Frequently Asked Questions

What is hCG?
Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (hCG) hormone is a substance which occurs naturally in pregnant women. It has the effect of releasing abnormal stored fat primarily from the abdomen, buttocks, and thighs, while preserving structural fat as in the face and skin.

Is hCG approved by the FDA?
HCG is approved by the FDA for various medical conditions. Although it has not yet been specifically determined by the FDA to be effective for weight loss or weight management. However, many studies have been done thus revealing positive effects for weight loss using hCG. A.T.W. Simeons, M.D. and Dr. Daniel Belluscio have performed two well-known studies whose data has shown hCG to be primary in helping people lose and maintain their ideal weight.

How does the HCG diet work?
During pregnancy, Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (hCG) is believed to help insure that the fetus will have access to its mother's stored fat supply, regardless of the amount of food she ingests. After birth, HCG ensures the newborn will receive nutrition for the first 72 hours if its not getting proper nutrition. In overweight people, HCG seems to work by the same method - namely making available permanently stored supplies of fat, as well as making it possible to adhere to the low calorie diet. Advanced Weight Loss & Rejuvenation has various methods to help our patients. However, if Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (hCG) is used alone, the program depends upon the daily injection of the hCG hormone plus an exact diet.

What happens on the first visit?
People come in, fill out a medical history, and see the physician for a brief physical and evaluation. After that the doctor will go over the points of the program with you. The first visit usually takes about an hour. For more information, click here.

Can both men and women take hCG?
Yes. It has been used with equally good results in both.

Can this be harmful in any way?
No. During pregnancy it is produced daily in a quantity hundreds of thousands of times the amount used for the treatment of obesity, yet it harms neither the mother nor the child.

Will hCG work without a diet?
Although there is no dramatic weight loss without the accompanying diet, hCG usually causes a reduction in inches rather than pounds. Muscle is retained, which weighs more than fat.

Will it affect my appearance?
Because Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (hCG) does protect the structural fat, the wrinkling, if any, will be dramatically reduced. The treatment does not deplete the subcutaneous or other essential fat, therefore the face retains its freshness and natural appearance. Double chins, protruding stomachs and fat around the thighs should be the first to go. Note: Stretching of the skin generally causes stretch marks. This can occur with weight gain, not weight loss.

Has this method been used before?
Yes. When first reported in the Medical Journal Lancet in November of 1954, it had been used in thousands of cases. Since then it has been used in many more, and has show very positive results concerning weight loss.

How do you know that hCG and diet together are more effective than just one alone?
In a past experiment during the testing of hCG, an unknown to the patient, weak saline solution was substituted for the hCG and weight loss continued for about 3 days. Thereafter, the patients complained of feeling weak or dizzy, became ravenously hungry and declared themselves unable to continue the treatment. As soon as treatment on hCG was resumed, they again felt fit and perfectly satisfied with their diets.

What effect can I expect to have from the injection itself?
Usually a loss of appetite occurs and patients notice that the severe compulsive hunger disappears completely.

How long can I continue to use these injections?
After about 6 to 7 weeks of daily injections, the effectiveness diminishes due to the body's ability to develop temporary immunity to the hCG. However, if necessary, subsequent courses of injections can be resumed after a 3-week Metabolic Recovery (Phase II). In some instances, 4 or more courses have been given with continued effectiveness if a 3-week interval has been allowed between them.

Will I gain weight once I stop the hCG diet?
Some degree of moderation in eating will be necessary because of the tendency to gain weight after ANY type of weight loss program. However, a FREE stabilizing program is available at the end of the injection series. Stability of the normal weight is relatively easy because the weight loss has been from storage fat and not from structural fat.

What if I miss one or more of the injections?
This merely delays the total effectiveness of the program.

Can I maintain the diet even if I engage in daily physical labor?
Yes. hCG allows you to maintain this diet even during hard work.

What about protein or vitamin deficiencies during this diet?
None has been observed with this method due to the stored quantities of both in the fat. However, supplements are available at very modest prices at our store.

What if I get jittery or shaky due to the reduced quantity of food?
This may happen during the first week of your program because it takes approximately 72 hours for the hCG to reach it's highest performance peak for weight loss. So, if you experience hunger between meals during the first 72 hours of your program, eat one piece of fruit or ½ cup of raw vegetables. If this happens later in the program, please speak with your weight loss coach and s/he will evaluate your program and make the necessary adjustments.

Can my overweight children use this program?
No. These injections are not advisable for persons under the age of puberty. Other methods are available for these cases.

Besides fat loss, are there any other actions or side effects?
Yes, there seems to be some stimulation to the generative system. Premenstrual difficulties may be relieved. Abnormal loss of head hair in obese individuals may cease. Brittle fingernails may become normal and professional singers may note an improvement in their voices. Blood pressure tends to normalize, cholesterol readings become normal, and arthritis symptoms are lessened. No adverse reactions to the injections have been experienced.

Do you guarantee that I will lose weight with this method?
No. Guarantees cannot be made, as with any other medical or weight loss treatment. However, most of our patients have lost an considerable amount of weight with this program. It is the most effective method we have experienced in weight reduction.

What if I do not lose much weight?
Our experience has been that in cases where there is no or slow weight loss, a very common cause is the patient's depressed metabolism. Past dieting, chronic low intake, etc is frequently the cause of this. WE CAN CORRECT THIS. Slow weight loss can also be due to associated medical problems, which should be sought out and corrected. Once this is accomplished, weight loss should then occur.

Do you use ephedra?
No. Ephedra is an over-the-counter product that has been shown to cause a number of problems. We use only prescription appetite-suppressant medications.

How much weight can I lose per month?
How much weight you lose will depend on how much total weight you need to lose. If you only need to lose 30 pounds total, then you are more likely to lose 20 pounds in 30 days. If you need to lose 100 pounds, then you could expect to lose more than 30 pounds in the first 30 days.