Saturday, March 30, 2013

More or Less...

So I haven't updated in a while, but I promise I've been been busy.

One of the things I've been up to is playing with company claims on weight loss. I've never been a person who has been obsessed with my weight, but at the same time I have been experiencing lower and lower energy levels is the past few years, resulting in weight gain.

Boo.

As you know, when you look to improve your energy and lose weight, EVERYONE has a suggestion. So I'm trying them. I've only done two so far, but I thought I would share the journey, just for funsies.



The first product (Green Tea HP) I tested is one I like in general, because in the past I've used it to help me drink a ton of water every day. It's expensive, though, so I haven't used it in nearly a year, but every time I pass the sales reps in the mall they say that I'll lose about ten pounds if I drink it twice a day.

So I decided to test that theory with one change: I will be measuring all weight loss/gain for all products in inches, not pounds because, as a rule, my body maintains a very steady weight even as measurements on my body can fluctuate. So rather than weighing myself each week during this project, I will measure the same parts of my body and keep track of that.

The second company I've tested so far is Unicity (with the products shown--Lean Complete meal replacement combined with their Slim product). It came recommended by someone I know, and I was able to get my hands on it, so that became company number two.


   


The measurements weeks 1-4 on Green Tea HP were:
Starting Measurements 1: 154
Week 1: 153.5
Week 2: 155
Week 3: 155.5

 I started Unicity right after Green Tea HP. This one I only did two weeks because it's not a fit for me. I NEVER get gas, but this did the impossible, even as I started gaining more and more water weight as days went by. The last few days I was on it, I could feel my stomach bounce as I walked. Two weeks of expanding measurements (one inch per week focused around the stomach area) and toxic air was more than enough for me to get my answer.

The interesting this about this weight loss experiment is that six weeks into it, I'm actually larger than when I started. Both products left me larger than where I had been when I started it, and both had side effects.

Side Effects
Green Tea HP: I have a very low tolerance for aspartame. It gives me joint pain in my fingers and toes. Now I know that Green Tea HP doesn't use aspartame, but after a month of drinking it 2-3 times a day, my body started reacting to it like it does to aspartame, creating pain in the base joints of my thumb and large toe only. I have no idea why, but there it is.

Unicity: Besides the water retention, it's really the gas that got me. I've been blessed not to have to deal with that in my life, so I don't want to start now.

On to the next company... for now, that's probably Slim & Sassy by DoTerra. My sister-in-law claims that's what has dropped her a few pant sizes.

We shall see...