Garcinia Cambogia -- In My Experience, This Stuff Really Works

[Jingthing]

It seems my "coming off" GC wasn't through yet. Gradually I am feeling hunger and cravings increase. While my stomach probably shrunk and I "trained" myself in the HABITS to eat so well for so long that is still with me, but the pre GC state of being is creeping back. There were a few meals where I felt it wasn't enough food ... before on GC I would either do nothing or if really way too little food ... get some guava or something. These times I felt strongly compelled to actually eat some more meal type food ... nothing remarkably excessive, but still, that's a change. That simply would have never happened on GC ... so I am certain there is a direct connection.

Also, and this is VERY WEIRD, and maybe a coincidence but about three times since I've stopped GC I noticed I acted out a little too AGGRESSIVELY in public. Like when Russians jump the queue for the baht bus or Thais block the sidewalk ... I reacted with more aggression that I would have either on the GC or before the GC! Nothing serious ... but have to watch that, could get my arse whipped or something. GC is known to effect mood and I am missing that ... but this side effect of "withdrawal" if not merely a coincidence is really surprising and interesting (and potentially dangerous).

[h90]

It seems my "coming off" GC wasn't through yet. Gradually I am feeling hunger and cravings increase. While my stomach probably shrunk and I "trained" myself in the HABITS to eat so well for so long that is still with me, but the pre GC state of being is creeping back. There were a few meals where I felt it wasn't enough food ... before on GC I would either do nothing or if really way too little food ... get some guava or something. These times I felt strongly compelled to actually eat some more meal type food ... nothing remarkably excessive, but still, that's a change. That simply would have never happened on GC ... so I am certain there is a direct connection.

Also, and this is VERY WEIRD, and maybe a coincidence but about three times since I've stopped GC I noticed I acted out a little too AGGRESSIVELY in public. Like when Russians jump the queue for the baht bus or Thais block the sidewalk ... I reacted with more aggression that I would have either on the GC or before the GC! Nothing serious ... but have to watch that, could get my arse whipped or something. GC is known to effect mood and I am missing that ... but this side effect of "withdrawal" if not merely a coincidence is really surprising and interesting (and potentially dangerous).

yes we also noticed that.......

[Jingthing]

Anyway, it's been about a month off the GC.

I wasn't sure I could make it without a big weight gain but I made it.

It seems I gained perhaps a pound of two.

That's in the range of reasonable expectations.

So that's a mix of good and bad news.

It was still quite an effort to try and MAINTAIN and yet a small spike.

So that's a clue that I might still need at least some GC for an eventual maintenance phase ... 1 or 2 pounds a month gained adds up quickly.

So now the acid test begins.

Started again on the full dose GC.

Will I start losing some weight again, or not?

I really don't know!

[robblok]

Anyway, it's been about a month off the GC.

I wasn't sure I could make it without a big weight gain but I made it.

It seems I gained perhaps a pound of two.

That's in the range of reasonable expectations.

So that's a mix of good and bad news.

It was still quite an effort to try and MAINTAIN and yet a small spike.

So that's a clue that I might still need at least some GC for an eventual maintenance phase ... 1 or 2 pounds a month gained adds up quickly.

So now the acid test begins.

Started again on the full dose GC.

Will I start losing some weight again, or not?

I really don't know!

We can only hope you will start to loose weight again. It is a nice experiment, I must say I am curious about the outcome.

[Kaalle]

Water retention, in all likelyhood you are still loosing body fat.

It's been many months. I don't think so. It think I'm really stuck. In my opinion, it's only a matter of time before I have to bite the bullet and test out what happens when I try to stop the GC at least temporally. So this has morphed into a possible story about dependency on a supplement. I've been stalling on trying that and not ready to stop stalling. I am not ready to face the consequences of stopping yet if it turns into a quick weight gain. Like I said, my new "OK but not great" weight feels like my body intelligence accepts it as my new status quo but the question really is, will my body accept it without the supplement? I have no idea but I know enough that there is a risk it won't.

Anyway, I like this new problem better than the problem I had when I started but it's still a real problem. A little like rich people complaining about tax problems. They'd still rather be rich.

I don't know what your routine looks like but apart from garcinia cambogia or not, as well as other details just have a good look at your diet. Plan your meals and look at the total intake. Go high protein and keep the calories low, as low as you can go and still be comfortable and still keeping the protein high. Lift some weights and in conjunction with the high protein you will retain muscle mass and have an effective and healthy weight loss. Don´t stare yourself blind when it come to "carb or no carb" or should I eat avocados or almonds or whatever. High protein should be your focus. Make it easy on yourself, as far as figuring out calories and planning your meals. When it comes to effective weight loss its not really a debate or a matter of some special semi secret method. Eat below maintenance calorie wise and do all you can to keep your muscle mass intact, end of story. Good luck!

