Completely aside from anything Anna Nicole related...

Has anyone ever taken Trimspa? I hope no one judges me, but I do take Trimspa Ultra from time to time. Maybe it's cheating, but it really helps with hunger a lot, and I've done quite a bit of research on the ingredients, and I have decided it is harmless and could be beneficial for me in my seemingly endless struggle for weight loss.

With my work schedule, it's difficult to grab a snack if I am hungry, and I am running around a lot, so I need to make sure I am not starving and have energy. I am definitely eating enough SBD-friendly foods before work. I tried Trimspa for the first time after my friend's recommendation a few months ago, and the affects are pretty positive.

I also take a One-A-Day Weight Control multi-vitamin, Omega 3-6-9, and Biotin supplements daily.

What do you all think?

Laurlaur, Do you really think you need to take this diet supplement to help you succeed on the SBD? Aside from the expense of Trimspa, they don't individually list their ingredients so they can be properly evaluated. It does contain Hoodia, and there are concerns about Hoodia creating liver toxicity. Also, the Glucosame in it prolongs the time glucose stays in your bloodstream after eating, thus affecting your glucose tolerance. I would suggest trying to do this diet without the supplements, and see if you notice any difference. My bet is that you'll still lose weight, and in a much healthier way.

I don't think anyone can make that decision for you. You'll probably hear a lot of ppl for it and a lot of ppl against it. I personally am all for speed, if I could afford it I would be taking it too. Mabye the only thing I would say is have you looked into Hoodia, it's a natural alternative and maybe better than putting some of those chemicals in your body. But it seems as though you've done your homework. If it's working for you I say go ahead and continue taking it. Just don't rely on it to take the place of a healthy lifestyle. And TRY to get some snacks in(they're important to keeping your insulin straight.), even if its just a cheese stick or some nuts.
...t.

Hi, Laurlaur!

I realize some people will be for and some against pills. The truth is, IMHO, that you get out of a diet what you put in. If you do it half-fast, only putting in part of your time and effort, you don't get the long-lasting results you'd like to see. Even if the pills worked (and nothing I've read shows that any of them do work well), in time, they will no longer work for you...and then what do you do? If you don't have the time to do SBD, please consider finding a plan that fits your lifestyle! There are tons of them...and any plan will work (provided that it's healthy!) as long as you work it...and for that to happen, it has to be the right one for you. I have to be honest and say that even though you can certainly make SBD work if you put in the extra effort, it's really meant for people who have the time to do a lot of cooking and prep for their meals. It's not a 'grab and go' diet. If you want, you can check out the sisters' great book which reviews a ton of diets and gives you their recommendations for whom each diet works best. There are also websites out there with information like that...and there are lots of reviews here at www.3FC.com.

Personally, I'd be concerned about what happens to your body when instead of giving it the healthy fuel it needs, you're giving it pills. I know you mean well and are trying to do the right thing for your body, but I think it might be backfiring on you.

As for "the faster the better..." No WAY! The faster you lose, the more likely you are to gain it back. PERIOD. Sorry to yell, but it's totally true and so sad! When you lose weight slowly, not only do you give your body a chance to adjust to your new way of eating, but your skin has time to readjust, leading to less sags and bags, and most of all, you have the time to make your new way of eating and living a habit and a lifestyle, so that when you have to maintain, it'll be easy to do. If you lose quickly, none of that happens. What does happen is that you tend to lose muscle when you lose that rapidly--and when you gain the weight back after the rapid weight loss (which you will if you lose it rapidly), you gain fat. So you lose the muscle that was helping burn calories, and you gain back fat, which doesn't burn much of anything. Eventually your metabolism is totally kaput. Which is why recent studies found that it's better to remain obese than to yo-yo diet. Isn't that amazing?

Anyways, if you have questions about any diet-related product or program's viability, you can always check it out in our Does It Work? Forum. Here are several posts on Trimspa, Hoodia, and diet pills for you to check out:

TrimSpa EF
So What About Trimspa???
ConsumerLab test weight loss supplements, finds concerns
Alleged "Hoodia" pills and products - the latest scam!

I hope you all don't think I'm being harsh. I'd hate to come off that way. But I do believe that it's way more important to gain health than it is to lose weight. Obviously if you lose weight, you can gain health, but not if you do it in an unsafe way. I'd just hate to see any of you hurt!

Thanks, Cottage, Tifanicole and Laurie for your support.

I definitely have time to do SBD, but life tends to get in the way of a lot of things, anyway. I started bringing soynuts and string cheese to work to snack on if I get hungry. I am determined to do SBD successfully and to the end this time, and I think it IS diet for me, despite the hectic and busy nature of my big-city life.

I do not believe that I am replacing sensible dieting and exercise habits with pills. I made some amazing turkey chili that I have been eating all week, and I have become quite the master of egg-white omelets. I woke up today with a terrible cold, so I am even going to force myself to make SBD-friendly chicken soup from (sorta) scratch.

I have done SBD successfully before without the aide of supplements. I just thought I'd try it, considering I have a friend who has had success due in part to Trimspa (she was trying to lose weight quickly for a role). I won't take it forever, and, frankly, my goal is not to lose weight as quickly as possible. I just want to get down to a weight that I am comfortable with and stay there. I know myself and my body very well, and I do not think I am harming it. I believe that any success I enjoy will be entirely due to the SBD and my own willpower and strength, not Trimspa. That said, there is probably not much point in taking them. So, when I finish the bottle, I probably won't buy them again.

I'm going to be ok!

Thanks again!

Lauren

Hi Lauren,

I won't go into what has already been said, and said so very well! I just want to ask about your hunger. Is it true stomach rumbling hunger? When I'm on-plan, I don't experience any hunger. I only experience hunger when I'm not eating enough. This has been my experience through losing 21 pounds so far. I believe that not feeling hungry..and not feeling deprived..is what makes this diet work so well for me and my lifestyle.

I'm glad you are taking good care of yourself, Lauren. I'm sure you aren't making choices blindly; you sound very smart and 'with-it!'

Sorry to hear about your cold! Hope you are feeling better soon. Chicken soup that you make with the bones simmering in the broth can actually heal you--but it has to be made with the bones. Whenever I buy a rotisserie chicken, I take the leftovers and throw them in a pot with water, whatever herbs are in the fridge, a dollop of wine, a couple cloves of garlic, some celery leaves (if I have 'em) and a couple of carrot chunks. Then I simmer it for a couple hours. (you can do this in a crock pot if you'll be gone all day) I strain it and throw the broth in the freezer. It's a great way to make 'homemade' soup easily without the fuss.

Sounds like you're working hard to find healthy ways to staunch your hunger. But Lauren has a point...when you're on plan, you are usually not truly hungry...though I've experienced lots of 'head hunger' when I'm stressed. What can help keep you from feeling that hunger, besides the protein (which it sounds like you are doing really well!!!) is to make sure you're getting those 4.5 cups of veggies and making sure you have some healthy oils or fiber in your meals. The fats in the healthy oil will help your full feeling last longer, as will the fiber. I know it's hard to get veggies in a way that you can keep in a desk drawer, but if you have access to a fridge at work, you can bring chopped up veggies and a couple wedges of Laughing Cow, some hummus, or some SBD-safe dip to keep for when those hunger pangs hit or you don't have time to pack your snacks.

I'll start up a thread with ideas for chicks on the go--I'm sure it could help all of us. I agree with you, though...any weight loss or health gain you see will be do to the hard work you're doing, not to the Trimspa...and the ingredients could harm you. So why bother? Good point!