weight loss?

[AzureImpaler]

I posted a related topic in the spells board. Now, I've put on a decent bit of weight, and for my sake (health, looking and feeling better), I want to get it back off. I'm looking at about 15-25 pounds of weight. D:
Does anyone know what kinds of herbs or things of this nature might be useful in helping me along? I would appreciate any help.

[staranashannon]

Cayenne- powder it and put into gelatin caps to be taken by mouth. Not sure on the dosage as I've never used it for that purpose, but it's probably fairly large.

Tobacco- smoke it. (Before anyone says this is bad advice: AzureImpaler asked about weight loss herbs; tobacco is an herb, and it suppresses the appetite. Spare me the lectures on the evils of tobacco, we've all heard it a million times, haven't we?)

[staranashannon]

I've never heard of that book, sounds interesting. I've gotten some information from these sites: colby.com and velvetgloveironfist.com So I've heard about the reduced risk of Alzheimer's and Parkinson's, among other things, like reduced risk of ulcerative colitis, and blackened lungs being a myth. People who read this surely think I'm insane with all the propaganda constantly forced down everyone's throats.

The downside to what you say about stimulated vein growth is that vein growth helps cancer to spread. Anyway, it's cool that you can look at other sides of the story and think for yourself, earth wolf. And yeah, I believe moderation is key.

[AzureImpaler]

Thanks. I'll be sure to try those out. We found some good local organic tea to brew, so that's always good. I'll grab some green tea next time I'm out there.

Also, I agree, real tobacco was a long traditional herb. Which is good too, since I have strong Native American heritage, and my good, close friend got me a hand crafted Peace Pipe for my 18th birthday four years ago. A small smoking a day with the proper amount could equal (approximately) one cigar, and I could use and connect to my heritage. I have some papers around here somewhere on traditional peace pipe smoking relevance and practice. It's good to know that there's actual science behind the usefulness of these herbs, as well as the spiritual connectivity. (except Green Tea. Which for some may have importance, but for me personally, simply tastes good. )

[WhiteOne]

I know this is an old thread but Cinnamon has been shown to help people deal with sugar, and help weight loss.
Also, fiber can be found in Psyllium husks, which will make you feel fuller when you eat--so you can eat less, or diet with less hunger.
And yes, smoking causes you to have a higher metabolism, but it is also highly addictive and causes grievous health effects that we all know about.

[FireQueen]

For fat loss...... there's a 3P's rule :: Protein, Protein, Protein.

In short, increase protein, cut out the intake of as many white carbohydrates as possible (potatoes, flour, white rice, sugars, etc) and replace with higher intake of complex carbs and vegetables, and if you're not allergic to them, mixed nuts and seeds.

Keep everything in balance and moderation, and break meals into smaller portions with snacks between eg breakfast, morning tea, lunch, afternoon tea, dinner, bed-time snack.

And here's the sweetener: once a week totally go for it with your favourite sweets and treats. This totally blows your metabolic rate sky-high for a day and then when you swap back to protein the next day your body is working overtime processing fat and eliminating it from your body and slowly readjusts downwards over the following week.

Also, if you are otherwise healthy, you can also try combing the metabolic spiking technique with the Moon Diet :: http://www.moonconnection.com/moon-diet.phtml

If you can manage it, keep a 7-day food diary (literally record EVERYTHING that you eat and drink) and then take it to a holistically trained nutritionist to get a meal plan professionally drawn up.

Brightest blessings.

[Amethyst_Stargazer]

I wanted to add something along the lines of increasing protein and decreasing simple carbs...

Shirataki noodles!!

Shirataki (shee-rah-TAH-kee) noodles are thin, low carb, chewy, and translucent traditional Japanese noodles. They are also sometimes called konnyaku noodles. Shirataki noodles are thinner than wheat noodles, do not break as easily, and have a different texture. They are mostly composed of a dietary fiber called glucomannan and contain very few calories and carbohydrates (sometimes even zero). They do not have much flavor by themselves, but absorb flavors well from other ingredients you can combine them with. Shirataki noodles are made from Konjac flour, which comes from the roots of the yam-like Konjac plant grown in Japan and China.

Shirataki noodles are packaged "wet", that is, you purchase them pre-packaged in liquid, and they are ready-to-eat out of the package. You can prepare them by boiling them briefly or running them under hot water, then combining them with other dishes, or adding things like tofu, garlic, spinach, or soy sauce to enhance the flavor.

They have ONE NET CARB per serving. ONE!!! They have fettucine style and spaghetti style, and each bag comes with a simple recipe on the back. The great thing is that they absorb the flavors of whatever you're cooking, so it's not tofu-ish!