Weight Gain
Natural Remedies

Ten Diet Tweaks to Lose Weight for Life!

General Feedback

Posted by Jatarra (Fort Myers, FL) on 01/20/2007

I hate to say it but I was raised on a the poverty level of society as I was growing up. My grandmother would do everything she could to keep our family fed and and clothed. She would buy good food, but also some not so healthy choices. Like hot dogs by the pack, and soda by the Liter, because she felt it was cost efficient. So we would normally end up having to buy food that would last the whole month, which included pork, hams, corn dogs, and etc...

If your a child being raised in a crowded home, you usually have to eat what's served on your plate regardless of nutrition. Well what's good for the goose is not necessary good for the gander. Just because Sean is 16 and is a growing boy who play football, doesn't mean 10 year old Sherry can eat a pound of potatoes smothered in butter and a huge sloppy Joe.

I was overweight most of my life. I used to be 180 pounds when I was 16, now I'm down to 145. It's all because I change my life style. Growing up I was mentally depressed. When you are depressed you tend to eat more, because your trying to fulfill an emotional need with food, but all it does is lead to weight gain. Also not having healthy choices leads to bad health. We also eat when were bored, if you having nothing to occupy your mind having some food is one of the first things that tends to go on the I do list.

When I was a little girl I was sheltered and wasn't allowed to do much in the way of having a social life. My guardian was overly protective and gave me a lot negative self talks. I couldn't go to the neighbor's house because their were boys there, but my brothers could go just about anywhere they wanted and could roughhouse all they liked. Play sports, have friends, and participate in after school activities.

I came from an African American family. My family couldn't understand why I would eat so much and they would ridicule me because of my weight and size, and to this day their are lot of emotional scars left behind. I dread gaining and weight and I am constantly trying to get down to 125. It was all ignorance and I suffered alot for something I didn't cause or couldn't help.

The point of what I am trying to say is that children who are overweight cannot help because parents and guardians simply are not giving them right choices. It pains me to see older and younger alike who are in the category of obesity. I want to tell people so badly that the food choices they are making is what's causing this epidemic, as well emotional problems.

Replied by Jose
(Leander, Tx, Usa)
05/03/2011

Hi Jatarra, I was in the same position when I was a child growing up. Buying loads of noodles because they were cheap and fill you up. I to gained alot of weight growing up at my biggest I was 305lbs. My food choices were horrible high in fat hardly any fruits and vegetables or lean meats. I was 17years old just finished my Junior year in high school when I got tired of being 305lbs so that summer leading to my senior year I changed my diet which consisted of turkey sandchiches and drinking lots of water and green tea while playing a lot of basketball. That summer I lost close to sixty pounds. After graduation I kept gaining weight losing weight it was a back and forth thing for me.

This was my life until I started running and working out. It was not much what I was doing a run around 2 blocks and 20push ups 5pull ups and 50 sit ups was how I started but I kept at it and I started losing so much weight after that and my streghnth increased and so did my endurance. I do admit that it is hard to find motivation when you get teased but if you stick with it you can do it. I had lost at the most 170lbs just by running and doing simple workouts at home. Now I am trying to gain muscle mass but it takes years to change lifestyles and dedication with self motiviation.

Now I weigh 150lbs all I do is push ups pull ups ab work out and I took a sandbag from the side of the roads put it in a bagpack and I use that as my weight. My diet consits of lots of fruits bananas, oranges, apples. Lots of vegetables and lots of grilled chicken breast and fish.


Ginger

2 User Reviews
5 star (2) 
  100%

Posted by Nicole (Virginia) on 05/24/2016
★★★★★

I'm of normal weight usually but have a tendency to add pounds when I stop working out and eating poorly. Just this month I did just that...due to a terrible sinus infection I didn't work out for 3 weeks (normally I work out 3x/wk) and ate poorly...sweets, no fruits/vegetables, etc. Normally my diet includes a huge salad each day and eggs for breakfast, etc. This time I was eating leftover brownies (for breakfast! ) and was too tired from being sick to make my salads, so no veggies at all. And...I had already gained a few extra pounds prior to getting sick.

