Slow start today, dolls! There’s 4–6 inches of snow, and then there’s the detox diet I started on Saturday. It seemed like a good day, considering that I gorged myself on lobster mac & cheese the night before and this particular detox calls for a “fat loading” day or two. Your kind of detox? It gets harder. It’s called the HCG Diet and it’s actually been around since the 1950s when a doctor discovered that human chorionic gonadotrophin (HCG), a hormone produced during pregnancy, triggers the hypothalamus in your brain to release and mobilize abnormal (extra) fat you are lugging around for your body to use as an energy. Like love handles and side thighs. The theory is that when you go on a very low calorie diet (500 calories a day) the HCG taps into your stored fat and burns it up instead of of the calories you’re consuming and need for energy. The result is rapid weight loss of about 1–2 pounds a day of FAT, not muscle.
HCG is a homeopathic formula that you administer under your tongue in liquid drop form. I was first introduced to it by Barbara at Aurora Spa in Minneapolis. She’s my go-to for holistic treatments and leads an incredibly clean life, so I paid attention when she told me that she and dozens of her customers had lost 15–20 pounds on the diet, and kept it off for more than a year. I let my friend Suzette be the guinea pig and she dropped 10 pounds in less than 2 weeks, felt amazing, and lost her post-baby belly completely.
Why hasn’t Oprah been all over this diet? Because it’s highly restrictive. For the first 3 weeks you’re limited to 500 calories a day of only lean protein, and certain fruits and vegetables—absolutely NO fat, sugar, dairy, starches, or alcohol. None. The only saving grace is that caffeine is allowed. Otherwise I’d be faced-down on my laptop. My energy has been at an all-time low the last two days but I’m finally starting to feel normal again. After three weeks of this madness, you enter a 3-week “maintenance” phase and stop using the drops, start adding dairy and healthy fats back in, and increase your daily calories to 1,500. Oh, and alcohol is allowed. Don’t think I didn’t time this diet to end at the beginning of a vaca.
I know I’ve given you a ton to digest, so let me know if you have questions and/or are interested in more gory details, like how I COUNT THE SECONDS TO MY NEXT HALF A GRAPEFRUIT. I haven’t weighed myself since I started, so I’ll let you know when the scale says something exciting. If you want to join me at any time, I find the GNC-approved the drops here. There are tons of brands on the market, so feel free to shop around or ask your healthcare practitioner for suggestions. Unfort, nothing is going to change the fact that I’ll be eating dry lettuce a chicken breast the size of a deck of cards for lunch.
Filed Under: aurora spa, detox diet, hcg diet, hcg platinum
Good luck. This is interesting and I’d love to try it. I’ll see how you do, first. =)
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Good luck! Sounds utterly gruelling so I commend your dedication! I suspect you’re drinking tons of water to help curb the hunger pangs – 500 cals is super low. Keep the updates coming – if you don’t post for a coupld days in a row, we’ll send the paramedics.
Only 500 calories??? Caffeine and alcohol would not be a saving graces for me as they make me hungary. I’m w/ Ivy….will ck your posts to be sure we don’t have to call 911.
So interested in this. A high school friend in another state started this last summer and lost a ton of weight initially, singing it’s praises on facebook. I kind of wrote it off as a kooky scheme. I worry that there is going to be some sort of wicked rebound of pounds once the restricted diet stopped. My problem is the yo-yo effect after trying special diets. Regardless I am going to try this and see. My questions are– can you follow up with your friend to better understand how people kept the pounds off for a year? Do you have to go back on the restrictive diet, etc over and over again? And also, how come this diet is so under the radar? You’d think everyone would know about it based on the results! Love your blog and this topic fascinates me and has me checking back for more updates.
Jen, thanks so much for your comment! I’m curious how YOUR friend is doing? I’ll check in with Barbara and find out more about maintenance, but I don’t think there’s a prescribed diet after you’re done with the program because it actually resets your metabolism. However, some people do multiple rounds of the drops if they want to lose more than 20 pounds.
Being a beauty blogger I am suprised that you forgot to mention one of the biggest downsides of this diet. You cannot use any hair products, lotions, or make-up that may contain oils, and fats. They reccomend only using mineral makeup. You really do have to give up a lot on this diet, not just food.
