Has anyone ever heard of or tried this? Apparently a few teaspoons a day can help with weight loss.

A coworker just told me about it and I had never heard of it before.

I don't know about apple cider vinegar. But I do know that I started taking vitamin D and progesterone last year, and 20 pounds literally fell off of me. I did nothing else to make it happen.

Genesia said:

I don't know about apple cider vinegar. But I do know that I started taking vitamin D and progesterone last year, and 20 pounds literally fell off of me. I did nothing else to make it happen.

I just bought new Vitamin D that is double the dose of what I have been taking... so maybe that will help.

I just kinda feel like I'm stuck... for a good part of last year I couldn't move around that well, and finally had knee surgery... but I put on some weight during that time, and now I'm really struggling to take it off. I made a new year's resolution to exercise 5x a week, which I've largely kept up on, and I've been eating better... but no changes! It's very frustrating.

shiloh66 said:

Genesia said:

I don't know about apple cider vinegar. But I do know that I started taking vitamin D and progesterone last year, and 20 pounds literally fell off of me. I did nothing else to make it happen.

I just bought new Vitamin D that is double the dose of what I have been taking... so maybe that will help.

I just kinda feel like I'm stuck... for a good part of last year I couldn't move around that well, and finally had knee surgery... but I put on some weight during that time, and now I'm really struggling to take it off. I made a new year's resolution to exercise 5x a week, which I've largely kept up on, and I've been eating better... but no changes! It's very frustrating.

I hate to say this, but it could be your age. I tried everything for a long time - and it wasn't until I went on hormone replacement that I lost any weight.

shiloh66 said:

Has anyone ever heard of or tried this? Apparently a few teaspoons a day can help with weight loss.

A coworker just told me about it and I had never heard of it before.

I think it's one of those gimmicks. My mom was doing that for a while but had to stop for some reason. I can't remember why but it didn't work.

missfee said:

shiloh66 said:

Has anyone ever heard of or tried this? Apparently a few teaspoons a day can help with weight loss.

A coworker just told me about it and I had never heard of it before.

I think it's one of those gimmicks. My mom was doing that for a while but had to stop for some reason. I can't remember why but it didn't work.

Well, I'll tell ya one thing. If you get the raw (unpasteurized) kind, it'll definitely make you "go."

Genesia said:

shiloh66 said:

I just bought new Vitamin D that is double the dose of what I have been taking... so maybe that will help.

I just kinda feel like I'm stuck... for a good part of last year I couldn't move around that well, and finally had knee surgery... but I put on some weight during that time, and now I'm really struggling to take it off. I made a new year's resolution to exercise 5x a week, which I've largely kept up on, and I've been eating better... but no changes! It's very frustrating.

I hate to say this, but it could be your age. I tried everything for a long time - and it wasn't until I went on hormone replacement that I lost any weight.

I'm only 32! My body just seems to think I'm older.

Though I do have an appt coming up in which I need to talk to the doc about hormonal stuff, so hopefully she'll be able to offer some insight.

What kinds of things do you eat?

Genesia said:

What kinds of things do you eat?

Breakfast of no-fat yogurt mixed with Go Lean Crunch cereal and fruit, and hot tea. Mid-morning snack of granola bar or almonds. Slimfast for lunch, out to lunch (like subway or something) usually once a week. Dinner fairly healthy... I'm not a big chef and I live alone... but I try to at least get all my veggies. I do have a love of carbs that I have a very hard time giving up, but I try to eat whole grain everything instead of any white bread, etc.

Now, I do splurge some on weekends... an ocassional pizza, etc. But overall, I really feel like my diet is fairly healthy.

shiloh66 said:

Genesia said:

What kinds of things do you eat?

Breakfast of no-fat yogurt mixed with Go Lean Crunch cereal and fruit, and hot tea. Mid-morning snack of granola bar or almonds. Slimfast for lunch, out to lunch (like subway or something) usually once a week. Dinner fairly healthy... I'm not a big chef and I live alone... but I try to at least get all my veggies. I do have a love of carbs that I have a very hard time giving up, but I try to eat whole grain everything instead of any white bread, etc.

