In the 50s of the last century, the British doctor Simeons developed his own method of losing weight, based on the peculiarities of the endocrine system. The doctor has developed a universal formula that helps to quickly lose weight, regardless of the patient’s gender and age.
The duration of the course is 40 days. During this time, the extra pounds disappear, and your health becomes much stronger.
Twenty years later, after the death of the doctor, the work was continued by Anat Stern, who tried to convey to people suffering from excess weight the effectiveness of the method. Anat Stern struggled with excess weight for many years and appreciated the effects of the diet from her own experience. Dr. Simeons' diet with Anat Stern continued to gain popularity.
The essence of the diet
Before talking about the internal processes that occur during a diet course, it is worth mentioning Simeons’ discovery. After research, the doctor came to the conclusion that the human body contains not just fat, but its varieties:
- Fat layer between internal organs and around muscles;
- A reserve that is deposited “for future use” in the hips, abdomen, and waist.
The first type can be conditionally called “useful”, since it is necessary to maintain normal life functions. But the second group is “bad fat,” which creates unnecessary stress on internal processes and spoils the aesthetic appearance of the figure. But it is this fat that the body does not want to part with. People who have tried many diets or tried to get back in shape through sports notice that their face, chest, and legs first lose weight. And fat in the waist area remains at the same level, regardless of the menu and physical activity. This once again confirms the reliability of the theory of Simeons and follower Anat Stern.
The only substance that effectively targets “bad” fat is hCG, the pregnancy hormone.
Under the influence of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), the body perceives fat as food. This leads to faster processing. A person stops feeling hungry; he needs much less real food than usual.
After a large number of experiments that confirmed Simeons’ theory about the need for hCG for rapid weight loss, the doctor was faced with the question: how to deliver the substance to the body. After all, hCG is independently produced exclusively in women and only during gestation. After some time, an artificial analogue of the hormone was created, which is introduced into the body in the form of injections, capsules or drops.
While taking hCG, to maintain the body in normal condition, it is enough to consume 500 calories per day. The rest of the daily requirement will be spent from the “strategic reserve”. With this regimen, there is a constant weight loss of up to 500 g every day, and with a decrease in weight per kilogram, 1 centimeter of volume is lost.
Are HCG drugs legal?
In the United States, the sale of over-the-counter medications containing HCH is illegal. This restriction also applies to homeopathic hCG preparations.
As a result of suppliers' violations of this law, the FDA and Federal Trade Commission (FTC) issued seven warning letters to companies that market products claiming to contain hormones.
These companies violate the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act and the Federal Trade Commission Act.
The hCG hormone is legal when prescribed by a doctor as an injection. The FDA approves HCG for female infertility and male hormone treatment.
Sometimes doctors may prescribe hCG for unauthorized weight loss. There is no evidence that it is effective and it may cause several adverse reactions.
Pros and cons of the diet
If you strictly follow the instructions, Dr. Simeons' diet will go smoothly and painlessly. The positive aspects of the system include:
- Rapid weight loss, results will be visible every day;
- Maintaining and improving health. During the diet, the functioning of body systems is normalized, metabolism is normalized, cholesterol and sugar levels are reduced;
- Safety. During the Simeons diet, muscle mass is not lost;
- Feeling comfortable. Throughout the entire period there is a feeling of satiety, despite the meager menu;
- Maintain final weight. During the diet, metabolism accelerates, which allows the body to maintain results for a long time after a course of such nutrition.
Under no circumstances should you start a diet without consulting a doctor and a thorough examination. The introduction of a hormone into the body can result in unpleasant problems. With a sharp restructuring of the body to a new regime, headaches, a state of apathy, or, conversely, excessive irritability are possible. In women, the menstrual cycle may be disrupted and the ability to conceive may be increased. In some cases, hCG men are at risk of developing tumor formations. Also, hCG is often incompatible with taking other medications.
Benefits, risks and side effects
There is no evidence to support taking hCG for weight loss, but using the hormone may cause side effects.
According to research, side effects of hCG have been reported to include:
- deepening
- accumulation of fluid in body tissues, known medically as edema.
- fatigue and lack of energy
- enlarged breasts in men, known as gynecomastia.
- irritability
- anxiety
- thromboembolism, known as thromboembolism.
Taking hCG may also affect the results of pregnancy tests, which help detect hCG in a person's urine.
Another potential risk may occur during a medical emergency if doctors are not aware of the diet of a person with hCG.
