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The HCG Diet: What Is It and How Does It Work?

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HCG diet planHave you ever heard of HCG or the HCG diet?  It’s been one of the top diet crazes around in the last few years and some people swear by it.  Others think it could cause health issues or that it’s just a fad.  I thought that I’d give you some background info so that you can make your own choice.

What is HCG?  HCG, the abbreviation for human chorionic gonadotropin, is actually found in a woman’s urine during pregnancy. When this was discovered in 1927, it started the journey to the first modern pregnancy tests. To this day, pregnancy tests still use HCG as a determining factor for pregnancy.

But there was something else really interesting about HCG that was discovered as well. Apparently, the substance makes sure that developing fetuses get exactly what they need to grow, no matter what mom has been eating or how much mom eats. The HCG is produced early in the cycle. The fact that women gain weight in areas like the thighs, buttocks, and stomach is impacted by HCG. Once pregnant, these fatty areas make HCG and get it to the baby; that way, if a woman doesn’t get the food she needs during pregnancy, the fat in her body makes sure that the baby is fed properly. HCG levels peak at 14 weeks of pregnancy. It also helps with genital development within the womb as well.

So how in the world does this even relate to a diet and losing weight? About a decade later, a doctor was doing research on the use of HCG in boys who were having issues with hormone imbalance in adolescence. This doctor, A.T.W Simeons, noticed that these boys were losing weight by eating much less and without struggling with hunger. This made him have an interest in using HCG as a diet aid, and in the 1950’s he published a paper talking about its uses; he even developed a regimen to use alongside HCG injections.

Here’s what a typical 26 day cycle of the HCG diet looks like.

  • 23 of the days require daily HCG doses, either with drops or injections.
  • Calories are reduced to 500 calories per day after the third day of HCG doses.
  • Your diet needs to be high in protein, low in starches, carbohydrates, and high fat foods.
  • Diary, sugar, and alcohol are not permitted while on the HCG diet; if you “cheat” on the diet, you need to fast for 24 hours by drinking water and eating six apples, nothing more.

Sometimes, the HCG diet lasts up to 43 days (with 40 daily injections or drop doses), but the treatment will cease after a patient has lost 40 pounds before the agreed on time has passed. The last three days of the cycle are without injections so that the HCG is totally extracted from the body before a normal diet is started again. The diet can last no longer than 40 days, because there seems to be some sort of immunity to the drug that develops after that period of time.  So, basically, your body is able to deal with the super low calories because of the affects of the HCG.  Super low calories for 30-40 days…you lose weight (That’s in most cases.  Not a given or fact because each person is unique).

As you could imagine, there are a number of people who are opposed to the HCG diet for a number of different reasons. First off, the hormone can cause a number of different issues, including headaches, blood clots, constipation, depression, and breast enlargement. Women on the HCG diet have complained about feeling like they are pregnant (which seems like an obvious side effect, since it only occurs naturally during pregnancy). There are a number of issues that can come from that as well.

Another, obviously, dangerous part of the HCG diet is that ridiculously low calorie intake. 500 calories does almost nothing for your body. Even if you are trying to lose weight, it is recommended that you eat somewhere between 1,200 and 1,500 calories a day minimum and 1,500 to 1800 minimum if your are exercising. 500 calories doesn’t even touch that. So obviously, you really don’t have the ability to do anything strenuous in terms of working out because you’ll have no energy to do it with. Another issue is that, after restricting your calories that much, you’re likely to gain weight back more quickly when you resume normal eating. Recently, I’ve seen more Homeopathic HCG plans with 1000 calories as the suggested calories per day, which is much better but still very low if you are exercising.

Ultimately, you have to weigh the pros and cons and make your own decision.

Note: The FDA has banned over the counter Real HCG products marketed as weight loss aids and they are illegal.  You shouldn’t be able to find much on the market with real HCG in it right now, therefore the herbs, ingredients, etc in these products varies.  You have to be very careful because you could be allergic to the ingredients or they could be harmful to you. The bottom-line is that the “HCG” drops or shots could be harmless for you but harmful for someone else and vice versa…like any diet pill or aid.  BE CAREFUL! If you decide to try a plan like this, talk with your doctor first.