[h90]

Water retention, in all likelyhood you are still loosing body fat.

It's been many months. I don't think so. It think I'm really stuck. In my opinion, it's only a matter of time before I have to bite the bullet and test out what happens when I try to stop the GC at least temporally. So this has morphed into a possible story about dependency on a supplement. I've been stalling on trying that and not ready to stop stalling. I am not ready to face the consequences of stopping yet if it turns into a quick weight gain. Like I said, my new "OK but not great" weight feels like my body intelligence accepts it as my new status quo but the question really is, will my body accept it without the supplement? I have no idea but I know enough that there is a risk it won't.

Anyway, I like this new problem better than the problem I had when I started but it's still a real problem. A little like rich people complaining about tax problems. They'd still rather be rich.

I don't know what your routine looks like but apart from garcinia cambogia or not, as well as other details just have a good look at your diet. Plan your meals and look at the total intake. Go high protein and keep the calories low, as low as you can go and still be comfortable and still keeping the protein high. Lift some weights and in conjunction with the high protein you will retain muscle mass and have an effective and healthy weight loss. Don´t stare yourself blind when it come to "carb or no carb" or should I eat avocados or almonds or whatever. High protein should be your focus. Make it easy on yourself, as far as figuring out calories and planning your meals. When it comes to effective weight loss its not really a debate or a matter of some special semi secret method. Eat below maintenance calorie wise and do all you can to keep your muscle mass intact, end of story. Good luck!

perfect advise

[h90]

Anyway, it's been about a month off the GC.

I wasn't sure I could make it without a big weight gain but I made it.

It seems I gained perhaps a pound of two.

That's in the range of reasonable expectations.

So that's a mix of good and bad news.

It was still quite an effort to try and MAINTAIN and yet a small spike.

So that's a clue that I might still need at least some GC for an eventual maintenance phase ... 1 or 2 pounds a month gained adds up quickly.

So now the acid test begins.

Started again on the full dose GC.

Will I start losing some weight again, or not?

I really don't know!

We can only hope you will start to loose weight again. It is a nice experiment, I must say I am curious about the outcome.

It isn't a question of hope, it is a question of eating, or rather not eating.

[Jingthing]

Water retention, in all likelyhood you are still loosing body fat.

It's been many months. I don't think so. It think I'm really stuck. In my opinion, it's only a matter of time before I have to bite the bullet and test out what happens when I try to stop the GC at least temporally. So this has morphed into a possible story about dependency on a supplement. I've been stalling on trying that and not ready to stop stalling. I am not ready to face the consequences of stopping yet if it turns into a quick weight gain. Like I said, my new "OK but not great" weight feels like my body intelligence accepts it as my new status quo but the question really is, will my body accept it without the supplement? I have no idea but I know enough that there is a risk it won't.

Anyway, I like this new problem better than the problem I had when I started but it's still a real problem. A little like rich people complaining about tax problems. They'd still rather be rich.

I don't know what your routine looks like but apart from garcinia cambogia or not, as well as other details just have a good look at your diet. Plan your meals and look at the total intake. Go high protein and keep the calories low, as low as you can go and still be comfortable and still keeping the protein high. Lift some weights and in conjunction with the high protein you will retain muscle mass and have an effective and healthy weight loss. Don´t stare yourself blind when it come to "carb or no carb" or should I eat avocados or almonds or whatever. High protein should be your focus. Make it easy on yourself, as far as figuring out calories and planning your meals. When it comes to effective weight loss its not really a debate or a matter of some special semi secret method. Eat below maintenance calorie wise and do all you can to keep your muscle mass intact, end of story. Good luck!

Well, the weight loss and maintenance I've accomplished so far which has been the most successful in my life (and I'm not young) has been accomplished without being on any kind of "high protein" food program. I will play out this experiment eating as I have been eating and if there is no further weight loss (or even gain) after some months I will consider a major shift in food choices towards high protein and less fiber as in vegetables. To me, that would be radical and I don't wish to ever do that, I want to continue to eat lots of vegetables for life ... but I supposed it would be worth a try if it comes to that.

[robblok]

Anyway, it's been about a month off the GC.

I wasn't sure I could make it without a big weight gain but I made it.

It seems I gained perhaps a pound of two.

That's in the range of reasonable expectations.

So that's a mix of good and bad news.

It was still quite an effort to try and MAINTAIN and yet a small spike.