It’s true! I have been using only oil-free moisturizer and foundation and keeping hand cream to a minimum (no small feat in this dry climate). But the people I know who were successful on this diet gave up after a few days in and went back to their products without any weight gain so I’m not too worried about it. For a product to be absorbed that significantly into the bloodstream, you’re going to need a lot of lotion!
I agree. Anyone will lose a substantial amount of weight quickly on a restricted 500 calorie/day diet. The brain needs 800 calories/day to function at normal levels. Also, the drops are so diluted anyway, it is basically a placebo effect. Waste of money.
You’re better off just doing 1200 calories/day of lean protien, veggies, and a minimal amount of fiberous carbs & whole grains.
Lindsay – Have you ever used homeopathic drops before? They are incredibly potent. I see an herbalist and have seen first-hand how the body reacts to even a few drops of a floral essence.
As for the caloric intake, I totally agree that anyone would lose weight on 500 or even 1000 calories/day. The difference with the HCG is that it’s forces your body to let go of fat, not muscle or other energy. As someone who has never tried a “fad” diet in her life, I would be much more skeptical if the people I know who have done the diet weren’t also skeptics and didn’t feel amazing after a few days on it.
Keep us posted on your progress – I am very interested to hear how you get on.
I ve only heard about this diet few months ago and do not know anyone who tried it.
Is it expensive where you are?
In the UK it is.
Also, the 500 cals can come from whichever food you chose or not?
And BEST OF LUCK :)
Hi Mila – Thanks!! And no, not expensive. You can find the drops for less than $100. I believe when it originally came in syringe form and was administered by a doctor the expense was much greater. As for the diet, it’s restricted to certain fruits, vegetables, and lean proteins, plus as much water, tea, and coffee as you want.
Very intrigued by this, though doubtful that I have the willpower to stick to 500 calories a day. Saw this article this morning and wanted to come back and share: http://www.usatoday.com/yourlife/fitness/weight-loss-challenge/2011-01-24-hcgdiet24_ST_N.htm
Could be hard to find advised individuals with this topic, however you sound like you no doubt know what you are dealing with! Appreciate it
Logan, this article is fascinating. Thank you for posting! It scares me. And makes me question if I should be doing this. I’m not going to get into a debate about the FDA because I’m so not qualified for that but I will say I’d rather be using a placebo (if that is, in fact, what these drops are) than most of the drugs on the market. I’m a natural girl at heart. I’m going to give it a little more time for the sake of RESEARCH!
I wish you well in this. Don’t want your health to suffer. I lost 30 lbs 6 years ago with Weight Watchers & have kept it off. It works! Please be careful with the HCG diet.
I’m curious about the 500 calories. Do you feel like you have the enegy to get through the day? I feel like my energy level would drop and I wouldn’t get anything done!….especially when it comes to working out where you would burn most of the calories you took in for the entire day. I just know that when I’m hungry and in need of calories my world comes crashing down around me :) Although, it seems like you’re only taking in quality calories so that helps I’m sure. Maybe your body is pulling energy from your fat…which is the point, right?
Definitely! I didn’t even know what HCG was before yesterday, so it caught my eye. I trust you are making your heath the priority and am eager to watch you document this for us. You are documenting it, right?!
After careful research and the thumbs up from my OB/Gyn, I started the HCG diet/detox after New Years and I’m currently on the maintenance phase. I feel wonderful AND my weight is holding steady with some minimal fluxuations. I was intimidated by the 500 daily calories but once you kick out all the crap and eat lean protein, veggies, fruit and liquids, it’s doable. Because I lost so much of my abnormal fat within the first 9 days, I was able to increase my daily calories to 900 and resume more intense exercising. Getting the refined sugars and starches out of my system has given me extra energy, I sleep like there’s no tomorrow and our entire family is consuming more fruits and veggies and fewer starchy snacks. I hope not to have to repeat the diet/detox but would recommend it to anyone in good health, wanting to shed 10-15 pounds AND following the protocol with the guidance of a health/wellness provider. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it!
Erica, using Dr. Google isn’t the best way to make decisions regarding health and wellness – only a doctor or certified wellness practitioner should be consulted when considering a diet like this. Also, not everyone is able to recover as quickly as you must have after having two children in four years – even with a healthy diet and frequent exercise.
SS
FYI – I got three SPAM comments from Erica P, none of which were productive or constructive, so deleted them. That’s the beauty of a blog! I’m all about open dialogue on this topic though, so keep those questions + comments coming. Suzette, I know everyone appreciates hearing about your very fresh, first-hand experience – thanks for sharing.
