HCG Diet or Lipotropic Injections?

The HCG Diet

The original Dr. Simeons HCG diet combines a very low calorie diet alongside HCG injections to induce rapid weight loss in as little as 30 days. The diet plan is broken up into phases staring with Phase 1 which is a 2 day gorge phase that allows the dieter to eat as much as they want. Phase 2 of the plan starts a very low calorie phase which restricts the dieter to approximately 500 calories per day for the remainder of the time they are taking the shots. Phase 3 of the HCG diet involves the dieter stopping the injection and going into a maintenance phase for three weeks where the goal is to remain within two pounds of their weight on the last day of the HCG shot. The dieter can begin gradually adding calories back as long as they remain within those two pounds. The advantage to this plan is that according to some a significant amount of weight can be lost in a very short time on this plan. Others claim that they can maintain the plan without extreme hunger pangs due to the HCG.

The disadvantage of this plan is that dieters are taking a hormone and those with certain underlying conditions may find that they should not be taking HCG. In addition the FDA says that HCG has not been demonstrated to be an effective weight loss aid, even though others counter the argument by claiming they have observed better overall muscle retention with HCG vs. non HCG users.

Lipotropic Injections

Lipotropic Injections are usually a special blend of vitamins or other nutrients in concentrated forms that are used to metabolize stored fat so that the body can then use it as a primary energy source. One common blend is known as MIC which stands for Methionine, Inositol and Choline. This blend is very commonly used in weight loss clinics due to lipotropic effects of these amino acids, compounds and nutrients. Another Lipotropic blend includes MIC and vitamin B12 which is important for cellular health but also assists in amino acid and fatty acid metabolism. Due to the fact that a weight loss program while on lipotropic injections will restrict calories the added B12 helps ensure that the dieter will be receiving sufficient amounts of vitamin B12.

Which is for me?

The HCG plan is for people who want to attempt to lose as much as weight as possible in the shortest amount of time. You should also be comfortable being on an extremely low calorie plan and be willing to stick to that plan for approximately one month. You should be comfortable taking a hormone to aid in this process. You should understand that physical activity should be kept to a minimum or even eliminated due to the very low calorie nature of this program.

The Lipotropic Injections plan allows for more calories, usually 1200-1600 calories per day, which most physicians would agree is a much safer plan for long term health. This presents a significant difference in the approach to the diet and of course the lifestyle associated with the plan. Due to the plan having a higher calorie allowance the program becomes a little easier to approach from a mental perspective. In addition those with active lifestyles can continue to stay active since the plan on a lipotropic injection diet is sufficient to maintain energy without significantly wasting muscle. The diet program itself is a little more forgiving as compared to the very strict low calorie diet that the HCG plan present. Last but not least, Lipotropic Injections are concentrated forms of vitamins and other nutrients instead of a hormone and can be taken for longer periods of time.

The downside is that the HCG diet uses insulin syringes and those shots are sub q. The lipotropic injections are intramuscular and require a slightly larger syringe; this is offset by the fact that lipotropic injections are taken less frequently compared to the daily hcg shots. The weight loss will likely also be more gradual due to the slightly higher calorie count however adding some sort of physical activity to coincide with the plan may deliver results similar to those on the HCG diet.

At the end of the day the type of program you choose to follow is a personal one, both methods presented here are widely used throughout the world and both have certain benefits and certain pitfalls. The plan you choose will boil down to what you are most comfortable with hopefully the article has shed some light on your options.

**None of the information in this article constitutes medical advice and is solely the opinion of the author and does not necessarily represent the opinion of US HCG SHOTS. 

The FDA states that “HCG has not been demonstrated to be effective adjunctive therapy in the treatment of obesity. There is no substantial evidence 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.”