But I constantly ate ginger for those 3 weeks to help with my sinus infection. Once I got better and made it to the gym weeks later...I braced myself once I got on the scale, preparing myself for the news since I was already a few pounds over...so knew it was now doubled. Shockingly...I had lost 4 pounds!! (That's a lot for me as I'm about 120lbs, 5'3")

I kept thinking it was the scale but it's the same scale I always used. Then I noticed how lean my arms were and knew it was real.

I racked my brain for what supplements I was taking consistently that might cause that and realized it was the ginger. I had ACV and iodine and Vit C occasionally...but it was ginger all day every day for weeks.

I googled Ginger and weight loss as soon as I got home just to see...and sure enough the articles are there.

I used fresh ginger and went through several good size roots. I would slice off the skin (to avoid pesticides) and then cut about 3 pieces an inch or two long...and a couple millimeters thick (so a few thin, 1-2 inch long pieces). I would simmer them for 10-15min in a few cups of filtered water and drink it hot like that or add a green tea bag (for my morning cup) and drink it as ginger-green tea (I never added honey or anything else). Sometimes I'd do that twice a day.Then I would also EAT the boiled ginger pieces throughout the day. I sort of gnawed on them as I worked (they helped with my cough and opened my sinuses). By the 3rd week (b/c I was back at work and didn't have time to boil ginger tea

Then I would also EAT the boiled ginger pieces throughout the day. I sort of gnawed on them as I worked (they helped with my cough and opened my sinuses). By the 3rd week (b/c I was back at work and didn't have time to boil ginger tea so I was just taking small slices of the raw ginger and eating them straight like that...chewing gently to ease into the burn...maybe just 1 inch of the raw, uncooked per day.

Hope this helps someone. I think many ways of preparing the ginger will work...and it's portable so can go anywhere. Just slice it ahead of time. I never tried adding honey or the crystallized versions...just the raw.

Replied by Shirley
(Ontario)
05/25/2016

Ginger in it's raw form is the best, not heated. Heating it destroys the best part of it. Candied ginger is just a bunch of unneeded sugar. It doesn't even have a texture similar to ginger. I don't get it. Fresh ginger juice is out of this world!!! RAW RAW RAW!!

Replied by Nicole
(Virginia)
05/26/2016

Hi Shirley...yes, raw is always best! However I still received great benefits from making it into tea form by simmering it for 10 min or so. I've always felt it's okay to do this to root/tuber vegetables ever since I read a research article by Dr. Greger (who wrote 'How Not to Die') showing that sweet potatoes retain more nutrients via boiling compared to steaming or baking surprisingly. I only do this for the root veggies however...

http://nutritionfacts.org/2015/11/24/is-it-better-to-bake-boil-or-steam-sweet-potatoes/

Replied by Bill
(California)
05/24/2017

I am an Asian-American and love ginger in my food. however. I have been using coconut oil for two months now.. Enjoying many benefits. Lost significant weight. Down to a 32 waist with a 42 jacket. Have not enjoyed that since my college days 65 years ago.


Ginger
Posted by Tim (Winnipeg, Manitoba) on 10/27/2006
★★★★★

While ginger juice didn't cure my diabetes but I am way much better off now yeehooooowlllll. I juice half a finger nail of fresh ginger root in the morning with plain water or mineral water if I have some and the benefits are amazing... Since I started I lost 25 lbs and had one amazing year. I played baseball for 6 months up here in Canada. I mean every other day and tournaments on weekends. 2 eggs cooked in olive oil for breakfast. 1 whole wheat zero fat turkey breast sandwich for lunch. Snacks like apples & pears Light supper. I am a Type II Diabetic I am no longer on any medication whatsoever and I have been a diabetic for several years AND I FEEL GREAT THANK YOU.......... Try the results will be instantaneous..... Do not take too much as it will lower your blood sugar levels .

Replied by Kit
(Chicago, IL)
05/04/2009

I wanted to know how much of the ginger am I supposed to take exact to mix it in the water. Also, how many times a day should I take this? I am not a diabetic but would like to try this remedy for weight loss. Please let me know as I am looking forward to at least loosing 15 to 20 pounds.


Grapefruit

1 User Review
4 star (1) 
  100%

Posted by Marilen (Spokane, Washington) on 09/07/2008
★★★★☆

this is for TED, I heard on the news that if you eat half a grapefruit before every meal you loose weight, do you have any info about it, thanks a lot for checking.