If a doctor tests a woman for pregnancy, hCG may give a positive result, but an ultrasound will not detect the fetus. Doctors may assume it is an ectopic pregnancy, which is a surgical emergency.
Severe calorie restriction can also lead to adverse effects such as
- deficiency of vitamins and minerals
- increased risk of gallstone formation
- muscle loss
- electrolyte imbalance
- uneven heartbeat
- risk of complications in people with heart disease, kidney disease, and diabetes
Those who experience side effects from following the HCG diet or using HCG supplements should consult a doctor immediately.
Additionally, the Food and Drug Administration recommends that people take VLCD only under appropriate medical supervision.
Allowed products and menus
The basic principle of nutrition is that the calorie content of the daily diet should not exceed 500 kcal. Dr. Simeons' diet involves the complete exclusion of any type of oil, starchy vegetables and fruits, and visible fat from meat products. Milk is strictly limited. Naturally, no fast food or semi-finished products. Products are steamed, boiled or baked.
Authorized products include:
- Lean meat, fish, seafood (chicken, turkey, fish other than herring, tuna, and salmon), beef, shrimp, veal);
- Vegetables, except potatoes;
- Citrus fruits and apples are acceptable fruits;
- You can use salt, herbs, lemon juice as spices;
- Tea, coffee, water. The minimum volume of fluid should be at least 2 liters every day.
The daily menu is as follows:
- Breakfast: a cup of tea or freshly brewed coffee. You can add a couple of teaspoons of skim milk;
- Lunch: protein food (meat, fish, chicken) plus one allowed fruit or vegetable;
- Dinner: fresh vegetable salad with lemon juice, one apple or orange.
If hunger makes itself felt, you can add a small slice of bread to lunch.
Diet plan
Homeopathic hCG is taken daily 3 times a day before standard meals (15 minutes before). The drops are taken under the tongue, held in the mouth for 15 seconds, then swallowed. You can eat 15-20 minutes after taking hCG. By acting on the central nervous system, the hormone helps overcome the feeling of hunger, and a person has the opportunity to develop the habit of proper nutrition, observing the qualitative and quantitative needs of his own body. The duration of the diet is 26 or 40 days, depending on how many extra pounds you need to lose.
Diet stages
First stage. Preparation
Duration – 2 days. You need to eat as usual, but at the same time start taking the hormone (injections or drops).
Second phase. Intensive weight loss
Lasts from the 3rd to the 40th day. The diet at this time should correspond to the menu described above. It is necessary to strictly monitor calories and not go beyond the established norm. At this stage, intensive breakdown of fat occurs under the influence of hCG.
Third stage. Weight stabilization
Duration – 3 days. Stop taking hCG. Nutrition remains the same - 500 kcal per day. The body “learns” to maintain proper metabolism by eliminating drops or injections, that is, without additional stimulation.
Fourth stage. Restoration and consolidation of results.
Continue for three weeks to consolidate results. But the period is quite conditional, since it is advisable to adhere to proper nutrition for as long as possible. At this time, you gradually need to return to the normal amount of food and the usual calorie content. You can introduce 1-2 products per day, with the exception of sugar and starch.
The diet of Simeons and Anat Stern belongs to the category of strict, even extreme. You cannot adhere to such a nutrition system for more than the specified period of 40 days.
If at the end of the process there is still excess weight, and there is a desire to repeat the process, you cannot do this after a week, with a minimum break of three months. Although, if you adhere to the principles of a healthy diet, the process of losing weight will continue on its own, since the body has already set up an accelerated metabolism.
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HCG diet (Dr. Simeons diet)
HCG diet , also known as Dr. Simeons' diet, is a specific diet, very popular in the United States these days, which involves constant monitoring of calorie intake and the level of human chorionic gonadotropin, as well as the mandatory use of active supplements that mimic the action of this hormone. It sounds difficult, but you can figure it out!
HCG diet: extraordinary regimen - extraordinary results! 9294
The principle of action and mode of the hCG diet
What does the term "hCG" mean? HCG is the common abbreviation for human chorionic gonadotropin, a hormone that is normally found in the human body at a certain level in large quantities but is synthesized during pregnancy. In principle, one of its functions is to regulate metabolism, and this is precisely the secret of the hCG diet, developed by British endocrinologist Albert Simeons in 1954. The fact is that the main role of this hormone is to control and regulate the use of fat reserves stored in the body in order to free up enough calories to support a new life. It is hCG that directs the cells that accumulate fat to begin converting it into energy. That is, in fact, human chorionic gonadotropin is a natural fat burner that is naturally produced in the human body!
