Aids to weight loss

[r2pi]

Hello,

Just wondering if anyone can help cut through the marketing BS on possible herbal / chemical aids to fat loss?

(I am not after a short cut. I already eat well and exercise daily and have a healthy bodyweight, but I would like to drop about 5 kg in 5 weeks in preparation for an important fitness test I have coming up. I am cutting back on food and upping the levels of exercise but anything else that can help with this would be great.)

I have seen some promising studies on capsaicin -- I already eat a lot of chilli (chilli cinnamon banana smoothie is one of my wierder staples ) but will up it.

I have seen one positive mention of yohimbe on here but I am concerned about side effects.

I have been reading about Caralluma fimbriata, even saw some pills at the supermarket, but the ridiculous price tag put me off. Not to mention the fact that it was wrongly described as a cactus. I would much rather just eat the fresh plant than take an extract of unknown effectiveness.

Any comments? Any other suggestions?

 

[christian]

(I am not after a short cut. I already eat well and exercise daily and have a healthy bodyweight, but I would like to drop about 5 kg in 5 weeks in preparation for an important fitness test I have coming up.

To lose 5 kilos in 5 weeks is quite a difficult task indeed. I don't know your starting weight, and i don't know your body fat to lean flesh ratios. Thus, losing 5 kilos with pills or supplements may mean losing healthy lean tissue, and water, and that is NOT gonna be good for your health and fitness. Also, if you have a healthy bodyweight, why do you wanna lose 5 kilos?

In reference to supplements /pills- there's no short cuts here. The REAL results will come only from high activity levels and diet. So this means that Gym and aerobics isn't the end of it, you'll need to keep active as much as possible: no hours sitting watching television! .....THUS:

-You will need to train MUCH harder, meaning more intensely, with weights, eat MUCH more wisely, and do lot's more INTENSIVE aerobics (always after weight's), in between periods of rest and recuperation. This is the best way to lose bodyfat and improve basic fitness.

Caffeine to fuel your workouts as in black filter coffee is one of the tastiest, cheapest, and most effective supplements, cos results come from actions and not sitting about taking pills.:thumb_up:

 

[r2pi]

Yeah my activity levels are already high, 5 x 30 minute gym (circuit) per week and running. The past few months of running have been patchy due to illness and injury but both cleared up now so should hopefully be able to gradually get back to 40-60 km per week running as I was doing earlier in the year before I put the extra 5 kg on... once that happens I can eat what I like but it's the time ramping up that I will need to starve myself a bit so something to stave off the hunger might help.

 

[endlessness]

Dont starve yourself. Maybe you already know but it's better not to stop eating or eating very little otherwise your body goes in "survival mode", thinking there will be no food anymore, so metabolism slows down and you dont lose weight like you want. Better eat light but eat a several meals a day.

 

[christian]

YEA, try doing extra more resistance on the circuit training, and try for 45 mins rather than 30 mins...That'll make all the difference.

Regarding diet, eat leaner-but don't miss out on quality protein and carbs: You need to eat well to train well, and it's the training that produces the results you want, and actually controls your appetite! Ps, be sure to replenish glycogen stores with a high gi carb and protein shake within 1 hour post training. Other than that stick to complex carbs.

What makes the difference is INTENSITY, so push yourself rather than take it easy. Better to do 3 high intensity weight and aerobic sessions than 5 easy going ones!

Good luck.

 

[tigerstrike92]

What you want to do is consume thermogenic herbs. These include things such as ephedra, tea, cayenne, yerba mate, ginger, coffee, astralagus, and to some extent black pepper. Do not however, use all of these at once, they are just some options.

They are called thermogenic, because they increase the temperature and heart rate of the human body, which in turn increases metabolism. Things like black pepper and ginger also help increase the amount of nutrients you are able to absorb from your food.

Also, I cannot stress enough the importance of a good, whole food multi-vitamin.

 

[r2pi]

Well, just goes to show what a sad industry there is out there, I just received my first Nexus PM Spam, from a new member with 0 posts, sending me to some fad diet website. Sigh.

To reiterate, I am doing all the right things, am not interested in fad nonsense. What peaks my interest is things like nearly parallel reports from Africa (Sceletium tortuosum) and India (Caralluma fibriata) of tribal peoples on long-distance hunting expeditions using (succulent) plants to provide appetite reduction, some minor calorie and mineral intake and incidentally hydration. Maybe I should seek these two out but I just thought there might be more.