Replied by Melscheeri
(Tucson, Az. Usa)
06/09/2010

Just be careful if you are on high blood pressure medicine, DO NOT eat or drink grapefruit. It interacts with the medicine. I did about a year ago and it dropped my blood pressure so low I passed out and ended up in the ER.


Green Coffee Beans

2 User Reviews
1 star (2) 
  100%

Posted by Emi (Sarajevo, Bosnia And Herzegovina) on 03/26/2014

I am sure it works for weight loss, but I am also pretty sure this has nothing to do with nails! Wrong location of the post ;-)


Green Coffee Beans
Posted by Deepa (Australia) on 01/19/2014

Hi everyone.. My question has anybody tried Green Bean Coffee Extract for weight loss with any success and which brand is good since there are millions to choose from? Please guide me!!!!

Replied by Saba
(Mentor, Oh)
01/19/2014
★☆☆☆☆

I have tried Green Coffee Beans, finished 2 bottles. It did nothing for me. Don't waste your money. This is my opinion. Thanks.

Replied by Hisjewel
(Americia)
06/22/2015

I am the person who changes diets about every two weeks. If I stop I usually gain my weight right back. What I will say about Green Coffee Beans is has help me to hold on to the weight that I already lost. When I noticed that I did not lose weight while still using green coffee beans supplements during the Christmas and New Years holidays, I was disappointed. But when I realized I did not gain my comfortable weight back either, I continued to take them when I am between diets. This way I am not starting from my old weight when I move to my next diet.


Green Coffee Beans
Posted by Mrsg (Jupiter, Fl, USA) on 07/16/2013

Has anyone tried the green coffee beans for weight loss?

Replied by Sara
(Sacramento, Ca)
07/17/2013
★☆☆☆☆

I tried Coffee Bean Extract twice without any luck, but I had good success with Raspberry Ketone. Good luck.


Green Smoothies

1 User Review
(1) 
  100%

Posted by Jessica R (New York, Ny) on 04/19/2013

hi everyone... Hoping someone will know what is going on. In an effort to lose weight slowly but healthfully, I have been blending organic greens and 2 small organic apples with water and chia seeds and drinking this green smoothie twice a day since Tuesday. I am also eating other foods, but in small quantities. Yesterday, Thursday, I started to have muscle aches and a slight headache that comes and goes. I was up most of the night with waves of pain throughout my body. Feels like what you get right before the flu hits. I think I must be detoxing but am very surprised that this is happening just with dark leafy greens and apples! Can anyone recommend the best course of action? I do wonder if it's fluoride being detoxed too quickly from my body. I am supplementing with lugol's iodine by the way and plan to take vitamin c. Thank you very much in advance!

Replied by Molly
(Corte Madera, Ca)
04/19/2013

My guess is that it's a herx reaction and you are detoxing quickly. You can power through and suffer with the reaction or you can ease up on your regimen and take things more slowly. Others might have other ideas. Whenever I try something new to detox, there's a period of suffering with increased symptoms at the beginning, unfortunately...

Replied by Louwrence
(Rustenburg, North West, South Africa)
04/20/2013

Hi Jessica, try doing a coffee enema, it relieves the herxheimer problem by stimulating the liver to get rid of the toxins that cause the headaches & other problems. Seach the net on how to do the enema.

Replied by Jessica R
(New York, Ny)
04/20/2013

To Molly and Louwrence: Thank you very much for taking the time to respond to my questions! Never tried a coffee enema! I think you were both right about detoxing so I just wanted to provide a quick update: I stopped the apples and greens yesterday morning. So it has been now about 2 days. The pain subsided about 90% by yesterday afternoon and 100% today. I will start again on my smoothies tomorrow, but with smaller portion sizes.


Green Tea

3 User Reviews
5 star (3) 
  100%

Posted by Amber (Kitchener, ON, Canada) on 04/27/2009
★★★★★

Green Tea for Weight Loss: I drink about a liter of green tea every day and have lost five pounds in about three weeks. This is a lose leaf good quality green tea (blueberry green tea to be exact). That is the only thing I had changed in my life style. I am going to keep drinking it!

