What are Homeopathic HCG drops?

[Yam-Yam]

On and off I read and hear about amazing results from people who do the HCG diet.

I've looked on the web and often see "homeopathic" HCG for sale.

My question: Are the homeopathic HCG drops worth trying? It looks like the ones with the best reviews have African Mango in them.

I understand you cannot get real HCG without a doctor's prescription. So, I'm still wondering what is in the homeopathic ones? Is it some kind of imitation HCG that is not a hormone?

TIA for any answers.

I've been JUDDing and had good success but did stall after a while. I've been on vacations and business travels for 6 consecutive weeks (home some weekends) so have gained a few pounds. Not as much as I would have when doing LC for sure and it's already coming off as I get back on plan.

I don't have hopes of getting past the set point I seem to have hit even before my travels, though, without doing something to kick start it.

Any help will be appreciated!

[C'Marie]

Hi Yam-Yam!

If you get the homeopathic drops that actually really contain the homeopathic preparation of hcg, you would do good. Unfortunately, lots of companies have gotten on the "hcg" bandwagon and are using other things like amino acids and calling it an hcg diet supplement. You have to read the bottle or the package and see that it really does contain the 6x12x etc of the hcg. You can also get the homeopathic pellets. Netrition used to sell them, now they don't. Lots of people get them direct now from the intermountain website. I always did the Rx, but people have great results from the homeopathic too.

Nice to see you!

[Yam-Yam]

Thanks for the info, Marie! It was very helpful and informative. I'm not sure what I'm going to do right now. I'm feeling a bit anxious as the holidays approach.

I'm going to knuckly down and get back to JUDD rotations for a few weeks in hopes of building back the sirtuin supply. I'm sure I depleted it with all the vacations and very few DDs.

I am certainly intrigued by the HCG diet and have been reading some free e-books about how it works exactly.

Not sure I can follow it! 500 calories day after day seems like it would be very hard. But, if it's true that the pellets or drops provide some hunger suppression it might work. Also it seems logical that if fat is being released from storage to be used as energy, that would help.

[sweetlady2k]

Originally Posted by Yam-Yam

Thanks for the info, Marie! It was very helpful and informative. I'm not sure what I'm going to do right now. I'm feeling a bit anxious as the holidays approach.

I'm going to knuckly down and get back to JUDD rotations for a few weeks in hopes of building back the sirtuin supply. I'm sure I depleted it with all the vacations and very few DDs.

I am certainly intrigued by the HCG diet and have been reading some free e-books about how it works exactly.

Not sure I can follow it! 500 calories day after day seems like it would be very hard. But, if it's true that the pellets or drops provide some hunger suppression it might work. Also it seems logical that if fat is being released from storage to be used as energy, that would help.

Yam yam, I was also doing juddd and started losing very slow and switched to HCG I lost 12 lbs the first week! Aaso about the 500 cals per day, I honestly don't even notice it much at all. I was way hungrier on my dd's than now. The appetite surpression really works! One tip, I pre make alot of the food and store it in snack size baggies and small containers. Seperate all my meat and bag it too before freezing so its super easy to take out the right amount. Make sure it says 6x, 10x or 12x on the back of the hcg bottle or on the product description. I can't say enough about how well this stuff is working!

[Felina]

I used homeopathic hcg for my first round and it worked really well. My 2nd and 3rd rounds were Rx. One of those rounds I lost nothing other than my loading weight.
Now, my 4th round, I started with Rx, then took a planned interruption. After the planned interruption I am using homeopathic again because I am out of Rx and I still have some of the unopened hhcg drops left.

I actually think I like the hhcg better. The injections are so much more convenient and easy, but with the hhcg drops, I have no hunger whatsoever and my losses are better.

[buttah]

My only question about homeopathic (I have done one round only on RX) is about stabilization and maintenance. The two people I've unearthed on all of these boards who lost a bunch of weight and kept it all off for a long period of time (a year or more) without re-gaining and re-losing on repetitive rounds... did RX.

Now that's clearly anecdotal, so I just wish someone would do studies.

I'm sure there are hhcg long-term maintainers from these boards, and I just haven't found them. I know there are many who've kept MOST of their weight off from hhcg (but yo-yo with the last 10-20 lbs or so) so that says something too.

[shelbyla]

I'm yo-yo'ing as you say with the last 10 pounds but that from the last two RX rounds. I stabilized beautifully from both my two hhCG rounds.

[buttah]

Good to know, Shelby! Thanks for posting that.

