HCG for weight loss | Telemedicine NPs

HCG for Weight Loss and/or to supplement TRT for men.

*2022 update - the FDA has made it near impossible to offer this anymore. If interested ask me personally if I can still find it.

What is HCG?

Please watch the above video before reading this. It’s only five minutes long and provides a nice overview of the HCG diet. The HCG diet was invented by Dr. A. Simeons over 50 years ago. The main thing that makes the HCG diet stand out is how you lose weight while taking HCG injections. Normally, with crash dieting, there is a high amount of muscle that is lost (with fat) during weight loss. When you lose muscle, it’s bad for your body, shape, and metabolism. Your metabolism slows down so much that you regain weight quickly, often regaining all the weight that was lost and then some. Also, it takes quite a bit of work to build back the muscle that was lost. HCG injections keep you from losing as much muscle while you diet.

By elevating hormone levels in the body, including testosterone, the HCG hormone creates a muscle-building state which counteracts the muscle-breakdown that normally occurs with low-calorie diets. There are hormone receptors on muscle fibers that respond to the increased hormone levels in patients taking the HCG hormone. Men and women alike sometimes find that these hormonal changes cause sexual desire increases during treatment. Also, by patient reports, HCG reduces feelings of hunger. This allows you to eat very little comfortably. It is believed the presence of HCG in the bloodstream takes the appetite away.

What do I eat on the HCG diet?

The HCG diet requires that you eat only 500 -800 calories (I advise 1000-1200) a day to help reset your metabolism and change your abnormal eating patterns. Foods you can and can’t eat are tightly controlled and, as listed in the video, so are some lotions, oils, and creams! These could slow the weight loss process down and prevent HCG from targeting your stored fat.

According to the HCG protocol, you can have strawberries, apples, red grapefruit, lettuce, celery, cabbage, cucumbers, onions, tomatoes, chicken breast, lean ground beef, shrimp, lobster, and white fish. Foods that are off-limits are fatty fish, nuts, oils, potatoes (or any starchy vegetable), and sugar. The foods that you choose need to be nutritious so that you don’t become malnourished. I also recommend vitamins/supplements while on this program. Lipotropic injections can be taken with this program as well and most people chose this. Another option is something like Ensure or Boost low sugar nutritional drinks (this is not on the protocol but I think it’s a good idea). It’s important to stay hydrated with plenty of water consumption.

Who should not do the HCG diet protocol?

You are not a good candidate for the HCG diet if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, have a prior allergy to HCG, have a history of hormone-related cancer (such as breast, prostate, ovarian or testicular cancer), gallstones, or a blood disorder/history of blood clots.

Is HCG backed by good research?

Research on the HCG diet has not consistently shown that it can cause weight loss and so it’s not fully backed in the medical community, and the FDA advises caution with it. You will find just as many people for it as you will against it. Many people love it and get good results with an array of desirable improvements to health, including lowered cholesterol, triglycerides, blood pressure, decreased risk of disease, increased energy, fewer aches and pains, and an improvement in insulin sensitivity.

What’s exactly is the HCG protocol?

The diet has three phases. During the first phase, or the “loading phase,” of the HCG diet, you start to take HCG injections and eat plenty of foods high (yes, high) in calories and healthy fats. This phase lasts 48 hours. This phase is required to bring the hypothalamus gland in balance.

Phase two is the weight loss phase. This lasts until you are done with the HCG shots. The shots are administered by injection with a very tiny needle into your stomach fat once daily for 6 days a week. So you take them once a day for six days and then skip a day and repeat until they are gone (it should be about 40 injections).

The weight loss phase of the diet is when you really start to shed excess fat. During this phase, you continue to take HCG. However, you limit your caloric intake to 1000-1,200 calories per day. If you want to do the 500-800 calories per day recommended in the protocol then we can discuss that. Use MyFitnessPal (a free app and website to log your food) to stay within this limit. This is very important as most people are unaware of portion sizes on nutrition labels and the associated caloric content. Be vigilant with this.

