Archive for October, 2008

Hoodia Gum For Consistent Appetite Control

I’m loving the idea of this new trend in appetite control, which is that the person chews on a piece of gum for a while and gets the benefit of a slow release into the blood stream of appetite suppressing ingredients.  So goes the idea behind the hoodia gum break through which helps to time release the appetite controlling properties of the Hoodia p57 molecule, which is one of the latest and greatest natural appetite suppression tools used by people who just can’t seem to get the willpower they need without a little help from some natural chemicals which help tell the brain to stop eating when full.

That’s probably one of the biggest problems behind our national weight problem these days, is portion control.  If we could learn to just stop eating when we’re actually full, which is when our bodies don’t need any more calories, and that way nature intended for us to put a self-stop to overconsumption, then we would have very little problem with obesity and excess weight here in the US, the capital of overdoing it if you ask me.

Heck, you got to any restaurant that is a chain, and the portions are usually about double or sometimes even triple what they should be according to a person’s actual daily caloric intake needs.  This coupled with the fact that many restaurants pile on the sodium and the fat to make their foods taste better, and that Americans are increasingly turning to fast food and restaurant foods in the wake of increasing time constraints is just one of the many factors behind us eating too much, and eating foods that contribute greatly to weight gain and perpetual weight increases.

One of my favorite ways to kick start my diets is to take hoodia gum or some other similar natural appetite suppressant that is usually stimulant free, and use it to my favor to help me to both stop eating when I’m full as well as to not get hungry as often.  This type of appetite suppressant usually helps to stabilize the blood sugar, which is one of the prime reasons we may feel too hungry too often. 

It helps us to truly eat only when our bodies need the calories to be able to function well, instead of randomly eating any junk that we want out of boredom or sheer ignorance as to when our bodies are truly satisfied and done eating.  The other problem is that we tend to eat too fast, so our brains don’t catch up with our bellies and signal one that the other is satisfied, hence the phenomena of “extreme fullness” and feeling disgustingly stuffed not sinking in until way after we clear our plates, another reason we eat excessive calories.

Does Nutrisystem Taste Good, Or Even Work For That Matter?

Nutrisystem, one of the leading dieting programs out there right now thanks to mass marketing as well as a convenience that many Americans can’t pass up as far as availability in this busy, hectic world we’ve all created for ourselves, has created quite a buzz online and lots of good and bad reviews have been found online when you search for people’s experiences not only with the results of the system but also with their experience as far as the edibility of the food and the ease of sticking with it.

I’ve read that the food isn’t so bad, and easy to follow, but I’ve also read scathing reviews about how the foods tastes like sawdust, and has a lot of sodium in it to make up for the lack of flavor.  So, I’ve asked a few people at work that have been on the Nutrisystem plan at one point or another, and I’ve gotten the same mixed reviews.

One person thought the food was perfectly acceptable, but also thought the portions were not large enough to be satisfying, which makes sense because the way we lose weight is by cutting caloric intake, and it’s necessary to do portion control to do that.  Another person said that she unwrapped one of the meals, I believe it was supposed to be a hamburger with a bun, and was so sickened by how it looked and smelled that she couldn’t even bring herself to eat it. 

It’s hard to know whether food is good, or good to you, until you actually try it yourself.  Nutrisystem certainly isn’t cheap, but if you compare it to what you’d spend on your own healthy meals per day, it might be right up there with that, considering the higher costs of food these days. 

I think it’s around ten dollars per day to be on Nutrisystem, but that’s the last I checked.  I’m sure they run promotions periodically to get more people on board.  My concern with these meals is that they really aren’t nutritional.  I mean, if they’re mailed to you, how many preservatives and chemicals must they have in them? 

Also, where does the fresh fruit and veggies come in?  I’m a firm believer that fresh food is the best, most fulfilling food and is necessary in long term weight loss, so that is an element that is obviously missing from Nutrisystem as far as I know.

