Akavar 20/50: Eat All You Want And Still Lose Weight

I saw this on the shelf in a store yesterday and finally gave in. After trying to read all the labels for about 20 minutes, I gave up and put it in my cart. The best way to find out about these things is just to try them so I am. I’ll be posting the details here for your benefit over the next 22 days. The television commercials and magazine ads make great use of the big, bold phrase “Eat all you want and still lose weight…” Instinct tells me that any product that makes claims like that really is … Continue reading →

Buyer Beware!

So you want to lose weight? How about a little hair loss, muscle cramps, diarrhea, joint pain and fatigue to go with that? Anyone who has read my blogs for a while will know that I am a big proponent of vitamin supplementation for everyone, especially those who are trying to lose weight and may not be practicing a particularly balanced eating program. In this case, buyers should beware of a particular liquid supplement. The Food and Drug Administration is on the job and has warned consumers about Total Body Formula. Total Body Formula is a liquid vitamin supplement that … Continue reading →

Adderall: Return to Valley of the Dolls

The reference to the 1967 movie based upon the book by Jacqueline Susann is quite appropriate here. According to the Internet Movie Database: “In the Valley of the Dolls, it’s instant turn-on… dolls to put you to sleep at night, kick you awake in the morning, make life seem great – instant love, instant excitement, ultimate hell!” The story is about three young women just getting started in careers in show business. The “dolls” are pills. Sadly, we’re seeing more and more of Hollywood self-medicating these days. Take, for example, the sad case of Heath Ledger who received prescriptions from … Continue reading →

Alli: Don’t Waste Your Money

Everybody is looking for the magic pill but Alli just isn’t it. Sure, the packaging is nice, they include a handy pillbox and they wrote a book to go along with it to add to the appearance of legitimacy but the fact of the matter is that Alli is just another way for pharmaceutical companies to soak the overweight for their hard earned money. Alli costs about $40 for a 60-capsule starter pack, $60 for a 90-capsule starter pack and $70 for a 120-capsule refill pack. And what do you get for your money? At best, nothing. At worst, you’ll … Continue reading →

Do Diet Supplements Work and Do You Need Them?

Unless you’re sitting down to three square, home cooked meals a day and eating at least two healthy snacks between them, chances are you could use a supplement or two. Following are just a few you may want to consider. Healthy Fats In our diet conscious world, we tend to avoid any fat as if it were The Plague. That isn’t exactly what we should be doing. Believe it or not, our bodies need some special fats that we just cannot create ourselves. Supplements like Omega-3 Fatty Acids (fats derived from fish) are important for heart health so if you … Continue reading →

The Skinny on Skinny Water

Drinking lots of water is one of my ‘tricks’ for optimizing weight loss. I find that it gives me something to do (instead of reaching for food), fills up my stomach so I am not as hungry, staves off cravings for sweets (often times a craving for sweets is really thirst), and keeps me from drinking my real favorite drink: soda. Diet gurus have also reported that drinking ice cold water causes your body to expend calories drinking it because it has to warm the water up. Water is surely the perfect no calorie drink. However, there is a newer … Continue reading →

Alli-oops! Alli Users Commiserate Over Side Effects

WARNING: This blog contains what the text messaging world labels as TMI. This blog is not to be read by the easily grossed out or slightly squeamish person. If you keep reading. . .you can’t say I didn’t warn you. Alli, a non-prescription form of the weight loss drug Xenical, came out on drug store shelves last month on June 15th. Since then sales have sky rocketed with everyone trying to get their hands on those pills. What makes Alli unique is that it brings ’quick’ weight loss to the masses. Not only can the morbidly obese use it, but … Continue reading →

Alli On Shelves This Week

GlaxoSmithKline has gotten their newest weight loss supplement, Alli, approved by the FDA. The over the counter pill should be out in stores by the end of the week. The pill is designed to be used under the direction of a physician as one part of an entire weight loss program. Even the pill’s makers say that this is not a miracle pill. It can help you lose up to 50% more weight than just dieting alone. . .but you will not get over night results. Proponents of Alli say that it is a comprehensive system. When you buy the … Continue reading →

Viscofiber: A Fiber Supplement

There are two types of fiber, insoluble and soluble. Insoluble fiber mostly stays intact as it passes through the intestines. It helps with regularity, reduces constipation, and removes waste. Soluble fiber attracts water. It forms a gel when it dissolves which collects fats, cholesterol, sugars, and bile. Absorption by the body is slowed. Waste forms and it is excreted from the body. Viscofiber is an all natural, soluble, dietary fiber made from oats, barley, and beta-glucan concentrates. Beta-glucan is found in oats. It is known to decrease: blood glucose, insulin concentration, and LDL-C levels. Viscofiber helps with maintenance of normal … Continue reading →

CLA: Burns Fat, Increases Lean Muscle, Helps Maintain Weight

Conjugated Linoleic Acid, or CLA, is a naturally occurring fatty acid which can be found in meat and dairy products. It is also sold as a dietary supplement. Three health benefits of CLA are reduction of body fat, increased lean muscle, and weight loss maintenance. A study of CLA was conducted by Jean-Michel Gaullier, PhD and his colleagues at Scandinavian Clinical Research Group in Norway. Participants were divided into three groups. Two were given either a pill or CLA syrup and the third was given an olive oil filled capsule. In twelve months, the pill group lost 9% of body … Continue reading →