The hCG Protocol in Los Gatos
The medically run version of the hCG diet: daily prescription injections, a structured eating phase, weekly coaching, and an ending built in.
Around 80 percent of Americans who lose significant weight regain it within a year. I think that number stays high because most plans never find out why the weight accumulated in the first place. I do not recommend a weight plan for anyone until I know that answer. Great detective work is what makes the loss last.
- Core program
- 6 weeksNever more than 15 consecutive
- Expected loss
- ½ – 1 lbPer day during the phase
- Coaching
- WeeklyHealth & Wellness Coach
- In practice here
- 10+ yearsDoctor-run throughout
What the protocol is
A six-week program at its core: daily prescription hCG injections alongside a structured low-calorie diet, personalized to you. Plans run no fewer than six weeks and never more than 15 consecutive weeks; the longer versions are reserved for people with significant weight to lose.
The hCG does two jobs. It suppresses appetite, so the low-calorie phase is livable instead of white-knuckled. And it shifts the body toward burning stored fat while preserving muscle, which matters because crash-dieting away your muscle lowers the metabolic rate you need to keep the weight off afterward.
Where the evidence stands
hCG is one of the oldest tools on this site: the protocol has been used for decades, and I have run it at my Los Gatos clinic for over ten years. To be precise about the medicine: hCG is a prescription drug, and this is a doctor-run protocol around it, not a mail-order kit. Like every tool here, it earns its place by what we can measure: the loss during the program, and whether the habits and the weight hold after it ends.
Who it's for
The pattern I see most: you are already working at it, and the last stretch will not move. A healthy diet has not been enough, the workout routine has plateaued, the metabolism is not cooperating, and you are tired of trying things that almost work. The protocol also suits people who want a defined program with a start, a finish, and someone checking in every week, rather than an open-ended subscription.
What treatment looks like
The exam
A comprehensive exam with one of our doctors: your history, current medications, your goals, and the why-behind-the-weight, so the plan is built for your case.
The program
Daily hCG injections and a specific way of eating, with the guesswork removed: our Health and Wellness Coach gives you a food list, an extensive recipe book and meal planning support, and meets with you weekly. Expected loss runs one half to one pound per day.
The part most programs skip
When you reach target weight we guide you back into a regular eating routine, and for ongoing management you can transition to a different peptide therapy or continue with coaching. The habits you build during the program are the tool you keep: the way to take off the vacation pounds before they become more than that.
Why do this with me
Four reasons, all structural. The plan is gated: no one gets this protocol here until we know why the weight accumulated, which is the opposite of a checkout page. It is coached: a named Health and Wellness Coach, weekly, with our doctors behind her. It is proven in this building: over a decade of running it. And it is built to end, with the transition and maintenance plan designed in from day one, not a subscription engineered to renew forever.
If GLP-1s are the question on your mind instead, the clinic runs a full weight program including those, and up to 10 different weight-loss peptides at any given time; the consult sorts out which tool fits your case. Results may vary, and I will tell you honestly which variation to expect.
FAQ
Why injections rather than drops or pills?
Injected peptides enter the bloodstream directly, so more of the dose actually reaches its target and works faster. Oral versions lose much of the peptide to the digestive tract.
What happens after the protocol ends?
A guided transition back to regular eating, then maintenance your way: continued coaching, or a different peptide therapy if your case calls for one. Diet, exercise, stress, sleep and hydration do the rest, and the coach stays available for all of it.
Is hCG the only weight-loss peptide you use?
No. The clinic offers up to 10 weight-loss peptides at any given time, including CJC-1295, ipamorelin and semaglutide. Your labs and your case pick the tool. More on peptides generally at the peptides page.
Also in the toolkit: Prolozone · Ozone · Peptides · Exosomes
The last stretch is a solvable problem.
Losing just five to ten percent of body weight moves energy, blood sugar, blood pressure, joint pain and sleep in the right direction. If you have been stuck at almost, the first consultation is where we find out why.