Dr. Oz Show – Weight-Loss Controversy: HCG Diet, Pt 1.

Does the HCG diet work — and is it safe?

 

6 Things That Bodybuilders Can Teach Us About Weight Loss

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bodybuilders bodybuildingLosing weight is a huge undertaking and it can be really intimidating to go through on your own. There are lots of things that you may feel like you need to learn in order to reach your goals in a reasonable amount of time. If you are trying to lose weight, I suggest that you get some advice from a source that you may not expect – bodybuilders. There are a number of things that we can learn about health, fitness, and weight loss from our bodybuilding friends, but we’re going to focus on six of them in this article.

1. We should do more to understand the role of macronutrients. Most people haven’t even heard of macronutrients, let alone understand their role in the weight loss puzzle. In general, macronutrients are the large categories of nutrients that we need in order to survive. The three macronutrients are fats, proteins, and carbohydrates, and each of them plays a different role in the vital functions of the body, such as the regulation of hormones and insulin. Some people make the mistake of eliminating one or more of the macronutrients in their weight loss program, when you actually need a certain amount of each in order to lose weight properly.  Here is more info from bodybuilding.com on using a 30/30/40 ratio of fats, proteins and carbs to lose fat and build muscle.

2. Muscle has the ability to burn fat. How does this work? Well, first, it has been proven that the natural amount of calories that the body burns to maintain muscle is more than the amount of calories needed to maintain fat. So, as the amount of muscle in your body increases, the more calories that your body is burning and the more fat goes away. Metabolism increases, and therefore, you have the ability to burn fat. However, unless you are focusing on eating right and exercising properly, the amount is negligible; it requires that you to put in some effort on your end.  If you are eating way too many calories and not working to maintain the muscle…you won’t see any benefits.

3. A deep, real commitment bears results. This is probably the most important thing that those who are trying to lose weight can learn from those who enjoy bodybuilding. People have very toned bodies and ripped abs only get to that point because they are committed to what they are doing. That’s how weight loss works too; it involves a commitment to drop the weight, and if that commitment is real and consistent, you will see results.

Continued on next page

Is Belly Fat Different Than Other Body Fat?

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belly fatMany people don’t realize that belly fat, also known as visceral fat, is actually different than the rest of your body. The belly fat has been linked to risk for a number of different types of things, from insulin issues, metabolism issues, heart disease, increased cancer risk, and increased type 2 diabetes risk. Even if you’re not overweight, the fat that is in your abdomen can cause a lot of issues.

The body has three different types of fat in it. Check them out:

  • Triglycerides circulate in your bloodstream. It makes up about 95 percent of the fat within your body.
  • Subcutaneous fat, which is the layer that lies directly below the skin’s surface, between the skin and the abdominal wall.
  • Visceral fat is the kind located deep within your belly.

It’s not so much what is in the visceral fat that causes the problem; it’s where the fat is located. It is actually found beneath your stomach muscles, which means that they’re the closest thing to your internal organs. Because of this placement, your internal organs start to use it for energy because it’s more efficient than getting energy from your skin fat. Your body acts much like you do; efficiency is key.  If you have an option between two places to get the same exact thing, you’re going to go to the place that is closer.

So, why is this dangerous? In old times, people assumed that fat was just stored energy, but it’s actually much more active than that. All fat cells continually secrete hormones and chemicals; these hormones and chemicals are healthy if you’re at a normal weight, they actually do good things, like regulate insulin, help to regulate appetite by allowing you to feel satisfied after eating, and even help burn stored fat. Essentially, this fat acts how fat is supposed to act. The fat does standard metabolic functions and is absolutely nothing that you have to worry about. That’s why it’s unhealthy to be without fat; you can actually starve yourself or, at the very least, get ill, if you have no fat on your body at all.

Where the problem comes in is when you are overweight or obese. If you are overweight or obese, your body has more fat cells, and those cells are much larger than they should be. These larger cells, as you would expect, work harder and secrete more hormones and chemicals than you need. Essentially, you’re getting “too much of a good thing,” which is when it becomes a very bad thing. The chemicals that come out of your fat cells start to impact your health over time. These chemicals play a huge role in diseases like diabetes, stroke, heart attack, and even certain cancers.