Now, I do splurge some on weekends... an ocassional pizza, etc. But overall, I really feel like my diet is fairly healthy.

Yeah...you need to eat better. Way too many carbs. And it doesn't matter if they're coming from whole grain or white bread - it all breaks down to sugar.

After a breakfast like that (no fat and carbs galore), I bet you're starving by 10:00. You'd be better off with a couple of eggs (or even better, a veggie omelet) and some whole grain toast with butter.

Almonds are fine as a snack, but you might as well eat a candy bar as a granola bar.

Keeping track of what you eat daily helps me. I try to keep my total daily calorie intake around 1100-1250 calories a day and it has worked. I use the "Lose it" app on my phone and log in everything I eat everyday. It tells me how many calories I've eaten per meal as well as how many calories I have left to eat for that day.

Genesia is right about granola bars though. They are loaded with sugar. Anything that has more sugar grams than protein grams hinders you. I try to eat less items that are already preserved and try to eat more fresh items (fruit, veggies, fish, chicken). I do have one day where I eat something that I've been craving, but I make sure it's one serving of whatever it is and hit the gym the next day.

missfee said:

Keeping track of what you eat daily helps me. I try to keep my total daily calorie intake around 1100-1250 calories a day and it has worked. I use the "Lose it" app on my phone and log in everything I eat everyday. It tells me how many calories I've eaten per meal as well as how many calories I have left to eat for that day.

Genesia is right about granola bars though. They are loaded with sugar. Anything that has more sugar grams than protein grams hinders you. I try to eat less items that are already preserved and try to eat more fresh items (fruit, veggies, fish, chicken). I do have one day where I eat something that I've been craving, but I make sure it's one serving of whatever it is and hit the gym the next day.

Great observation.

Even better, I like to have stuff like whole milk (or whole milk yogurt). You look at that labels on those, and see nearly identical grams of protein/carb/fat. Perfectly balanced - and your blood sugar won't plummet in two hours, sending you scrounging for something else to eat.

shiloh66 said:

Genesia said:

What kinds of things do you eat?

Breakfast of no-fat yogurt mixed with Go Lean Crunch cereal and fruit, and hot tea. Mid-morning snack of granola bar or almonds. Slimfast for lunch, out to lunch (like subway or something) usually once a week. Dinner fairly healthy... I'm not a big chef and I live alone... but I try to at least get all my veggies. I do have a love of carbs that I have a very hard time giving up, but I try to eat whole grain everything instead of any white bread, etc.

Now, I do splurge some on weekends... an ocassional pizza, etc. But overall, I really feel like my diet is fairly healthy.

No matter your age or disposition, it's all boils down to calories in/calories expended.

What do you do to exercise?

i lost 10kg just by becoming vegetarian. my friend swears by green tea in the evening and not eating after 7pm

imago said:

shiloh66 said:

Breakfast of no-fat yogurt mixed with Go Lean Crunch cereal and fruit, and hot tea. Mid-morning snack of granola bar or almonds. Slimfast for lunch, out to lunch (like subway or something) usually once a week. Dinner fairly healthy... I'm not a big chef and I live alone... but I try to at least get all my veggies. I do have a love of carbs that I have a very hard time giving up, but I try to eat whole grain everything instead of any white bread, etc.

Now, I do splurge some on weekends... an ocassional pizza, etc. But overall, I really feel like my diet is fairly healthy.

No matter your age or disposition, it's all boils down to calories in/calories expended.

What do you do to exercise?

