Day 7 - Irvingia By Day

Okay, another day another dollar.

Today's weight was 242.5 pounds. No clear direction in weight and still nothing clearly noticeable in terms of hunger.

I may dig out a tape measure and and that to my daily tracking. It is possible that a metabolic shift could lead to a size change prior to a weight change -- and I'd be happy if that were the case.

Anyway, as I've mentioned repeatedly, this is something that is supposed to kick in over time, so we'll just have to be patient during the first weeks.

Day 6 - Back On Track

It's day 6 of my irvingia program. I'm weighing in this morning at 241.0 pounds. Nothing notable to report at this point, as expected.

Now that I'm almost a week in I'm starting to expect some change in terms of hunger, eating, or something. Maybe this is just conditioning from the way everything else in the diet industry works.

They pump you full of stimulants and/or caffeine. This way you feel something and believe it must be working. Also, if you aren't usually taking a lot of caffeine you are likely to have some water loss. Bingo, aren't you the lucky recipient of an amazing weight loss miracle.

Irvingia seems to be the opposite. You feel nothing. No stimulant. No caffeine. Is it doing anything? Honestly, in the instant gratification world we live in, this is doomed to leave most consumers flat -- even if it should turn out that it does have a demonstrable effect.

I will also note that I'm aware that shifts in body chemistry take time to build up. If irvingia does do what it's supposed to do it is very possible for it to take a month or two to build up an effect. It takes time for the body to activate new pathways, adjust to different hormone levels, express different genes. Unlike the instant stimulant effect we are used to -- these are very slow processes.

Think of it like healing a wound. Even a scratch can take a week or more to fully heal. If your metabolism is whacked from years of abuse you can't expect it to undo years of abuse overnight.

Day 5 - Not A Happy Camper

I start today annoyed from the stresses of yesterday, with a headache and a weigh in at 243.0 pounds.

None of this has anything to do with my irvingia trial and it pisses me off.

Now I get to start a very stressful week with important deadlines and a lot of work to do to meet them.

None of this has anything to do with my irvingia trial and it pisses me off.

Anyway, I guess I can't stay all gloom and doom. Time to get busy...

Family And Diet Sabotage

If you want to be in control of your life, of your habits, of your stress level, of your food consumption, then I have to warn you about getting married and having children.

It's become very clear over the last few days how much stress the last few years have introduced into my life. Unfortunately, part of my coping strategy seems to be eating. It makes me angry just to say this.

Shit. I sound like a woman.

Anyhow, needless to say I've been to the kitchen a few times this evening.

Irvingia isn't going to do f*ck all about my stress levels.

Day 4 - Eat When Hungry

I'm eating pancakes for breakfast as I type this. Syrup on the keyboard, the whole works.

I guess that is part of the reason I wanted to give irvingia a try. There are no instructed dietary changes involved. If it's going to work it will simply increase the effectiveness of the leptin being produced by my fat blanket.

So, I'm sitting here typing, thinking, do I need more pancakes. My default answer is yes, I love breakfast and generally enjoy a large meal on the weekend. However, I'm trying to assess my stomach. Am I hungry?

I certainly don't have hunger pangs. Heck, in todays world, at least in our affluent societies, this is rare. I can't remember having true hunger pangs since childhood. Food is always at our beck and call. Have a couple bucks? Someone will sell you a cheeseburger or an ice cream anywhere and anytime.

Back to the question under consideration. I have some type of feeling in my stomach, but it's not clear what it is. I could interpret it as a signal to eat. I'm sure I have many times.

Maybe I'll wait until it's ready to speak more clearly.

Reduced Hunger?

Once again, I think I might have experienced reduced hunger again today.

As strange as it may sound I didn't eat any less than I otherwise would have. From now on, whether or not it is psychological, I am going to start eating less if I don't feel as hungry as normal.

I know, I know. I'm fat, I'm not hungry, I'm eating. It sounds stupid to me too!

Day 3 - Normalcy Returns

I think the major psychological impact of starting a new dietary plan is fading. I've taken my morning pill, hit the scale, and the day begins. It's just like any other day.

With that out of the way here is my weight pattern so far:

Sat: 240.5 am
Fri: 240.5 am
Thu: 244.0 pm

Of course, once again, I really can't expect any changes given the proposed mechanism of action for irvingia.

Also, I'm trying to avoid pushing away food at times that I would otherwise have eaten just because I'm hoping to lose weight. It wouldn't be a fair test if I purposely cut back calories -- so I hope that the effect of increased leptin sensitivity will eventually scale back my desire to eat.

Hunger Returns

It's still day 2.

I noticed that I had built up a nice normal hunger by the time lunch had rolled around. In other words, I can't tell if anything at all is going on or not. This is actually appropriate -- though very different from all the stimulant style weight loss supplements out there.

People want to feel it. They want to notice a different for their money. It has to happen right not. It has to be noticeable.

I'm patient. I'll wait. If it doesn't work that will be unfortunate but it's not like I'll be out anything other than a couple bucks. I am okay with that.

Day 2 - Does Irvingia Suppress Hunger?

I know there is a basis for irvingia to suppress hunger. However, let's get real. This is only day two. I don't think this can be anything but psychological at this point.

Yes, upon waking this morning I felt mildly disgusted at the thought of food. Perhaps this is how I feel every morning but never do any introspection to notice? Oh, my weight also changed by about 3 lbs during the night. I'd imagine simple dehydration and so forth... but I'll track these things and see where they lead.

Anyhow, psychological or not, if my hunger is suppressed then I'll eat less. Works for me! I know I've been hungry or at least interested in food a lot of the time lately. Sure, part of it is stress, but part of it really could be the C-reactive protein binding to leptin and that rot.

Don't worry, eventually I'll start to write about how this is supposed to work and all of that. Well, let's get serious, if I feel this is working for me I'll be motivated to continue blogging about it regularly.

Day 1 - My Irvingia Has Arrived

I ordered my Irvingia supplement from the LEF. I've been a member for a long time and have learned a lot about health and nutrition by reading their magazines over the years.

Today, I start.

My weight this evening was 244 pounds. Not big enough to look hugely obese but well above where I should be. I find my appetite is a regular problem and I have a propensity to store my weight in my midsection.

I'm 41 years old and am quite likely to have some level of metabolic syndrome due to my current sedentary lifestyle.

The dose is apparently 2 pills per day. I took one around noon and then another later this evening. Obviously, I have nothing significant to report at this time.