DEX C20 - Day 15

Well, this week has been a rough one... I've had a very strange period, if you must know, so I think that has been affecting the way the Dex is working. I haven't felt super full after eating this week, and on Wednesday, I was having major hypoglycemia issues... out of the blue! Again, probably due to my cycle... lovely things, those are. :P Plus I missed both BodyPump’s this week due to work issues. I've been trying to keep up with power-walking, yoga, and pilates, but it's hard when you're having headache and stomach problems.

Things are getting back to normal though, and this morning I wasn't hungry until the usual 10:30 time. Oh, I've also started taking my left-over Hoodia along with the Dex, to see if a double-plant dose helps each other work better. If it doesn't work, at least I got rid of my left-over Hoodia... :)

On a positive note, I have noticed my shirts feeling looser! Not a ton, but enough to be noticed. Pilates and BodyPump are my main focus these days... I heard building muscle is a great (if not best) way to burn fat quickly. I've decided to have a slow outlook on losing weight and toning my body - meaning I'm not going to stress-out about eating super-well every single day of the week. This will be a slow burn, and I might not even be at my ideal weight until next year! I know summer will definitely help with weekend exercise, being able to bike and walk around my new home. But if I want to have a treat or two one day, then I will! Denying myself this stuff only makes me stress and think about my body 24/7... consuming my daily thoughts.

So that's the plan! I'll still give measurements though... perhaps starting at the end of March, and then each month after that, if I feel it's worth reporting. No weight though... I don't like scales, and they're not always accurate. Muscle weighs more than fat, and I'll be building a lot in the next few months, so I'd rather not be bogged down by false numbers.

DEX C20 - Day 7

So far so good... I was able to only eat half my wrap for lunch today, and put the other half aside for later, before I go to BodyPump. It's sometimes hard to plan to take the pills exactly one hour before a meal, but generally, I've been within the 45–60 minute gap.

I feel lighter today, too! I have been keeping up with Pilates for Abs, so this might have a lot to do with how I'm feeling. I have been able to curb my snacking as well... they were never bad snacks, but they're calories that add up quickly! I'm still enjoying a small sugar treat after lunch though, but it's small candy like Jolly Ranchers or Tootsie Pops. And I only have one! It's chocolate that I can't just have one of... :)

Speaking of, I stocked-up on my most FAVORITE candy yesterday... the seasonal Cadbury brand Mini Eggs. These are different than the cream-filled Cadbury Eggs most people think of when I say this; they're the solid chocolate eggs with a hard, crispy shell. And you really do need to stock-up when they come out... they're in high demand, and they don't seem to make a whole ton extra for the season! I've never seen any left over, on clearance after the holiday. So I got one bag for me, a couple to put out at work closer to the actual holiday, and one bag of dark chocolate for me as well (new since last year!). I'll be getting some Cadbury Eggs later (the cream-filled), but those seem to last awhile in stores... plenty of time, and I don't want any temptations around — at least until my birthday!

DEX C20 - Day 5

Okay, this stuff is definitely working... I think.

When I eat breakfast, I start to feel really stuffed as I barely finish my small bowl of cereal. I can last until about 10:30 to 11 am until I feel a small tinge of hunger pain. If I have to eat, I'll eat a banana or something small to hold me until lunch. Yesterday, I had lunch at 11:45, and I wasn't even hungry when I left for the gym at 4:45! I ate a Fiber bar though, before exercise, just in case. But again, I wasn't hungry.

I felt some slight hunger pokes on the bus ride home, but they're different than normal... it's not a gurgling pain, but instead, it's more of a minimal pressure that is easily ignored. I was able to come home and put my stuff away and make something small for dinner without feeling like I was starving and had to eat immediately.

So far so good! I'm curious to see my report at the two week mark... and perhaps on days when I eat healthier things. :)

DEX C20 - Day 1

Well, I'm abandoning the Hoodia... after two days in a row of it not working well, and only having it work semi-decently 10% of the time, I've decided to try DEX-C20. It's a different plant (caralluma), but has the same appetite suppressant as Hoodia, plus extra (natural) ingredients to burn calories and increase energy.

The GNC guy says a lot of people return Hoodia, but he's never had someone return DEX, ever. I didn't know you could make returns! So this gives me hope, but I'm still not going to be overly dependent on this product, in case this doesn't work, either.

On other health news, I have been pretty good this week! Only a few pieces of candy, a Skinny Cow ice cream treat, and healthy lunches. I have also been going to the YM my usual days, and I started Pilates for Abs again. I figure if I want massive stomach fat reduction, I need to do Pilates again. I lost so many inches last time I got into a routine with that DVD, so I'm hopeful it'll work again, no problem. :)

Hoodia - Day 8

I got full off of cereal this morning! I had my usual-sized bowl, and when I was nearly done, I suddenly felt really full. Not like "I'm gonna puke" full, but "I need to stop eating" full. So perhaps it's working! It's been about three weeks exactly since I've had it in my system... takes awhile to kick in, huh. So I'll check out how this week goes, and will probably need to order more. I guess it would be best not to change brands, as it seems to take awhile for your body to get used to it.

