This show has the pros and cons of the protocol. Of course the protocol works and if you have done it, you know that! Another diet trend has caught traction in the American imagination, and it promises to help the dieter lose a pound a day, or even more. It’s the hCG diet, and it was developed by a doctor who believed that a hormone found in a pregnant woman’s body could help overweight men and women lose weight — and keep that weight off after returning to a normal routine.