You Get What You Pay For Mentality

There is a saying, “You get what you pay for.”  I tend to be of that mindset.  People don’t like to work for free, so what happens is (at least when it comes to providing services) less than 100% effort is given to the project.  The quality of work usually ends up being poor.  But what about these free diets online?  Aren’t they just as good as their fee based membership competitors?  Yes, they are.   Let’s take a look at why free diet programs on line are just as good, if not better than fee based memberships online. 

An Offer They Can’t Refuse

Free diets online know that in order to attract dieters, they have to offer the same if not more than their competitors.  For starters, their websites need to be extremely attractive and inviting.  It’s easy to design your own professional looking website today with the same state-of-the-art software that major weight loss conglomerates use.  Once the site is aesthetically pleasing, the next part of the competition is web content.  Free diet plans online need to have a tag line, or a sales pitch.  They need to write compelling content to make dieters want to join.  In other words, they have to make them an offer they can’t refuse.

Look For These Highlights

If you’re going to go the free route, make sure they have the following:

Longevity – The plan they offer must be something they can live with and use for life.

Exercise Plan – The website must highlight an exercise program.  Any food plan that doesn’t include exercise is not helpful in the long run.  Studies show that people who maintain weight loss exercise regularly. 

Variety is the Spice of Life – A well balanced diet should include all food groups.  Any weight loss plan that bans whole groups of foods or is extremely restrictive calorically, is an unhealthy diet. 

Peer Support – A great online diet plan should have a forum where members can turn to each other for support.

Based on my review, most free online diet plans have all of the above bells and whistles – just like their competitors.  It also means their just as good as the big shots.

For more information on this please visit our site at www.totallytrim.com

* I’ll make a promise to myself to follow thru on my diet, regardless of what else is occurring in my life.
* I’ll make the essential changes in my exercise and diet program.
* I’m able to spend some time at the start of each week planning my meals and exercise routine for that week.
* I am able to continue to discover ways to stay inspired till I reach my target weight.

* I am able to evaluate my plan from time to time to be certain it’s still working for me.

* I’m able to work out how to accept lapses and problems as opportunities to come up with new goals and techniques, not to use them as excuses for giving up. Any “false” answers point out the areas requiring special attention.

When setting your goals, keep these 2 crucial points in mind :

* Confirm your goals are pragmatic.

You need to be ready to complete your goals in the time-frame you give yourself.

For instance, if you are saying you are going to cook a low-cal dinner tonight, be certain you’ve got the ingredients available when you get home. If you find that any goal is impractical, don’t stress out. Redefine the goal.

* Ensure your goals are as explicit as possible. The more clear your goals, the simpler it is to gauge your progress along the path. For example, you do not just need to be thinner ; you need to lose sixty pounds. You do not need to simply cut down on the amount of calories you consume ; you would like to stick to a 1,200-calorie plan.

Do you want to lose ten, 20, or maybe fifty pounds? And what if you could lose weight practically free? (They are not exactly free, you have to pay a couple of dollars for shipping) Do you think that you might be interested?

The total system is available for just a few bucks, and when you consider the cost of those other weight loss companies, it is a great bargain. If you join one of those expensive, weight loss programs, it can set you back quite a bit, and, you have to buy their over priced food. But now, because of a discovery by a m from New Jersey, you can lose 50 pounds or more for just a few bucks. And, in this tough economy, any time that you can lose weight practically free, it is a good thing.

She discovered this trick to lose weight practically free by combining two separate free trials online from MaxAcai Boost and Colotrim. For an investment of only a few bucks for shipping, she discovered an amazing weight loss process that rivals what you would expect to get from those expensive weight reduction programs. And her cost was about 1/one hundredth of what she would have paid to some of those other programs!

The trick is that she used 2 trial offers from the Net that cost her less than $5 bucks for shipping.

So, because she wanted to lose about 50 pounds, she did a little analysis online. Fortunately for us, she came up with the idea to combine 2 different strategies. She just needed to get a way to check them without spending lots of cash.