(I bet the Tarahumara have something similar, but all the West seems to have "learned" from them so far is a fad for barefoot running and chia seeds )

 

[tele]

If you don't do cycling you might want to add it to your excercises or make it a daily form of moving around. It's fun and efficient way to lose weight

 

[evil804]

Dont starve yourself. Maybe you already know but it's better not to stop eating or eating very little otherwise your body goes in "survival mode", thinking there will be no food anymore, so metabolism slows down and you dont lose weight like you want. Better eat light but eat a several meals a day.

This is a common form of dogma in nutrition.

This study shows short term fasting actually increases the metabolism.

Resting energy expenditure in short-term starvation is increased as a result of an increase in serum norepinephrine - PubMed

Resting energy expenditure increases in early starvation, accompanied by an increase in plasma norepinephrine. This increase in norepinephrine seems to be due to a decline in serum glucose and may be the initial signal for metabolic changes in early starvation.

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Resting energy expenditure in short-term starvation is increased as a result of an increase in serum norepinephrine.
Zauner C, Schneeweiss B, Kranz A, Madl C, Ratheiser K, Kramer L, Roth E, Schneider B, Lenz K.
Source

Intensive Care Unit, the Department of Internal Medicine IV, Universityof Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
Abstract
BACKGROUND:

The effects of food restriction on energy metabolism have been under investigation for more than a century. Data obtained are conflicting and research has failed to provide conclusive results.
OBJECTIVE:

The objective of this study was to test the hypothesis that in lean subjects under normal living conditions, short-term starvation leads to an increase in serum concentrations of catecholamines and thus to an increase in resting energy expenditure.
DESIGN:

Resting energy expenditure, measured by indirect calorimetry, and hormone and substrate concentrations were measured in 11 healthy, lean subjects on days 1, 2, 3, and 4 of an 84-h starvation period.
RESULTS:

Resting energy expenditure increased significantly from 3.97 +/- 0.9 kJ/min on day 1 to 4.53 +/- 0.9 kJ/min on day 3 (P < 0.05). The increase in resting energy expenditure was associated with an increase in the norepinephrine concentration from 1716. +/- 574 pmol/L on day 1 to 3728 +/- 1636 pmol/L on day 4 (P < 0.05). Serum glucose decreased from 4.9 +/- 0.5 to 3.5 +/- 0.5 mmol/L (P < 0.05), whereas insulin did not change significantly.
CONCLUSIONS:

Resting energy expenditure increases in early starvation, accompanied by an increase in plasma norepinephrine. This increase in norepinephrine seems to be due to a decline in serum glucose and may be the initial signal for metabolic changes in early starvation.

another study showing that fasting does not cause starvation responses.

Enhanced thermogenic response to epinephrine after 48-h starvation in humans - PubMed

The effects of 48-h starvation on the physiological responses to a 30-min infusion of epinephrine at 25 ng.min-1.kg body wt-1 were studied in 11 normal-weight healthy young subjects. Starvation led to considerable alterations in basal metabolism including a significant (mean 3.6%) increase in...

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Am J Physiol. 1990 Jan;258(1 Pt 2):R87-93.
Enhanced thermogenic response to epinephrine after 48-h starvation in humans.
Mansell PI, Fellows IW, Macdonald IA.
Source

Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Queen's Medical Centre, Nottingham, United Kingdom.
Abstract

The effects of 48-h starvation on the physiological responses to a 30-min infusion of epinephrine at 25 ng.min-1.kg body wt-1 were studied in 11 normal-weight healthy young subjects. Starvation led to considerable alterations in basal metabolism including a significant (mean 3.6%) increase in resting metabolic rate. During the infusions, plasma epinephrine concentration rose less in the starved state (+1.47 nmol/l) than in the normally fed state (+1.73 nmol/l) (SE 0.06 nmol/l; P less than 0.05). The maximum increments (mean +/- SE) in heart rate induced by epinephrine were 11.9 +/- 1.3 beats/min in the normally fed state and 20.1 +/- 2.0 beats/min in the starved state (P less than 0.001); the corresponding mean increments in blood glycerol concentration were 0.07 and 0.14 mmol/l (SE 0.01 mmol/l; P less than 0.01). The increase in the metabolic rate above base line during the final 10 min of the epinephrine infusion was 0.58 +/- 0.18 kJ/min in the normally fed state and 0.78 +/- 0.14 kJ/min in the starved state (P less than 0.01). The chronotropic, lipolytic, and thermogenic effects of infused epinephrine were therefore enhanced by prior starvation, despite the lower plasma epinephrine levels.