So that's a clue that I might still need at least some GC for an eventual maintenance phase ... 1 or 2 pounds a month gained adds up quickly.

So now the acid test begins.

Started again on the full dose GC.

Will I start losing some weight again, or not?

I really don't know!

We can only hope you will start to loose weight again. It is a nice experiment, I must say I am curious about the outcome.

It isn't a question of hope, it is a question of eating, or rather not eating.

Of course its a question of eating, but it would be nice to see if Garcinia Cambogia after off time becomes effective for him again in helping him eat less. I like stuff like this test like this.

[robblok]

Well, the weight loss and maintenance I've accomplished so far which has been the most successful in my life (and I'm not young) has been accomplished without being on any kind of "high protein" food program. I will play out this experiment eating as I have been eating and if there is no further weight loss (or even gain) after some months I will consider a major shift in food choices towards high protein and less fiber as in vegetables. To me, that would be radical and I don't wish to ever do that, I want to continue to eat lots of vegetables for life ... but I supposed it would be worth a try if it comes to that.

To be honest there is no reason to EVER eat less vegetables. They are in general healthy and low in calories. I doubt anyone can overeat him / herself on a salad. (unless its filled with salad dressing cheese ect)

High protein would always go at the cost of carbs like bread / rice and others never at the cost of vegetables. I can't think of a single good reason ever to eat less veggies. (unless its proven that the veggies we eat in Thailand are full of poison)

I am eating fairly high protein but at the same time loads of salads and home made vegetable juices. Its just the carbs and refined sugars that I try to give a miss. Though I am not totally anti carbs, I eat oatmeal and other (healthy) carbs but in moderation.

Cutting carbs is for many overweight people a good solution because many times overweight people are insulin sensitive, this is bad and leads to unwanted fat storage even if you don't eat much. Lower carbs could help people combat that. If you really want to know if your insulin sensitive do some blood tests, even if your not close to diabetic you could still be far from optimal.

There is no real magic diet besides not eating much processed food and cutting down on sugars but I think you already knew that and are eating as healthy as you can already. If we assume that you are already eating healthy then to loose extra weight you could eat less or exercise more. With eating less I don't mean eating less vegetables EVER. Replacing carbs by vegetables or high protein is the way to go.

[h90]

Well, the weight loss and maintenance I've accomplished so far which has been the most successful in my life (and I'm not young) has been accomplished without being on any kind of "high protein" food program. I will play out this experiment eating as I have been eating and if there is no further weight loss (or even gain) after some months I will consider a major shift in food choices towards high protein and less fiber as in vegetables. To me, that would be radical and I don't wish to ever do that, I want to continue to eat lots of vegetables for life ... but I supposed it would be worth a try if it comes to that.

To be honest there is no reason to EVER eat less vegetables. They are in general healthy and low in calories. I doubt anyone can overeat him / herself on a salad. (unless its filled with salad dressing cheese ect)

High protein would always go at the cost of carbs like bread / rice and others never at the cost of vegetables. I can't think of a single good reason ever to eat less veggies. (unless its proven that the veggies we eat in Thailand are full of poison)

I am eating fairly high protein but at the same time loads of salads and home made vegetable juices. Its just the carbs and refined sugars that I try to give a miss. Though I am not totally anti carbs, I eat oatmeal and other (healthy) carbs but in moderation.

Cutting carbs is for many overweight people a good solution because many times overweight people are insulin sensitive, this is bad and leads to unwanted fat storage even if you don't eat much. Lower carbs could help people combat that. If you really want to know if your insulin sensitive do some blood tests, even if your not close to diabetic you could still be far from optimal.

There is no real magic diet besides not eating much processed food and cutting down on sugars but I think you already knew that and are eating as healthy as you can already. If we assume that you are already eating healthy then to loose extra weight you could eat less or exercise more. With eating less I don't mean eating less vegetables EVER. Replacing carbs by vegetables or high protein is the way to go.

vegetables are no problem, but some fruits are...they can be very sugar/calorie dense. (Banana, wine grapes, figs...)

[robblok]

Well, the weight loss and maintenance I've accomplished so far which has been the most successful in my life (and I'm not young) has been accomplished without being on any kind of "high protein" food program. I will play out this experiment eating as I have been eating and if there is no further weight loss (or even gain) after some months I will consider a major shift in food choices towards high protein and less fiber as in vegetables. To me, that would be radical and I don't wish to ever do that, I want to continue to eat lots of vegetables for life ... but I supposed it would be worth a try if it comes to that.