She searched for a number of days till she ultimately discovered two great products to check that had FREE trials and only required that she pay the shipping charges. The two products she found were MaxAcai Boost and Colotrim. Here is how she mixed them so effectively to lose 47 pounds:

Step one – MaxAcai Boost is the first and most crucial part of the routine. MaxAcai Boost works to :

Super boost your energy by providing more health benefits and nutrients than any other food in the world.
Utterly eliminate hunger pains. You simply don’t feel hungry, ever!
Stabilizes your metabolism.
Revitalizes skin cells. So when you shed weight your skin doesn’t look saggy and stretched out. It also tightens the skin around your neck and face. Basically, it tones and tightens the skin thru your body. You just look younger, and feel great!

Step two – Colotrim is the second crucial step in the routine. While MaxAcai Boost gives you energy, revitalizes your cells and helps suppress your hunger, the Colotrim :

Removes amassed sludge from the walls of your colon.
Once the walls of your colon are cleaned, it allows your body to dispose of excess blubber by easily dumping it through the cleaned out colon. It is astounding.
And because your colon is clean, your body is better in a position to absorb the MaxAcai Boost better.
This allows even more fat and toxins to be eliminated thru the bowel, including toxins built up in the liver, gal bladder, and pancreas.
The method becomes a healthy, refreshing cycle that keeps benefiting your body again and again.

Her little experiment turned into a powerful discovery. Her quest to lose weight practically free provided results that were astonishingly better than she had imagined. In reality, it looked as good, or better, than what she would have forecast by using those costly weight loss programs. And when you factor in that it cost her one / 100th of the price, she was ecstatic.

It is known to many that proper diet, regular exercise, and utmost discipline are the basic ingredients in achieving balanced and healthy living. But more often than not, people who are either obese of morbidly obese do not adhere to these guiding principles on how to achieve those weight loss goals and often experience severe results.

ALL ABOUT LOW FAT DIETS

Through the years, statistics continues to show that 95 percent of people who try traditional diets fail. These studies also show that improper dieting have caused miserable suffering to those have tried it because they underwent drastic food restriction and deprivation. Aside from the depression caused by failed diet and failure of short-term weight loss goal, these people have also developed chronic illnesses.

One of major reasons why people become obese is that they have high blood cholesterol levels due to fat intake. If you want to achieve your desired weight, make sure that you familiarize yourself first with fats. Basically, there are two major types of dietary fat—the saturated and unsaturated fat. Saturated fats may lead to the increase of cholesterol in the blood while eating unsaturated fats or oils can help decrease cholesterol levels. Fats are also categorized as “low fat” which has 20 to 30 percent of calories derived from fats and “very low fat” that has 0 to 19 percent of calories from fats.

Experts say that fat has more than twice the calories as the same amount of protein or carbohydrate this is why a good low fat diet can be helpful in the reduction of weight gain and lowering blood cholesterol as well. Over the years, health authorities and experts agree low fat diets are the best because these enable people to control over weight through lowered fat consumption.

The most typical low fat diets include the Ornish Diet, the Pritikin Diet, Hip and Thigh Diet, Scarsdale Diet, F-Plan Again Diet, Mayo Clinic Plan, Rice Diet, Weight Watchers Diet, Jenny Craig Diet, The 3-Hour Diet, and Anne Collins Diet Program that offer different low fat diets.

Here are some ways to eat less fat:

1. Try eating fewer fried foods. Instead of eating fried foods, opt for grilled, boiled, baked, poached, steamed or dry roasted foods.

2. Stop adding butter, lard, and margarine to food while preparing and cooking. Also, spare yourself from spreads.

3. Cut down on visible fat from meat.

4. Eat less fatty meat products like sausages, burgers, meat pies, and pasties.

5. Consume semi-skimmed or skimmed milk instead of drinking whole milk.

6. Try eating low-fat or reduced-fat varieties of cheeses.

7. Eat lesser high-fat foods like crisps, chocolates, cakes, pastry products, biscuits, and pizzas.

8. Drink low-fat or natural yogurts or creams.

The need to stretch neck muscles do not only stem from physical fitness but also a way to relieve stress on the neck muscles and on the upper back. Some people also feel especially good when their nape and neck area is massaged. Although this is not directly connected with ways to stretch neck muscles, the muscles will feel relief when massaged.

