For years, Dr. ATW Simeons’ hCG diet has been a popular choice for many people looking to lose weight quickly and effectively. However, with the rise of the internet, there’s a lot of mixed information about the diet’s benefits and drawbacks, making it hard to know what to believe. Let’s address some common concerns.
**Low-Calorie Diet Worries:** Critics often argue that low-calorie diets are unhealthy and even dangerous. While this can be true if followed for a long time, short-term low-calorie diets can be beneficial. For instance, a 1997 study from the Diabetes Centre at the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital in Sydney showed that overweight diabetics on a very low-calorie diet (VLCD) not only lost significant weight but also improved their blood sugar control. Participants consumed just 425 calories a day for 12 weeks, resulting in smaller waistlines and lower blood pressure, cholesterol, and triglyceride levels. Interestingly, seven out of fourteen patients were able to stop taking insulin. The hCG diet involves eating 500 calories a day for just one month, supported by hCG hormone to ease the process.
**Feeling Hungry on the hCG Diet:** People often worry about being hungry on the hCG diet. The good news is that hCG helps your body use stored fat for energy, so alongside the 500 calories you eat daily, your body should have enough fuel to keep you from feeling too hungry.
**Safety of hCG:** hCG is used medically to treat certain fertility issues and is legally used “off-label” for weight loss. However, the FDA has banned hCG drops and homeopathic versions, as these products usually contain little to no real hCG.
There’s a lot of misunderstanding about low-calorie diets and the hCG diet in particular. Hopefully, this clears up some of the confusion and offers helpful insights.