What is the HCG diet and how is our program different?

There is a lot of information out on the “HCG Diet” on the internet, in various books, and other sources.However, much of what you hear or read may not be consistent with Dr. Emma’s HCG Diet Program. Dr.Sherri Emma has spent years conducting research and clinical trials. As a result, she has f o r m u l a t e d  avery specific program for the use of HCG.

Dr. Emma’s HCG Diet Program uses specific medical dosing of Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (HCG)during a low calorie diet. HCG is a hormone that is made by the body during pregnancy. It is a natural,protein hormone that acts as a precursor in the bodies of both men and women to produce hormonessuch as testosterone, estrogen, progesterone, and thyroid hormones. The act of stimulating thesehormones in very low levels appears to help the body sustain lean body mass while dieting. Normally, avery low calorie diet will produce weight loss; however, there will be a loss of muscle and lean tissues.The HCG appears to help counteract that by accessing calories from body fat rather than externalcalories.

There is also a reported loss of appetite. This takes a couple of days since the hormone takes a fewdays (approximately 48-72 hours) to build in the bloodstream to the typical therapeutic dose.Therefore, when starting a medical regimen of HCG for weight loss, it is advised to not start the dietuntil 2-3 days after beginning the medication. This allows time to prepare by going to the store forfood and planning meals for the week.

The weight loss expected on an HCG Program is dependent upon the degree of obesity at the startof the program. That is because the weight loss is diet dependent. One needs to consume less thantheir body requires in a day in order to see weight loss. The closer someone gets to their ideal bodyweight, the slower weight loss is due to the fact that their body is leaner and doesn’t require asmany calories as when they are obese. During the initial weeks of weight loss, it is customary to see aminimum weight loss of half a pound per day, up to greater than one pound per day. Individualresults vary and are affected by baseline metabolism, degree of obesity, medical conditions, andcompliance.

The length of time someone can be on HCG for weight loss is, at this time, unknown. The use ofHCG for weight loss involves a very low dose of a low risk medication. There appears to be very lowoccurrence of rebound, no dependency, and a positive effect on metabolism. Therefore, one cancontinue on Dr. Emma’s HCG Diet Program until a provider recommends discontinuing or until goal isreached, at which time one will enter a Transition to Maintenance program.