The exercise is not too hardcore, on account of still having some knee trouble and persistant back trouble. But I alternate between 30 min fast on a stationary bike and 30 min walking in a very hilly neighborhood. It is enough to get my pulse rate up pretty good and defnitely break a sweat.

imago said:

shiloh66 said:

Breakfast of no-fat yogurt mixed with Go Lean Crunch cereal and fruit, and hot tea. Mid-morning snack of granola bar or almonds. Slimfast for lunch, out to lunch (like subway or something) usually once a week. Dinner fairly healthy... I'm not a big chef and I live alone... but I try to at least get all my veggies. I do have a love of carbs that I have a very hard time giving up, but I try to eat whole grain everything instead of any white bread, etc.

Now, I do splurge some on weekends... an ocassional pizza, etc. But overall, I really feel like my diet is fairly healthy.

No matter your age or disposition, it's all boils down to calories in/calories expended.

What do you do to exercise?

Not really. Foods that require large amounts of insulin (carbs) in order to be metabolized turn on your fat storage mechanism. So if you eat goo-gobs of carbs, you'll always be fighting an uphill battle.

You can find lots of scientific articles on this, but this non-scientific source explains it in easy-to-understand way....

http://fitnessblackbook.com/dieting_for_fat_loss/high-insulin-levels-stop-fat-loss-and-cause-weight-gain/

How about not eating so much and exercise?

SoLiDiFy said:

Genesia said:

imago said:

No matter your age or disposition, it's all boils down to calories in/calories expended.

What do you do to exercise?

Not really. Foods that require large amounts of insulin (carbs) in order to be metabolized turn on your fat storage mechanism. So if you eat goo-gobs of carbs, you'll always be fighting an uphill battle.

You can find lots of scientific articles on this, but this non-scientific source explains it in easy-to-understand way....

http://fitnessblackbook.com/dieting_for_fat_loss/high-insulin-levels-stop-fat-loss-and-cause-weight-gain/

Oh, I agree carbs are worse than protein in the battle.

and that reduce insulin sensativity makes it easier for the body to store fat.

But, if the body's daily energy needs are not met by food coming in,

it must turn to stored energy (fat/muscle). It's a calories game either way.

hmmmm. ^^

I find that article suspect: "It is impossible to have high levels of insulin in your system while burning fat at the same time. Think about that. If you eat a meal that has too high of a Glycemic Index, your blood sugar will spike, causing a large release in insulin. During this period of time your body cannot use fat for fuel (even if you are operating under a calorie deficit and even if you workout like crazy)."

I think it's misleading to say your body can not use fat. Your body uses carbs for energy, and insulin is used for this. However, it's not that it's impossible to use stored fat--it's that your body has a fuel source to use already--carbs. Body fat is only used when you're out of fuel--calories. Whether those are from good or bad carbs doesn't matter. The insulin resistence facters is very important though. Your metabolsim can be all wonky from bad carbs--most Americans have this.

I think the formula is simple (but hard to follow).

1. Exercise

2. Eat less and right.

But this is like telling a smoker "don't smoke."

i agree with imago!!!! esp about excersising and eating right

imago said:

hmmmm. ^^

I find that article suspect: "It is impossible to have high levels of insulin in your system while burning fat at the same time. Think about that. If you eat a meal that has too high of a Glycemic Index, your blood sugar will spike, causing a large release in insulin. During this period of time your body cannot use fat for fuel (even if you are operating under a calorie deficit and even if you workout like crazy)."

I think it's misleading to say your body can not use fat. Your body uses carbs for energy, and insulin is used for this. However, it's not that it's impossible to use stored fat--it's that your body has a fuel source to use already--carbs. Body fat is only used when you're out of fuel--calories. Whether those are from good or bad carbs doesn't matter. The insulin resistence facters is very important though. Your metabolsim can be all wonky from bad carbs--most Americans have this.

I think the formula is simple (but hard to follow).

1. Exercise

2. Eat less and right.

But this is like telling a smoker "don't smoke."

That's not what the article says! It says your body will not use stored fat as long as you have large amounts of insulin circulating in your body - which is absolutely true.