To be honest there is no reason to EVER eat less vegetables. They are in general healthy and low in calories. I doubt anyone can overeat him / herself on a salad. (unless its filled with salad dressing cheese ect)

High protein would always go at the cost of carbs like bread / rice and others never at the cost of vegetables. I can't think of a single good reason ever to eat less veggies. (unless its proven that the veggies we eat in Thailand are full of poison)

I am eating fairly high protein but at the same time loads of salads and home made vegetable juices. Its just the carbs and refined sugars that I try to give a miss. Though I am not totally anti carbs, I eat oatmeal and other (healthy) carbs but in moderation.

Cutting carbs is for many overweight people a good solution because many times overweight people are insulin sensitive, this is bad and leads to unwanted fat storage even if you don't eat much. Lower carbs could help people combat that. If you really want to know if your insulin sensitive do some blood tests, even if your not close to diabetic you could still be far from optimal.

There is no real magic diet besides not eating much processed food and cutting down on sugars but I think you already knew that and are eating as healthy as you can already. If we assume that you are already eating healthy then to loose extra weight you could eat less or exercise more. With eating less I don't mean eating less vegetables EVER. Replacing carbs by vegetables or high protein is the way to go.

vegetables are no problem, but some fruits are...they can be very sugar/calorie dense. (Banana, wine grapes, figs...)

True.. but we were talking about vegetables.. fruits wise I take a few pieces a day. Could be anything but usually apples / oranges / mandarins / dragonfruit / dades / somo / pineapple. I like to get both fruit and vegetables in my diet as they are just healthy. Of course you have to watch it a bit with some fruits but in general you won't be eating masses of it.

[h90]

Well, the weight loss and maintenance I've accomplished so far which has been the most successful in my life (and I'm not young) has been accomplished without being on any kind of "high protein" food program. I will play out this experiment eating as I have been eating and if there is no further weight loss (or even gain) after some months I will consider a major shift in food choices towards high protein and less fiber as in vegetables. To me, that would be radical and I don't wish to ever do that, I want to continue to eat lots of vegetables for life ... but I supposed it would be worth a try if it comes to that.

To be honest there is no reason to EVER eat less vegetables. They are in general healthy and low in calories. I doubt anyone can overeat him / herself on a salad. (unless its filled with salad dressing cheese ect)

High protein would always go at the cost of carbs like bread / rice and others never at the cost of vegetables. I can't think of a single good reason ever to eat less veggies. (unless its proven that the veggies we eat in Thailand are full of poison)

I am eating fairly high protein but at the same time loads of salads and home made vegetable juices. Its just the carbs and refined sugars that I try to give a miss. Though I am not totally anti carbs, I eat oatmeal and other (healthy) carbs but in moderation.

Cutting carbs is for many overweight people a good solution because many times overweight people are insulin sensitive, this is bad and leads to unwanted fat storage even if you don't eat much. Lower carbs could help people combat that. If you really want to know if your insulin sensitive do some blood tests, even if your not close to diabetic you could still be far from optimal.

There is no real magic diet besides not eating much processed food and cutting down on sugars but I think you already knew that and are eating as healthy as you can already. If we assume that you are already eating healthy then to loose extra weight you could eat less or exercise more. With eating less I don't mean eating less vegetables EVER. Replacing carbs by vegetables or high protein is the way to go.

vegetables are no problem, but some fruits are...they can be very sugar/calorie dense. (Banana, wine grapes, figs...)

True.. but we were talking about vegetables.. fruits wise I take a few pieces a day. Could be anything but usually apples / oranges / mandarins / dragonfruit / dades / somo / pineapple. I like to get both fruit and vegetables in my diet as they are just healthy. Of course you have to watch it a bit with some fruits but in general you won't be eating masses of it.

Yes right, but often people mix fruits and vegetables in their mind and thing all that stuff is basically free of calories.....Even I find myself often enough to call a tomato or cucumber a vegetable....while they are fruits........

[Jingthing]

Anyway, I think my food choices (portions, items, and balance) are excellent and I've stated many times before the most important thing is to eat to promote your health and something you can comfortably sustain for life, as opposed to "going on a diet" for weight loss. I would possibly consider a short term test of a more high protein style program simply as a test because I have read before that sometimes GC fails to get results for people with HIGH FIBER diets and of course vegetables have a lot of fiber and protein doesn't. Not talking about anything radical ... like no vegetables ... just a shift as a test.

It's too early to tell whether this current "test" (break from GC, start again, same food choices) is going to result in fresh weight loss. I figure at least a few months for a real test of that.

OK, to be honest, you can translate that as it is not working yet! But it's only been a few days.

To add, actually I can already feel the effects of the GC (mood change, better satisfied with smaller portions, extreme reduction of cravings) just no weight loss as yet.

