Dec 15, 2008 6:17 pm US/Eastern
Lose Weight By Making Your Body Think Its Pregnant
MIAMI (CBS4) ―
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HCG is the hormone detected in urine that tells those early pregnancy tests you're pregnant. The hormone is absorbed into the bloodstream through the skin cream.
Pregnancy and weight gain usually go hand in hand, but that notion is being turned on its head with a medication that causes your body to believe it's pregnant to make you lose weight.
Four years ago, Patsy Goodwin's life, metabolism, and health all changed. "I had my last child at 40. I developed gestational diabetes my physician stated that I really needed to lose weight," remembered Goodwin.
She tried everything from exercise to fad diets. Then she tried a new approach: telling her body it's pregnant again!
Dr. Jeffrey Caruth used to deliver babies. Nowadays, he's busier than ever helping patients lose weight on the Dr. Ted Program.
"I look at their before and after pictures and think this isn't the same person," said Caruth.
The Dr. Ted Diet is closely watched by calorie counting counselors. Your carbohydrates will be limited on this diet, and it involves some limited exercise. That's all fairly normal.
The third component, however, is not so common: human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) cream. HCG is the hormone detected in urine that tells those early pregnancy tests you're pregnant. You apply the cream twice daily. The hormone is absorbed into the bloodstream through the skin.
"I think the HCG cream is very important to help people feel well and feel good," said Caruth. "It gives you a feeling of well-being. It does help with your metabolism and it does have some natural appetite suppressant effects. So alone it doesn't do anything other than give you a different feeling."
Joanne James, a traveling businesswoman, believes it is one of the reasons she's gone down 30 pounds but kept up her endurance. "I have never, on this diet, felt like I had low energy. I have had very little hunger, exclaimed James.
Swimming coach, Glyna Miller has lost 22 pounds. "I feel good, really, really good," admitted Miller.
"I talk to people everyday (and they say) I feel better than I ever felt, sleeping better, skin looks better, not as moody. It changes their whole life," said Caruth.
The true impact of the cream still remains a mystery. HCG cream is not approved for use in weight loss by the Food and Drug Administration.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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