Hello, for what it's worth... 325 days ago I lost 40lbs with the hCG protocol and am proud to say that I have kept it off WITHOUT any form of exercise whatsoever. (To give hope for those who are just embarking on this journey). I have also coached about a dozen people at my job and in my personal life who have shared similar success. I can matter of factly say: it works.
However, I noticed there were some in this thread who posted a few remarks that I felt needed some clarification. Everyone who attempts this protocol, as well as anyone who is interested in learning more... and even those who "poo poo" it in public forums like this... really should read the complete "Pounds and Inches" guide written by Dr. Simmeons, the doctor who developed this protocol/method over a period of 40yrs of clinical study in Rome Italy and is a very sought-after doctor in the weight reduction arena, so much so that this is why he wrote the "Pounds and Inches" guide in the first place. It explains in detail exactly HOW hCG works. If you have not read it yet, I strongly urge you to seek a free download (it's a word document) and read it from start to finish. I wouldn't even think of attempting this protocol without having read it first.
The purpose of this hormone in a pregnant woman's body, is quite simply to separate the nutritional requirements of the developing fetus from the daily intake of the mother. It does this by changing the mother's metabolism such that the contents of her adipose tissue is released into the bloodstream (to the tune of around 3,000 or more cal/day!!) in order for the fetus to have ample food to feed on.
Dr. Simmeons discovered 4 decades ago that when this hormone is introduced into the body of a NON-pregnant person (man OR woman)... it had a similar effect. However, without a fetus to absorb all those released calories... you must drastically reduce the amount of "outside" energy that you put into the system... HENCE the 500cal/day "diet". So it is NOT the fact that you are reducing your intake that makes you reduce your weight (as some here had mentioned) ... nor is it that it is triggering your body's "starvation mechanism" (that, on the contrary, causes your body to RETAIN as much as it can since it's trying to stock up for a rainy day!!) ... since IN REALITY you have over 3,000+ calories that are being released from your own fat stores! And this is ALSO why you do not feel the hunger... it's NOT because the hCG is acting like some kind of "appetite suppressant".... it's because you have PLENTY of calories floating around in your system!
For those who feel that the hCG (homeopathic OR clinical) is not actually "doing" anything and that you would lose the same simply by skipping it and going on a 500cal/day diet... I invite you to TRY living off of a mere 500 calories per day. It is physically impossible. Within just a few days you would NEED to stop because you would become emaciated and weak beyond all belief and feeling like you would knaw your own foot off, never mind going the full 26 days! When I was going through my protocol, my girlfriend was at the time trying to maintain herself on a 1,000 cal/day diet and it was killing her.
Also, it's NOT a matter of "just" reducing your intake to 500cal/day. There is a very specific grouping of foods, in a very specific combination, that you must follow for it to work properly. Most vendors who sell the homeopathic, and ALL clinics that dispense the prescription hCG, hand out this "menu". You can, of course, find it online pretty much anywhere. It's also in the Pounds and Inches guide. There is a REASON why there are only certain foods you should eat and in what combinations. This was perfected by Dr. Simmeons during 40yrs of clinical study. There is also an awesome cookbook available on Amazon called "101 worry free hcg recipes" that I highly recommend that takes those foods and lists creative ways to make them look and feel like regular dishes.
As for the debate over Clinical vs Homeopathic... for those of you who are on the homeopathic and are concerned about there not being any hCG in the mix (so how can it be helping me???)... from my understanding of the process, the homeopathic (HhCG) is the "energetic imprint" of the hCG molecule and so while the homeopathic mixture doesn't actually contain the hormone itself (I liken it to cooking with beer... when you're done cooking the beer is gone but it left an imprint on the food or why would you cook with it?)... it TRIGGERS the same effect when ingested into the system. I can say with confidence that I personally know many people from both camps... those who have gone to a clinic and spent upwards of $300 or more on the clinical version... and those who spent $60 for a 2oz bottle of homeopathic... that they both seem to work THE SAME. I repeat... THE SAME.
So, all of you who have already reported dropping an amazing amount of weight in a matter of just a few weeks... KUDOS and YES, you are doing something that WORKS. So please keep the faith and you will reap the rewards!
By the way... I feel I should also mention the IMPORTANCE of following a strict 3wk maintenance period (phase III) following the protocol. This is a MUST because it is during this time that you are actually RETRAINING your hypothalamus to KEEP you at your "new weight". So for 21 days following your reduction you must STRICTLY avoid all carbs from Starch and Sugar (scrutinize the labels of EVERYTHING you put into your mouth.... allergy pills and spices included!!!) and do not touch anything that has more than 0g Carb and 0g Sugar on the nutrition label... or anything that has ANY form of Sugar or Starch (dextrose, corn syrup, corn starch, etc)... in the ingredients list. After that, reintroduce carbs SLOWLY into your system and you will do well. Also, it is important to always weigh in EVERY MORNING to make sure your body isn't going back to its "old habits", and take corrective action if it is.
I'm sorry to the original poster and to all that found this post as I did.... by searching for what the "3x, 6x, 12x, 30x" on the homeopathic bottle actually MEANS... in that I haven't really answered that. I found this thread actually because I was looking for myself. But in reading what a lot of other people were posting... and knowing what I know for myself... I felt compelled to set some obvious misconceptions straight.
Thanks for reading, and I hope this post helps!