Like other biochemical compounds synthesized in the human body, hCG is a complex hormone and its actions are well balanced by Nature to ensure healthy development of mother and child. And naturally, pregnant women do not lose weight even with high levels of this fat-burning hormone: they need a lot of energy to maintain a new life and their own metabolism. However, in the absence of pregnancy, weight loss can be achieved by simply increasing the level of hCG in the body - this was Dr. Simeons's brilliant idea. Dr. Simeons, in order to combat obesity, proposed the use of human chorionic gonadotropin surrogates as an active supplement to a very low-calorie diet for rapid and sustainable weight loss.
At first he used injections of this hormone in low doses on a daily basis, which were supported by the effect of a strict diet (500 calories per day), consisting of small amounts of fat and carbohydrates, but high in protein. Actually, the regime of the experimental endocrinologist looked like this:
- Every day the patient was administered 125 IU of hCG (only in the absence of menstruation).
- Until the third injection, I couldn’t eat enough. Weight was constantly monitored.
- After the third injection, 500 calories were allowed to be consumed each day, and this regimen had to be maintained for another 72 hours after the last hCG injection.
- It was allowed to consume any type of food during the three weeks of the diet, with the exception of starch and sugar.
- Starch in small quantities was allowed after three weeks of the hCG diet.
The author of the extraordinary diet tested his regime and in 1954 published the book that made him famous - Pounds and Inches. By testing the diet's effectiveness, he found that even after a long-term regimen of calorie restriction, muscle mass was maintained and his patients did not experience the negative symptoms typically associated with low-calorie diets. For example, Dr. Simeons' patients never experienced irritability, weakness, stomach pain, pangs of unbearable hunger, or headaches. So six decades after the book was published, Dr. Simeons' popular diet is still helping people lose those extra pounds for good.
Pitfalls of the hCG diet
Naturally, human chorionic gonadotropin, in the absence of pregnancy, is contained in the body of women (as well as men) only in small quantities. And if you are not pregnant, then a high level of hCG in the blood is an abnormality. But Dr. Simeons did not popularize injections of this hormone, but rather developed a number of products designed to imitate its effects. His first development is homeopathic nasal drops, which are also used in spray form. Naturally, over more than 50 years of using this diet, many alternative products have appeared, and not all of them can be called safe.
Supplements and Products
Today, the hCG diet and surrogates for this hormone are available in a wide variety of forms, but homeopathic drops remain the most popular version, including in the United States. To achieve sustainable weight loss while avoiding side effects, it is recommended that you strictly adhere to Dr. Simeons' diet protocol. The dosage of active supplements is also important, as it determines how long the effect of the surrogate hormone will last.
As for the foods that are recommended for this diet, Dr. Simeons’ book itself is quite clear in this regard: “All foods are allowed, with the exception of starch and sugar in any form (be careful with very sweet fruits!).” So many experts advise focusing on proteins and high-fat foods, avoiding sugars like fire and reducing carbohydrates to a minimum: fats + carbohydrates = a killer combination for a figure. The list below is considered ideal for following a standard hCG diet plan: beef, pork and poultry, butter, whole grains in any form, seeds and nuts; dairy products and cheeses; a variety of, but unsweetened, vegetables and fruits (avocado is considered especially healthy).
Potatoes, including sweet potatoes, carrots and other root vegetables, sugar-containing and carbohydrate fruits (bananas, grapes, tangerines, oranges, mangoes, cherries) are excluded. Beans are consumed with caution and in small doses.
It is recommended to split 500 kilocalories into two meals a day, with 100 grams of this coming from protein. Fats are also welcome, but only a small amount of carbohydrates is allowed.
As for drinks, standard drinking or mineral (or regular) water, coffee or tea without sugar are optimal. Fresh and packaged juices, carbonated drinks and anything that contains sugar or even sweeteners are prohibited. In total, fluid intake should be about 2 liters per day.