Also keep in mind my experiences are highly anecdotal. I am not locked up in a clinic with scientifically calculated portions and calories so any results I may get from these "tests" don't really "prove" anything in any firm way.

Cheers.

[Jingthing]

Egads.

Enough time to tell, it is NOT working.

In fact I gained another kilo.

So I just started to up the dosage 25 percent.

Early to say but that seems to be turning the tide back.

Now that would be really funny if that was the problem the whole time before ... dose a bit too low!

Again, too early to tell.

To be more precise, on the brand I have mentioned before, I have been on the standard dose of 4 pills a day.

A long time ago, I tried 6 pills a day and got faster results but I also had unpleasant side effects so I quit that.

Now I am trying 5 pills a day (1 breakfast, 2 lunch and dinner) as presumably less side effects.

[Jingthing]

Some VERY half baked thoughts on this somewhat dramatic turn of events.

First of all, I am assuming that the higher dose is going to at least stop the weight gain and probably result in fresh weight loss.

So if not ... back to the drawing board again, I suppose.

1 -- I do NOT think this is about building a resistance to GC.

2 -- It is widely known in the literature that DOSE matters, a lot, and too little a dose gets no results or slow results.

3 -- As I did lose a sizable amount of weight and have kept my eating and activity about the same. my assumption now is that my CURRENT body just can't lose weight on that status quo. So something has to change, less calories, more activity, or more GC.

4 -- The question of is there more to GC than just reducing appetite and cravings as in changing the way the body PROCESSES the food? Not exactly a "fat burner" but something chemical promoting weight loss. This is the more controversial aspect of GC. My guess is YES there is something a bit more going on than only appetite control and cravings reduction.

To be clear in case I wasn't ... it has continued to "work" as always in the area of appetite and cravings, just not weight loss.

[WitawatWatawit]

I've been taking GC for a week now, and the initial reaction is positive. Much lower cravings for food. Combine that with a reasonable diet, and the weight is starting to come off. Because I'm not too strict with my diet (low cal, low carb - supplemented by the occasional biscuit or five or chocolate bar, but no alcohol or soft drinks), my weight swings a little, but essentially, I'm at least 3kg lighter than 10 days ago. I've noted a couple of other small changes - a bit of IBS, more toilet runs - but not yet ready to put that down to the GC. Need a little more time yet for the diagnostics tests. But as I said, it's positive, and I'm particularly impressed by the lower craving for munchies.

I have Real Elixir from Bangkok - take one pill a day - 290 baht.

Here are the ingredients as listed on the bottle:

Garcinia Cambogia extract - 700mg

pyridoxine hydrochloride (eq. to vitamin B6 1.6454mg) - 2mg

Riboflavin (Vitamin B2) - 1.7mg

Thiamine mononitrate (eq. to vitamin B1 1.224mg) - 1.51mg

Vitamin B12 - 2mcg.

[tominbkk]

It never fails to amaze me that some people have weight problems here....

...not ony I can't get fat, I can't even increase my weight by a couple of kgs...

What are you people eating?

Blobs of fat and sugary drinks all day long?

Get yourself checked, you may be HIV+.

[TheSpecialist007]

Garcinia Cambogia seems to really work for some people, but others can experience a few (sometimes) normal side effects. I found that that getting headaches is usually normal in a healthy adult. Also, diarrhea is common among other things... Some of these side effects will go away after a few days, but others may require you to change when you take the hca supplement.

You can find a list of side effects here: http://reviews-garcinia-cambogia.com/garcinia-cambogia-side-effects/

[atyclb]

It never fails to amaze me that some people have weight problems here....

...not ony I can't get fat, I can't even increase my weight by a couple of kgs...

What are you people eating?

Blobs of fat and sugary drinks all day long?

You're on the I'm Too Fat Forum. We have enough morality lecturers here without people who have never even been fat coming on to insult us with ignorance.

If you are TOO thin and can't gain any weight, you have a real medical problem and there is help available for that too. But probably not here.

true. everyones metabolism is not the same, and theres many reasons for being overweight, but at least in thailand we overweighters have a reasonable crack at dating. (no pun intended)

not to lecture morality but if u have(some of us) nearly 65,000 posts on tv forum perhaps time spent sitting versus being active contributes to weight ??

[Jingthing]

It never fails to amaze me that some people have weight problems here....

...not ony I can't get fat, I can't even increase my weight by a couple of kgs...

What are you people eating?

Blobs of fat and sugary drinks all day long?

You're on the I'm Too Fat Forum. We have enough morality lecturers here without people who have never even been fat coming on to insult us with ignorance.

