Health & Weight Loss’s resident physician harnesses the pound-shedding power of HCG, a natural hormone found in both men and women but best known for boosting the metabolism of expectant mothers. When injected in potent doses, it has the same effect on dieters. As the cornerstone of a four-stage weight-loss plan, the hormone helps participants slash calorie intakes to as little as 1,200 calories per day depending on lifestyle—the same amount a bear consumes when getting back in shape for the summer. Even without exercise, HCG safely shaves off extra inches by evacuating bulk from adipose tissue instead of muscle or structural fat, which bodies need to function. Shots of B12 and other vitamin-rich injections can augment the program with boosts of much-needed energy.