Is the HCG Weight Loss Program for you?

The use of HCG for weight loss is growing rapidly. Rachel Ray and Dr. Oz have recently done segments on this valuable tool for weight loss, and local radio and TV stations are following suit. Hundreds of blogs and forums on the internet display the ways in which HCG has helped thousands of people across North America achieve their weight loss goals. Dr. Polo has her own HCG discussion board on her facebook page, with numerous patients who have successfully completed this program.

The answer to this question is that you must find out for yourself whether HCG will work for you. Consult Dr. Polo to make sure this program is for you, based on your health history, medical lab results and personal weight loss goals.

How Does HCG Work?

This hormone evolved to direct the bodies of pregnant women to use their own fat stores as a source of calories. Dr. Simeons simply discovered that this hormone will do the same thing in women who are not pregnant, as well as in men. It directs the body to use up calories from fat. That is the fundamental explanation.

The way HCG works, is of course, much more complicated. Dr. Simeon's also explains how it influences the hypothalamus in the brain to guide the metabolism of fat. A key discovery was made in 1994 regarding the hormone leptin and its ability to burn fat. The key point here is from a recent scientific article in the Journal Of Endocrinology  ( Aug 2007.) " HCG significantly stimulates the secretion of the pro-adipogenic factor, leptin, from human adiose tissue". The interdependence of HCG, leptin and insulin are undoubtedly at the core of how we store and burn fat.

Question and Answers

1. What if I just did the diet without the HCG drops?

If you just do the 500 calorie diet without HCG drops, you will, in fact, lose weight. The problem is, during the diet you will be losing muscle mass and structural fat; you will not lose any of the abnormal fat deposits in the problem areas. Your energy levels will be incredibly low, and your body physically would not be able to withstand such a calorie deficient diet, thus leading to hair loss, paleness and extreme fatigue. It is the energy burned from the reserved stores in your body that is the basis of how the HCG weight loss diet works so effectively without the hunger and cravings.

2. Is it true that 500 calories a day is too low to be safe?

Research confirms that eating a low calorie diet may actually increase overall health, have anti-aging effects, and increase lifespan. Most importantly however, is when you are doing the HCG drops combined with the low calorie diet, Dr. Simeons reports that your body is being flooded with over 2,000 calories of nutrition from the releasing of abnormal fat reserves. This is one of the reasons that during the diet, consisting of the 500 calories and HCG oral drops, you are not hungry and generally have an increase in energy levels.

3. During the diet am I allowed to take supplements and prescription medications?

Yes. It is the view of Dr. Polo that in order to maintain a healthy nutritional balance, you should use supplementation while on this diet. Dr. Polo will make recommendations based on your medical history and laboratory results. It is also imperative that you continue to take any necessary prescription medication that your primary doctor has ordered.

4. Must I gorge for the first two days of the diet?

Yes. Dr. Simeons states that a person will not be comfortable on the 500 calorie diet unless his normal fat reserves are reasonably well stocked. It is for this reason that in every case a person must eat to capacity the most fattening food they can tolerate for the first two days of the program.

5. Can I change some of the food items on the diet?

No, you must be very strict in following the diet exactly if you want to achieve results. Dr. Simeons was very particular in his research about how even the smallest change or variation would slow down or stop the fat burning process completely. He said that the diet used in conjunction with the HCG drops must not exceed 500 calories per day. He also stated that the ways in which these calories are made up is of utmost importance. There are various foods, particulalry vegetables and fruit, that have the same if not even lower caloric values than the ones allowed on this diet. However, when substitutes are made, they are found to interfere with regular weight loss under HCG. This is solely due to the nature of their chemical composition.

6. Will I be hungry during this protocol?

If you gorge properly during the first 2 days of the program, and follow the instructions properly and accurately, you should not notice hunger. Each person is an individual and may experience differences, but for the most part, hunger is slight.

7. Must I eliminate comsetics, moisturizers, lotions and creams during the diet?

Yes. Most people find it hard to believe that the fats, oils, creams and lotions applied to the skin are absorbed into the body and interfere with the weight reduction by HCG, just as if those ingredients were ingested. There is an incredible sensitivity to even minor increases in caloric and nutritional intake. People who habitually handle fats working in beauty spas, parlors, massage therapy etc,. have a lower amount of weight loss when using HCG, unless they avoid all contact with the skin. Dr. Polo will provide you with a guidebook that has in it, a list of allowable cosmetics. 

8. Will I gain the weight back?

If you go back to eating fast food, restaurant food and foods containing trans fat, high fructose corn syrup, highly refined processed foods, artificial sweeteners, and high sodium products you will in fact mess up your hypothalamus again and regain the weight.

9. If the weight comes back can I do this protocol again?

Yes. If you lose a substantial amount of weight and a year later find that you have gained some weight back, you can do the program again. Make sure to talk to your physician  before starting the protocol. We hope that this weight loss program will provide you with tools that allow you to get back control of your eating habits and pay attention to those cues that in turn, lead to longer lasting weight loss results.

Call Dr. Polo to inquire about the HCG Medically Supervised Weight Loss program to see if it's a program that can work for you!

Feel free to come in for a free 15 minute consult for more information about this wonderful weight loss program.