When It’s Time for a Diet

We all can tell when we’re putting on a few more pounds than we are comfortable with.  I know that I only reach a certain peak weight before I can’t stand it any more and whittle my way back to my comfort zone.  Yo Yo dieting?  Maybe, but this has been the system that has worked for me to keep me out of the obese category and in the normal, fit category for my height and build for my 34 years here on this earth. 

In fact, scientists say that we all have a set-point weight that our bodies are most comfortable with, and that nature never intends for us to breach, whether it is lower or higher than our set-point weight.  This may be a disappointment for some of us that want to be lower than what our current weight is that we can never seem to get lower than, but it’s also a comfort that at least nature has a plan for us to be of a normal weight span, and that nature strives to tell us when we are out of that weight span by making us feel bad, heavy and not as healthy when we surpass it or when we diet too vigorously or starve ourselves and fall under that weight.

So, the way I know that it’s time for me to get back on track with a healthy and reduced calorie diet, is I begin to notice that my pants, even the ones with a little more give, are all starting to fit me more snugly.  And not just that, but it seems as though my actual body is changing shape becuase they will hug me in a way that they never have before.  I also notice that my mood seems to be fairly erratic when I’ve been eating bad for a week or more. 

The thing about gaining and losing weight is that it seems to take much longer to lose it as you get older, and more challenging to burn and lose body fat, and it also takes less time to put that weight back on.  Thanks to a slowing metabolism as we get older, we tend to not be able to shrug off our weight gains as quickly, so if you have a weekend of total pigging out, it may just put all the hard worked off weight back on, especially if it’s just five pounds or so, which unfortunately is very easy to put back on quickly.

New York’s Weight Battle Campaign Launches in Subways

And by “Subways” I mean the actual train stations that so many New Yorkers take to get around the large city, not the sandwich chain that has gained so much notoriety not only for their tasty sandwiches, but also as a place where one who is health conscious can get relatively healthy choices to eat. 

New York city was the pioneer of the calorie postings in every restaurant, where for example now if you walk into a Starbucks, you may think again about getting that giant muffin because now you know it’ll cost you almost 700 calories, depending on the flavor.  I always knew these types of large pastry items packed a big calorie punch, but to be honest I didn’t think it was THAT bad.  That’s just one example of our supersized philosophy when it comes to food. 

Now New York has launched a new obesity attack campaign in it’s crowded subways, where it will be posting alarming posters and pictures of foods that we don’t think twice about eating sometimes that pack very high calorie counts, especially when the calorie count for a whole day ranges from 1500 to 2000 for women and men. 

Take for example, the gigantic burritoes you see that one famous chain made so popular.  Those big burritoes can pack as much as 1200 calories in one sitting – that’s almost an entire day’s worth of calories for a woman!  Now, I’m sure any of us ladies might want to space out our calorie consumption a little more for the sheer sake of variety and also because we’ll get hungry more than once in one day. 

The new effort in New York’s subways is to educate people about calorie consumption when they are captive audiences to try to get people to be more cognizant of their food choices and help them portion their foods better and make better choices about what foods they should be eating. 

5htp as an Appetite Supressant – Follow Up

I had promised a few weeks ago to write a follow up to my research on using 5htp – which is a natural anti depressant, or so some people think, because it is a natural precursor to the “pleasure” hormone called seratonin, as an appetite suppressant as well as natural mood lifter and equalizer.  I’ve been using the product now for almost two weeks, one 100mg pill in the morning with breakfast, and one in the evening with dinner. 

One note on 5htp is that you do have to take it with food or else there’s a good chance you may end up with an upset stomach, especially if you have a sensitive stomach to begin with.  So, my dosage was the two 100 mg capsules a day, because I read that’s a good place to start, although some people may need more than that depending on their weight, height, metabolism and more. 

I’m actually taking the product not as an appetite suppressant, but because I was experiencing a lot of different moods and wanted to even myself out, and heard that this product was a good natural way to do that, and it’s also good for anxiety, which is something I struggle with as well because I have the type of personality that always puts too much in front of me to do, and I end up stressing out about it.  My own fault, I know! 

