Editor's Note: This is the first in a 3 part series detailing one person’s experience with the HCG Diet, a weight-loss method that has sparked controversy among doctors, media and the general medical community. Named the "HCG Diet" because followers inject themselves daily with the human chorionic gonadotrophin (HCG), a hormone produced by pregnant women. Detractors such as Mehmet Oz of Oprah fame argue that trial studies show that HCG is no more effective than a placebo.
