HCG Weight Loss Cure Guide
by Linda Prinster
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Book Reviews of HCG Weight Loss Cure Guide
Book Review: Excellent resource to help you get through all phases
Summary: 5 Stars
This book is responsible for my being able to do all phases of the diet successfully and maintain 45 pounds of weight loss, which was my goal. It made me well informed on the diet. I've done a few rounds using the sublingual drops. I don't know what I would have done without this book. I referred to it over and over again during all phases of the diet.
There is helpful info on the Very Low Calorie Diet phase (VLCD or 500 Cal phase), as well as the Maintenance phase (also known as Phase 3 or P3). There is an extensive food list of allowed foods for all phases of the diet, and Dr. Simeons's complete manuscript is in the back of the book.
I have to comment on a couple of concerns some other reviewers had:
1. Despite the fact that the organization of information and editing may not be as ideal as some of the reviewers here (and myself) would like, there is a TON of useful tips, information, and advice that can get you through this diet. There is information relating to the same thing in several areas of the book. So, you might find some maintenance (P3) tips in three or four different places. But the info is there. And it is extremeley helpful.
The author is a pro at the diet, not at editing a book. Who cares? This book was written from her experiences in doing the diet and helping others do it, and her own research, and she wanted to share it with others. I have a bunch of post-it notes sticking out of this book for different things due to the fact that info is all over the place. It works for me and I'm just happy this book exists, because it got me through the diet.
2. Someone mentioned that it didn't really lay out the diet days in a straightforward way and it's not for newbies. I agree that it could have been explained better to the uninformed. But I saw this book as a supplement to what I already knew. There is actually a "Summary of a Typical Round" on page 5. It talks about the 2 loading/gorging days and the rest of the diet. I actually didn't realize it was there until I saw the author's comment on someone else's post. It's nice to know that she definitely put it into the book.
I did each round of my diet through a med spa that used patented sublingual drops. They provided instruction sheets about days 1 and 2 loading/gorging, the Very Low Calorie Diet (aka VLCD or 500 Cal) and the food list for VLCD, and a brief explanation of Maintenance (aka P3). I also read Dr. Simeons's manuscript beforehand--from a PDF that I downloaded for free on the web.
Because I didn't buy the book as a newbie, it was a bonus of info for me. I can't comment about how I'd feel if I were reading this with no prior knowledge of the diet, but my guess is that it would be very valuable.
Why I got this book:
I bought this book toward the end of my first round of the very low calorie (VLCD) phase. I was worried about doing Phase 3 maintenance (3 weeks in which you can eat anything you want except sugars and starches). I obtained this book just before I started P3 maintenance and I have to tell you it prepared me for maintenance in such a great way.
Because of the help in this book, I had no trouble with maintenance or maintaining my weight. It explained why P3 is so important. If anyone does the VLCD and doesn't properly do P3, they are wasting their time because their system probably won't reset at the new weight.
This book has Simeons's manuscript in the back, so it's easy to flip to that and read it instead of having to go to your computer and find the PDF or read it online.
The info on maintenance was most important to me. I lost the weight, but keeping it off and making sure my system reset at my new weight was what was going to keep me from gaining it back. I lost weight and maintained at that new weight with each round I did.
I referred to this book through all rounds and all phases. It has tips about how to break a plateau and how to maximize your daily weight loss.
There are tips on how to get through maintenance and the most common mistakes people make with P3 Maintenance (one mistake is not eating enough food on maintenance! And she explains why that is.).
There are different ways to get the HCG and in various forms. Some people use sublingual drops, homeopathic drops, or injections. There is a lot of information on the injections and mixing this stuff yourself in the beginning of the book. Since I didn't need that info, I ignored those sections. It doesn't matter what form of HCG you're taking. The book will help you get through the phases with success.
I highly recommend that one get a diet coach/buddy (a friend who has done it successfully, or do it through a place that knows how to administer the diet) instead of doing it on your own. It's nice to have someone to talk to about the diet as you're going through it. And in addition to the coaching/buddy, use this book.
Maybe this isn't the perfect layout and editing job, but it is a great book that will help you get through the diet. I thank the author for putting all this together and sharing the info with us. Huge thanks!!!