Ways To Stretch Neck Muscles

The flexion stretch of the neck is one way to stretch neck muscles especially in the back of the neck and the upper part of the back. This stretch for neck muscles entails bringing one’s chin as close a possible to one’s chest. Hold the position for about ten to twenty counts and then release. This stretch should be repeated for at least five times. One other way to stretch neck muscles is to do the opposite of the former stretch. To stretch neck muscles of the front neck, bend the head backwards until one achieves a stretch. Similar to the former stretch, about ten to twenty counts should do in holding the stretch and repetitions.

Some trainers also stretch neck muscles by tilting their heads to sides, sometimes with the help of a hand pulling down the head to one side. Each tilt of the head to one side should be held for about ten counts and repeated about five times for each side. Another similar way to stretch neck muscles is to turn the head to one side while the body faces front. Usually, the individual places both hands on either side of the hips and turns his or her head to the left while counting to five and then the head should stop at the original position before turning to the right for another five second hold.

These ways to stretch neck muscles are very effective in keeping the muscles in shape and on top form. These also help to ease strain when the individual has been in one position for too long like while at work.

Stretching before exercises is the first thing that every physical trainer would recommend. By loosening the muscles one can feel relaxed and stress free while exercising.

Along with a Very Low Calorie Diet for Weight Loss

The “HCG Diet” has become popular over the last few years due to the accessibility of the Internet and advertising by clinics that perform the protocol.  I’ve read ATW Simeons protocol “Pounds and Inches: a New Approach to Obesity” several times.  The paper is intriguing in terms of Simeons’ theories about weight gain and the role of hypothalamic dysfunction in prevention of weight loss.  It’s also bold – Simeons claims that the protocol is easy to follow and uniformly effective in suppressing appetite, elevating mood, and enabling “abnormal”, stubborn fat to be lost.  He also states that HCG resets the hypothalamus to prevent lost weight from being regained.  “Pounds and Inches” is available from several sources on the Internet.  If you’re interested, you can order a copy of Simeons’ paper describing his protocol published in 1954 from the Lancet. (1)

HCG or “human chorionic gonadotropin” is a hormone produced during pregnancy.  It’s also produced by tumors in women (hydatidiform mole) and men (testicular cancer).  HCG injections are used medically since part of its molecular structure mimics luteinizing hormone (LH). HCG injections (in dosages ranging from 1000 to 2000 units, 2-3 times per week) are used to increase testosterone production in men with low testosterone who want to preserve fertility.  HCG injections (5,000 to 10,000 units) are sometimes used in women to induce ovulation.

Simeons protocol uses minute dosages of HCG (125 units), 6-7 days per week for 23 to 40 days, along with a very low calorie (VLC) diet of 500 calories per day.  Since HCG does share some of its molecular structure with LH and thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), theoretically, it may increase testosterone production, ovulation and progesterone production, or release of thyroid hormone.  It may also cause excess stimulation of the ovary and ovarian cysts.  However, the dosage used is very small and these effects are unlikely.  A VLC diet (with or without HCG) can precipitate gallstones (since it’s very low in fat), and may cause symptoms of toxicity (since fat tissue stores toxins).

Research regarding HCG injections and weight loss is nearly all negative.  In other words, most trials where patients received either HCG injections or placebo and followed identical VLC diets, show no difference in amount of weight lost, type of weight lost, hunger level, or mood.  A summary of published studies follows this paper.

No study that I’ve read has looked at long-term maintenance of weight lost with the HCG protocol.  Randomized controlled trials of VLC diets show a large variation in regain of initial weight loss percentage.  Participants in these trial regained 7-122% of initial weight lost by one year, and 26-121% by 5 years. (2)  Active follow-up weight maintenance programs that include behavior therapy, nutritional education, and exercise are more effective at improving weight maintenance. 

It would be worthwhile to perform a clinical trial to see if participants following the HCG protocol are more successful at maintaining weight loss than VLC diet alone.  Simeons claims patients who follow his protocol maintain weight loss 60-70% of the time, although I don’t think he published data to back up this claim.

