First, I’d like to believe that irvingia really does help produce staggering weight loss in 10 weeks.
I’d also like to believe that Santa is going to bring me a check for all the money that’s disappeared from my 401k in the past few months as well.
With that as a starting point, I’ve purchased my irvingia and started taking it December 3. I’ve got a 60-day supply, and I plan to take it for this time period.
Now, while this is in no way a scientific endeavor, there is precedent in medical history for this sort of self-test. While the results – do I lose 25 lbs.? – do I lose nothing? – will prove little, it will act as a pointer of sorts if some sort of significant weight loss occurs.
Let’s say I end up somewhere in the 180s – down from my present weight. Jeez – I haven’t been there in over a year. While it wouldn’t prove anything, there would be a strong chance that something real was going on.
I don’t believe this for a second – but it sure was fun to write down.
If I get to the mid 190s, and stay there for any length of time – that would be significant, and I’d think that perhaps irvingia had some impact – but I’d consider the test inconclusive. I’d have to see if after 60 days and stopping the irvingia the weight came back.
If 60-days from now I’m still in the mid 200s, then it would certainly point to the fact that irvingia is worthless – at least for me.
So let’s start off with a little baseline of where I am and what I plan to do:
- December 4 was my first full day taking irvingia, so we’ll start the test with this day’s morning weight: 207.2
- I am going to continue to follow (or try to follow, as the case may be) a low carb diet, which I’ve been on for 5+ years now
- I am going to continue taking my supplements, as well as my daily fiber therapy
- I am NOT going to introduce any other variables, such as starting an exercise program (I love any excuse not to exercise – now my excuse is for the sake of knowledge – how noble!)
- I drink way too much coffee with cream at home, and black coffee at work – at least a pot a day – and will continue to do so. I’m not going to journal this unless it’s somehow relevant - assume it’s happening
- I am going to try and document this test and provide an honest assessment of how it’s going and how I feel
The Irvingia Weight Loss Challenge – Day 1
I brought to work 2 cups of an Italian meatball and sausage mix, as well as 2 hard-boiled eggs. That was the extent of the food until I came home from work. I felt a vague weirdness, but to be honest, it wasn’t all that out of the ordinary. To say that the irvingia made me feel in any way different at this point would be silly.
My daughter asked me to pick up a baguette on the way home from work, and I did – as well as one of those store-roasted chickens.
I ate some of the chicken, as well as an English cucumber with some salt, pepper, and balsamic vinegar – along with some red wine.
I was doing well, and not particularly hungry, but the kids left out pieces of baguette with butter on them, and they looked so good…and that was it – they were hoovered up, along with a portion of a leftover blueberry muffin.
I’d chalk up this eating to more of a psychological thing – if it wasn’t sitting on a plate in front of me for the entire evening, I’d have probably done without. I did notice that the urge to have some when I got home seemed somewhat lessened then would have been usual. Again, this proves nothing, and could be a placebo effect or a normal variation – my mood. If I report this over the long-haul then, we might have something of some significance.
It is also a claim that the people studied in the irvingia research cited by Life Extension did not alter their eating habits – and they imply that these people ate anything they felt like – so much so that they have this admonition in their article on the stuff:
Summary and warning to not overeat
Endeavors to manage age-associated surplus body fat buildup have been challenging.
Just when new methods are discovered to reduce fat stores, scientists uncover additional mechanisms by which adipocytes retain excess triglycerides.
Irvingia seems to overcome the multiple escape routes that enable fat cells (adipocytes) in aging bodies to resist eradication.
Last year I wrote an article titled “Why a 100% Effective Diet Pill Would Lead to a Health Catastrophe.”55 My article stated that most people restrict their calorie intake not for health reasons but to avoid becoming too fat. I warned that if a diet pill ever emerged that did not require food restriction, most people would overeat themselves into an early grave.
It is still too early to know for sure if Irvingia will prove to be a 100% effective diet pill.
With our knowledge about the health and longevity benefits of restricting calorie intake, I beg, plead, and reiterate my point that if you find an effective method to lose weight without dieting, please continue to control calorie intake anyway in order to extend your life.
In other words, if Irvingia were to work for you as well as it did for the study subjects, please do not overeat, as excess calorie intake is a leading cause of cancer, vascular disease, and accelerated aging. The good news is that by freeing up leptin to bind to hunger-control centers in the brain, most people will find their appetite is reduced when taking Irvingia, thus eabling them to effortlessly ingest fewer calories.
Note: The issue of Life Extension Magazine that members will receive in early January 2009 will feature an in-depth scientific report on obesity and the role that adipocyte modulating agents like leptin and adiponectin play in regulating body fat storage.
My morning weight is 207.6. This is up a fraction of a pound, which is meaningless.
Oh – and below is a poll – let me know what you think.
Filed under: Food, health, Reviews, Supplements Tagged: | irvingia
Hello,
I am fat man, I’ve been a fat man most of my adult life. I have had ups and downs, but the lowest I have weighed since highschool was 220lbs. Note I am 6’1”. The most recent time of this relatively low weight was spring 2005 when I weighed 220. Since then my girlfiend and I moved in together and we had a baby girl, now 3 years old. Now I weigh about 310.