[C'Marie]

I'm yo-yo-ing also but for me I know it's menohell hormonal. Otherwise I was doing just fine. I was on Rx. I don't think that yo-yo weight gain in my case could be linked to either Rx or hhcg. It just is what it is. I don't think it would've mattered which I did. Going to through the hormonal storm with "the change" is actually discussed by Simeons in P & I with the "fix" being another round to re-set, so I refuse to get all down on myself about it. I know what I put in my mouth and I was *not* to blame

I really don't think it matters, hhcg or hcg. Your own hormones matter MORE.

[shelbyla]

Originally Posted by C'Marie

I know what I put in my mouth and I was *not* to blame

I know what I put in MY mouth in my last 3 rounds, and I WAS to blame! I agree with you, though, C'Marie. I think rx or hhCG makes no difference in terms of stabilization. The one big difference that I seem to have noticed is that there APPEARS to be a lack of stabilization for people who go really rogue (and I'm not talking about adding broccoli or keeping lotions etc.), people who cycle (back to back rounds with no P3/4), and people who cheat on their rounds. It just seems like there is less success there. I certainly haven't counted though so it just may be my perception as a "protocol" gal!

[C'Marie]

I have noticed that too, and the cycling does seem to not be as stable, but who can really tell, anyway - the whys are unknowns. And it sounds judgmental to say so I don't really like to *go there* at all. I have seen people recover from cheats and be just fine also. Who knows. All goes to show you we are all so very very different. I just know for me when I am to blame and when I am not can't say for anyone else!

[Felina]

I didn't want to hear that since I'm cycling twice this round due to vacations. I've always maintained excellently, so we'll have to wait and see if cycling messes me up this time. I sure don't want any of this weight back.

I'll have to see how it goes on my cruise next week. Maybe I can just do low carb and then just head into p3 instead of going back to p2 after. It all depends. I mean, it's all you can eat, and one day is chocolate party day. It seems almost crazy to be on a diet. It would be hard to do LC on a cruise. But, then again, I just might. They have lobster and steak and stuff, and I can take the toppings off of the pizza, so I just don't know.

I didn't know that cycling could affect my maintenance.

[buttah]

Felina, I have been on several cruises and come back the same weight I left. But it was very important to me to do so.

Here are some of my cruise "rules":

I eat no breads, potatoes, corn, etc. No starch whatsoever. I eat essentially no carb, but enjoy fats and dressings, although not to excess. Breakfast is eggs, omelets, that sort of thing. Lunch is salads with protein (some days just veggie salads, depending on hunger and what dinner's looking like). Dinner is lobster, chicken, steak, whatever protein I want with whatever salad and veggies I want. But no starch.

BUT I do have deserts, just not every day. I pick only what's "worth it" and don't allow a free for all. And I keep the desert portions small. More isn't better.

I guess you could say I follow the Hunger Scale, although I never realized I was doing that. I do not allow myself to feel full. Or even close. I don't enjoy that feeling anyway, but I especially don't enjoy it when I've got more vacation days ahead and I know continuing to do that means coming home in tight clothes.

Am I crazy? I don't think so at all. Am I on a diet? Not really. I'm just conscious. It's just not worth it to come home and have everything fitting tight. And I DO enjoy myself. Really!

[shelbyla]

Originally Posted by Felina

I didn't want to hear that since I'm cycling twice this round due to vacations. I've always maintained excellently, so we'll have to wait and see if cycling messes me up this time. I sure don't want any of this weight back.

I'll have to see how it goes on my cruise next week. Maybe I can just do low carb and then just head into p3 instead of going back to p2 after. It all depends. I mean, it's all you can eat, and one day is chocolate party day. It seems almost crazy to be on a diet. It would be hard to do LC on a cruise. But, then again, I just might. They have lobster and steak and stuff, and I can take the toppings off of the pizza, so I just don't know.

I didn't know that cycling could affect my maintenance.

Sorry Felina! Just sharing my personal experiences and observations from this forum over the last 2 years. I think like C'Marie says it's a YMMV thing.

Anything stated here, such as whether rx or hhcg is better or personal products impact a round or whether people should do PI's or not is coming from personal experience. We are here to support everyone, whether they are protocol or rogue. But I'd rather KNOW potential consequences before I make a choice.

[buttah]

I would like to add this to Shelby's YMMV reminder:

I truly believe that one of the reasons stabilization has been going rather smoothly for me is that I listen religiously to my hunger cues (and more importantly, lack of hunger). That leads to some "natural" cycling. I won't eat more just hit a number, IF I'm not hungry. But since hunger has its ups and downs on various days, some days are higher calorically than others. So in a way I am cycling calories, but not according to some external plan. I suspect that may be the reason some find success with cycling and some don't (although it seems more do - especially if you include JUDDDers). When I eat more than my body is telling me it needs, I tend to gain a bit. If I do it frequently, I gain more.