I’ve spoken to many patients who’ve followed the HCG protocol with great success – they’ve lost significant amounts of weight, did not feel hungry, and had an increased sense of well-being.  Many of these people have sustained their weight loss.  I’ve personally gone through Simeons protocol, documenting all calories consumed as well as calories burned (by wearing a Bodybugg®).  I also measured my fat and muscle percentage before and after the diet using bioelectrical impedence analysis.  I lost 12 pounds and 4% body fat during the 23 day protocol.  I was extremely hungry throughout the entire protocol, although I did exercise every day.  Some proponents of the protocol recommend not exercising, although this seems like bad advice given the overwhelming health benefits of regular exercise.

My position on the HCG protocol for weight loss is that I do not think it’s harmful.  I also don’t think it has any effect over placebo.  I do not discount the power of any placebo.  The placebo response is really a measure of the power of the self-healing ability. 

I think you should be informed about the research regarding HCG and weight loss before undergoing this protocol.  You should also make sure your physician is aware of your current health status before you follow any VLC diet, and that causes of abnormal weight gain (e.g., hypothyroidism, hypogonadism, and other endocrine problems) have been ruled out.  Before going on any VLC diet, I’d also recommend undergoing a detox program that supports Phase I and Phase II liver function.  Make sure you don’t have pre-existing gallstones, or liver or kidney disease.  If you’re using insulin for diabetes management, you must make sure your dosage is adjusted based on blood sugar levels, and that you don’t develop ketoacidosis, which can be fatal. 

Note that since 1975, the FDA requires the following information to be given with any HCG advertised or promoted for weight loss:

HCG has not been demonstrated to be effective adjunctive therapy in the treatment of obesity. There is no substantial evidence that it increases weight loss beyond that resulting from caloric restriction, that it causes a more attractive or “normal” distribution of fat, or that it decreases the hunger and discomfort associated with calorie-restricted diets.

If you are interested in a safe and effective weight loss program, consider the First Line Therapy® program we use in our office.  This twelve-week program includes a medical food (UltraMeal Plus 360) clinically proven to lower unhealthy triglycerides and cholesterol, reduce weight, and improve blood pressure, (3) along with a low-glycemic, Mediterranean-type diet.  Healthy eating, exercise, and stress-management habits are taught for life-long ideal weight maintenance. 

Dr. Kathryn Retzler

1   Simeons AT. The action of chorionic gonadotrophin in the obese. Lancet. 1954 Nov 6;267(6845):946-7.

2  Saris W. Very-low-calorie diets and sustained weight loss. Obesity Research. 2001;Suppl 4:295S-301S.

 3  Lukaczer D, Liska D, Lerman R, et al. Effect of a low glycemic index diet with soy protein and phytosterols on CVD risk factors in postmenopausal women. Nutrition 2006;22:104-113.

Summary of Research and Articles RE: HCG Injections

& VLC Diet for Weight Loss

Note: Dr. Simeons does not state that HCG alone accomplishes weight loss; rather, he states patients treated with HCG will not be hungry or tired, will lose a different kind of weight (”abnormal fat” that is difficult to lose), and will experience an increased sense of well-being.  He also claims that weight lost is unlikely to be regained (”60-70%” of patients keep weight off) due to a resetting  of the hypothalamus.

Positive studies:

Asher W, Harper H. Effect of human chorionic gonadotrophin on weight loss, hunger, and feeling of well-being. Am J Clin Nutr. 1973;26(2):211-8.

This study is a well-designed, randomized, double-blind trial of  40 women receiving HCG or placebo at an HCG treatment clinic (Harold Harper, MD).  All followed a 500 to 550 kcal diet; 20 received 125 IU HCG six days per week for 6 weeks (36 injections); 20 received placebo injections six days per week (36 injections).  Mean age of the HCG group was 37.8 years; placebo group 38.4 years.  Results: Mean weight loss (HCG: 19.96 +/- 1.63 lbs; placebo: 11.05 +/- 1.29 lbs) and percentage of starting weight lost (HCG: 11.47%; placebo: 6.77%) were greater in the HCG group than the placebo group. Fourteen patients lost 15 lbs or more in the HCG group; 5 lost 15 lbs or more in the placebo group.

