HCG diet alternative introduction
This article will discuss alternatives to the HCG diet. If you have found this page then you probably already know something about HCG and the associated diet. You may have even completed the diet and want to try something different for one reason or the other.
If that is the case, I will be providing information on different products that may be more appealing to you depending on your goals.
If you don’t know much about the HCG diet, I have covered the topic in depth already. You can find information on the program here and here. Those pages will bring you up to speed on the HCG protocol and what to expect if you buy HCG online.
For the rest of us let’s look into some effective options.
Our HCG Diet Reviews
We breakdown 11 different online HCG sources in our HCG diet reviews post to find out who the best suppliers are.
The basics of weight loss
Weight loss works based on the fairly simple premise of calories in vs. calories out.
A calorie is just a unit of measurement that measures the energy a particular food contains. If you eat too many calories you store the extra energy. Eating too few calories means that you burn stored energy.
Weight loss may be simple but it is often not easy.
The extra calories you consume is stored as fat. Subsequently, you have to reduce your calorie intake, increase your energy output or both in order to burn the stored fat.
The problem with weight loss is that there are often obstacles that hinder your ability to achieve your goal.
Weight loss obstacles
Diet and exercise alone do not always yield the results many are trying to achieve. Close to 70% of Americans are either overweight or obese. This figure indicates there can be more to achieving a healthy weight that “move more and eat less”.
Insulin is a fat storage hormone and people eating the wrong foods or those who have insulin issues may find it difficult to lose excess fat.
Aging results in diminishing hormone production. Most people begin to experience a decline in reproductive hormones sometime in their 30’s. These reproductive hormones have been shown to effect fat storage, fat distribution and muscle loss.
Of course, certain medical conditions can result in the same hormone deficiencies even at a young age.
Obesity is also highly correlated to hormonal imbalance issues and correcting these issues often results in weight loss. On the other hand, losing weight also has proven to correct some hormonal issues.
Finally, people struggling with weight issues can have a difficult time increasing their activity to a level that is meaningful for weight loss purposes.
As you can see some people may need a little help. In many cases it is not solely their eating habits or activity level that caused the weight gain.
Luckily there are some treatments available that can help those suffering from obesity get to that healthy weight.
Criteria for the HCG diet alternatives presented here
Weight loss products come in several different forms.
Some products are appetite suppressants and stimulants. Some act by regulating insulin. Others stimulate hormone production to provide positive weight loss results.
I am not going to discuss stimulants here for a few reasons.
First, stimulants have caused sudden death in young otherwise healthy individuals. Next, sometimes people become resistant to stimulants meaning they have to continuously increase the dosage. Lastly, I personally do not like the jittery feeling I get when taking a stimulant.
The HCG diet alternatives I am going to discuss will either enhance your metabolism without stimulants, regulate hormones important to losing fat, reduce cravings or all of the above.
I will also be updating this post as new information becomes available.
List of HCG diet alternatives
The following list is in no particular order. These are not rankings of any sort; they are just sorted in the order I decided to talk about them. These alternatives are available by prescription but are usually not covered by insurance.
Unfortunately, most insurance companies do not cover “lifestyle medications” and unless you have another underlying condition weight loss products are considered a lifestyle medication. Now onto the list!
Semaglutide
Semaglutide is a very exciting and promising weight loss treatment for a variety of reasons.
First the FDA approved Semaglutide as a weight loss drug on June 7th, 2021. This means that the drug was thoroughly tested and found to be effective and safe for most overweight or obese people.
Next, Semaglutide is a once weekly subcutaneous injection. This means there is no need to go to a doctor to take the shot. The sub-Q injection is a simple shot that goes just under the skin.
Semaglutide works by regulating insulin and reducing feelings of hunger. The drug also slows the rate that sugar is released in your bloodstream. This combination has resulted in amazing weight loss results in thousands of study participants when compared to a placebo group.
Semaglutide study results
“In a double-blind trial of 1,961 adults with a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or higher, adults on 2.4 mg of weekly semaglutide lost an average 14.9% of baseline body weight after 68 weeks of treatment versus only 2.4% for a group on placebo and lifestyle intervention alone.