Also, last night after working out, I usually come home very hungry for dinner at 7 pm. But I was able to take my time, put some things away, and then heat up some vegetarian chili I made this past weekend, without hunger pains!

I'm still hesitant to say it's working, but I'm not sure why. I mean, it's not a super potent thing... but it's subtle. Sometimes I feel like I'm hungry, but it's very slight - something I can ignore. I've also been feeling very motivated to work out this week. I'm not saying that's the Hoodia, but it's probably due to my trying to eat better.

I usually have trouble in the mornings... I get hungry quickly, but after lunch, I'm fine until dinner. However, I've started taking the Hoodia before lunch, as I read online that you should take it about 30 minutes before the biggest meal of your day. So this seems to be working very well for me.

Hoodia - Day 7

I think it's working! I couldn't eat very much of anything this weekend... normally, if I feel full, I can keep eating if it's something really tasty (which isn't a good thing, but I can't help myself). Often I can squeeze in a few last bites, but both Saturday and Sunday, when I started to feel full, I just couldn't do it! I had to stop. I actually felt a bit sick if I tried to eat any more... very weird, but good at the same time.

I notice I especially feel full after eating carbs... I also notice I'm able to control my portions as well, and I'm craving sweets less and less. This might be because I've been trying to stay away from chocolate, but even after having a few pieces last Friday, this weekend I didn't feel a craving for something bad at the grocery store. I mean, the thought popped into my head a few times, but overall the urge wasn't very strong, so I was able to forget about it moments later.

So the next step is to finish off my left-over Hoodia, taking it an hour or so before lunch (and maybe dinner if I feel the need), then purchasing that other stuff to see if it works better. I'll try that for a month, then switch back if it doesn't work as well. I should maybe ask the GNC guy if this would be okay though... perhaps the Hoodia just takes awhile to get into your system, as it has realistically been almost three weeks since I started taking it. I guess I haven't decided yet what to do... :P

Hoodia - Day 3

Well, it didn't work this morning... I took two pills after getting up, and only lasted about 20 minutes before I had to eat breakfast, from the hunger pains. I'm going to go to GNC today and see if the clerk knows any information about different Hoodia brands that I could try, for my body type. Perhaps I just need something stronger or different?

***

Took two pills again at 10:30 from slight hunger pains... ate some peanuts thirty minutes later.

***

I had a big lunch, so I'm not hungry yet... which is usual. I visited GNC near my work, and they have a couple different varieties of Hoodia-based products. The clerk suggested I try something similar to Hoodia, as he's heard both sides to Hoodia results, depending on the person. I'm starting to think my body type might not agree with Hoodia... high metabolism and all. But this all-natural product he recommended is from a different plant, and contains other (natural) ingredients to boost my energy and make me eat less. What I noticed though, with the three different Hoodia's they had, were the Directions For Use instructions. They were very different than the one I take now. One said to take the recommended dose 15–30 minutes before your two biggest meals of the day (usually lunch and dinner). The other said take the dose an hour before lunch and dinner. Same with this DEX-C20 product I was recommended to take — one dose 60 minutes before lunch and dinner.

So my next step, is to try this with the Hoodia I still have left over. Tomorrow I'll eat normally in the mornings, then take it before lunch. When I get home, I'll take it again before dinner. Simple, right!?! Although, I wonder if I'm screwing up my system by taking it at different times each day... but if it's all-natural, and I've had it in my body for 2.5 weeks now, shouldn't it work regardless? Such drama. :P

Hoodia - Day 2

Took the recommended dosage this morning and ate breakfast 40 minutes later. Was hungry three hours later, so I took another dose, and planned to eat lunch a half an hour later. I had a pile of jobs on my desk though, when I came into work after my Dr.'s appointment, so I ate a small bar, did the jobs, and now two hours later, I'm hungry again.

I hope this kicks in soon... I'm trying to eat well still, and detoxing... if this kind doesn't work, perhaps I'll try to order a different brand, but still remain with the all-natural stuff.

Hoodia - Day 1 (con't.)

I finally felt a small poke of hunger pain four hours after breakfast... not bad at all! I ate a few peanuts to stave off any hunger before my lunch, at 11:30. It has been a hard day for me, as I'm essentially trying to detox my body from all the junk I ate this past weekend — and past week! It'll take a few days, I think, but the candy I bought for the office yesterday is calling my name...

And speaking of lunch, I bought this really great Mezze Salad from downstairs today. It has spinach, cucumber, tomatoes, olives, pita folds, and this amazing hummus! Very good for semi-pre-packaged meals and $4. I'm stuffed. I'm hoping this stuffed feeling is the Hoodia, as it's supposed to make you feel fuller faster.

***

Two hours post-lunch and I still feel very full... like I just ate. I hope I last until 4:45 when I eat a Fiber 1 bar before going to Step class.

***

Okay, 4 pm now and I definitely need a Fiber bar! Feeling some slight hypoglycemia effects, too. (This is probably due to my body used to having pure sugar of some form all afternoon.) However, after even MORE research online about the product, I find that most brands require you to take it before every meal... meaning not just once a day. I'll have to go back and re-read the instructions on my bottle, to see if it says 'once a day', to which I thought it did. Regardless of what it says though, I think I might take it before each meal, or just before breakfast and lunch, to help kick-start my system. I also read that one guy took it an hour before each of his meals... but I think my 30 minutes would suffice.