Hunger was decreased (HCG: 76.6% of daily responses indicated little or no hunger; placebo group 48.7% of daily responses indicated little or no hunger). Feeling of well being was greater in the HCG group (HCG: 86.5% indicated they felt “good” to “excellent”; placebo: 70% said they felt “good” to “excellent”). Blood pressure was not significantly different between the two groups. Interestingly, Dr. Harper’s patients who received placebo injections lost more weight on average than either the HCG or placebo patients of 4 other physicians.  The authors concluded, “Therefore, HCG used in a casual program of weight reduction, as it is often used in a general practice, is of no value,” meaning that the very low calorie diet is the critical element leading to weight loss.

Gusman H. Chorionic gonadotropin in obesity. Further clinical observations. Am J Clin Nutr. 1969;22:686.

In this article, Dr. Gusman states he’s treated “well over 2,500 patients of both sexes, aged 15 to 75″ with Simeons’ HCG protocol.  Gusman studied with A.T.W. Simeons at his clinic in Rome.  This article discusses Simeons’ concept of obesity, namely, that it is a “definite metabolic disorder, much as is diabetes, caused by a breakdown of a regulating mechanism located in the…hypothalamus.” He call this “the fat-regulating center.”

Gusman explains that fat cells in the obese differ from normal fat cells in that they’re more numerous and larger.  These “overstuffed” fat cells metabolize glucose less efficiently than normal fat cells.  Normal fat tissue serves two functions: structural material (to protect organs and blood vessels) and fuel storage.  Abnormal fat tissue is also a potential reserve for fuel, but is not immediately available in nutritional emergencies.  Only after the normal fat reserves are exhausted will the body use abnormal fat.  Severe calorie restriction leads to exhaustion of normal fat reserves before abnormal fat is used, and the patient will be weak and hungry “while the ugly fat deposits – of which he originally wished to rid himself – have hardly been reduced.  At this point, the patient often becomes depressed and frustrated, and the diet is abandoned.” 

The only type of “nutritional emergency” where all types of fat cells are immediately useable is during pregnancy.  Simeons suggests it’s HCG that brings about changes in the hypothalamus preventing obesity during pregnancy. 

Gusman compiled records from 450 of his patients receiving either 3 or 6 week treatment.  He makes the following observations: 1) 90% of patients were able to reduce their weight, 2) 60-70% reached their desired normal weight, 3) “a majority” claimed this regiment was the easiest and most successful to follow, 4) “many” who regained some or all of their weight claimed they kept their weight off longer than previously, and didn’t mind returning for treatment, 5)”nearly all patients” experienced “euphoria” in spite of marked low intake of food, and 6) the markedly obese had the most satisfying results.

Lebon P. Treatment of overweight patients with chorionic gonadotropin. J Am Geriat Soc. 1966;14:116.

Lebon P. Action of chorionic gonadotrophin in the obese. Lancet. 1961;2:268.

Simeons AT. The action of chorionic gonadotrophin in the obese. Lancet. 1954 Nov 6;267(6845):946-7.

Stuart C. The action of chorionic gonadotophin in the obese. Lancet. 1961;278(7196):268-9.

Negative studies:

Bosch B, Venter I, Stewart RI, et al. Human chorionic gonadotrophin and weight loss. A double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. S Afr Med J. 1990;77(4):185-9.

This study was a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial comparing HCG injections with placebo for weight loss.  Forty obese women (body mass index greater than 30 kg/m2) were placed on the same diet supplying 5,000 kJ per day and received daily intramuscular injections of saline or HCG, 6 days a week for 6 weeks. A psychological profile, hunger level, body circumferences, a fasting blood sample and food records were obtained at the start and end of the study, while body weight was measured weekly.  Results: Subjects receiving HCG injections showed no advantages over those on placebo in respect of any of the variables recorded. Furthermore, weight loss on the diet was similar to that on severely restricted intake. The authors conclude, “There is no rationale for the use of HCG injections in the treatment of obesity.”

Craig L, Ray R, Waxler S, et al. Chorionic gonadotropin in the treatment of obese women. Am J Clin Nutr. 1963;12:230-234.

This study was a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of evaluating the effectiveness of the Simeon method using HCG vs. placebo, and a 550 calorie per day diet.  Twenty obese women were treated for forty days. Results: all subjects but one lost weight, but the losses were small and not uniform, suggesting varied adherence to the diet.  The basal metabolic rate was increased in four HCG subjects and two control subjects. 