Replied by Southernarc
(Durham, Nc, Usa)
02/20/2012
★★★★★

I've found green tea to be extremely beneficial in helping me to lose 40 pounds in about 7 months. Just note that the tea was used in a holistic approach of eating clean, exercise, and a moderate calorie deficit.

I read about about the myriad of benefits online and experienced the weight loss benefits personally. I started brewing my own green iced tea and religiously drank a quart every two days. I noticed that besides giving me a slight energy boost, the main thing it did was to help inhibit hunger. But it's the catechins in the tea that is supposed to help burn off calories. A friend (who I turned on to it) told me that after a month his weight loss had been accelerated and the only change was that he started drinking the tea. I firmly believe every weight loss program should incorporate green tea!


Green Tea
Posted by Leighne (Compton, California) on 03/04/2008
★★★★★

Green Tea (Liquid concentrate). I have been drinking green tea (tea bags) and putting 6 drops of the liquid tea for about 8 weeks. I have energy that I never had. I also dropped 8 lbs. This tea tastes great also, I do not put any other ingredients in the tea, just the natural flavors. Everyday I drink 1 1/2 cups of hot tea.

I just started taking 1T cider vinegar every day in my water for about 2 weeks. I noticed my eyes are not as dry in the mornings as they usually are.


Green Tea, Garlic

1 User Review
5 star (1) 
  100%

Posted by Bee (Tampa, FL) on 06/03/2020
★★★★★

I would like to add a couple remedies for weight loss.

I am 38 years old and about 8 months ago I started gaining weight for no reason. I had not changed my diet. I went to the doctor to ensure nothing was wrong medically and they checked my thyroid and everything else. All was normal. The doctor felt my metabolism was slowing down due to my age. I tried cutting back on food and calories and still no weight loss. It was beyond frustrating. ACV did not help me and coconut oil was just plain gross to eat for me.

The only thing that was helping was a keto diet but as soon as I ate any carbs the weight would come right back in a couple of days. Who wants to live without carbs? Not me. I read about green tea and also saw a testimonial for garlic.

I know people take garlic to lower cholesterol but I had not heard about it for weight loss.

So I started drinking one cup of green tea during the day. And in the evening after dinner or before I go to sleep I chop up 3 cloves of garlic and swallow it with water. I am finally losing weight while eating regular food. Carbs and all. I have noticed that I lose more weight while doing the garlic/green tea combination daily, even though they both probably work on their own.


Grilled Chicken and Cabbage Weight Loss Recipe

1 User Review
5 star (1) 
  100%

Posted by Nicole (Phoenix, AZ) on 08/30/2007
★★★★★

I was given this recipe (see below) from my mother to lose baby weight, I noticed I lost weight, had better bowel movements, hemmoroids went away, and my baby blues were gone. I stoped because I was craving other foods. I noticed how bad i felt when I stopped taking it.

cabbage -diced
grill chicken - (optional)

green onion - diced
cilantro - diced
slice almonds


dressing

2/3 cup olive oil
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar or more to taste
1 tsp sea salt(optional)
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp soysauce(optional)
1 tsp hot mustard or
cayenne pepper (my choice)
2 tsp organic maple syrup Grade B
mix and pour over salad

You can do variations of this, I added raisins, or dried cherries. It worked for me losing weight, depression, hormonal acne, joint pain, and I recovered faster from my c-section.

Replied by Cjack
(Stedman, Nc)
07/15/2010

Do you use raw cabbage?


Hawthorn and Hibiscus Tea

1 User Review
5 star (1) 
  100%

Posted by Anonymous (Usa) on 08/09/2013
★★★★★

Hawthorn and hibiscus tea shrinks my waist. It's T... M... Brand. I drink three cups each day, the difference is noticeable the next morning. It's dark pink colored and fruity flavored. I tried lasiks once and this seems to work as well as lasiks did. I've had that "apple shape" since I was a child. I think it started after I got vaccinated.

I used to drink way too much coffee and aspirin without eating. Now I get really sick if I do. My legs hurt, my ankles swell, my stomach hurts. So I quit the coffee and aspirin. You might want to do that too. If my legs hurt I eat bananas and drink fortified rice milk and go to bed, or eat cottage cheese with spaghetti sauce. So my digestive system is probably suffering from the aspirin and coffee. I tend to not tolerate gluten, either.

