July 3, 2006
Weapons for Your
Weight Loss War
Well, thanks to a few new weapons in my arsenal, I can now
report a total weight loss of 10 pounds. Praise God!
One of those weapons was an increase in my thyroid medication,
recommended by my doctor. Another is using an online tracking
program to log everything I eat.
But last week, when I was struggling to stick to my daily calorie
allotment, I learned about an interesting new appetite suppressant.
Before I go on, let me say that I have never used an appetite
suppressant in my life. Let me also say that I am not a doctor,
nutritionist or weight loss expert. So anything I say should
not be considered professional advice. Always, as the saying
goes, consult your physician before you take anything.
Now, having said that, let me say that last week, when my appetite
was threatening to sabotage my weight loss efforts, I decided
to do some research on something called “hoodia.”
Hoodia is a cactus found in South Africa that is apparently
used by natives to suppress appetite when food is not available.
There’s lots of information about hoodia on the web. And
if you do a search, you’ll learn that there are a lot
of different supplements on the market that contain hoodia.
They all contain different amounts and some even claim to have
it when testing revealed it was not there at all.
So purchasing hoodia can be risky. But while I was shopping
I saw a very inexpensive brand of hoodia and decided it was
worth a try. Because there have been no long-term studies on
the use of hoodia, it is impossible to determine whether or
not it is safe to use on a regular bases. But there seem to
be no side effects for the occasional user. And I saw an article
by a reputable doctor saying he encouraged his patients to use
in moderately.
Well, with two capsules of this cheap version of hoodia, I
did find my appetite suppressed and it was much easier to stick
to my program.
It wasn’t a magic pill. But I think it will be a helpful
weapon on those days when nothing seems to stave off my hunger.
I have read that people with insulin resistance or pre-diabetes
(which I have) often stay hungry because the condition keeps
their cells from getting the nutrition they need.
If that’s the case, hoodia is likely to continue to be
a helpful weapon in my weight loss war.
Plese don't forget to Log
on to our discussion board to share your thoughts and support
other Christians in their weight loss efforts.
Previous blogs: How
I got Roped into This, Dodging
the Donuts, Why
Losing Weight Takes Faith, When
the Scales Won't Budge, Ask
the Experts, Sweet
Scale Success, Are
You Having Fun Yet?, All
or Nothing