Greenway FL, Bray GA. Human chorionic gonadotrohpin (HCG) in the treatment of obesity: a critical assessment of the Simeons method. West J Med. 1977;127(6);461-3.

This study was a double-blind, placebo control trial using HCG injections or placebo to test weight loss, hunger level, mood, and localized (spot) reduction while adhering to a very low calorie diet.  Results: Weight loss was identical between the two groups, and there was no evidence for differential effects on hunger, mood or localized body measurements. The authors conclude, “Placebo injections, therefore, appear to be as effective as HCG in the treatment of obesity.”

Lijesen S, Theeuwen I, Assendelft W, et al. The effect of human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) in the treatment of obesity by means of the Simeons therapy: a criteria-based meta-analysis. Br J Clin Pharmacol 1995;40:237-243.

This paper was a meta-analysis of eight uncontrolled and 16 controlled trials measuring the effect of HCG in the treatment of obesity.  The trials were scored for quality and methods (based on four main categories: study population, interventions, measurement of effect, and data presentation and analysis) and the main conclusion of author(s) with regard to weight-loss, fat-redistribution, hunger, and feeling of well-being.  Methodological scores ranged from 16 to 73 points (maximum score 100), suggesting that most studies were of poor methodological quality.  Of the 12 studies scoring 50 or more points, one reported that HCG was a useful adjunct.  The studies scoring 50 or more points were all controlled.  The authors concluded, “that there is no scientific evidence that HCG is effective in the treatment of obesity; it does not bring about weight-loss or fat-redistribution, nor does it reduce hunger or induce a feeling of well-being.”

Miller R, Schneiderman LJ. A clinical study of the use of human chorionic gonadotrophin in weight reduction. J Fam Pract 1977 Mar;4(3):554-8.

Treatment of obesity with human chorionic gonadotrophin was shown to be of no better value than saline in a double-blind crossover study of weight reduction in obese subjects. There was also no significant difference in mood, hunger, or missed injections, and no apparent difference in adherence to diet when the two agents were compared. In contrast, a significant difference was found in the ability of subjects to lose weight in the first four weeks of the study in contrast with the second four weeks, no matter which agent was used. Thus, the initiation of a new therapeutic program, even using an inert agent, has a temporary benefit–a manifestation both of placebo effect and the Hawthorne effect.

Rabe T, Richter S, Kiesel L, Runnebaum B. [Risk-benefit analysis of a  hCG-500 kcal reducing diet (cura romana) in females]. Geburtshilfe Frauenheilkd. 1987 May;47(5):297-307.

The British physician A.T.W. Simeons described in 1954 a new method for dieting. He combined a reduction diet (500 kcal per day) with daily injections of the pregnancy hormone human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) (125 IU i.m.). According to Simeons the patient should not lose more weight during a 4-to-6 weeks’ diet than without hCG, but the injections should facilitate to maintain the diet and to lose body weight at specific parts of the body (e.g. hip, belly, thigh). After the first publication various studies conducted with male and female patients analysed the efficacy of the “Cura romana”. 10 of these studies showed positive and another 10 studies negative results with regard to hCG-related weight reduction. Two of these studies with positive results were double-blind studies (hCG vs. placebo). Most of them were reports on therapeutical experiences and were not controlled studies. According to these reports the body proportions normalized and the feeling of hunger was tolerable. Four out of 10 studies with negative results were controlled studies (hCG vs. control without hCG), whereas 6 were double-blind studies. These studies showed a significant weight reduction during dieting, but no differences between treatment groups in respect of body weight, body proportions and feeling of hunger. One of them is the only German study conducted by Rabe et al. in 1981 in which 82 randomised premenopausal volunteers had been dieting either with hCG or without hCG injections. In recent publications describing mostly well-documented double-blind studies, authors largely reject hCG administration in dieting. Supporters of the hCG diet must prove the efficacy of this method in controlled studies according to the German Drug Law. Until then the opinion of the German steroid toxicology panel is still valid, that hCG is ineffective in dieting and should not be used.

Shetty KR, Kalkhoff RK. Human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) treatment of obesity. Arch Intern Med. 1977 Feb;137(2):151-5.

