Is HCG actually a starvation process, or does the hormone cause the body to target long-term fat storage? Hi. I m 62, male and a lymphoma survivor. I just found out that my kidney function has been slowly degrading over the last year; possibly early chronic kidney disease. I just finished a successful 30 day round of hcg injectable, and lost about 20 lbs, which is a good thing. I want to understand the situation regarding impact on kidneys. I hear almost every doctor refer to hcg as a starvation diet yet in theory, the hcg causes the body to focus on burning ONLY the fat, as opposed to typical reduced-calorie diets which take equally from muscle, bone, nerve, brain, etc as well as the body fat. Is this concept based on disbelief in the supposed effects of hcg? If the stuff works, then I would think it s NOT a starvation situation. I understand that ketosis could be a risk to my kidneys.