I am just wondering if anyone out there has tried the HCG diet while having fibro. I have heard good and bad things. I am at witts end with my weight.. I exercise through all the aches and pains for months and have yet to see any improvement with my weight. I have tried a personal trainer but STILL nothing. And by all means I have some weight I could drop... I am 5'3'' and 170lbs. I would like to lose 15lbs. Any input is greatly appreciated!
http://www.healthierpost.com/what-is-the-hcg-diet-why-you-should-tr...
Hi Autumn! This is the first I have heard of this, though I think I found a good link here, I am not much help on this. What has your Doctor said about this? And please make sure you talk to him.
Before I got a diagnosis, I tried HGH on my own. It really did make me feel a little better, but here is the deal. My Doctor told me that there can be complications, one of them was tendon tears. Now I have torn both of my Achilles Tendons in the past, what an ordeal this is, being in a cast for 6-8weeks with your foot pointed, and I found out that the antibiotics Levaquin and Cipro were most likely the cause. I have been plagued with Bronchitis all of my life, so they give me antibiotics, and I'l bet aything it can be linked back, SO the last thing I needed to be taking was something that could weaken or tear the tendons again.
My Doctor most likely saved me another tear!
Always ask Doc! He may want to check your thyroid or something we haven't even thought of!
OBTW, Nancy just posted an interesting blog about what to eat when, check it out, I have heard of this, it is the secrets to many diet that work, but again ask doc!
Both my sisters tried the HCG diet, you have to restrict your calorie intake to 500 calories which is extreme and it will make you extremely tired and cause real issues with your ability to think clearly. Both my sisters stopped the diet after the first week, they lost weight but didn't think it was worth it, besides the weight came right back plus some when they went back to eating normally.
Hi Autumn, Like ytou I have tried desperately to lose the weight that I have gained over the past 18 months, and like you, I have had no success. A friend (Heathy and 30 years younger) raved about the HCG diet after losing 20 lbs before her wedding. I had an appointment with my Dr this morning and discussed this diet with him. He told me that most of the products have actually been found to contain very little HCG. Also, since it is a very low calorie diet, weight loss was inevitable but it was not recommended for anyone and would eventually lead to essential dietary deficiencies. He also told me that he would not recommend any very low calorie diet to someone with Fibro. Starvation puts added stress on the body. He told me that exercise is important for us (as if we didn't know) and low carbohydrate, low fat diets were the sort of thing that I should be looking at. I forgot to ask him about insulin resistance (blasted fibro fog) but I have heard that this is a problem for many fibro folk. Maybe some of the others have some recommendations that we could try. I'm sure that we aren't the only ones with this problem.
I am 4'11" and about 185 so I share your pain. A diet is a diet. You restrict your calorie intake versus the amount you put out. So, try and be more active and eat less. End of story. Unfortunately, with our sedentary lives and medications that slow our digestions, it is very difficult. Now to keep this in perspective for my case anyway. I was up to 240 pounds a year ago. I am also Bipolar so, I have that battle to fight as well. I got off a medication....Abilify...never a good one and I lost immediately 25 pounds. So think about looking up your medications and see if they may be influencing your diet or digestions.
Good luck on your diet!
Hi Autumn,
A friend of mine and her whole family went on this diet and were very successful in losing all their weight and keeping it off. I tried it and found it only worked for a week and then I got hungry, but I did lose weight. What most people don't understand about the low calories is that in theory, it's opening up deeply held fat you store up, so the HCG hormone, tricks your body into opening up these stored fat. You start the diet by "loading up" which is fun and odd, while taking the hormone. You eat as much fat and caloirs as you can for two days. Then on the third day you start the diet. The body opens up those deep fat stores to start pulling out the caloric intake you were eating the past two days. Although you are eating a very low caloric amount, the body is using up another 2,000, 3,000 or more calories a day. While you're on the hcg, you don't feel hungry. For me, I lost 15 pounds after 3 round and keep that off for a year now. My friends lost far more 30 -60 lbs and have all kept it off. You can tell when it's not working anymore you get very hungry. When it's working you have lots of energy, no hunger and drop weight quickly. You do a 30 or 40 day round. Then go off of it for I think 3 weeks. It's the only thing that has worked for me even partially. That's what I know. It's not harmful and you should find a reputable doctor/naturalpath to work with you.
I have always been told that the best diet to use is Weight Watchers because it doesn’t require you to eliminate any one element of your diet, such as carbs or fat. Instead it teaches you how to control your portion sizes and gives you credit (extra points each day) for exercising. You also don’t have to buy any meals or ‘supplements’ and just between you and me, after you sign up and get the info about points and stuff you don’t necessarily have to continue with meetings and weigh-ins. I did the program a few years ago and along w/ a significant thyroid med issue, I was able to lose 40 pounds. I must confess that I gained a lot of it back but that was my fault and the fact that my thyroid med was finally where it should be. I only went to a few meetings, mostly because of convenience. My sister (who doesn’t have Fibro) has been doing Weight Watchers recently and it works really well for her. She mostly does biking and walking for exercise in the warmer months but now that it’s getting colder she uses the exercise programs from the Wii and X-box. Those are great because they offer a lot of variety and various settings for various abilities.
Personally I think any diet that has you cutting anything out to the extreme, or exercising to the extreme that it causes more pain is no good. I definitely need to get some motivation to lose weight again. I’m somewhat above average height at 5’ 10.5" but I’m well beyond 250# and that’s not good at all!
Good luck with whatever you decide to do. Take care of yourself.
Gentle hugs,
Judy
Hey! Actually yeah I’m on it right now. I have fibro and chronic pelvic pain and I was cleared to do it. The shot doesn’t hurt and I’m lost 30 lbs. it’s been really good for me. Has given me energy and taken down some of my pain levels. Message me if you have any questions 
yes I have the same issue. Google Wong he written on this and recommends Tryptophan as a hypnotic and appetite supppressor. I bought some through the post, it is over the counter and I bought it from Better Health and it has worked, thank goodness. barb
The best diet in the world for losing weight and staying healthy is to become a Vegan, or as close to it as possible. Dairy contains the most calories. Your trainer will warn you that you won't get enough protein. You don't need more than about 40 to 50 grams of protein a day and most people on the standard diet get over 100. And the nice thing about being a Vegan is you can eat so much more food, until you're full, as long, of course, that it's not fast food or fatty foods. As awareness is growing about Veg/Veganism more restaurants are springing up and more cheese and meat substitutes can be found in all your grocery stores. It just takes a little research and planning but the pay-off is tremendous. My husband and I have been Vegan for 20 years. I'm 64 and have never put on weight. My husband is a physician and teaches nutrition to his patients. And both our children are vegetarian, and my daughter is raising a veg baby. Anyway "food" for thought.
Hi Autumn,
I have fibro and I have tried the HCG diet. I didn't have a lot of weight to lose, but I did lose 1 pound a day. I do not think this is a diet you should go on for long term, but it does help you get that last 10 pounds off or gives you the jump start to a new diet. I did not feel hungry and had a lot of energy. I was stuck with that last 7 pounds and it worked for me. Then the doctor increased my Gabapentin meds and I gained it all back in 6 weeks. So i am going to do it again. It will stay off if you continue to exercise when you can and watch carbs and fat intake. I have also done Weight Watchers. It teaches you portion control and it opens your eyes to the foods we eat that are higher in calories and fat then we realized. Also,www.DWLZ.com has all the points for restaurants for the Weight Watchers plan so you don't have to buy the Dining Out books.
Hope this helps. Take care and God bless,
kallee