There certain differences between HCG and other substances purportedly able to eliminate excess pounds. HCG is the primary reason for the weight loss while supplements usually are taken to assist a diet or exercise regimen.
Let us take for example the case of B12 taken for weight loss purposes. It serves to speed up metabolism and provides a burst of energy to make dieters more enthusiastic about exercise. Its role in weight loss is at best indirect.
Diet Supplements Weight Loss
HCG functions in a similar manner but with a significant difference. It is supposed to improve the metabolism for more efficient fat burning but apparently does not provide additional energy for exercise. In fact, those taking the HCG weight loss program are not encouraged to do hard physical exercises at all. The hoped for reduction in weight is expected to come from the improved metabolism as well as the very low calorie diet. Another difference between the two is that B12 is taken expressly for the diet or address a dangerous deficiency, while HCG is taken precisely for the purpose of permanently integrating an improved metabolic process. Why then is a VLCD required? Well, advocates say it is responsible for activating the powers of the hormone to change the metabolic process.
The symbiotic relationship between the hormone and the diet will appear dubious to some. But perhaps there is something that gives it credence. The HCG weight loss program allows people who have successfully undergone the program to change their diet to include previously banned foods such as fats and starch, albeit added gradually. Other programs usually make the weight loss diet permanent in order to maintain gains. We can only surmise that the HCG has done what it is supposed to do.