake or diluted products that don’t contain the HCG hormone. The weight loss industry has seen this diet work and has tried to reproduce the HCG product idea and sell it for profit. Those who don’t research the diet and pay close attention can fall prey to these gimmicks.
Watch Out for These Red Flags
Here are my 4 concerns with what is out there and what you should be receiving if you decide to try the HCG diet.
1. Fake HCG
Real hormones (HCG, Estrogen, Testosterone, etc) can’t be purchased from an online store, your local health food store, a tanning salon, eBay, your friend or your neighbor. Hormones are medications and you can only get them from a doctor or a pharmacy with a prescription. To me this is common sense! There is absolutely no other possible way to get real pharmaceutical HCG……PERIOD!
Don’t waste your money and don’t risk your health or success on a cheap fake imitation. Patients sit in my office with me everyday and share stories about how they were scammed and lied to about these so-called HCG products. It doesn’t matter what the label says, if it didn’t come from your MD, DO, NMD, ND or NP don’t trust it.
Chiropractors can’t write prescriptions and if your Chiropractor is selling it, it’s not real. Most of the fake stuff is homeopathic. HCG comes in glass vials as a powder; it is mixed with sterile water for injection. In my office I also mix the HCG powder with a sublingual form of vitamin B12 for those patients who can’t give themselves a shot.
If your doctor or your med spa given you a mixed vial of sublingual HCG, make sure it was mixed with the powdered HCG and that you actually saw it mixed. If they hand you a vial and say it’s the same thing, don’t trust it. Always read the bottle: if you see HCG on the label with a 1x, 10C, 20X or something like that then it’s fake. It’s the homeopathic form. The FDA and our own Dr. Oz have also given warning to stay away from these products. Sometimes I see med spas selling both the real and fake HCG. Obviously the doctor in charge there does not understand that there is a difference, they are just trying to provide a product that can fit into anyone’s budget without considering the consequences.
2. Wrong Instructions
Dr. Simeons came up with the HCG diet -- he did the research and he formulated the diet and all the rules. We don’t have a lot of information about some of his studies, but we do know one thing: his plan works if you follow it.
Since this diet has become popular again, you see new clinics offering the diet all the time. Most of them change or modify Dr. Simeons’ protocol so that it isn’t the same as he designed it. Some people will still do well and lose the weight and that’s ok. BUT, over time, the number of people that are successful on these alternate plans decreases because the plan becomes so distorted.
I’ve seen clinics offer the HCG diet and it isn’t even close to what Dr. Simeons designed. They should call the diet by another name. They only use the word HCG to attract potential clients. So now the potential HCG dieter has to sift through all these different clinics and find one that hasn’t completely changed everything.
To be safe, find a clinic that follows ONLY the Dr. Simeons protocol, it’s been implemented for over 50+ years because it works. If you hear about people who have had poor results on the HCG diet be cautious! They may have had the wrong information or the wrong product, don’t take their word for it. Talk to someone who did it right and was successful, then find out what clinic they went to.
3. Wrong Dosage
HCG has a specific dosage range that makes it work for weight loss. Make sure you know what this dose is. Ask your doctor! Dr. Simeons said in his book “Pounds and Inches” that it needed to be at least 125iu of HCG per injection. If your doctor is trying to make it this exact dose, be careful -- human error can cause this dose to drop below this level. Give yourself some extra so that you don’t jeopardize getting less that what you need.
Beginning at least 150iu per dose is a good starting point. HCG can be dosed higher depending on the person and how many times they have done the diet. There is also a proper way to mix the HCG because of the nature of the hormone. After it’s mixed it is only really active for a few weeks. It loses it’s stability and activity and your weight loss results could suffer. Having a 40 day supply of HCG in one vial is not the correct way to mix the HCG. A 40 day supply should be divided into 2 or 3 smaller vials all mixed when needed. The fake HCG drops do not apply here because they don’t contain any real HCG. Check them yourself on a pregnancy test, it will show negative.
4. No Dietary Guidelines or Support
The doctor/clinic you visit for the HCG diet should provide you with a detailed instruction guide about how the diet works and what you should expect. This is very very important. Don’t trust the online blogs or internet sites for your instructions; you need to rely on your doctor to teach you how it works and what to expect.
Your instruction book should also contain information about what to do after the diet. I refer to it as a maintenance diet, and it should be a 3-6 week plan. If it isn’t included in your information guide/packet, then the clinic doesn’t really have your best interest in mind. The maintenance portion of the diet is just as important as the diet itself.
If you leave the clinic with 1 or 2 pieces of paper about how to follow the HCG diet then again, they don’t have your best interest in mind. This is a 500-calorie diet, there are rules and guidelines, and you need to know them. You also need to know what to do if you have problems and or questions. If you are to rely on some sales rep at a med spa to answer your questions then you will be frustrated. Medical advice can only come from a doctor, if someone else other that a doctor is giving you medical advice you should be suspicious. If you don’t get your questions answered in a timely manner then they don’t have your best interest in mind.
Extra HCG Safety tips
Now that you know the four main warning signs, here are some additional tips to help you ensure you're getting real HCG safely.
- Don’t buy HCG from tanning salons, from phone numbers you see on someone’s car or on the side of the road. Be safe and remember, it’s fake!
- Make sure the clinic follows the Simeons HCG protocol.
- If buying sublingual drops from the doctor, make sure he/she mixes them in front of you or shows you how it’s done.
- REAL pharmaceutical HCG shouldn’t come premixed, you never know how long it’s been on the shelf, it does lose potency, stability and activity after 3-4 weeks.
- Get a recipe book to help put the foods together, it saves time and is less boring.
- Ask your doctor about vitamins, they are very helpful and you probably need them. You do need to avoid certain ones, make sure you know what they are.
- Don’t rearrange your entire life to do this diet -- incorporate it into your life now. It will help you in the long run with your new healthy lifestyle.
- Once on the diet, don’t search for answers to your HCG diet questions online, you will find 100 answers to the same questions. Everyone has an opinion, ask your doctor, he or she has probably heard the question before and can answer it quickly.
- Look up the clinic or med spa on the Better Business Bureau website and verify their reputation.
- If you think you are paying too much you probably are. Any clinic can charge what they want. If it costs more it doesn’t mean it’s better.
With all of this said I hope the importance of finding a reputable clinic that offers the HCG diet is obvious. All of my information comes from my own research, collaboration from other doctors, researchers and from patient feedback after they had tried the diet incorrectly the first time.
HCG: telemedicine Appointments Available
Our HCG is made in the U.S. and comes from a certified compounding pharmacy. Our clinic helps every patient get the best possible experience and results with the HCG diet—this is our commitment and responsibility for each patient. You are given more information about this diet than you know what to do with, and you are supported by our clinic every step of the way. Your questions and concerns are addressed immediately or next day if after hours.
And most importantly, we follow Dr. Simeons’ HCG diet protocol. If it works and has worked for all these years, why try and change it? We know we offer the most comprehensive service and support in the state, come see for yourself!
There are many reputable HCG clinics out there, just do your research and find one that you know has your best interest and safety at heart.
