Sarasota IV Therapy Page 10
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HCG Hormone vs The HCG Diet


HCG Weight loss : It's important that many of us set the record straight on the difference between HCG the hormone and the HCG Diet. HCG is actually just a hormone known as human chorionic gonadotropin. It is naturally secreted in high amounts during pregnancy. In fact the amounts that pregnant women are subjected to is much higher than any dose that most people use for weight loss (including in the HCG diet). HCG the hormone itself has some special properties (which we will discus below) that make it a valuable tool when and if you are trying to lose weight. 



The problem that HCG gets to be a bad name given that the name itself is often of your HCG diet. Which is why we need to spend some time to separate these two ideas. The HCG diet is a combination of a sustained very low calorie diet which is coupled with HCG injections (or drops) throughout the weight loss phase. The problem with the HCG diet is the duration of the calorie restriction, NOT the HCG hormone itself. 


The prolonged calorie restriction in the HCG diet often causes metabolic damage and thyroid changes which nearly always end in regaining any weight that was lost during the diet. 

Naturally known side effect many people still decidHCG Weight losse to use the HCG diet, presumably for any temporary weight loss that results. 



At Virtue of Health we have now created our own weight loss protocol without you limited to 500 calories per day, but on a diet that is specifically customized to your body type, weight, height, gender, age, BMR and BMI. The diet program is also customized to your diet preferences whether you’re vegan, dairy free etc, we’ll make it work for YOU. 



Positive benefits of using HCG 

  • Can help you regulate sex hormone levels such as estrogen and progesterone - Some females have excess degrees of sex hormones including estrogen and progesterone that can make weight loss difficult. 

  • Could help regulate appetite suppression - Normalizing appetite levels is important taking a look at caloric consumption. Eating a sufficient amount is necessary for proper metabolism however, many hormone disorders can cause excessive hunger and/or cravings for certain foods which may retard weight loss efforts. 

  • May help increase testosterone (especially in men) - HCG may stimulate and promote normal testosterone levels which may become dysregulated by other hormone imbalances just like insulin resistance. 

  • May support thyroid function - HCG is shown to stimulate thyroid function in pregnant women and this effect could possibly be part of the reason that HCG is effective as a dietary aid in some diets. 




HCG for Women


HCG is often very helpful for certain women who are trying to lose weight. 


Much of this benefit may stem from HCG and its ability to help regulate estrogen and progesterone levels. 


The imbalance of estrogen to progesterone may very well be responsible, at the least in part, for an increase in weight in certain areas of the body (think breasts, butt, thighs and so on). 


This distribution of fat differs from other hormone imbalances including insulin resistance which has a tendency to promote weight gain in the abdominal cavity or surrounding the organs (so called visceral fat). 

The trouble with fat mediated by estrogen and progesterone can it be can be hugely difficult to treat and typically doesn't respond to conventional diet and exercise routines. 


Even if these women tend to lose weight, if they don't improve their estrogen/progesterone balance they may end up with an abnormal fat distribution such as very little fat on the abdomen but excess fat on the arms/thighs and so on. 


Women who fit this category will benefit in the episodic use of HCG as a complementary therapy to other weight loss therapies. 


I've included a list of potential patients who may benefit more than others through the use of HCG determined by my own personal experience and based on various clinical studies. 




Which women should consider using HCG? 


  • Women who suffer from "stubborn" weight that is difficult to lose (especially fat in less common areas such as the upper arms, lower legs, etc.)

  •  Women that has a large proportion of their weight in the hips/thighs/butt area

  • Patient who desire suppressing of your appetite or who need help in regulating their appetite on account of other hormone imbalances such as leptin resistance

  • Women with good baseline estrogen (estrogen dominance)

  • Women with low baseline progesterone (even if estrogen is normal)

  • Girls that have 50+ pounds to lose or who have failed other weight loss medications

  • Note: If you fall into any of these groups then HCG is much more likely to augment your weight loss

HCG for Men


HCG also offers many benefits for men and may be the belief that men do so well on the conventional HCG diet when compared to women. 


HCG looks similar to another hormone named LH or luteinizing hormone. 


Because HCG looks just like LH (at least to cellular receptors) it may sit on and activate LH receptors and cause a normalization or natural boost to testosterone levels in men. 


Because testosterone is so important (for both people, but especially in men) at promoting the male physique the use of HCG may stimulate weight loss in men through this mechanism alone. 


HCG should also be considered an integral part of normal testosterone replacement therapy which should include bio-identical testosterone, HCG to retard testicular atrophy and an estrogen blocker. 


For this reason men usually benefit greatly from your periodic using HCG especially during weight loss. 

It must be noted, though, that HCG really should not be used in place of testosterone or extended periods of time.

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