Book Review: HCG Weight Loss Cure Guide - Prinster
Summary: 2 Stars
Poorly edited book. A lot of good information, but hard to find and piece it together. There is a section in front that the author has written and Dr. Simeon's manuscript is in the back. If using this book you MUST read Simeon's entire manuscript and make notes or you will NOT do the diet correctly. The author's section leaves out important information on how to start the diet. There should be a sheet showing step by step diet by days, (i.e. Days 1-2 Gorge with HCG, Days 3-40 500 cal diet with HCG, Days 41-43 500 cal diet, NO HCG to finish), but there is not. There is no mention of gorging and using HCG in the author's Phase 2 section, just the 500 calorie diet with a gorge sample menu stuck in a few pages later, with no instructions on when/how this should be used. It even says that their Phase 2 section is a copy of Simeon's manuscript, but they clearly forgot to include the gorge information, which is the first 2 days of the diet and Simeon says is very important. This informtaion is in Simeon's manuscript directly in front of the 500 cal diet section. The author's section says nothing about how long you should stay on the diet. You have to read in the Phase 3 section to find out it is 40 days, or refer back to Simeon's manuscript to find out you can do 26 days (23 days of HCG, 3 off HCG at the end) if you want and not 43 (40 days HCG, 3 off HCG at the end). The author's section does not include that you must finish with 3 days of 500 cal with no HCG, which is very important to maintaining the new weight. You have go to Simeon's manuscript to find that out. I was very lucky to know someone already doing the diet, which made me aware of ommissions in this book, and would have done it wrong if just following their section of the book. A few hours of research on my part went into outlining the diet for myself and knowing the order in which to do things and the number of days required. $22 is too high for this 139 page book, 39+ pages of that being written by Simeon. The author should have clearly explained the diet every step of the way without my having to go back and forth from their information to Simeon's manuscript. 2 Stars for some good tips and warnings, but no more because of the omissions requiring so much do it yourself research. I believe the author was well meaning, but there is not enough detail/editing on this book. If you buy this, go halves with a friend and it might be worth it.Book Review: Great book for hcg dieters on their own
Summary: 4 Stars
This is a great book for hcg dieters, particularly those who aren't working through a diet center. HCG works, and it is not necessary to pay the high fees generally required through centers. This book clearly explains how to do the protocol according to its originator, Dr. Simeons. It also explains where to obtain hcg and the necessary support materials.
The books is rather expensive, which is the only reason I didn't rate it 5 stars. Also, for anybody who likes person-to-person support, a diet center might be a better option. But the book is less expensive than a typical consulation fee and will answer most of the questions that arise while on this protocol.
I like Prinster's book better than Kevin Trudeau's because his book goes into many pages of discussion about the politics of the FDA and pharmaceutical companies as well as offering multiple other steps for weight loss that, while possibly helpful, are not necessary to achieve weight loss following the hcg protocol, add substantially to the expense, and may be off-putting due to the sheer number of options Trudeau recommends. Printer's book deals with hcg weight loss pure and simple.
My suggestion: buy it. And while you're at it, get the little cookbook Prinster wrote. It is also rather expensive but offers a great collection of recipes for the 500-calorie diet. The monotony of that diet is tough. The ideas in the little cookbook help break that monotony.
Book Review: What the HCG Protocol really is...
Summary: 2 Stars
I was very enthusiastic about staring the HCG protocol especially after I heard an interview where Dr. Streeter highly recommended the HCG Protocol. I am sure that it will work for anyone who can stick to it.
The problem is:
1. it is a starvation diet demanding 500 calories per day.
2. HCG is a hormone that is produced by pregnant women.
Therefore, it is an unnatural approach since men should not have this in the body and women should only be producing it while pregnant. Also the most recommended way to administer the HCG is by injections. I found that to be a bit extreme for me.
The idea is that you can succeed on a 500 calorie per day with HCG because it will assist in appetite suppression. I am sure it will, but I found Hoodia to work well too without injections and it is not a foreign hormone, it is an herb.
Overall the book was not well organised and the author seems to draw a lot from Kevin Trudeau. Mr. Trudeau has been exposed as a scam artist although he promotes some great ideas, but he calls HCG a "cure" for being over weight which it is not - you can gain all your weight back after successfully completing this protocol.
After reading this book I would advise you consult an MD or ND and do a free search for HCG protocol before you spend any money or time. I believe it is not workable for many people.
Book Review: Get the book WHEN you order the drops & save $15 up front.
Summary: 5 Stars
I didn't order the book, which I think was $9.99, at the same time I ordered my drops from DYI. I wanted to save a few pennies. Later I realized I needed it. A friend and I had planned on sharing her book, but there are charts and things which you will want to refer to almost daily, and I wish I'd had it to record all the weight & measurement changes from start to finish, and, in my second set of three weeks' follow-up, I still refer to the book more than once per week. It's a good life-time guide 'n' check for foods. So I ordered it three weeks into the 500-calorie phase of the diet, and it cost me $25!
If you don't plan on getting the HCG drops don't bother getting the book. It cannot be used apart from the diet unless you've already done it and 'get' everything it's talking about from an experiential point of view. W/o the drops, you won't be able to stick to the very limited 500-calorie food items offered.
I did lose 20 of the 30 lbs. promised, but I did 'cheat' in that I didn't give up chewing gum, I did use some lotion and creams on occasion, and conditioner for my hair. I have maintained the weight loss and have had several people, hubby included, ask about the diet. No, it's not a hoax. Actually read Dr. Simeon's manuscript, which you can get off the internet for free but which is also included in the indispensable red book, before beginning the diet.