As far as 5htp as an appetite suppressant though, I’m only noticing a very mild effect when it comes to my appetite though.  I noticed it more at first, and now that I’m almost two weeks into taking it, I’m not really noticing a decrease in my appetite at all.  The bright side though, is that although it may not work well as a natural appetite suppressant, it sure is working well on my mood and anxiety.  I haven’t experienced very many anxiety attacks or mood swings since I’ve been taking it, so I think there is something to it with regards to mood stabilization.  

Mexico Pushes Weight Loss Initiatives

It seems Mexico is the latest to push public weight loss efforts, especially in the wake that it’s been pegged as one of the worst nations as far as obesity goes.  In fact, Mexican Americans even have been pegged as some of the most obese nationalities in America today. 

Their newest Let’s Lose a Million Kilos campaign has been spurred on by an increasing incidence of obesity in the nation and the fact that it is currently on track to catch up with the US as the primary nation who’s problem is obesity and the fact that nearly one half of their population is overweight.

They have combined this with other weight and fat loss initiatives, such as giving corporations initiatives to offer their employees exercise programs, workout facilities and nutritional support and planning aids. 

They are also pushing education about getting as much exercise as possible such as using the stairs whenever you can, riding a bike to places that are close enough to not drive, and taking walks if you have a desk job as often as you can instead of sitting all day.

Football Snacks That Don’t Add Up Too Much

Football Sundays are upon us, and if you’re like me and have a man in the house that loves his Sunday football, and also has friends over every week (don’t get me wrong, I love it, it’s nostalgic to have people over and snack on wings and other goodies all day), then you definitely know how hard it can be to avoid the snacks that inevitably add up with the beer calories when you’re in the swing of watching football. 

It just seems that pizza, beer, wings and other salty, fatty foods go best with this favorite American pastime, so it’s no wonder that we may pack in as many as 3,000 to 4,000 calories on these days.  However, are there some smarter snacks you can be setting out, so that you won’t be stuffing your face with fattening, salty and sugary snacks all day on football watching days?

Well, you can definitely cut calories little by little, but it’s also important not to just keep absent mindedly eating when you’re not even really hungry, even if you are in fact cutting the calories by watching what you eat on these days as far as the healthfulness of the actual foods you choose to put out. 

One way you can cut back a little (every little bit helps), is to buy low fat or baked chips instead of the full on fried, fatty chips that populate the store’s shelves.  You can also buy pretzels instead of chips, which have little to no fat and other than sodium, aren’t all that bad for you.  Try buying some fat free dips too – they don’t taste half bad now.  Or you can buy fat free or low fat sour cream and make your own.

Try putting out a turkey summer sausage instead of the fattening beef version. 

Winter Weight Coming Soon?

We all know what happens when winter comes, especially if we live in diverse temperate climates where winter is really winter and summer is really blistering hot at times, like here in my native Ohio.  One thing I always think of when winter rolls around is the “inevitable” idea that I will gain a few pounds.  Now don’t get me wrong, it’s not like I pack on twenty pounds every winter, but I do noticeably put more on than I typically do in the summer due to a combination of factors, all within my control although I like to pretend some are not and delude myself.

On of the factors is the fact that it’s cold outside, and you can’t really go outside without coming right back in.  This may limit the exercise option pool for some, especially for those that don’t like to exercise indoors and are really the outdoorsy types who will only do outdoor activities.  Well, I hate to break it to people like that, but either you need to move to a more temperate, even climate or you need to start taking up indoor activities or winter weight gain will always be inevitable for you unless you have the willpower of a model and can consume way less food to make up for the lack of activity.

Another factor in winter weight gain for most is the fact that the holidays turn into months of gorging for many.  Myself included, don’t think I don’t also put myself in that category.  I talk to so many people who feel like although there is really only two holidays between November and December, they find that they somehow are in a three month carte blanche to eat whatever they feel like since there is so much good food around as temptations that they can’t help themselvs. 

