Is the weight loss permanent?

It is as permanent as you would like it to be. The biggest causes of weight gain in the United States can be narrowed down to a few culprits. Highly refined carbohydrates (e.g. white bread), High fructose corn syrup (a cheap-to-make sugary additive that is put into an increasing number of foods) cheap meats (non-organic for example) and any meat product that have been treated with antibiotics and/or growth hormones that were injected into the meat you eat. When you complete your SlenderYou™ program, you have the unique opportunity to continue your new-found habits and stay at your new, lower weight for as long as you wish.

Is hCG Safe?

Yes. It is a hormone that is created by the human body for a variety of reasons and is today manufactured as a bio-identical hormone, a process that is used more and more commonly today. Still, there is a right time for everything, and a simple blood test will determine whether you are in the optimal position to take advantage of it. It is manufactured to the highest standards of hygiene and has been in common use for many years.

How does hCG work?

During pregnancy, hCG is produced in the placenta. It functions as an "enabler" or a "vehicle" that allows the fetus to access its mother's stored nutrients by carrying them through the placenta. The hCG liquefies the contents of the fat cells — the key action of the hormone — and allows the fetus to absorb the nutrients after passing through the placenta.

hCG targets the stored nutrients in fat cells specifically, liquefying their content, and these nutrients are then released into the bloodstream, in the same way that a pregnant mother passes nutrients to her unborn baby. This source of natural energy is immediately available to the body, in some cases as much as 2,000 calories is delivered in a single day day. While burning this new source of calories, the body's energy level increases significantly. Fat cells are drained of their contents.

On the SlenderYou Weight Loss Program, will I end up with a lot of wrinkles and stretch marks?

Glad you asked. This is where our program differs in result from all other weight loss regimens. Our program eliminates abnormal fat deposits. Double chins, pot bellies, and fat around the thighs are usually the first to shrink. Your body needs certain fats to remain available for healthy body function, and our program does not reduce those needed structural and essential tissues. Our SlenderYou product goes after the abnormal fat deposits first. Your body will get a new youthful appearance during the program.

What is the difference between a low calorie diet and the SlenderYou Weight Loss Program?

While effective in the short term at reducing your overall weight, a low calorie diet doesn't differentiate significantly between structural tissue, such as lean muscle, and the contents of fat cells. You will also notice that a low-calorie diet will reduce your energy and often affect your mood negatively. Without proper nutrients and sufficient calories for the body to maintain normal function, a low-calorie diet alone can eventually result in malnutrition, illness and general damage to your organs deprived of those needed nutrients. Diets that do not provide adequate nutrition or calories result in a decrease of the body's metabolism. You probably know from experience what that means: Although you do lose some weight at the beginning of your reduced calorie diet regimen, insufficient calories will cause body function to slow down until weight loss stops. With a low calorie diet, you are, so to speak, telling your body that is it about to "cross a desert" and to therefore store up as much weight as possible.

OK. I've reached my desired weight with the SlenderYou program. What next?

It is imperative that you continue to follow your managed calorie diet for an additional two days after you complete the SlenderYou Program. After this is completed, you must do a three-week "maintenance" phase where you will continue to avoid all sugars, fats and starches. You can, however, start to consume "unlimited" amounts of food. This is an important step to reprogramming your hypothalamus and improving your metabolism and support endocrine systems.

Remember, you must completely avoid all starches, sugars and preferably fats. You must eat more than you did while on the Main Phase. Small amounts of alcohol may be consumed. Continue to weigh yourself every day to make sure you do not gain or lose more than 2 lbs on any one day. Should a gain of over two lbs occur, all food must be avoided throughout the day and then, in the evening, eat a large steak and either an apple or raw tomato. This should correct the weight gain.

What do I do when I reach my goal weight on the SlenderYou Weight Loss Program?

You will find, because this program "retrains" your body's fat management system, it will be much easier to stay slim when the program is complete than it is on any other diet you have tried in the past. We know from personal experience how such diets can get you into a yo-yo pattern of weight gain, and we also know that our program simply does not work in the same way. You will be amazed at how effective it is. One client told us it was like "resetting my thermostat" and that she felt like her body "didn't seem to want to be fat anymore". So, the answer is, No; with a minimum amount of care and attention you will stay at your goal weight once you get there.

Are there any side effects, or long term effects?

No, other than losing weight of course. The beauty of this program is that it uses the body's own hormones to drive the weight loss. The SlenderYou Program simply coat-tails what the body is already doing. There are no extra, unnatural ingredients in our program. With out-of-a-can fad diets, you will find all manner of chemicals that the body was not built to absorb. With the SlenderYou Weight Loss program, everything we introduce to your body is what the human body has produced for millions of years. That is also why there are no allergy issues with the SlenderYou Weight Loss program.

Will I gain the weight back after stopping the SlenderYou Weight Loss Program?

With a minimum amount of care and attention, you will remain at your goal weight. No program would protect you from a steady diet of jam-filled donuts and cola, but you'll find your body will respond differently to food in many ways, including what kind of food you like and a reduction in cravings. It truly is a retraining of your body to behave and gravitate towards different foods. It also processes your food in a different way that it used to do.

