This is not a sponsored post, I am NOT a doctor and I’m in no way recommending the HCG Diet. I’m simply sharing my HCG diet (human chorionic gonadotropin) experience and why I decided to take such drastic measures in my weight loss journey.

I do consider the HCG Diet drastic because it involves a very low calorie diet as in only 500 per day and injecting yourself with hormones. I know crazy – right? But let’s go beyond the needle. Let’s try to understand why I and anyone else would ever try the HCG Diet.

This type of extreme diet goes against everything I believe in. I’ve spent over 15 years studying nutrition and exercise. I have a Masters in Fitness Management. I’ve worked as a fitness instructor and personal trainer and always lived by the motto that clean eating and exercise are the path to being fit, healthy and managing weight.

If you’ve read any of my previous posts about hormone imbalance you may know I’ve struggled to lose weight after the birth of my second child. I gained 42 pounds during pregnancy and lost only 30 of those pounds since 2009. Nothing and I mean nothing has taken off the last 10 pounds.

I don’t get caught up in how much I weigh, however the scale is simply a guide. For me it’s about being lean, muscular and how I feel physically. Muscle weighs more than fat but currently my BMI and body fat % are too high. The primary guide for weight management is the way my clothes look and fit.

I’ve had more tests run than you can imagine over the past six years and as of January my naturopathic doctor finally stumped – tells me “We don’t know why you’re body isn’t burning fat or making muscle. My recommendation is the HCG Diet. You will lose 20 pounds.”

Say what?? I left feeling defeated, discouraged and depressed. Yes part of this is vanity – my clothes don’t fit as well when I’m this size, but the bigger issue is how I feel. At 5’2″, 10 extra pounds on my frame is hard on the joints. My knees, hips, feet and back hurt daily.

In January I wasn’t mentally prepared to try HCG. There had to be something I was missing. Maybe I wasn’t working out enough.

I immediately quit the gym, signed up for ClassPass and started working out 5-6 times per week, immersing myself into cycling, shred classes, pilates, strength training and whatever else I could find. A few months in I seriously injured myself during a class. My body was trying to tell me that this was NOT the answer.

After several intense massage therapy treatments, it was time to go back to the chiropractor for additional rehab where I was required to hop on the scale. I was not nervous in the least. My eating had been good and working out was on par.

To my horror I was five pounds heavier. Yes I know muscle weighs more than fat but I wasn’t burning fat! This theory is great but ladies if you’re body is not burning the fat you already have there is something going on internally!!

That’s when I couldn’t take it any longer something had to change. After consulting two girlfriends on their HCG experience and doing an extensive amount of research I decided it was time to give it a try.

What is the HCG Diet?

HCG or human chorionic gonadotropin is a hormone produced during pregnancy to help the baby grow, and while it has been used for different purposes in the medical community for decades, it has become an extreme weight loss diet that uses hCG drops, shots, or pills to suppress appetite paired with a 500-calorie diet. This diet is associated with dramatic weight loss, up to a pound a day. {source via}

HCG prevents muscle loss while you diet – which is the key component. By elevating hormone levels in the body, including testosterone, the HCG hormone creates an anabolic state (muscle-building) which counteracts the catabolic state (muscle-breakdown). There are hormone receptors on muscle fibers that respond to the increased hormone levels in patients taking the HCG hormone.

The hCG Diet was initially created by Dr. A.T.W. Simeons and outlined in his original manuscript, “Pounds and Inches:  A Guide to Weight Loss.”  This plan was intended for seriously obese individuals already at high risk for serious health issues because of their weight.  Over time, the diet has been modified by individual physicians to meet the needs of today and to include what we now know about health and weight loss. This has resulted in an entirely new approach to the original protocol, focused on getting people healthy, and not just thin.

Considering the HCG Diet?

• Consult a naturopathic doctor to review your health history. In Chicago I recommend Dr. Chavez from the Raby Institute. I have been to Whole Health Chicago (was ok but not as thorough) and Dr Stracks at Northwestern. He never looked at my diet and his follow up wasn’t great.
• Have your blood work done prior to even considering HCG. Here are examples of lab tests I have done over the years. You must rule out any thyroid or hormone imbalances and vitamin deficiencies.
• Only consider after exhausting all other options like natural supplements, diet and exercise.
• Purchase from a reliable, safe source. After extensive research, I purchased from IVme Chicago as they offer bio compound product.
• The right dose of HCG is extremely important. My next post will review this as it was a huge turning point in my journey. Most doctors will prescribe 200 iu’s but one size does not fit all women. After reading this article on Finding the Right Dose for You by HCG Chica – it changed everything for me. Her entire website was a game changer!

I chose the HCG injections per my doctor’s recommendation as being more effective for weight loss. Trust me – the thought of injecting myself with a needle was frightening and intimidating. Was this really the way to go?

My decision to try the HCG Diet has nothing to do with being skinny. It’s against my DNA to be a skinny girl but I do have aspirations to see muscle definition and results from working out. This is part one of my HCG journey. Over the next few weeks I’ll be sharing my struggles, tips and results.

If you have any questions please let me know but commenting below!

Have you tried or considered the HCG Diet? What was your experience? I’d love to know more!