Alright, so why does belly fat get the short end of the stick? Don’t all fats do this? Absolutely not! Visceral fat cells actually produce more of those chemicals to start with, so if you’ve got a lot of fat in your stomach region, those chemicals are actually being produced at toxic levels. As I mentioned above, those toxins are getting into your internal organs because the visceral fat is where your internal organs are getting their “energy” from. So basically, by having the excess stomach fat, you’re actually poisoning yourself in a way in terms of what the fat is leaching into your body. That is incredibly scary.

This is why good health is important. Exercise and diet are incredibly important parts of keeping you healthy. If you’ve noticed that you have an excess of belly fat, make sure to talk to your doctor as soon as possible. The great thing is that belly fat responds well to time tested weight loss methods of eating and exercise. You doctor or health care professional can help you to get on a eating and fitness plan that can help you lose weight in that region so that you don’t continue to cause damage to your body.

Weight Loss on a Budget Tip #10: Stop Paying for Sweet Coffee Drinks

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sweet coffee drinksIt’s Day 10 of our October Challenge.  Here is your Weight Loss on a Budget Tip for the Day: #10 – Stop Paying for Sweet Coffee Drinks.

You can save money and avoid excess calories by avoiding sweet coffee drinks.  You know that ones I’m talking about…I won’t mention the brands.  I’m talking lattes, mochas, and all the frosty sweet coffee concoctions you love.  Pairing the rush of sugar with the rush of caffeine can be very delicious and addictive.  I know it may be hard to kick the daily habit you may have developed for these drinks, but you can do it.

So you are saying to yourself, “I need my caffeine!”.  Ladies, you can still have coffee.  You have to ask yourself whether you really need that $3-6 coffee drink vs. a low cost/free regular cup of coffee with milk (and/or with a sweetener…but you know how I feel about diet sweeteners).  Making coffee at home or indulging in the free stuff at work will save you money in the long run.  Just be careful and watch those extra calories.  On average, half and half is 20 calories per tablespoon and regular sugar is 49 calories per tablespoon.

Examples of calories in popular coffee drinks:

  • McDonald’s Mocha, Large
    400 calories; 14 grams fat (8 grams saturated, 0.5 grams trans); 49 grams sugar
  • Starbucks White Chocolate Mocha, Venti
    580 calories; 22 g fat (15 g saturated); 75 g sugar
  • Dunkin’ Donuts frozen cappuccino with whole milk, Large
    610 calories; 8 grams fat (5 grams saturated); 123 grams carbs; 105 grams sugar
  • Starbucks Caramel Frappuccino, Grande
    410 calories; 15 grams fat (9 grams saturated); 66 grams carbs; 64 grams sugar

 

Edisha Transformed Her Body

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Today’s weight loss success story:  Personal Trainer Edisha shows us how losing 20 pounds with a lot of hard work can make a major difference in the way your body looks.  Here is what she shared with us:

I lost 20 pounds this past 3 months with a before /after. I’m a personal trainer who dedicated her life to helping others lose weight. My mother was an inspiration to me from a young age. As a single parent 4 children, she battled with clinical depression after being raped in our home when I was about 4 years old; as a result, she then went from an active lifestyle to sedentary with food in her side as comfort. Her words always ring in my ears saying, “Desha, you better eat right and exercise. You don’t want to grow up and be fat and depressed like me.” I took those words unknowingly to the extent of my degree in Exercise Science and Wellness, with a minor in Psychology, to use in my every day life as an athlete then to helping others as a certified personal trainer, so much to where I forgot about ME. I gained a lot of weight working hard at helping others reach their goals, picturing my mom sitting in front of me. A fitness show inspired me to find balance and take my life back so, I could continue to set the example for those whom I help. Three months ago in the midst of surviving a 3-car collision, I started working towards a fitness show helping combat childhood obesity and on turn got my life back. Having lost 20 pounds of body fat in just 3-months by eating 5-6 times a day, exercising 5-6 days per week, and taking vitamins regularly with 8-10 glasses of water a day. I can truly say that I am a winner with just that. Now, I’m more confident and can continue to lead by example.