An objective look at my eating habits and other lifestyle issues would reveal the following: I tend to eat at night, afterdinner snacks, etc. I gave up soda completely and now drink crystal light, juices. I consume a good amount of dairy from milk, butter and cheese. I don’t do fast food at all — well maybe twice a year. I have a weakness for a new york style pizza and ice cream. Overall though I do eat pretty healthy and mostly at home. We cook lots of stir-frys, with a good mix of poultry, beef, pork, and seafood. I don’t do the cookies, crackers, chips, cakes, pies and other such foods except on rare occassion.
I am more active now then I was say 6 months ago, I do a lot of walking, but my activity level would still, by most measures be on the low end of average. I’ve been seeing a doctor for about 1 year, had a EKG, stress test, and echo-cardiogram. My blood pressure was high, so now I am taking Lotrel (an ACE inhibitor and calcium blocker). I also take Ativan (2mg at night) for stress/anxiety.
Today I am starting to take the Life-Extension Irvinga offering (2 caps twice a day).
I only weigh myself at the doctor office which is coming up at the end of the month.
I feel like the BP med is helping me a great deal (i’ve only been on them for about 5 months); my sleep has improved, my energy level higher, and do not fatique as quickly as I did 6 months ago. So I think that aspect of my regime is working for me.
Obviously I would like to shed about 100lbs. I am hopeful that the Irvinga might help. I will probably take a look at my diet and make some additional adjustments, but the biggest thing I feel would be to eat a breakfast and skip the late night eating all together.
I tried Hoddia and I had a weird gastro-intestinal reaction so I gave them up quickly. I hope the same doesn’t happen with the Irvinga.
So …. I was looking for info on Irvinga (spotty at best) and came across this blog/website. I thought, why not share my experiences with Irvinga here. I plan on keeping this up. Maybe it will help some one else decide if Irvinga is right for them or not through my experiences.
Anyway, have a great weekend all !
I started Life Extension’s version of Irvingia “Integra
-Lean” yesterday. I took the first capsule around dinner, just when I got home from work. Found I had a little trouble sleeping, like I had some regular coffee a little too close to bedtime.
Took my second capsule this morning with my very large cup of caffeinated tea and started to feel very speedy, as if the Integra-Lean had potentiated the effects of the caffeine. I ate a bowl of oatmeal for breakfast and headed out to work. I didn’t have my usual mid mornong hunger pangs but did eat a small sub sandwich around 1:30 p.m. and felt pretty satisfied.
Had NO cravings for any type of salty or sweet snack, my two biggest downfalls in dieting. Felt renewed energy and stamina. Actually, I felt much spryer than I had been feeling for over a year.
Came home from work at 5:30, was hungry and went out for baked manicotti with garlic knots, ate the garlic knots and salad, was full and took my dinner home.
Took the second Integra-Lean at 8 p.m. and was nervous that it would keep me from sleeping, but now it is 10:30 p.m. and I am very sleepy. I had no desire for noshing at the computer tonight either, which is very strange for me. I love to snack while on the computer.
Soooo. I feel something is happening. I feel a little bit of a body buzz of some sort. Maybe it’s all the triglycerides being released for energy from my bloated adipocytes [fat cells]. I am a nurse by profession and I have a really hard time understanding the biochemistry of the irvingia, but I bought only a month’s supply so I won’t feel too ripped off if it doesn’t work. Experimenting on myself is my favorite hobby.
I do feel that something different is happening inside my body. Maybe like I am detoxing or something. Will update you further as time progressess.
I started the LE product yesterday, and noticed no effects whatsoever. I’m at 183, and 181 is the lowest I’ve been able to manage with a low carbohydrate diet, so breaking that barrier is all I ask.
I was at my sisters for Thanksgiving and she had just received her Life Extension’s magazine. I saw the cover, was intrigued, and opened it up.
I wrote down Irvingia in my little notebook and started a new News alert within Google. I do this in order to hear all of the most current news with everything I have an interest in. And up comes your blog.
I have been lurking for a couple days. I hope this goes well for you. If it does, I am ordering a couple bottles. I have only 20 to 30 pounds to lose. I hope this is the key. If it works for you, then works for me, I know a lot of people who will want to hear about this.
Thanks.
I’ve been taking Integra-Lean Irvinga for 15 days hoping to loose only about 14 lbs. So far there has been no weight loss.
I purchased a 4 month supply. I plan to use product for 12 weeks. If I do not see a good bit of weight loss I plan to send back product for refund. (1 unused container & 3 empty containers)
I started using Integra-Lean Irvinga (2 caps a day, as directed) about three weeks ago — no weight loss although it was my perception that I was less hungry, especially between meals. Last week, I “upped” my dosage to 4 caps a day, and have subesquently lost 4 lbs. Considering it was the holiday week, that’s surprisingly good for me!
I typically try to follow a low-glycemic/low carb diet and have continued to do that; no other changes in diet or exercise. My endo agrees I have insulin resistance and high cortisol. Have tried various OTC: Cortislim, Ashawnd, Rhodiola, 5- htp
Age: 56
Weight, at start of “personal trial,” was 163.
Weight today is 159
4 lbs weight loss in 6 days, once I increased dosage to 4 per day (2 morning – 2 lunchtime).
I am wonderimg how you are doing on Irvinga now 2/18/10. I just started today with this at the same weight you started with. SusanE
Should I purchase Integra-Lean? i see a number of people that are taking it, but only one post has listed success.
Those that have been on it for a few months, have you had success, or is this a waste of time and money as other posts have suggested