Congrats on starting this diet; I’m doing it too a 2nd time to lose more weight. Can’t wait to hear how it goes for you. One point: Don’t forget to tell people that when you take the HCG drops it keeps you from feeling hungry. 500 calories is shocking for non-initiates to hear about but when you’re taking the drops you are burning your own fat for fuel so you don’t really feel hungry, you don’t get spacey or have low blood sugar. Your “hunger” is desire to eat like you always do, it’s not really hunger for fuel.
hi, Congratulations on taking the plunge! HcG is a very effective protocol and not one that is good to take lightly. I have experience with this diet and it is really first and foremost a diet plan (any detox is actually a nice side benefit). To all those worrying about the 500 calories, you are not actually living off of those 500 calories alone. You are living off those calories AND the fat stores that your body is accessing thereby causing the weight loss. I have done this protocol and lost 35 lbs the first time and on another round now with similar hopes. Thing is, if you go homeopathic, it is important to be sure of your source. There are a lot of scammers out there ripping people off but there are also reputable companies providing quality products, too. There is a ton of info available on HcG … Kevin Trudeau’s book (a bit hype-y but helpful) and of course, the original Simeone article “Pounds and Inches”. I just want to encourage folks to do the research before leaping. :)
Like I said, I’m doing the HCG diet too, and like Maya said there are some bad suppliers out there. Ask around on HCG forums for good brands. Also if you get one and start the diet you will know you have the right one if you don’t feel very hungry AND you are losing about 1 pound per day.
Maya and Kenzilisa – Love your stories! Can’t thank you enough for sharing. It’s keeping me going! Day 5 and I am feeling better by the second, which makes me feel like this may just be working. Haven’t weighed myself since I started so that will be the true test!
Glad you’re doing so well. The great thing about this diet is how quickly you see results; the instant feedback helps your resolve. I don’t know if the literature that you got with your drops mention this but you are supposed to weigh yourself every day. By weighing yourself you can see if you have somehow slipped up on the diet; if you have made a slip-up you will find that you haven’t lost any weight. On most days the scale should show a pound lost. Weigh yourself naked (or the same clothes every day) in the AM after your morning pee and before you eat or drink anything. Normally when you diet it’s ill-advised to weigh yourself so often but on this diet it is the key to success. Good luck!
I liked it when you’d blog about boot camp. Boot camp seems like a better way to get rid of mac and cheese thighs. Seems healthy. This HCG thing does not. Good luck with your magic drops.
So which drops are you using? The HGC platnium ones?
Also, what about excersize? I love to work out and I play soccer once a week. I was toying with a really good detox diet but if I were on 500 calories/day my brain and body wouldn’t be able to play a game of soccer at all.
Also, FDA can never really be trusted. Read the chapter about artificial sweeteners in Skinny Bitch.
Linds – Yes, the platinum ones. Though would love to know what brands the others who’ve been commented used! They might be less expensive.
I definitely don’t have the energy for a full-on work out right now, so I’ve been going on long walks. I’ve been a 5-6x/week exerciser my entire adult life and yet it hasn’t really crossed my mind because I’m focused on the diet. Keep in mind though that once you reach your goal weight, you can double your caloric intake. So if you only want to lose 5 or 10 pounds, you won’t be on the 500 cal for long. Also, I look at 3 weeks as a blink of an eye in the grand scheme of things. I mean, there are a million reasons not to try it but if it’s about giving up something then I just focus on what I will be gaining. So far, lots of clarity and quiet because I’m not fixating on food. More soon . . .
Kylie – I’m just taking a break from boot camp! Promise I’ll be back with more on that soon. Part of my job as a writer is to try out magic drops and write about my experience so that readers like you can hear about it directly from the horse’s mouth! This is such a healthy detox and if it weren’t I promise I wouldn’t be talking about (ie the lemonade diet / master cleanse!).
Since pregnancy tests detect the amount of HCG hormone in a woman’s body, I wonder if taking HCG supplements would cause a false positive pregnancy test result?
Also I’m super impressed at how eloquently you’ve deflected all the negative and critical comments you recieved about the diet. Kudos for responding so politely! Keep us updated…
Please do keep updating us on your progress. I’m really tempted to try this, since I can’t seem to shake this 15 pounds I’ve gained in the last year. Seems a little scary but I’m intrigued that someone who espouses natural products is willing to give it a go. Let us know!