If you are TOO thin and can't gain any weight, you have a real medical problem and there is help available for that too. But probably not here.

true. everyones metabolism is not the same, and theres many reasons for being overweight, but at least in thailand we overweighters have a reasonable crack at dating. (no pun intended)

not to lecture morality but if u have(some of us) nearly 65,000 posts on tv forum perhaps time spent sitting versus being active contributes to weight ??

So you bother to post here to share to "news" to me that I have a lot of posts. Please, in future, don't bother.

The reason this thread exists is to talk about GARCINIA CAMBOGIA. Something, which of course not magic, has been a remarkable benefit to me (and reportedly many others) in terms of managing my weight.

[singa-traz]

It never fails to amaze me that some people have weight problems here....

...not ony I can't get fat, I can't even increase my weight by a couple of kgs...

What are you people eating?

Blobs of fat and sugary drinks all day long?

You're on the I'm Too Fat Forum. We have enough morality lecturers here without people who have never even been fat coming on to insult us with ignorance.

If you are TOO thin and can't gain any weight, you have a real medical problem and there is help available for that too. But probably not here.

true. everyones metabolism is not the same, and theres many reasons for being overweight, but at least in thailand we overweighters have a reasonable crack at dating. (no pun intended)

not to lecture morality but if u have(some of us) nearly 65,000 posts on tv forum perhaps time spent sitting versus being active contributes to weight ??

Be cautious ...

I once dared to make the comment that walking 100 m between 2 posts would have a stronger positive impact on weight management (with such high posting rate) ... and I got a yellow card .

Research on health benefits with GC are mixed ... means, you could drink an additional glass of water and it would have the same effect.

But if you buy my "magic" glass, it could double the effect :-)

[Jingthing]

Another thing I love about my experience with GARCINIA CAMBOGIA is that I don't really have to totally give up on ANY foods I may want to eat so I never feel any kind of DEPRIVATION. Which is real deal killer for so many people struggling with weight control issues.

For example, as I've mentioned so many times on this long thread, if for some reason I have an unusually rich meal, my next meal will likely just be a small snack not to "punish" myself but because I really CAN'T physically eat more than that! So if that happens once a week or so, there is really no downside. In fact it's a plus because I can have the pleasure of an occasional somewhat more rich meal.

As far as CRAVINGS, I still have them, but they're totally different from before. I remain obsessed with foods on an intellectual level and I continue to enjoy that. But that's kind of a HEAD crave. My body crave is what matters, and because of the GC I don't act on my head craves as the body crave is the more important one now.

That doesn't mean I don't ever sample less than health promoting foods, or meals too rich, sometimes I do because I'm hungry enough and I feel like it ... but it's compensated for later.

Recently I have faced a challenge related to STRESS and I did feel some of the old stress triggers to overeating kicking in and frankly it did happen to a limited degree a few times. That was really a first time on GC but it was so minor and so few times I don't consider it a real problem. However, it is a hint that STRESS is something to watch out for ... it can trigger.

Posting this actually because of a recent experience. I was at a restaurant and they had a dessert I really wanted to try. I have been limiting myself to one dessert a year without any feeling of deprivation, but there was something about this dessert that made me really want it. It was something my grandmothers used to make that I've never seen in Thailand before. So, what the heck, I ordered it and it was really, really good. The amazing part is that I left OVER HALF of it ... something I would have never done before GC even if it was a food I didn't love. So I had the total experience of it, I don't know if I will "need" the experience again or not, been there done that, with really no bad consequence. I would have felt deprived not trying that the one time, so that's handled. It is interesting that a food like that with an EMOTIONAL trigger (reminding me of my Grandmas) I can recognize was one I felt the need to try.

We all have different triggers, of course. My own theory is that a lot of overeating is because your BODY is pushing you to do it more than your mind in a very powerful way. The GC changes that connection for me. Yes, I'm lucky that it works that way.

I think I'm learning that the main risk I have of the GC not working for me in future is related to STRESS. Unfortunately, we don't always have total control about what stressful situations life will bring us, but at least I'm conscious about this risk.

[Jingthing]

I want to add that I recently found some of my "testimony" here about my great experiences with GC on one of those thousands of GC pusher hard sell websites. I suppose that was inevitable but rather unfortunate. I know nothing about the specific brand and formulation they are selling and I would be the last person to suggest GC is "magic" or that is it is going to work for all or most people. However, I am totally convinced at least that at least some formulations of GC taken at high enough doses in the proper way DOES help some people very much.

[Jingthing]

A note on the current state of actual scientific research on GC. Well, there isn't much! I've been looking for it. The scientific evidence of it actually working on humans is very limited. Some of it indicates it can help a little with weight loss and some doesn't. There isn't any that says it is definitely widely effective for major weight loss.

