The average cost of gastric bypass surgery is $20,000-$35,000 dollars. Not only are elective surgeries expensive, they are dangerous. Even with the best surgeon, performing an operation with anesthetics on an unhealthy overweight person has many possible repercussions. With the HCG diet, there is no need to put the body at such risk.

The HCG diet is a safe and effective way to lose weight, whether a person is in a dangerously overweight BMI category or whether they are simply overweight. HCG stands for Human Chorionic Gonadotropin. It is a hormone that the body produces naturally and can be found in pregnant women.

The first study was performed quite by accident, when a British endocrinologist, Dr. Simeons, was treating young males with low testosterone levels. The boys began to slim down during this research. Dr. Simeons later concluded that HCG helps the body to lose a lot of weight in a short period of time. He went on to further test HCG for weight loss and found that, when paired with the right foods, the results were remarkable.

The hormone HCG works by triggering the brain to release fat cells. When the HCG is paired with a low calorie diet, it forces the body to burn these released fat cells and shed the weight. Studies proved that, on average, people lose half a pound to one pound per day on the HCG diet. The terms “diet” and “low calorie” should not stop someone that needs to lose a substantial amount of weight from participating in this program.

When the diet plan is followed exactly as directed, there is no hunger, even though it calls for a restricted 500 calorie diet for several weeks. In fact, this program will not even feel like a “diet.” That is the beauty of following the HCG diet exactly as recommended. The low calorie portion of the program follows a 2 day loading phase where the body stocks up on fatty foods. This also helps prevent hunger pains over the remaining weeks. The body is taught to utilize its own useless fat.

The HCG diet is straightforward and easy if the rules are followed. The entire process takes anywhere from 3-4 months, depending on which plan is chosen. The plan length can be chosen based on the amount of weight that a person wants to lose. The program can be done in several cycles if additional weight loss is desired. The average recovery time for weight loss surgery, also known as bariatric surgery, is 6 weeks. By the time a person heals from an invasive surgery, they could have already reduced 30-40lbs on the HCG diet.

There are three phases with the HCG diet - a loading phase, a very low calorie diet phase, and a stabilization phase. Each phase much be followed exactly in order to see maximum results. This is a no-substitution diet plan, and there is no room for cheating. However, when the food plan is followed accurately, there will be no desire to cheat.

The HCG diet has proven that it can permanently change the way a person eats. This is how the weight is kept off after the program is completed. Ingesting HCG drops and following a strict food plan will train the body to no longer crave the “wrong” foods.

As with any dietary lifestyle change or weight loss plan, it is always best to consult a physician before making changes. However, it is much more advantageous to consult a physician about taking a natural hormone drop and change in diet than consulting about an expensive, risky surgery.

For more information about the HCG diet and to see real life HCG Diet weight loss success stories.