HCG Diet - What the Numbers REALLY Mean

Ok, this post will contain a lot of math. Mathphobes, you have been warned. :)

I've had some people be a bit confused with the math on figuring out fat loss vs. lean mass loss. Hopefully, this will help clarify.

The method of measuring body fat percentage doesn't matter too much-- it still gives you the same end result. A body fat percentage. It's what you DO with those numbers that shows the real results.

Let's start with a 265 pound woman. For ease of the math, we will make the assumption that on her first round of hcg, she will lose 25 pounds, and drop 3 percent of body fat.

So, she gets measured, and has the results of:

265 pounds, 39% body fat (61% lean).

Afterwards, she gets the results of:

240 pounds, 36% body fat (64% lean).

Well, hey! Those numbers look freaking awesome! I mean, according to the simple look at the numbers, she lost weight and body fat, and *gained* lean.

Not so, grasshopper.

265 times 39% body fat = 103.35 pounds of body fat
240 times 36% body fat = 86.40 pounds of body fat

103.35 - 86.40 = 16.95 pounds of fat lost on first round of HCG.
25 total pounds lost - 16.95 pounds of fat = 8.05 pounds of lean mass lost on first round of HCG.

If you turn those into percentages, we've got:

Total percent fat lost (from 25 pounds): 67.8%
Total lean lost (from 25 pounds): 32.2%

Following me so far? Now we will assume she kept the same stats, and started HCG round two. 25 pounds/3% body fat were lost again. Once more, the simple numbers look astounding! 25 more pounds gone, down to 33% body fat, and lean percentage has gone up to 67%. Again, you have to do the math to get the numbers that tell you what really happened:

240 times 36% body fat = 86.40 pounds of body fat
215 times 33% body fat = 70.95 pounds of body fat

86.40 - 70.95 = 15.45 pounds of fat lost on second round of HCG.
25 total pounds lost - 15.45 pounds of fat = 9.55 pounds of lean mass lost on second round of HCG.

Convert to percentages:

Total fat lost (next 25 pounds): 61.8%
Total lean lost (next 25 pounds): 38.2%

Are you starting to see the trend yet? The less you weigh when you start this protocol, the more muscle you will lose. Let's say she does two more rounds. She starts at 190 pounds/30% body fat.

190 times 30% body fat = 57 pounds of body fat
165 times 27% body fat = 44.55 pounds of body fat

57 - 44.55 = 12.45 pounds of fat lost on fourth round of HCG.
25 total pounds lost - 12.45 pounds of fat = 12.55 pounds of lean mass lost on fourth round of HCG.

Convert to percentages:

Total fat lost (for the fourth set of 25 pounds): 49.8%
Total lean lost (for the fourth set of 25 pounds): 50.2%

THIS is what scares me. The closer you get to your goal weight, the more lean mass you lose. This woman lost more lean mass than fat this time around! Each subsequent hcg round causes you to lose MORE muscle.

If we calculate ALL her stats from the beginning, we get:

Pounds lost: 100
Body fat percentage lost: 12%

Looks fantastic, right? Well, let's (once again) do the math:

Starting weight: 265 pounds times 39% body fat = 103.35 pounds of fat
Ending weight: 165 pounds times 27% body fat = 44.55 pounds of fat

103.35 - 44.55 = 58.80 total pounds of body fat lost
100 - 58.50 = 41.20 total pounds of lean mass lost

Convert to percentages:

Total body fat lost (for 100 pounds): 58.8%
Total lean mass lost (for 100 pounds): 41.2%

That's starvation diet percentages, folks. And the less you weigh when you start hcg, the more lean muscle you will lose doing the protocol.

People need to look at their numbers at more than just the face value they present. You need to put some math skills to use to see what they really mean.

Knowledge is power.