HCG Diet: Lose A Pound Or Two A Day

TAMPA, Fla. (WTSP)--Working hard for those hard bodies. It takes discipline, determination and the proper diet.

Patrons at choice fitness gym in South Tampa say they spend an hour to two hours a day exercising to stay in shape and stay healthy. But some people just don't have that time and they need extra help.

And the newest help to drop those pounds is called the HCG diet. It uses a human hormone to burn fat, the human chorionic gonadotropin or HCG.

You take B12 drops three times a day for 23 days. You drink at least two liters of water a day and stick to a 500 calorie a day diet.

But Maria Graf, a registered dietitian at St. Joseph's hospital in Tampa says there are many concerns with this diet.

Graf says, "Having that low of a calorie intake puts your body into a state of starvation." She says, "It's decreasing your metabolism and having that low gives you inadequate nutrients."

On average to maintain your weight, women need 2,000 calories a day, and men need about 2,700.

But the founder of HCG diet says it works fast and accurate and there are great results, besides just losing one to two pounds per day.

But again, Graff says, "I think it's too extreme, too much weight loss at one time. By losing that much weight, you are depleting the body of what it needs."

Doctors and dietitians will still agree on one thing, there is no substitute to good old fashion exercise.

Now with any diet, you should check with your doctor first before starting.

The HCG is not FDA approved. It costs $139.99 and you can order it online on their website.

If you click here, you can also use a calorie calculator to see how many calories you should be eating a day to lose the weight you want.