What the HCG Diet Promises: The Benefits of Dr. Simeons’ Regimen
The goal of Dr. Simeons' diet is to eliminate fatty tissue without losing muscle mass. But the benefits of the hCG diet go beyond simple weight loss. Indeed, as a rule, overweight people are interested in diets. However, the HCG diet is not only suitable for them - it provides many more benefits than losing extra pounds. Among the many benefits of this nutrition plan are improved basal metabolic rate and therefore long-term sustainable weight loss; rejection of unhealthy eating habits (loss of sweet tooth, overeating habit); improved health indicators (such as blood sugar levels, blood pressure levels and reduced joint pain); increased energy and motivation levels.
Another benefit of Dr. Simeons' regimen is that the HCG diet works well with other nutrition plans. For example, if you are familiar with the very popular lunar diet, then their complex is now very popular in the USA: the start of the “hormonal” diet is coordinated with the phases of the moon for greater effectiveness. Overall, the HCG diet is recognized as a highly effective diet that can provide amazing results in a very short period of time. However, in order to achieve lasting weight loss without side effects, you should strictly adhere to the principles of this diet and correctly go through all its four phases.
Four phases of the hCG diet
Phase 1 (1-2 days). American nutritionists call it the “loading phase”: during this couple of days, one is allowed to “eat up” in order to create an optimal “background” for starting a weight loss program, and receives the hormone.
Phase 2 (20 days - from the 3rd to the 23rd). Taking human chorionic gonadotropin supplements and simultaneously limiting the daily diet to 500 kilocalories per day. In this phase, the body begins to actively burn fat, which is reflected in the figure.
Phase 3 (3 days – from the 24th to the 26th day inclusive). Stop taking hCG supplements. It is believed that within three days the body “weans” the stimulation of hormones and continues to work on burning fat, but in autonomous mode. You are required to follow a diet and not consume more than 500 kilocalories per day.
Phase 4 (3 weeks). You need to gradually get out of the strict diet: you are allowed to eat everything except sugar- and starch-containing foods. During this time, stabilization of the results of the hCG diet is achieved, and the body “gets used” to its new metabolism and weight.
Disadvantages of the hCG diet: fair criticism
Even if we assume that the artificial hormone - usually made from seaweed - will work like the real thing, a number of questions remain. Thus, the hCG diet cannot be considered absolutely safe, since interference with the endocrine system can cause irreparable harm to the body - and in the mid-20th century, doctors knew very little about the effect of synthetic hormones on human organs and tissues. Today it is known. That human chorionic gonadotropin can stimulate the growth of tumors. In addition, hCG stimulates ovarian function, and this can lead to menstrual irregularities and even more serious disorders of the reproductive system. In addition, it is fair to assume that the spray sold as a surrogate for human chorionic gonadotropin actually works as a mild stimulator of thyroid function - after all, it is based on iodine-containing algae, and therefore cannot be a replacement for hCG.
Well, a fairly strict fast in itself - 500 kcal per day - can rather aggravate than solve the problem of excess weight and subsequently lead to the “yo-yo” effect. In addition, when a hormone replacement is discontinued, many people experience an increase in appetite, and following dietary restrictions (in terms of calories and nutrient categories) becomes quite difficult in the future - many people break down. As a result, the hCG diet does not lead to a solution to the problem of excess weight, but to its aggravation. Among other things, this diet can harm the stronger sex: today there is a widespread hypothesis that elevated levels of hCG in the blood can lead to female-type obesity in men.
The principle of the hCG diet
Dr. Simeons suggested that the messenger substance would stimulate fat metabolism not only in pregnant women, but also in people who would like to lose weight. Unlike a regular diet, with the help of this hormone the body does not destroy valuable muscle tissue, but rather uses its fat reserves.
The doctor administered pregnancy hormone to overweight patients and also prescribed a strict no-fat, low-carbohydrate diet. The severe lack of energy was compensated by the metabolism of one’s own fats. According to Simeons' own research, all patients were able to successfully and sustainably lose weight without suffering from hunger or losing muscle mass while dieting.
Conclusion: the effect of the diet is questionable
In general, the amount of nutrients and energy will become depleted in the long term. It is not recommended to prevent nutritional deficiencies using dietary supplements. It is better to eat foods rich in vitamins and nutrients that are also low in calories.
The homeopathic option is harmless, but there have been no scientific studies to prove its effectiveness. The reputation of the HCG diet as a “weight loss miracle” is based solely on people’s subjective experiences. Therefore, those interested in this “metabolic treatment” should take into account that manufacturers and authors of books make good money from promoting diets and advertise such products accordingly.
Scientists and nutritionists agree that the success of the HCG diet is based solely on strict calorie reduction.
