It’s that time of year when millions of people resolve to make this year the year that they finally lose weight. Natural weight loss plans, diet pills and potions, exercise equipment and videos, and gym memberships are purchased at record rates during January every year. By February, most weight loss resolutions have fallen by the wayside and have given way to the return of poor eating habits and a lack of exercise.

What happens in that few weeks? So many start out with high motivation and the best of intentions to follow through on their weight loss plans, but very few maintain that motivation long enough to lose even a few pounds, much less meet their long-term weight loss goals.

Our minds begin to work against our weight loss goals. Most people of course do want to lose weight, but the problem is that subconsciously they want to Read more

If you have not done so already, you may wish to read Part 1 of this article for more information. I’ll now proceed with my review of natural weight loss aids.

Hoodia gordonii is one of the most popular weight-loss aids currently on the market. Real hoodia is a relatively rare plant, and is therefore a rather expensive supplement. Unfortunately, because of this, many products are being marketed using the hoodia name that contain little or no real hoodia. The real stuff does very effectively suppress appetite and can be a valuable weight loss aid. There are numerous products on the market, some in liquid extract form and others in pill form. I recommend the liquid extracts, but the pill forms seem to work just fine, provided it is a legitimate hoodia supplement. For liquids, I suggest using 30 drops or so 1 to 2 times per day before your afternoon and/or evening meal (this would be for a 20 to 1 extract). For pills, I suggest a dosage of 500 to 1000 mg per day, taken in one or two doses before meals. Read more

Just because a product is marketed as a natural weight loss aid does not mean that it’s necessarily safe or effective. Simulants, even if they are natural, can cause adverse health effects and despite short-term weight loss with these products, they invariably result in the overproduction of cortisol, a hormone that in the long run actually stimulates weight gain.

So, what supplements and products are there that can safely and effectively enhance natural weight loss? Well, first of all we need a reality check. Nutritional supplements and herbal weight loss products should be considered an aid for weight loss, not a weight loss program in and of themselves. Even the most useful of the natural weight loss supplements (and for that matter, even diet drugs) provide only very modest benefits when used alone, without also being on a good diet and exercise regimen. Read more

When was the last time you decided to put your car on a gasoline diet? Especially since gas has gotten so expensive, this would make all the sense in the world. Except your car would stop in the middle of freeway traffic. How could it not without fuel? This happens to people every day. Funny enough, as a sophisticated society educated about all types of diets, we stop giving our bodies the fuel it so desperately needs, and yet we want it to work longer hours and with more oomph and energy than it did before.

That doesn’t make any sense at all, yet we try it all the time! Read more

Natural weight loss products fill the market, but just because a weight loss aid is “natural”, it does not mean that it is completely safe, nor is it a sure thing that it will help your weight loss efforts in the long run. The truth is, some very popular natural weight loss products pose some health risks, and even though they might stimulate quick weight loss at the beginning, in the long run they can actually cause you to gain weight.

The main products that can create problems are those that act as stimulants. Natural stimulants act much the same way that stimulant drugs work, and carry the same potential risks.

The main ingredients that act as stimulants that are found in natural weight loss products are ma huang (ephedra), guarana, caffeine, yerba mate’, and kola nut. These are all extremely strong stimulants. Their effects are quite similar to those of drugs such as amphetamines. While many people recognize that taking amphetamines can be risky, some may mistakenly assume that a natural product is safe. Read more