WebMD says this about Hawthorn:

"Hawthorn can help improve the amount of blood pumped out of the heart during contractions, widen the blood vessels, and increase the transmission of nerve signals.

Hawthorn also seems to have blood pressure-lowering activity, according to early research. It seems to cause relaxing of the blood vessels farther from the heart. It seems that this effect is due to a component in hawthorn called proanthocyanidin.

Research suggests that hawthorn can lower cholesterol, low density lipoprotein (LDL, or "bad cholesterol"), and triglycerides (fats in the blood). It seems to lower accumulation of fats in the liver and the aorta (the largest artery in the body, located near the heart). Hawthorn fruit extract may lower cholesterol by increasing the excretion of bile, reducing the formation of cholesterol, and enhancing the receptors for LDLs. It also seems to have antioxidant activity..."

Source: http://www.webmd.com/vitamins-supplements/ingredientmono-527-HAWTHORN.aspx?activeIngredientId=527&activeIngredientName=HAWTHORN

Love this website. God bless you to all you who are keeping it going.


HCG Diet

1 User Review
3 star (1) 
  100%

Posted by Mary (Saskatchewan) on 03/16/2015
★★★☆☆

BETTER BUT WITH SIDE EFFECTS

Hi: I am wondering if anyone has had the same experience as me. Did HCG diet and lost 20 lbs. When on it, it was easy to keep the weight off, but when I stopped taking the HCG the weight is coming back. and I cannot get enough fat. I am binging on fat. I am so humiliated. I thought I fixed this awful weight problem but AM HAVING TROUBLE WITH EATING TOO MUCH NOW. Does anyone have any suggestions?

Replied by Charity
(Faithville , Us)
03/16/2015

I wouldn't let trial and error humiliate you. Trying takes courage. 3- family members also went this route and had the same experience you are having. I think as we age our hormones lessen and finding the right supplements for your needs might help. I feel stronger when I use a fragment of Dhea, trying to figure out how to avoid the mustache :-(

Replied by Claire
(Westport, Ct)
03/17/2015

Hi Mary,

Years ago I went on a low fat diet and lost about 10 pounds. It was fantastic until the day when I craved and I mean CRAVED butter. I had to eat a couple tablespoons of butter before the pangs went away. But I realized after that experience that a low fat diet was not a wise diet for my body and that I had probably lost critical fat cells needed in my brain. So I just think it's your body (perhaps brain) trying to rebuild after a critical loss. I have friends who have done the HCG diet and have heard similar complaints after it's over. I recently read about how fat is essential to the brain and that people who go on low fat diets risk dementia as they age.

Replied by Irener
(Newbury Park)
05/27/2016

Great ideas.


Honey and Cinnamon

7 User Reviews
5 star (5) 
  71%
4 star (1) 
  14%
1 star (1) 
  14%

Posted by Debbie (Fitzgerald, Ga) on 10/12/2009

I have a question, could you take cinammon pills with the honey instead of mixing it? The cinammon is to over powering for me.

Replied by Rob
(Alameda, Ca)
01/07/2010

I warm about a cup of water in microwave for a minute. Then, I add a tsp of ceylon cinnamon and a tsp of honey and drink on empty stomach in the morning and again before bed.

The arthritis/swelling in my wrist goes away within half an hour and stays away for about 12 hours! I can't recommend it highly enough.

Replied by Benjamin
(Northumberland, Pennsylvania, United States)
04/23/2010

I was reading about the honey and cinnamon weight loss tricks and other weight loss methods and I was wondering if honey with tea helped at all?

Replied by Citygirl27
(Richardson, Tx, Usa)
06/05/2012

(question) I enjoy the taste of the remedy, but the cinnamon we have here is Mexican cinnamon. My question is, Is there a difference or do I need to stop worrying about which cinnamon? I saw big bags of cinnamon sticks at the Indian mkt today but didnt get one bc I have lots of cinnamon (canela) at home. That shop sources pretty much everything from India, or sometimes England like with my Amla hair oil. Spent way too much there this week though, sigh. Too many good things. Thx.



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