One-third of participants treated with semaglutide lost at least 20% of baseline weight, which is comparable to that seen 1 to 3 years after sleeve gastrectomy bariatric surgery
Those who received semaglutide also exhibited greater reductions in waist circumference, BMI, and systolic and diastolic blood pressure compared with placebo, and had improved levels of glycated hemoglobin, fasting plasma glucose, C-reactive protein, and fasting lipid levels after 68 weeks.”
While Semaglutide is not a short term very low calorie diet the results are amazing nonetheless. For example, the study showed that one third of participants lost 20% of their body-weight. This translates to 200lb person losing 40 pounds vs the placebo group losing just 4 pounds while eating the same foods! For these reasons this may be my favorite of the HCG diet alternatives.
Ibutamoren (MK-677)
Unless you follow bodybuilding or stay up to date about growth hormone releasing products, you probably have never heard of Ibutamoren.
Ibutamoren is also known as MK-677 and is a first of its kind oral growth hormone releasing product.
Mk-677 works by stimulating the release of growth hormone and IGF-1.
The drug has shown the ability to increase bone mass, improve sleep quality, speed up healing and reduce “bad cholesterol.
Why is Ibutamoren on the list as an HCG diet alternative?
Because it was studied as treatment for patients on a low-calorie diet and the effect on muscle retention. Losing weight quickly on a calorie restricted plan results in muscle loss. Muscle loss then hampers your metabolism and the ability to keep weight off. In addition, weight loss goals should include being healthier AND changing the way your body looks.
“In conclusion, MK-677 reverses diet-induced nitrogen wasting, suggesting that if these short-term anabolic effects are maintained in patients who are catabolic because of certain acute or chronic disease states, it may be useful in treating catabolic conditions.”
Source- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9467534/
Lipotropic B12 Injections
Lipotropic B12 injections are also known as Lipo shots, MIC shots and B Complex shots. These shots are made to enhance your metabolism by introducing concentrated nutrients into your system via weekly or bi weekly injection.
The nutrients in these injections are common and very well studied and considered very safe.
These nutrients serve several vital roles in the body outside of providing a weight loss benefit.
As an HCG diet alternative however, these shots help boost metabolism by aiding in digestion, boosts energy and improves mood.
Lipotropic B12 injections are especially valuable to people who may suffer from vitamin deficiencies due to lifestyle, certain medications or chronic conditions.
Learn more about Lipo B12 Injections
Sermorelin
Sermorelin is another growth hormone releasing treatment.
This particular drug is primarily used to treat people with growth hormone deficiency and as an anti-aging treatment.
While it may seem unusual as a weight loss aid it does ae sense to consider it, especially if you are a little older and overweight and obese.
Much of the weight gained as we age is due to hormonal decline, not just diet.
“Several aspects of normal aging resemble features of the AGHD syndrome, including decrease in muscle and bone mass, increased visceral fat, diminishing exercise and cardiac capacity, atherogenic alterations in lipid profile, thinning of skin, and many psychological and cognitive problems.”
Source- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK279163/
Reversing these negative effects will result in muscle gain and a change in body shot. If used while restricting calories it will help preserve existing muscle as you lose fat, which is the purpose of weight loss.
Choosing the right HCG diet alternative
The HCG diet has been used for over 70 years ever since Dr. Simeons wrote “Pounds and Inches”. The issue is some people do not like the number of calories that are consumed or the foods that permitted on the program.
These alternatives provide different methods to address weight loss for those that cannot keep fat off through diet and exercise alone.
Deciding on which HCG diet alternative is right for you will depend on your goals, health and age.
A 55-year-old man that needs to lose 50 pounds of fat will have different needs than a 35-year-old woman that needs to lose 15 pounds.
The correct program will include some sort of calorie restriction and the product best suited to your goals. It will also maximize fat loss, reduce or eliminate muscle loss and promote changes to your body composition.
Older or growth hormone deficient people may find Ibutamoren or Sermorelin the best choice.
A younger patient looking to boost their metabolism may prefer the Lipotropic B12 injections.
People seeking steady long-term progress and appetite suppression may decide that Semaglutide is appropriate.
Whichever direction you decide to go be sure to deal with a reputable company with medical professionals and ongoing support.
