HCG diet? Has anyone tried it?

I am thinking of trying this diet and pretty excited about it.

A friend first told me about it.  Basically you inject this pregnancy hormone every day and eat only 500 calories a day for 3 - 6 weeks.  I thought she was out of her mind and told her so.  Coincidentally Dr Oz did a program about the diet that exact same day.  I thought he would hate the diet and she would get off my back about it.  But no!  Shockingly he thought it "was worth a try". 

I have been researching the hell out of it and cannot understand how I never heard of it before.  I thought I had tried it all.

I "only" need to lose 20-25 pounds.  I had the RNY surgery 7 years ago and lost 90 (10 pounds short of my goal) and have subsequently gained another 12.  Nothing, but nothing works to get those pounds off (I have PCOS and this has been the story of my life).  I am truly desperate at this point and am willing to try anything. 

Has anyone tried the diet?
Karen

The substance is the latest version of snake oil....Oh wait, second latest. The Roca labs crap is the latest version. The only reason anyone loses any weight on this diet is because they starve themselves by eating significantly less than what was allowed to prisoners in Nazi concentration camps.

You can skip the expensive (and useless) HCG injections, just eat the 500 calories a day and lose a buttload of weight. It's another crap diet based on crap science. And by the way: "HCG is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to treat infertility in both men and women" so if you end up pregnant, you'll know why.

http://www.medpagetoday.com/PrimaryCare/DietNutrition/25276

http://www.dietscam.org/reports/hcg.shtml

http://healthwyze.org/index.php/component/content/article/449-the-hcg-diet-scam-exposed.html

http://www.physiciansplan.net/blog/?p=13

http://health.usnews.com/health-news/diet-fitness/diet/articles/2011/03/14/hcg-diet-dangers-is-fast-weight-loss-worth-the-risk

I was on HCG unknowingly via B-12 shots that were pumped up with HCG from a weight loss clinic.  I got pregnant at 5 months out. 

A girlfriend of mine's tried this diet and lasted only a few days maybe three at the most. What actually work is reducing your caloric intake but seriously 500 calories is too low to be doable. Try reducing your caloric intake a little and move more that should help get you moving in the right direction. Plus it's a whole lot cheaper.

 RUN.

FAR.

Away.

It's SOOO old...I had a neighbor on that nonsense back when I was about 20 years old and I'm 64 now.

It's more bull**** to sell to desperate people and there's another thread about it from about a week ago.

This isnt new, I did this diet many years ago, probably in the late 80's.  Much like Lindora where your calories are low, you will lose weight, when you go back to normal eating, you gain it back.  I think that would also mess with your metabolism. 
You are so close to goal, go with either the new WW diet or the Atkins/South Beach type diet to get off of carbs and back on track.  Bump up your excercise and water and get back on 2 protein drinks a day and I bet you will be singing a happy tune soon, you can do it!

Were you able to stick to the diet?  I don't think I'd be able to spend 3 weeks on a 500 calorie diet without some help.  All the information I have researched indicates that the hcg really does prevent you from feeling hungry.

I think you will gain any weight back any time you go back to normal eating.  That is the secondary challenge.  The first one is to get it off in the first place.  Unfortunately I CANNOT lose weight.  The only thing that has ever worked for me was RNY.  It scares me because I live on atkins induction phase, I watch every morsel of food that goes in my mouth and I exercise like a nut and the weight will not come off.  Worse than that, I am gaining 2-3 pounds a year.

I can't wait around till I get morbidly obese again.  I refuse!  I will try anything.

In just a couple of keystrokes, I've confirmed that the FDA has deemed HCG fraudulent and illegal.   http://www.naturalproductsinsider.com/news/2011/01/hcg-calle d-illegal-by-fda-exec.aspx

The folks here aren't being harsh...they are being realistic.  PLEASE don't do this.