How well will SlenderYou program work for men? (Or is it just for women).

In actual, fact, men experience a more significant weight reduction for two reasons. One, the average man is heavier than the average woman, and two, men's metabolism responds more steeply to the hormonal adjustments in the SlenderYou program. The numbers we quote for weight loss are number we take for our women clients (the majority of our clients are women), because we want to be conservative when we speak of expected weight loss. Also, it is easier for a 140 lb man to lose 60 lbs than for a 180 lb woman to lose 50 lbs, simply because the targets and resulting numbers are bigger.

Your headquarters are in Tacoma, but do you have an office in Bellevue?

Yes, we have a sub office in Bellevue (on 106th/Main), and will shortly open a contact point in Sammamish and in Seattle and Redmond.

Question about water...I know that we are not allowed diet sodas of any kind, which has been fine, but am wondering if we are allowed plain carbonated water with some lemon (e.g. Perrier?)

Yes, it is perfectly OK. Perrier/lemon is so low in calories, the energy used consuming is probably more than it contains. We actually recommend such drinks.

Who can use the diet?

The treatment works for people of almost all ages, male or female. If your BMI (Body-Mass Index) value is not lower than 20. In other words, if you are not already very slim. Always check with your doctor before beginning any new weight loss program, particularly if you are pregnant or nursing.

Will my birth control methods be affected by being on the SlenderYou program at the same time?

The SlenderYou program will not interfere with any form of birth control.

Are there any side effects to the SlenderYou program?

There are no side effects associated with our program. A very small percentage of people report slight headaches or dizziness for the first couple of days but this is extremely rare and mild.

Will the SlenderYou program interfere with medications my doctor has prescribed to me?

Even if you are not taking medications, it is always a good idea to talk with your doctor before beginning any weight loss program. Be sure to mention any medications you are taking.

Can I continue the program beyond the 6 or 7 weeks suggested in the weight loss plan?

Let us know if you'd like to go beyond the initial program. Each case is different at that stage, depending on how much weight you had to lose at the beginning of the program.

Will I keep the weight off?

After the program, you will find your appetite has changed, your eating behavior will be changed and your body will of course, will be much lighter. This program "retrains" your hypothalamus to desire food differently. You will feel more like the slim people we all envy. This is the perfect opportunity to stay on that track, sticking with your newly programmed habits. This is one of the reasons people succeed in keeping the weight off long after their program is finished. You will also notice that even a modest commitment to exercise has a beneficial effect. With your hypothalamus reset, your metabolism will be different and you will be able to eat moderately without feeling that desire to eat beyond satiation. Of the people who have used this program, 75 to 90% have had little or no challenge keeping their new, ideal weight for years afterwards.

How much weight can I expect to lose?

Weight loss varies between .5 pound and 3 pounds per day, with the average loss being 1-2 pounds per day. A lot depends on where you start. We will be able to give you a more accurate estimate of what you personally can expect as the weight loss program progresses.

Is it healthy to lose one to two pounds a day?

Yes. On the SlenderYou program, you lose fat and the weight loss comes directly from this fat loss and does not rob the body of its protein and nutrients as traditional diets do when you lose that much weight per day.

A 500 calorie diet seems very low. Is this going to be difficult?

The SlenderYou Weight Loss program causes your hypothalamus to mobilize the fat out of the fat storage locations so that it’s available for use as a new supply of energy. You could say, it provides the food for your body to use as if you had just eaten.  While you are only eating 500 calories, your hypothalamus is releasing this energy from your body fat all day, as the program does its work.  Your body is actually burning the thousands of calories a day as if you had just eaten.  That is why dieters on the SlenderYou program lose a couple of lbs per day and feel terrific, yet do not have the cravings.

Won't I be starving on a meager 500 calories a day?

It is common for mild hunger during the first few days, however this will pass after that first few days. By the 2nd week, you will find even very tiny servings, to be completely satisfying. This is the really fun part of the SlenderYou Weight loss program. This is partly due to your hypothalamus adjusting your metabolic rate, but mostly due to the number of calories circulating in your system from the fat being taken out of storage.  It is common for SlenderYou dieters to feel as though they are overeating in order to reach that 500 calorie limit.

What is the Hypothalamus?

The hypothalamus moderates the thyroid gland, adrenal glands, fat storage process, and perhaps most importantly, your metabolic rate. (One wonders if the Hippopotamus was named after the Hypothalamus! ;)

Are there specific foods I should or should not eat while on the diet?

Clients who join our weight loss program will have access to a lot of information about what foods are best eaten while on the program, including many tasty products available on our products page and elsewhere.

My blood sugar is a bit elevated. Doctor says i'm borderline type 2 diabetic and that I need to lose weight to help solve the problem. Is there a complication with doing the SlenderYou program for people who have elevated sugar levels?

Our SlenderYou program and the resultant weight loss is actually ideal for people with elevated sugar levels, just like they are when they have type II diabetes. Early in the program you will notice your sugar levels decrease significantly. Of course, most weight loss programs do offer benefits for sufferers of type II diabetes.