Once the injections are done you enter phase three. This lasts’ six weeks and will transition you off the program. In the first three weeks of this phase, you stop taking HCG and increase your food intake gradually. You should not consume starches or sugars during this period. There is a second three-week period that you use to incorporate more starches and sugars into your meal plan. You can then do the plan again if you have not yet met your goal weight or you can transition off.

At this point, you’ve been on the diet for 6-12 weeks and you should be very good at recognizing small portions of healthy foods. Don’t restrict or eliminate any foods but try to focus on eating nutrient-dense, high-fiber, low-glycemic carbohydrates.

Can I get more information on the protocol?

Please print and read the protocol I have attached to this webpage. It explains the diet in exact detail and answers many commonly asked questions. It explains why exercise is not recommended and why daily B12 supplementation is recommended (which is offered in my Lipo-B injections).

Reviews

(found online)

“I took HCG injections in 1993. Weighed 227lb when I began. Lost 100 pounds. I felt great, got the "work out bug" as I lost. Kept it off until 1 year ago. Going back on it next month. Have been on low, and no carb with 0 results. I'm sure it's my age, now 47. Could use the hormones. Need to lose 30 pounds I've gained.” -C.S.

“I have done the HCG injections and lost 40 lbs. I did lose some muscle but I kept the weight off til I had significant stress and reverted to bad habits. THat's my bad. What people need to understand is that you need to follow the HCG plan by dr SImons. No, you cannot eat hamburgers, no you cannot have a glass of wine every day, no you cannot eat watermelon - at least in phases 2, 3. People fail at this diet because they refuse to adhere to or do not read about the original diet and follow it. But it works when you do it right. And I felt better on it than off it - it helped with my shoulder pain.” - S.W.

“Although I had almost lost my sexual desire in my early forties, using HCC not only helped me to come back to normal life but also I feel very younger.”-Matt

“I did 40-day injections and found the diet easy to stick to if you plan your meals, pre weigh, and bag about 1 week ahead. I had headaches sometimes as a side effect but Tylenol worked. I started at 195 5' tall and weighed 163 after stopping the injections. I waited 6 weeks and now weigh 167 and am beginning a second 23 day round of injections. I am convinced that the weight will stay off. I will continue with each treatment until I get down to 125” -Sarah

“I lost 78 lbs on HCG and felt great! I have kept off the weight for 2 years!” -Shan

“I lost more than 100 lbs using HCG. It took me less than 4 months to do it, and once I got the hang of it, it was easy and fast!” -Vicki

“When taken as prescribed and with proper diet it's very effective. May cause a heavier menstrual cycle, however very effective with weight loss. Most sicknesses due to obesity eliminated. Again, very effective.” -Kim

What is the cost of the HCG program?

Most clinics I've seen offer HCG at $500-$900!!!! I offer HCG injections at 150 IU (international units) once a day for a total of 40 days which is 40 SQ (subcutaneous) injections at only $420.00. However, you do need accompanying lab work which is $50-$100 (depending on your health history) so the total comes to $520. If you get the recommended Lipo-B Injections ($200 for ten) then the cost is 10% off making it only $648.00. If you have labs already and only need HCG and Lipo-B it's $558.00

How do I get HCG?

HCG is shipped to your door. Syringes and needles are included at no extra cost to you.

Can I get HCG with a telemedicine appointment?

Yes. This is a prescription drug that requires special licensing by a qualified healthcare provider. I’m licensed in SC*, FL, NM, AZ, IA, CO, MI, NV, VA, UT, ID, OR, RI, CT, WA, MI, DC, MO

How do I get on the HCG program with Telemedicine Practitioners?

Make an appointment online with Barbara Grubbs, NP. You can also text me at 803.900.5758 and email me at barbaragrubbs@telemedicinepractitioners.com

Click here to see how to self-administer a subcutaneous (SQ) injection.

Click here to make an appointment.

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