Hoodia - Day 1

I'm calling this post Day 1, as I think it's the official first day I'm taking it 'properly' and it has been about one week since I've had it in my system.

This morning I changed my routine... for those of you who know me, you can imagine this was quite a jolt to handle! :) I took the pills in the morning right away, brushed my teeth, then sat and watched the Weather Channel for about five minutes to wake myself up. After that, I did my normal getting-ready stuff, and a half an hour later from taking the pills, I ate breakfast. During that half an hour, I didn't feel hunger pains at all. A good start! I had a small bowl of cereal, and although I feel pretty full now, 1.5 hours later, I felt content at the time. So far so good!

I also measured my body. Luckily, it wasn't too much of a shock or difference from what I've been for a long time. :) I measured from top to bottom, including my arms and thighs. I'm curious if my BodyPump class will yield a drastic measurement change in those limbs. I’m inclined to take a ‘before’ picture, too... but we’ll see.

Oh, this morning I had an e-mail about someone who wanted to post a message in response to my first Hoodia post... it was spam!!! Some guy who has a website about the Hoodia Sucker... saying if you consume it, it goes directly into the blood stream, works better, blah blah blah. Um, if I'm eating a sucker, and that's going into my stomach, then what's the difference between swallowing pills... that go into my stomach!? Silly. I rejected it... maybe I should have posted it for fun though. Omigod, I just visited the website out of curiosity, and it’s a TRAVEL website!!! LMAO! It’s nothing about Hoodia... it’s about vacationing... how pathetic.

Hoodia Gordonii

I have recently decided to try Hoodia Gordonii 'diet' pills. For those of you who are unaware of Hoodia, it's an all-natural, organic appetite suppressant. I figured with my high metabolism, and having to eat something every 1-2 hours, this product would be perfect for me in jump-starting my new weight-loss concentration. It had a lot of buzz about a year ago, featured on 60 Minutes and Oprah. Here's the web address if you want to learn more! www.hoodiagordoniiplus.com

I did a lot of research before buying anything, as there are a lot of brands of Hoodia out there. Many of them have extra weight-loss ingredients added, meaning they pack these pills full of caffeine and other unhealthy chemicals. I found a company that distributes only the all-natural, vegan-friendly version, with no additives except for green tea and magnesium. If you purchase bottles in bulk, it saves you money of course, but for the time being, I just ordered one bottle to see if it works.

The recommended dosage for this kind is 2 pills on an empty stomach, before a meal. I've read online suggestions of taking them 10, 20, or 30 minutes before eating, but since my morning routine consists of eating breakfast right away (to help me wake up), I decided to stick with this schedule and see if it works.

I started last Wednesday, taking the pills 10 minutes before breakfast. I also read online that it might take a few days to one week to kick in, depending on your body type. It's hard to be patient with any weight-loss regimen, but I figured I'd give it a week and see if it starts to work.

My routine in the morning is very set - wake, brush teeth, eat breakfast, fix hair, dress, leave. I figured I could take two pills right away upon waking, as my stomach will be empty from the 8 hours of sleep, and it will be about 5-10 minutes before putting cereal into my stomach. Four days of this trial haven't yielded any noticeable results...

However, on Sunday, I decided to make myself a treat for breakfast. Normally my stomach starts to complain if I wait 10+ minutes before eating breakfast. However, this particular morning, I took the Hoodia, then baked Blueberry Muffin box-mix, which took about 45 minutes total. This entire time, I was never hungry! My stomach didn't complain one bit and I never felt weak. And when the muffins were done, I ate four of them (they were pretty small), and during the fourth, I felt this overwhelming sense of being very full, like after stuffing your face at your favorite restaurant. I felt this way for a good couple of hours after, but not to the point of being in pain. :)

Because of my high metabolism, I also suffer from Hypoglycemia sometimes, depending on my eating habits. I have less than four hours to eat something after breakfast, otherwise I'll start to get weak, sweaty, crabby and shaky. It sucks, but normally I have access to food on these occasions. Well, Sunday morning didn't yield any of those symptoms! It was a good four hours before I had a big glass of orange juice, but I wasn't even hungry or hypoglycemic at the time. Then I was able to wait until eating dinner about three hours later, again, without feeling hungry.

This morning though, being back to work, I did my usual routine, and had to eat something around 10 am, like normal. I think I'll edit my morning routine tomorrow, and try the 30 minute wait before eating after taking the pills, and see if this provides the same results I had yesterday.

I'm going to try and blog a lot about my experience with this in the next month or so. It might be limited posting due to my new job training next week, but we'll see! I should really take 'before' measurements of my body as well... I'm hoping the Hoodia, along with my BodyPump and BodyStep classes will give me fast results!

Oh, and I should probably state that I'm not looking to be a super-thin size 2 or any b.s. like that... but I want to be fit and lean, which means losing body fat, which takes forever if I'm having to eat all day. :P