Edisha personal trainer

How Is Your Weight and Heart Disease Connected?

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For the past several years, the news media, health publications and the CDC have heavily publicized the topic of weight in this country and the fact that Americans are getting heavier. In fact, more than 60-percent of people are considered overweight or obese. What’s the difference? An adult with a BMI (body mass index) of 25 to 29.9 is considered overweight. Anything over that is considered obese.  BMI is of course disputed in terms of it being a good model for every one, regardless of race, bone density, etc…but it is on of measures that the medical field uses.

Heart disease weightUntil recently, many people – even medical professionals – didn’t consider weight alone as a risk factor for heart disease. It was the other things like high-blood pressure, high-cholesterol and diabetes that caused heart disease the commonly agreed on thought. Therefore, it was thought that weight and heart disease were merely linked indirectly. However, recent studies have now shown that being overweight can lead to heart disease even in the absence of other risk factors.

Did you know…

“African-American women are 1.6 times more likely than non-Hispanic whites to have high blood pressure, putting them ahead of the pack when it comes to heart disease risk.”- Source

Heart Disease: Prevalence and Risk Factors

As the number one cause of death in the United States, heart disease accounts for approximately 30-percent of all deaths annually. In addition to excess weight, there are numerous other risk factors for heart disease. When combined with obesity, these risk factors become even more worrisome. Risk factors include;

  • High Cholesterol
  • High Blood Pressure
  • Diabetes
  • Smoking
  • Poor Diet
  • Sedentary Lifestyle
  • Alcohol Consumption
  • Heredity

How Excess Weight Influences Heart Disease

As mentioned before, excess weight can cause certain risk factors that increase the risk of heart disease. However, obesity can cause heart disease in some people even in the absence of other risk factors. The simple act of carrying around extra weight day in and day out can burden your heart, weakening its ability to pump blood efficiently. In many cases, this can lead to congestive heart failure. Additionally, fat cells themselves can release chemicals and inflammatory substances that can lead to heart disease. Excess weight also compromises circulation and can cause blood clots.

Weight Distribution and Heart Disease

All fat is not created equal. Depending on where your body stores fat, your risk for heart disease might be lower or higher than someone with a different body shape. Those who carry weight around the middle – apple body shape – are at higher risk for heart disease than those who carry excess weight in their hips and lower body. For men, a waist larger than 40 inches in diameter is considered a risk factor for heart disease. In women, anything over a 35-inch waist is considered a risk factor.

The link between weight and heart disease is now clearly defined in medical research. Even if you’re perfectly healthy otherwise, you could still be at risk for heart disease so this is not just an issue for overweight people. Fortunately, you can significantly reduce your risk for heart disease by reducing your weight by even 10-percent. If you’re overweight, you should also have regular screenings with your doctor for other risk factors such as cholesterol, diabetes and blood pressure.  It’s important to seek medical advise on health disease if you have any of the risk factors.  Be proactive.

Fact or Fiction: Are There Really Foods that Will Speed Up Your Metabolism?

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Responsible for how fast your body burns calories and fat, metabolism not only affects your current weight, it also determines how fast you will lose weight, how many calories you can eat per day, and how well you maintain your weight. With all of these factors relying on your metabolism, there are a lot of reasons why you want yours to be fast.

Recently, many diets have claimed that you can speed up your metabolism simply by eating certain foods. If such a magical combination of foods existed, anyone who wants to lose weight should know what foods speed up the body’s metabolic rate and include them in their diet, but do they exist?

Myth: Metabolism Boosting Foods

Each time you consume calories, you give your metabolism a little boost. But are there really some foods that boost it a little more than others? Aside from a few foods that increase the amount of calories burned – hot peppers, green tea, and cold water – there’s not much difference between the foods you eat when it comes to your metabolic rate. Even the few foods that do boost your body’s calorie-burning ability make such a small difference that it’s hardly worth mentioning. So, no, there are no foods that magically speed up your metabolism, making this tale a huge myth.