Short term fasting is a great way to lose weight, and it also teaches you to be able to deal with hunger. I am a big proponent of 24 hour fasts. i typically fast 2-3X/ week, and at least once. Its great for insulin sensitivity, and does wonders for the digestive system. I actually feel best while fasting, the increased adrenaline gives you tons of energy and since you have less blood in the gut digesting food you are much sharper mentally.

 

[ayalove]

The best weightloss is the EC stack with fish oil instead of aspirin. google it for dosing instructions. Eat wholegrains/wholewheets. Drink tempt hemp milk and eat some kale and avacado. Take a multivitamin and follow the diet and stack till you lose your desired weight. Athletes use the stack to trim fat after they build the muscle. When you finish the stack make sure to keep eating right and you won't have to worry about gaining weight. Whole grains and veggies mane.

 

[r2pi]

Thank-you for the further replies - not sure how I missed them earlier!

EC stack... sounds interesting but we cannot get ephedrine / ephedra in my country. In fact we can't even get pseudoephedrine. All our decongestant pills are filled with a placebo (phenylephrine) :x.

Thanks very much for the info on fasting. I have been meaning to research it and you have spurred me on. I will have at least one day of fasting soon if I get a chance to sample the fruits of my cactus-related labours .

 

[Shaolin]

chilli cinnamon banana smoothie is one of my wierder staples

Brother from another mother

For a quick weight loss you might want look at Lyle McDonalds' The Rapid Fat Loss Handbook .

For supplements - Leangains.

As always, be sceptical !

[YOUTUBE]

 

[SHroomtroll]

Also timing your nutrients can make a very big difference i how your body handles em,

Try getting most of your carbs early in the day to fuel your workouts, then only protein veggies and fats for dinner and night snacks.

 

[evil804]

Thank-you for the further replies - not sure how I missed them earlier!

EC stack... sounds interesting but we cannot get ephedrine / ephedra in my country. In fact we can't even get pseudoephedrine. All our decongestant pills are filled with a placebo (phenylephrine) :x.

Thanks very much for the info on fasting. I have been meaning to research it and you have spurred me on. I will have at least one day of fasting soon if I get a chance to sample the fruits of my cactus-related labours .

Fasting compliments the psychonaut lifestyle greatly. an informative easy to read book on fasting is eat stop eat by brad pilon. its a pretty quick read, and answers any questions someone new to nutrition/fasting will have. entire book as a PDF- http://uranus.ckt.net/~gochiefs/Eat Stop Eat.pdf

I dont think much of supplements outside of a few food extracts, amino acids, vitamins, and minerals (fish oil, vitamin D, zinc, magnesium, leucine, beta alanine, creatine are all i take, and i am a competing athlete) but you can find lots of great info with science to back a claim @ Ergo-Log.com weight loss supplements specifically @ Weight Loss Supplements

 

[proto-pax]

Whatever you do, don't starve yourself. This will cause you to lose weight, but it will result from both TAG breakdown for glycerol in order to produce gluconeogensis and protein degradation from in order to form pyruvate for the same purpose. A healthy balanced diet and daily exercise is the best route.

 

[christian]

In general, Sports supplements are a waste of time and money. Exercise and cutting back on calories, watching diet is the key. period.


The only noteable ones worthy mentioning are caffeine and creatine, WHICH HAVE BEEN PROVEN TO WORK. The rest can come from a balanced diet, although i use a cheap whey protein shake to keep my protein levels high, thus fend off hunger.

That was the verdict of a programme on sports supplements and marketting last night on BBC1.

 

[Metanoia]

I cut 15lbs. in a week by using Hoodia gordonii, which is a succulent. Drank as much water as I was able to drink and took that daily. Just had plain chicken breast, plain baked potato, and tons of fruit/veg. Workout twice daily, and was also working a job that was very heavy manual labor, so that helped. But it is possible to do, and I didn't feel depleted or anything really.

 

[r2pi]

Thanks Dixippus ... I will eventually get my hands on these plants I guess ... I don't trust commercial extracts. By the time I get them I will be on target weight anyway (1 kg lost already in a few days, fluid balance taken into account). But still I find them intriguing, if nothing more than because of their link to the persistence hunting hypothesis, which fascinates me.

 

[ayalove]

My 14-Day Juice Fast

A few weeks ago, a close friend challenged me to a 10-day juice fast. I love trying out new things, especially healthy things, so I excitedly agreed. I went out and bought an inordinate amount of fruits and vegetables, and started juicing. This is what happened...

www.highexistence.com

 

[biopsylo]

skip all bread, flour/pasta, grain and processed foods. -(possibly the number one cause of obesity along with corn syrup)

eat lots of fresh organic fruit.