Over the years, the percentage of Americans considered overweight has risen. The western diet is high in saturated fat and is often based on convenience instead of health. Many of those who are overweight make attempts to lost weight, but when they try fad diets, they are unsuccessful or the weight returns when the dieting ends. Diets may include food restriction, appetite suppressants, or exercise. While reducing your caloric intake and increasing physical activity may improve your health, if you do not commit to a healthier lifestyle, your weight-loss plan may eventually fail. If it feels like you have tried everything to lose weight, and you need the emotional support as well as the education, consider working with the healthcare professionals at Southwest Integrative Medicine.
If you are looking for a safe, natural way to lose weight quickly, consider speaking with the health professionals at Southwest Integrative Medicine about the HCG diet. The diet offers extreme results, between one and two pounds lost per day, so a medical professional will need to monitor your progress. The HCG diet was created by a British endocrinologist named A.T.W. Simmeons and it is a combination of severely reducing calories, including specific foods in your food plan, and receiving HCG injections. HCG is a hormone found in women who are pregnant and its purpose is to make sure the fetus receives enough calories. When injected into a non-pregnant person, it tricks the body into thinking its fat stores need to be used because the body is being fed only minimal calories. As the fat stores are released, nutrients enter the bloodstream and the person does not feel hungry. HCG is also used in fertility treatments and has been used since the 1970s to treat obesity. It is safe for both men and women.
Committing to the Diet
The most effective HCG diet is available only through prescription. It is possible to buy variations of the HCG diet claiming to have the same effect, but these are not safe and strongly discouraged. It is risky to use an HCG injection or topical application without a doctor’s supervision because the molecules are unstable and can be dangerous unless given properly. Because severe calorie restriction is necessary, it is also important that a doctor monitor you while you’re on the diet to ensure you are receiving the appropriate vitamins and minerals.
The diet not only restricts calories, it requires patients to eat only certain foods. Since your daily food intake is limited to about 500 calories, it is important that every single thing you eat be as nutrient dense as possible. Dieters are permitted to eat lean meats, fish, fruits, teas, and Stevia, which is a natural no-calorie sweetener. It is also important that dieters skip no meals while on the diet to ensure that your metabolism continues to function properly.
Benefits and Risks
Dieters typically lose one pound a day when on the 23-day plan given by Southwest Integrative Medicine. Men often lose at a faster rate than women. HCG can be taken safely for 40 days without a break, but once the 40-day period is up, patients must stop the injections and let their body adjust to functioning with the HCG injections. Exercise is not required, but it is recommended to improve overall health. However, patients are encouraged not to begin a new exercise program when starting HCG because it shocks the system.
The HCG diet is popular because results are fast and there are no known side effects from the injections. Limiting calories creates side effects, but the health professionals at Southwest Integrative Medicine can prevent these with IV nutrient therapy or vitamin injections. Patients must be monitored for changes in blood pressure, electrolyte imbalance, development of gallstones, and blood sugar. According to Dr. Terranella, “With rapid weight loss, you have to monitor people closely, (and) we do that. It’s safe because we monitor patients. The only major issue that could potentially occur are gall stones.”
Americans are not only looking for ways to lose weight for cosmetic reasons, many of them have reached a point where losing weight is necessary to maintain their health. If you need a program that provides quick weight loss with emotional support, consider contacting the health professionals at Southwest Integrative Medicine.
The information in the article is not intended to substitute for the medical expertise and advice of your healthcare provider. We encourage you to discuss any decisions about treatment or care with an appropriate healthcare provider.