How Eating Affects Your Metabolism

Your body learns to rely on the amount of calories you consume each day, adjusting your metabolic rate accordingly. If you consume too few calories, your metabolism slows down, resulting in fewer calories burned. The more you eat, the faster your metabolism works. However, you have to eat only as many calories as your body can burn in a day for this to work. If you consume too many calories, your body will turn them into fat, resulting in weight gain.

Your metabolism also speeds up and slows down throughout the day according to how often you eat. If you go a long time between meals, your metabolism slows because your body doesn’t know when more food is coming. Therefore, it tries to reserve the calories it already knows it has.

Eating for a Speedy Metabolism

Increasing your metabolic rate has more to do with how often you eat than it does with what foods you choose. This is, of course, assuming that you eat healthy foods to begin with. Going a long time between eating slows your metabolism. When you finally do eat, your body burns the new calories slowly.

Eating increases your metabolism. Eating six small meals per day rather than three large ones speeds up your metabolism because your body is busy burning calories in anticipation of the next meal. For this to work, though, you need to be consistent. It takes time to train your metabolism to work at peak performance.

10 Habits That Make You Fat

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Ever feel like you’re doing everything right – following a meal plan, recording every entry in your food diary, and exercising like a nut – only to step on the scale to learn that you’ve lost little to no weight? When this happens, old habits are usually to blame. You might not even realize that you’ve held onto poor habits because you do them without thinking. One or more of the following 10 habits might be why the numbers on your scale are not moving in the right direction:

  1. Poor Hydration – When you’re dehydrated, you may feel like your hungry, which can result in overeating. Drinking the right amount of water also encourages the body to shed pounds; those who drink plenty of H2O most often always weigh less than those who don’t. So the next time you want to reach for a snack, reach for a glass of the clear stuff instead.
  2. Eating Low-Fat Foods – Low fat should equal fat loss, right? The opposite is actually true. Low-fat foods can actually make you fat. Why? Fat-free and low-fat foods typically contain more fast-burning carbohydrates than other foods, resulting in a sugar high and a hungry, grumpy, sluggish crash afterwards.
  3. Meal Multitasking – Anytime you combine other activities with eating, you are likely to consume too many calories. Watching TV, reading, working, and driving while eating should be avoided. Make meal time all about eating and let the other stuff wait.
  4. Skipping Meals – Common sense will tell you that if you skip a meal, you will probably eat more at your next meal due to ravishing hunger. However, there’s more to it than that. Skipping meals slows down your metabolism, which means your body slows the calorie-burning process. So not only will you eat more if you skip a meal, your body will not burn off the calories efficiently.
  5. Sleep Patterns – Studies have shown that those who sleep too little or too much often weigh more than those who sleep an average of six to eight hours per night. In fact, poor sleepers can weight up to 2 ½ times more.
  6. Liquid Calories – Juices, sodas, and alcoholic beverages contain massive amounts of calories, but they don’t make you feel full. For this reason, liquid calories are considered empty calories. If absolutely cannot live without a glass of wine or can of soda, keep it to a minimum. Allow yourself only one calorie-containing drink per day.
  7. Emotional Eating – It’s human nature to turn to comfort foods when emotion strikes. Learn to recognize emotional eating and replace eating with other activities you enjoy when you’re feeling down.
  8. Eating the Bread – Most restaurants offer some sort of complimentary food such as bread, rolls, or chips. Do not fill up on the free food. In fact, ask your server to bring the bread with your meal.
  9. Not Eating Protein – Foods high in protein leave you feeling full longer, which means you will eat less. Eating a diet rich in protein will result in fewer calories consumed and a lower body weight.
  10. Shopping Habits – Do you do most of your grocery shopping in the center aisles? If so, you’re probably purchasing the wrong kinds of foods. Most of the healthy food is located along the four walls of the store. Do most of your shopping here.

To optimize weight loss, you need to do more than add healthy habits to your lifestyle. You must also remove the negative or poor habits that are making you fat and sabotaging your weight-loss efforts.   Here is some additional inspiration.

heygirlFB

 

What is the difference between good fats and bad fats?