What's disappointing to me as this is a supplement made from a "natural" food that given the fact that clearly many millions of people globally are trying GC, why don't we have more EXTENSIVE scientific research on it by now.

Well, we don't, and I somehow doubt it is coming either. For whatever reasons, which I reckon are complicated and related to economics.

Anyway, to address the charge here I've seen that the effects I have experienced are merely a PLACEBO effect, I can't really prove that they aren't! All I can relate is my personal ANECDOTAL experience. That experience is that I am not a young man and yes I have tried a number of supplements over the years that were sold as weight loss helpers and NONE of them has worked for me for long. Except for one. Garcinia Cambogia. So to my mind, and no not a scientific fact of any kind, that's strong enough evidence for me that for ME there is something about my own personal chemistry / genetics, etc. that has made me an ideal candidate for Garcinia Cambogia working well for me.

Another rational reason that I think that it is NOT a PLACEBO for me is that I have a respect for scientific research, and the actual scientific research (as opposed to the MARKETING!) does not strongly favor the idea that it would work very well! PLACEBO EFFECT is usually associated with pills given to you by doctors that you trust who are TELLING you the pill will work. That isn't my experience at all with this!

Yes, it is very true that I WANTED it to work, the same as I have WANTED every other supplement to work that I've ever tried. So if this is a placebo with the GC, why didn't ALL of those other supplements work as a placebo?

Never said it will work for all as it's known that it won't. Never said it was a MAGIC PILL. Which it isn't. In my case even if the GC worked to limit my appetite and cravings (which it does to my strong perception) if for some reason I wanted to FIGHT my bodies limited desires and go out and eat a pizza and an ice cream sundae every day OBVIOUSLY I wouldn't have lost weight using it ... would have gained weight. So like most things it's a COMBINATION of some kind of helpful thing (which for some sheer "will power" may be enough) AND a change in behavior (food intake / activity, etc.). The GC makes the behavior change almost compulsory for me. So yes, for me, amazing, but NOT magic.

For those who are 100 percent certain that it's been a placebo for me, that doesn't matter as it doesn't change my reality. From my POV, I think the chances that it ISN'T a placebo for me are about 99 percent. It can't really be proven for one person. To do a scientific study of placebo effect you'd need a large control group where some are given the real pill and some not, at the very least.

[singa-traz]

As usual, the logic used is, at best, CONFUSING ... it can't be placebo, because scientific research (which I trust) shows it does not do better than placebo effect ...

Anyway, Placebo effect is reported to work, EVEN when you know it's placebo.

http://www.iflscience.com/health-and-medicine/placebos-work-even-when-you-know-they-are-placebos

I will go with the Dr Oz effect ...

[Jingthing]

As usual, the logic used is, at best, CONFUSING ... it can't be placebo, because scientific research (which I trust) shows it does not do better than placebo effect ...

Anyway, Placebo effect is reported to work, EVEN when you know it's placebo.

http://www.iflscience.com/health-and-medicine/placebos-work-even-when-you-know-they-are-placebos

I will go with the Dr Oz effect ...

I have no problem if you think the GC pills I have been taking for years have no physical effect on me. I disagree. In the grand sum of things, it doesn't really matter. I have never suggested that my personal experience and success using it will necessarily be replicated in others. They'll have to see themselves. Yes, I do think people SHOULD consider testing it themselves to find out if there is a benefit. I don't see much downside. But it's their choice.

As far as Dr. Oz, I am not really a fan of his and I have read all the news about his statements backing off from magic pills rhetoric. But if you read Dr. Oz carefully, you can easily find that he still thinks that GC does have a positive effect for some people, even though it is not a magic pill. I do agree with him on that. If you check this post you will find I have taken great pains to say GC is NOT a magic pill so many times. If you take it, for it to work, you also need to change eating behaviors. If it helps you change those eating behaviors, by real physical impact, placebo, or a combination and if it doesn't harm you, then it seems to me for at least SOME PEOPLE, this is a very good thing.

BTW, I recall there have been SOME posts on this thread of people who have tried it who also report good benefits. Also some saying it does nothing for them. This is exactly as expected. Even with official medicines from doctors, it doesn't work for everyone and sometimes it only works for a small percentage of people, but sometimes still worth TRYING to see if it works for YOU.

As far as cost, my source in Thailand is practically free.

If I was costing thousands of baht per month, I would suggest more critically to people about whether the money cost is worth it, but I don't even think about that.