Insulin is a fat storage hormone - as long as you're pumping that out in copious amounts (to deal with all the carbs you're eating), you will not lose (much) weight. It's like a woman taking a big dose of progesterone every day - and then wondering why she doesn't get her period. (Progesterone is a hormone that goes gonzo during pregnancy. Lots of progesterone = your body thinking it's pregnant = no period.)

Why do you think bodybuilders make a point of doing their intense cardio on an empty stomach? It's because they want to be able to get through their glycogen burn and into fat burning as efficiently as possible - and they know they can't do that if insulin is in play. In fact, when they're doing a cut, most bodybuilders will eat as few carbs as possible. But they're still taking huge calories in the form of protein, mostly (trying to preserve the muscle mass they've built up).

The point is, if you have lots of insulin being secreted, your body doesn't know it's out of fuel. That's why being on a low-fat diet (or a low-fat, high-carb diet, especially) leaves you hungry enough to gnaw your own arm off. And why you won't lose as much weight - no matter how low you take your calories.

Bottom line: hormones are a bitch. But they can be managed. You manage insulin by not eating a lot of carbs. Period.

Genesia said:

imago said:

hmmmm. ^^

I find that article suspect: "It is impossible to have high levels of insulin in your system while burning fat at the same time. Think about that. If you eat a meal that has too high of a Glycemic Index, your blood sugar will spike, causing a large release in insulin. During this period of time your body cannot use fat for fuel (even if you are operating under a calorie deficit and even if you workout like crazy)."

I think it's misleading to say your body can not use fat. Your body uses carbs for energy, and insulin is used for this. However, it's not that it's impossible to use stored fat--it's that your body has a fuel source to use already--carbs. Body fat is only used when you're out of fuel--calories. Whether those are from good or bad carbs doesn't matter. The insulin resistence facters is very important though. Your metabolsim can be all wonky from bad carbs--most Americans have this.

I think the formula is simple (but hard to follow).

1. Exercise

2. Eat less and right.

But this is like telling a smoker "don't smoke."

That's not what the article says! It says your body will not use stored fat as long as you have large amounts of insulin circulating in your body - which is absolutely true.

Insulin is a fat storage hormone - as long as you're pumping that out in copious amounts (to deal with all the carbs you're eating), you will not lose (much) weight. It's like a woman taking a big dose of progesterone every day - and then wondering why she doesn't get her period. (Progesterone is a hormone that goes gonzo during pregnancy. Lots of progesterone = your body thinking it's pregnant = no period.)

Why do you think bodybuilders make a point of doing their intense cardio on an empty stomach? It's because they want to be able to get through their glycogen burn and into fat burning as efficiently as possible - and they know they can't do that if insulin is in play. In fact, when they're doing a cut, most bodybuilders will eat as few carbs as possible. But they're still taking huge calories in the form of protein, mostly (trying to preserve the muscle mass they've built up).

The point is, if you have lots of insulin being secreted, your body doesn't know it's out of fuel. That's why being on a low-fat diet (or a low-fat, high-carb diet, especially) leaves you hungry enough to gnaw your own arm off. And why you won't lose as much weight - no matter how low you take your calories.

Bottom line: hormones are a bitch. But they can be managed. You manage insulin by not eating a lot of carbs. Period.

Yes, I know what it's aying.

But, it's not possible to gain weight with a caloric deficit. It's impossible.

So, regardless of the insulin resistance within a person, if he execises and reduces his caloric intake below what his body requires, he simply can't gain the weight.

That's also why weight trainers ALL count calories and portions.

There are alot of formulas bodybuilders use to lose the weight, but it's normally .7 (to .86) x body weight (in pounds) x 100 = total calories allowed a day or something like that.

They also break up their meals into 6 meals a day, to control insulin, apetite, and blood sugar, etc.

No matter how a person approaches weight loss, they must ingest fewer calories than they burn regardless of the type of calories. That being said, processed carbs are the worst kind of calories. Oddly, this doesn't affect the Chinese who consume far more of it percentage wise than Americans.

[Edited 5/5/12 5:24am]