Beauty Bets, we’re happy you are giving HCG Platinum a try and support your decision. Please contact us when you have questions/concerns regarding the diet and protocol. Let us help set the record straight for those skeptics out there that think they know it all. HCG works! Yes, anybody can lose a lot of weight being on a 500 calorie diet, but after 3-4 days, your body will hit starvation mode and is going to start using muscle and good body fat as an energy source. HCG makes the difference in that it causes the abnormal and extra body fat deposits to be used and burned first as an energy source when following the 500 calorie diet, thus allowing rapid weight loss. That is fact and that is how our bodies work. Forget all the nonsense the skeptics are saying, you can’t debunk it when literally hundreds of thousands of people are losing the weight with HCG. The FDA is just scrambling to figure out a way to get a piece of the pie, and until they figure out a way, they will continue to categorize it as a controlled substance.
This blog is a betrayal to readers as it lacks accurate information and misleads one to thinking that this diet has been well researched by the author. It is a ruse meant to increase readership, promote HCG products, and make money from sponsorship. In other words, a paragon for poor journalism and selling out to capitalist America.
It has been scientifically proven that there are no benefits to using HCG hormone, and the weight loss can be attributed solely to the low caloric intake. At the caloric levels required in the HCG diet protocol, the body will enter into starvation phase- causing the body to depend on the breakdown of fats into glycogen and free fatty acids. The glycogen can be broken down into glucose, which can be used as fuel for energy. The free fatty acids can be broken down into ketone bodies, which can be utilized by some organs as an energy source- most important being the brain. However, the high concentrations of ketone bodies are harmful to the body as they change the pH and stress the kidneys- which are involved with removing ketone bodies from the body.
As a beauty journalist, it is expected that well researched information is shared with readers. With such high readership, one must take this duty responsibility seriously as it affects the health and lives of those that may take blogs seriously. Crash diets and starvation can cause serious damage to the liver and kidney- not to mention other organs- rendering physical beauty as a means to cover up decaying internal health.
I really really need to urge you to think about what this post is actually saying. This diet is not safe. As a dietitian I see countless people trying to loose weight – as well as countless more battling eating disorders. Seriously – 500 calories a day?!? You have got to be kidding me! Please please do not think this is safe. Loosing weight is not easy – its take time to both loose weight and gain it. Healthy weight loss is 1-2lbs a WEEK not a day! For normally bodily function (um… like breathing) you need so many more calories than 500! And even if you just ate to accommodate that normal bodily function you would still loose weight!
Its not rocket science (and I know I am doing myself out of a job by saying that). Burns more calories than you take in. ANd by satisfying your basic needs any additional calories you burn (i.e through movement) will contribute to weight loss. Healthy, sustainable weight loss.
Re: the study that “Scientist” references: it’s a straw man argument because the Simeons HCG Protocol was not followed in the study, so of course it didn’t work. HCG only causes the hypothalamus to signal fat release from the cells IF dietary fats and calories are kept low. It’s a very strict protocol. You can read the original document “Pounds and Inches” by Dr. Simeons online if you want to understand how it works on an endocrine level.
As another commenter mentioned, the body is NOT subsisting on only 500 cals/day- it also has access to hundreds of free fatty acid calories being released into the blood stream, so it’s more like 1000+ calories that you’re functioning on. I did a round of HCG and there’s NO WAY I could ever live on only 500 cals/day without passing out, but I was only minimally hungry, which tells me that my body did, indeed, have access to more than just 500 cals. I did the subcutaneous injections, not the homeopathic drops.
[...] I Started the HCG Diet. Beauty Bets blogger Elizabeth Dehn made three blog entries about her experience with the diet immediately after starting it. While this hCG diet review isn’t particularly extensive, or even complete (it trails off after the second week), it’s noteworthy for its candor and its real time reporting of progress rather than retroactive assessment. While she did lose four pounds in the first seven days, she attributed this to the calorie restriction rather than the hCG itself. She experienced more hunger and fatigue than most hCG dieters would admit, and increased her calorie intake from 500 to 800 (which “slowed down the weight loss process to a screeching halt”). The final entry, concludes with her giving into cravings and, presumably, ending the diet. [...]