Use Diet Supplements with Caution & From Companies You Can Trust

If you’ve ever read my blog you’ll know that fitness and weight loss are of key concern to me.  I’ve been moderately successful with certain programs over the years, but have yet to form a lifestyle that will support and continue that success.  Many times I’ve tried diet supplements to attempt to curb cravings, minimize fat absorption and cleanse my system.  This has not been without it’s risks.

Recently, I was given the opportunity to try a combination pack that contained a cleansing formula and a diet supplement featuring Garnicia Cambogia.  There is no shortage of information and advertising for Garnicia Cambogia on TV and the internet so I thought I’d give it a try.  The herbal cleansing had a formulation very similar to one I had taken about a month ago which I found pleasing and not too harsh.  I’ve never taken GC before.  The detox capsules are to be taken twice a day 30 minutes before meals for no more than 7 days.  The GC is taken 2 per day and there were no restrictions on time of day, before or after meals, but it was noted it contained a fair amount of caffeine.  That to me said it was not a good idea to take later in the afternoon.

I received my box of herbal dietary supplements on a Monday and started taking them Tuesday morning.  Strangely enough though I was taking the cleansing per package directions and drinking plenty of water (so I thought) I didn’t notice any change in my elimination habits.  This went on for 5 days with no significant change in elimination.  I had expected to lose at least 1 pound during this time, but to my horror I had gained 6 lbs. over the 5 days.  Late on day 5 I felt a little crampy and gassy and just figured it must finally be working.  Well, it finally worked.  It worked like I had consumed a quart of Drano it worked so well.  On day 6 I took my first dose of the day only to regret I’d ever touched it to my lips.  The rest of the day I could not stop going to the bathroom.  I tried to eat as mildly as possible – only well cooked vegetables and broth, tea and water.   Distressingly, this did not stop with one day.  This past Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday I was the same.  Wednesday morning I thought things were better until after lunch when I was back to the same.  Nearly every afternoon I’ve had to go lie down for a nap because I had no energy and a terrible gut wrenching stomach ache. It’s Saturday, almost a full week since this reaction began, and I’m just now starting to feel somewhat normal.  My stomach still burns and I still experience some abdominal cramping but nothing compared to the violent cramping, nausea and extreme weakness from last Sunday and Monday.  The whole thing was very unpleasant.

I’m not sure if this was an allergic reaction or if the cleansing supplement just got backed up in my system.  At the end of the day Sunday the whole 6 lbs. I’d gained over the previous week were gone.  Since my diet was restricted to mild, non acidic, non fatty foods and giant doses of probiotics I did lose an extra 3 lbs.  Overall, from my starting weight I did lose 3 lbs.  It was not worth all the trouble.

Though I can’t recommend the supplements I can recommend the company.  When I informed them of what happened they immediately told me to stop taking any of the capsules for fear I might damage my health more gravely.  Their representative said my health was more important to them than a review.  This was heartwarming despite my experience with their product.  So, I asked, what their policy is for customers who have a bad experience or don’t lose any weight while using their product.  They responded they have a 100% no-questions-asked money back guarantee.  Nice to know.  The rep said they’ve sold thousands of bottles of their product and never had anyone have an experience like mine.  Unfortunately, there is a first time for everything and it had to be mine.

Sometimes desperation to lose some weight moves us to jump into taking things without the proper research.  We should view our bodies the way we (should) view money – do your research and consider your risks carefully.  Though more money can be made if we lose it in investments that don’t pan out, we only have one life to live.  Medical advances give us the availability of heart, liver, and kidney transplants should we need them but it’s probably not a good idea to abuse or neglect our bodies on purpose to push us to that extreme.  There is no guarantee that any of those procedures will be successful and extend your life.  I have to say I was really worried those first two days that I was sick.  Every organ in my abdomen felt like it was swollen and I had terrible kidney pain.  My thought was “OH GREAT! Did I just tank my kidneys over a weight loss supplement?”  They don’t hurt anymore and my bathroom schedule is back to normal so I’m hopeful that no extensive damage came to my internal organs, but it sure did put a scare in me for the future.

Things to consider:

– Find out what herbs are in the supplement and find out what possible side effects they have.

– Search out testimonials from people who’ve used the herb/supplement and their results both good and bad

– Think about your own health – are you allergic to many foods, do you have a sensitive digestive system, have you ever had heart, kidney or stomach problems in the past?  You may want to pass on combination supplements whose components are foreign to you.

– Your aim in losing weight should be to improve and maintain your health.  Make sure the supplements you choose will help you achieve that goal.

– Stay active, get plenty of rest and drink lots of water whatever your diet and supplement choices are (not everyone will have the same reactions or results)

What is the worst reaction you’ve ever had to a supplement you were taking?

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. The opinions expressed are my own and based on my actual experiences with the product.