[Jingthing]

As usual, the logic used is, at best, CONFUSING ... it can't be placebo, because scientific research (which I trust) shows it does not do better than placebo effect ...

Anyway, Placebo effect is reported to work, EVEN when you know it's placebo.

http://www.iflscience.com/health-and-medicine/placebos-work-even-when-you-know-they-are-placebos

I will go with the Dr Oz effect ...

I don't recall if you mentioned on this thread whether you have tested GC on yourself. If not, may I ask why not? Regardless of what people might think of Dr. Oz he doesn't own everything about the tropical fruit used to offer the activaye ingredient HCA in GC. My point really is that if people really look at the scientific studies about the possible benefits of GC for promoting weight control in humans they will find there aren't enough of them yet to be definitively conclusive.

That's why I think people should seriously consider testing GC out for themselves. What do they have to lose except some weight and it MAY be quite helpful with appetite and craving suppression as it has for me. Especially in Thailand where the product is low cost.

[singa-traz]

As usual, the logic used is, at best, CONFUSING ... it can't be placebo, because scientific research (which I trust) shows it does not do better than placebo effect ...

Anyway, Placebo effect is reported to work, EVEN when you know it's placebo.

http://www.iflscience.com/health-and-medicine/placebos-work-even-when-you-know-they-are-placebos

I will go with the Dr Oz effect ...

I don't recall if you mentioned on this thread whether you have tested GC on yourself. If not, may I ask why not? Regardless of what people might think of Dr. Oz he doesn't own everything about the tropical fruit used to offer the activaye ingredient HCA in GC. My point really is that if people really look at the scientific studies about the possible benefits of GC for promoting weight control in humans they will find there aren't enough of them yet to be definitively conclusive.

That's why I think people should seriously consider testing GC out for themselves. What do they have to lose except some weight and it MAY be quite helpful with appetite and craving suppression as it has for me. Especially in Thailand where the product is low cost.

I have not, and let me explain it in 2 steps:

1: Pills / Supplement

I don't believe it is the right solution to take supplement to address an issue that is due to a behavior problem.

I rather try to understand why I'm overeating and address directly the root cause(s), than to go for a "patch" solution.

I can only understand taking such pills, if this would really help a weight loss, which would be required for medical reasons, such as a pre-requisite for a surgery.

I feel the same about people adopting any crash diet to speed up weight loss, but postponing the required lifestyle change for a long term success.

2: GC

So, assuming that I would be even considering to take a pill/supplement, why would I take one that scientific research have demonstrated not to be more effective than a placebo?

Question: What do people have to lose?

Time, money but more important focus.

Putting hope into a product that has been demonstrated to be no better than placebo is, to me, an act of desperation.

[Jingthing]

OK, thank you for explaining your personal rationale. I don't see the purpose of any kind of detailed point by point response to it.

I had an open mind when I starting take GC. I didn't know if it would help, or not.

I was rather shocked how well it worked FOR ME.

Not as a magic pill but as something which creates a physical response in me (dramatically cutting appetite and cravings) to facilitate weight loss and much more important to me now: MAINTENANCE of weight loss.

Best of luck with whatever approaches that you decide are best for you personally.

To add, of course I agree crash diets are a horrible choice. I have never been on a crash diet using GC. I have instead adopted a WONDERFUL DIET, foods that I love, in reasonable portions. If I happen to eat something rich one day, I just eat less later in that day because I don't have the appetite for it. I strongly crave healthy foods -- fresh vegetables, fresh fruits, lean meat, fish, healthy fats, etc. I find it much easier to limit portions of foods that people with weight control issues do need to limit such as pasta and bread. Quite simply, foodwise, I'm a happy camper, and based on my life experience I know I wouldn't have gotten to this place without GC. I don't see a problem with using natural things to make us happier. I'm happy to be mildly addicted to coffee. Reasonable portions of coffee make me happier, and it is arguably a healthy substance as well. I find using such things for benefits entirely rational.

I respect other people's choices. Everyone has their own path. I've had a long path with weight control issues and I've never been happier with where I'm at with it as now. Not even close.

As far as my credibility with my glowing endorsement of people trying GC, well, you know I have no financial interest in any GC products but I do like the idea of other people getting to where I'm at now. If 1 out of 10 people get similar benefits as I have, it would please me that those people have been helped. Obviously, I don't agree that to try it for a few weeks or a month and not seeing a benefit is a serious problem. Weighed against the POTENTIAL benefit, I think it's no problem at all.

But you know, you've gotten your POV across, and people reading this thread can weigh that against other POVs including mine and come to their own FREE WILL decision about whether they want to give GC a try for themselves, or not. I think that's all for the good.