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Fad diets are consistently popping up that claim fat free diets are the key to shedding those unwanted pounds. In the supermarket, shoppers are usually given a choice for a fat-free option of their processed grocery item. Individuals are bombarded with the idea that fat is bad, but in reality fat is a necessity for a healthy, well-balanced diet. Fat also brings a boost of beauty to our skin, by making it extra soft. It is also essential for brain function and can affect hormones. So even though fat is actually good for us, it still gets a poor reputation. This is because there are different types of fat, and it can be confusing when deciphering between the good fat and the bad fat.

good fats bad fatsEven with all the options for low fat food items, the obesity rate is still on the rise. This is because a variety of factors play into the role of obesity, such as protein, carbohydrates and whether an individual lives a sedentary lifestyle. Though there are more factors than just fat, most individuals are consuming more fat in their diet than they truly need, and it usually not the good fat either.

Trans fats are found in snacks you get at the vending machine and baked goods. Saturated fats are usually found in animal products, such as meat and dairy. Saturated and trans fats are not absorbed by the body the same way good fats are, so they play a role in weight gain and clogging arteries. There has also been speculation that saturated and trans fats play a role in other diseases, such as cancer.

Good fats are found in your non-processed foods like avocado, nuts and salmon. These are monounsaturated fats and polyunsaturated fats and play a vital role in the overall health and diet. These good fats provide essential nutrients to the body and actually contribute to weight loss success if consumed in moderation. These healthy fats provide nutrients to the body, therefore leaving an individual satisfied after consumption and curbing their hunger.

Since excess weight gain is stored fat, it is important where the fat is stored on the body. If a person is more of a pear shape, where they hold their weight on their hips and thighs, then they are at less at risk for health issues than someone who is an apple shape. A person who is an apple shape stores their fat in their abdomen, which gives them a belly. This fat is close to organs and the liver and can put a person at risk for developing diabetes.

The key to being healthy and getting rid of unnecessary fat is to switch out the bad fat with the good fat. Individuals should not go non-fat but rather get their fat from different sources, and not from convenient processed food and red meat. The correct amount of fat a person should consume depends on their height, weight and age. Though the amount is variable, individuals should keep their good fat intake below 35% of their daily calories. By eliminating bad fat from their diet, individuals will be on the right path for losing weight and getting healthy.

Kellee lost 101 pounds with weight loss surgery

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Let’s show some love to Kellee who lost 101 pounds.  This blogger and proud mom of 2 opted for weight loss surgery to end a lifelong battle with her weight.  Check out her blog.  Here is what she shared with us:

My name is Kellee, and this is my story! My life seems pretty happy….HAPPY not Perfect, but allow me to invite you on my journey and show you what it took me to get here.  Ok, here’s the kinda long version.  Just care with me!!!  All my life, I have struggled with being me.  To my friends and family I was Kellee, The Fun (and Chubby) Girl that was always cracking jokes, smiling and being outgo Kellee weight loss surgerying!  That was the person I appeared to be! I have always been very expressive and very different, but I have always felt like, well I couldn’t be ME.  Why, Because I wasn’t happy with the person I was. Even as a child, I remember being called fat by classmates and to this day I HATE that word with a passion! I couldn’t understand it. I tried to be nice to everyone, have fun with my friends, treat others the way I wanted to be treated, yet sometimes I was ridiculed for my size. I would go home, cry and ask God why he made me the way I was!  My weight, my lips, my teeth..I hated EVERYTHING ABOUT MY BODY! Ok, I’m getting depressed…NO! I’m Not (Bi-polar moment) ……Sooooooo Back to the journey.

My life consisted of weight gain and weight lost! I went through so many phases of trying to be the Kellee I was yearning to be! After diets, starvation, and pills of course, I decided I’d had ENOUGH! Here I was 28 years, and almost 300 pounds! This was ridiculous! I had 2 small children.  I wanted to run with and LIVE for!  SOMETHING had to be done.. AND GUESS WHAT…..I did it Dammit!

After Lots of research, tears, fears and tons prayers I decided to Weight Loss Surgery (I opted for the Lap Band).  It has changed my life FOREVER! Weight loss Surgery is NOT a easy fix!  Sure, its a Boost, but you still have to work EXTREMELY Hard!!!  I had to change my food portions, exercise, and change my lifestyle for good!  I’m still a work in progress, but I’m well on my way!!!

Kellee wight loss before after