Wednesday, November 9, 2011

Is HCG the "Dirty Little Secret" of Low Carbers?

There's a popular diet plan out there that is supposed to melt the pounds off of you.  Inject yourself with HCG a hormone produced by the placenta of pregnant women.  This has been around since the 1950's when Dr. Simeon devised the original program.  Perhaps spurred by Kevin Trudeau's 2007 book on the diet, it seems to have experienced a resurgence in recent years.  The diet itself lasts for several weeks where someone eats 500 calories/day in two meals.  Here's Simeon's original plan:
  • 125 I.U. of HCG daily (except during menstruation) until 40 injections have been given.
  • Until 3rd injection forced feeding.
  • After 3rd injection, 500 Calorie diet to be continued until 72 hours after the last injection.
  • For the following 3 weeks, all foods allowed except starch and sugar in any form (careful with very sweet fruit).
  • After 3 weeks, very gradually add starch in small quantities, always controlled by morning weighing.
This amounts to 3 days of overfeeding, almost 6 weeks of 500 cal/day, followed by 3 weeks of ad libitum VLC (e.g. Atkins Induction).  After that you get to add starches in as the bathroom scale permits.  Is it any wonder most struggle with that last phase?   And here's a sample menu:  
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