It's been a long time since I posted on here. Mostly, because, if someone hasn't stolen my computer, then, the internet is out or there is a family emergency that keeps me away from home, and/or I've had no money for food or supplement experimentation.
I have lost a bit of weight, since the last time I posted, but, I don't really know how much, just when, ettc.
What I do know is that, in the last two weeks, I tried glutamne. Perhaps you read about it, maybe even in the same magazine I did. It was in either Firt or Woman's World, being written about as a great tool for losing weight.
I looked up information about it, and, I found out htat it is used for help with digestive problems (which, I definitely have) and the treatment of ulcers (which, I suspect my son has). So, I decided to buy some and try it out on us both. My son never let it get near him. Ah, the joy of Asperger's! I took it all, instead.
One thing about glutamine is that they said it stops sugar cravings. Now, I noticed my stomach felt better almost immediately and I felt a bit more energetic, which it is also supposed to do, but, I was having extreme sugar cravings, which was not supposed to happen. Instead of giving up on it, immediately, I decided to do some more research.
Found out, about a week and a half into taking it, that it is used by ranchers to give to cattle to balance their intestinal flora after it goes out of whack due to being ill and/or them having been given excessive antibiotics. That is the only information I could find regarding if glutamine killed off the bad bacteria in your guts. I was looking for it, in all sorts of health sites, about humans, because, that seemed to be what was happening to me, and, silly me, I thought someone else, maybe one of the experts on such things, would have noticed it, if that's what was going on, and, made mention of that effect, as well. But, no, on the human sites, it was all about muscle growth, energy, and, especially, weight loss.
Since I found that out, I decided to keep going, at least until I ran out. It lasted me almost exactly two weeks for a $14.95 jar, and, it might have lasted longer if I hadn't had my teaspoons stolen. I think I was actually taking too much, often, because, I was guesstimating.
I got it at VitaminShoppe.com, by the way, if you care to check it out. They sell it online at several places, for comparable value, but, I didn't find it for less, unless it was by getting a cheaper jar and ordering a large enough quantity that I c uld get free shipping and handling. Since I didn't know if I would even like it, yet, I elected to buy it from the actual store, for about the same price as it would have cost for the cheaper jar plus shipping and handling, and, which would allow me to start it more quickly. If I decide to do it, some more, I will order a larger quantity, so I can get free shipping and handling and save a little money (about $4 per jar).
Anyway ... at first, I was not impressed, because, I felt icky and had sugar cravings and was not losing weight. But, I kept an open mind and did my research, and, found out that the sugar cravings were a sign of progress in another area. And, in the meantime, I started feeling like something else was happeing.
Yesterday, I confirmed it. I went and weighed at GNC, and, found out I only lost about 2 lbs. from the month before. Yet, when it did the fat analysis, it said my body fat was down by about 7 lbs. Which means, I lost 7 lbs of fat and gained 5 lbs of muscle. And, the fact is, I did have sugar cravings, I did go crazy on brownies, candy bars, did not each much else that was healthy, and, yet, I lost 7 lbs of fat and gained 5 lbs. of muscle.
Do you know how excited I am? Do you know how good that could have been, if I had avoided the brownies and eaten fruit, instead?
This week, I read about Vitamin D3 and why, despite the hype, it didn't work out as well, for so many people, as it was claimed it should. It amounts to the fact that you need a certain level of Vitamin D in the blood, and, it should be Vitamin D3 you are taking instead of Vitamin D2 (which is often taken or prescribed, instead), because:
1) Vitamin D3 is what our body makes for us. Vitamin D2 is from plants. So, Vitamin D3 is more readily used by the body than Vitamin D2 when taken in supplement form.
2)Vitamin D is absorbed into fat cells and, only after the fat cells are filled up, does it spill out into the blood. Therefore, the more fat cells you have, the bigger your fat cells are, the more Vitamin D3 you need to take to get the Vitamin D in your blood up to the proper level for weight loss.
They said the easiest way to make sure you are getting enough is that you multiply your current weight by 25. That will tell you the IU's needed per day. They also said that you can take the Vitamin D3 every day, bi-weekly or just once a week- whatever works best for you- and, you will get the same results. Then, recalculate for every 20 lbs . you lose. So, it would go like this:
250 lbs = 6.250 IU's per day 21,875 bi-weekly 43,750 per week
230 lbs = 5,750 IU's per day 20, 125 bi-weekly 40,250 per week
210 lbs = 5,250 IU's per day 18, 375 bi-weekly 36,750 per week
190 lbs = 4,750 IU's per day 16, 625 bi-weekly 33,250 per week
I believe you can get 2,000 IU pills and I know you can get 5,000 IU pills. 5,000 IU's is what I have. So, unless other ones were bought, I would be taking 45,000 IU's every week for the first two 20 lb. losses (9 little pills), and, then 8 pills for the next 20 lbs. loss, then, 7 pills for the next 20 lbs. loss.
I decided to experiment, since I already have Vitamin D3; also, because it was bought for my son and he doesn't take it. So, yesterday, I took 9 pills and weighed. Next week, I will try to weigh again, on the same day, and see if anything happened. And, I will try to let you know more promptly.