I know what this is like, especially working in an office environment where everyone and their brother seems to be bringing in cookies, candies and sweets and other fattening goodies that are way too tempting for a coupld of months in the winter.  You just have to learn how to set the day’s tone by eating a big, healthy breakfast and if you do have one of those naughty indulgences, keep it at one or two and don’t let it make you ruin your whole day of eating as so many of us are guilty of.

Also, it may help if you can have a partner in your eating and exercising “pact” for the winter.  You can encourage one another to eat right and eat less of the junk that packs on the pounds, and you can also go with eachother and/or motivate one another to excercise and pick the best elliptical machine or whatever else tickles your fancy as you indoor exercise regimen.  I prefer the elliptical myself – it’s more fun than a treadmill! 

A Good Way to Lose Weight : Go On TV

It’s so funny the sheer number of reality shows we have these days.  I think that at one point, reality shows may have outnumbered actual production and script shows, but at least that trend seems to be somewhat reversing itself since maybe us American are finally beginning to tire of reality tv and it’s fake “realness”. 

In this day and age, any Tom, Dick or Harry can have their fifteen minutes of fame, and become a loved or hated player on shows like Survivor Gabon, the new season of the famous reality show, Big Brother, a ripoff of a British tv show of the same name, or something like The Biggest Loser, where people actually go on to compete to lose weight and win a cash prize.

But the actual weight loss themed shows aren’t the only ones where people are losing weight.  Oh no, there are also tons of contestants losing weight on other reality tv shows like Big Brother, only for different reasons, because people realize they’re on tv 24/7 and that the camera really does add ten pounds, and they start getting down to business.

Also on these reality shows, there’s not a whole lotta realness going on since all these contestants really have to do is fawn over how they look, work out, and eat healthy, since there really isn’t a whole lot more to do.  Or how about on Survivor, where almost every single contestant is guaranteed to lose weight simplly because they are deprived of the typical fattening foods they are usually allowed to eat in abundance. 

They are literally marooned on islands and have no where to get your typical junk foods.  Again, not a realistic atmosphere and certainly not duplicatable for most people’s lives who want to mirror that type of weightloss, but hey if you want to join up to one of these reality shows, you never know, you just might come out either winning lots of money or losing quite a bit of weight! 

What Sorts of Herbs are Used in Weight Loss?

Weight loss herbal pills are usually synonymous with one particular ingredient, and that is unfortunately caffeine or some other sort of stimulant that some people, like myself may be sensitive to.  You can’t get my skin near some of those herbal weight loss formulas without my skin breaking out in zits like I was 16 years old again because I’m so sensitive to many stimulants.  And that’s just one of the side effects, there’s also jitters, nausea, dry mouth, rapid heart beat and other rather unpalatable side effects that both scare and repel us from using these potentially harmful substances. 

But there are some formulas that are made with non stimulant ingredients that also help you to lose weight by cutting the appetite or helping with fat loss through thermogenesis, which is the assistance with the breakdown of fats in the body (although it is unclear whether this works through helping them break down in the digestive tract, or whether it is meant that they actually help “burn” fat off the body that is already there, which I think is very hard.

Take for example, hoodia gordonii, which is made in so many different ways and formulas that it is hard to tell what is actually pure hoodia and what it just a fake.  You have to be careful with this one because you may be getting a very watered down version of the effective appetite suppressing herb, or you may be getting something that isn’t even the real hoodia plant that has gotten all the press for suppressing hunger of the san bushmen in Africa on long hunting trips. 

Another one is guarana, which is essentially a stimulant, but it is fairly effective at staving off hunger if you use it correctly.  Be careful with any stimulants as they may have a rebound effect that can make you even hungrier and make you eat even more when you are off of them because your appetite returns with a vengeance. 

Another ingredient in herbal weight loss pills is chromium picolinate.  This one is supposed to help your body stabilize it’s blood sugar levels, which in turn helps you become a fat burning machine, eat less because you are not overly hungry ever thanks to a balanced blood sugar, and also may even help with the slower burning of foods so you stay fuller longer. 

None of these herbs and natural ingredients is without controversy of course, so you really have to read around and find something that works for you, with your chemistry before you make a judgment call on what herbal formula to go with.