This study compared After a nine-day control period, six hospitalized obese women given 125 IU of human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) intramuscularly daily for 30 days with five obese women who received injections of dilutent only (placebo.  Patients consumed identical, 500-calorie per day diets for the same period.  Although the number of patients was small, the study is significant since patient diets and all injections were monitored closely in a hospital setting. Results: Mean weight loss in the HCG-treated group was nearly identical to that achieved by women given the placebo. Reduction of triceps skinfold thickness or circumferential body measurements of the chest, waist, hips, and thighs were not different. Patterns of change of a variety of plasma and urine substrates, electrolytes, and hormones were similar in the two groups and consistent with semistarvation and weight loss.  The authors concluded,” These results indicate that HCG has no effects on chemical and hormonal parameters measured and offers no advantage over calorie restriction in promoting weight loss.”

Stein MR, Julis RE, Peck CC, et al. Ineffectiveness of human chorionic gonadotrophin in weight reduction: a double blind study. Am J Clin Nutr. 1976;29(0):940-8.

This study was a well-designed, randomized, double-blind trial of 51 women receiving HCG or placebo for 32 days (28 injections), along with a 500 to 550 kcal/day diet.  The study was designed to duplicate the Asher-Harper study (above).  Each patient was given the same diet (the one prescribed in the Asher-Harper study), was weighed daily Monday through Saturday and was counseled by one of the investigators who administered the injections. Results: There was no statistically significant difference in the means of the two groups in number of injections received, weight loss (HCG: 15.79 lbs; placebo: 15.52 lbs), percent of weight loss (HCG: 9.48%; placebo: 9.25%), hip and waist circumference, weight loss per injections, or in hunger ratings. The authors concluded, “HCG does not appear to enhance the effectiveness of a rigidly imposed regimen for weight reduction.”

Young RL, Fuchs RJ, Woltjen MJ. Chorionic gonadotrophin in weight control. A double-blind crossover study. JAMA. 1976;236(22):2495.

Two hundred two patients participated in a double-blind, randomized, cross-over study of the effectiveness of human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) vs. placebo in a weight reduction program. Serial measurements were made of weight, skin-fold thickness, dropout rates, reasons for dropping out, and patient subjective response. Results: There was no statistically significant difference between those receiving HCG vs. placebo during any phase of this study.

Other interesting studies

Sohar E. A forty-day-550 calorie diet in the treatment of obese outpatients.  Am J Clin Nutr. 1959;7:514-518.

The purpose of this paper was to present a method of producing rapid weight reduction in obese patients.  This study looked at forty-five patients who started fifty-three courses of 550-calorie diet, consisting of two meals prescribed in detail.   Patients were told what to eat (Simeon diet) and were not told calorie content.  Thirty-nine patients were given HCG injections (125 units), fourteen others received daily injections of saline.  Patients were told that weight reduction would be due to the diet but that injections would help curb appetite.  The authors assumed from the start that HCG was ineffective in terms of weight reduction.  Injections were given for “psychological reasons only” since patients were assured they would curb appetite. 

The authors state that the diet Simeon prescribed is successful because average daily weight loss is high due to the very low calories consumed.  Patients are more likely to stick to the diet due to time limitation – i.e., they know the diet will only last 40 days.  They state that “the vast majority of patients are willing to suffer for forty days for the reward of losing the predicted and attainable amount of 20 pounds.”  The author also surmises that success is due to the fact that food is prescribed, not calories.  This eliminates the estimating that usually goes on with calorie counting.  In other

words, most patients do not weigh or measure food and do not record calories properly.  Sohar recommends not advising patients in terms of calories, but to prescribe meals in detail. 

Another reason Sohar gives for success of the diet is that only two meals per day are prescribed; therefore, contact with food is minimized.  Lastly, activity level is unrestricted, “enabling all obese people, most of whom are housewives, to reduce.”  Sohar points out that his paper, as well as Simeon’s work, proves that obese patients can lead a normal life performing moderate work on 500 to 600 calories per day.

(1) Simeons AT. The action of chorionic gonadotrophin in the obese. Lancet. 1954 Nov 6;267(6845):946-7.

 (2) Lukaczer D, Liska D, Lerman R, et al. Effect of a low glycemic index diet with soy protein and phytosterols on CVD risk factors in postmenopausal women. Nutrition 2006;22:104-113.