Carb "blockers"? Anyone with experience?

And if you haven't tried them please don't respond. thanks.

For about a month I've been counting calories.  The scale has not budged until I started taking supplements (all natural and vitamin-based) for Thyroid support.  I've also added carb-blockers, made from kidney beans, to my diet and guess what?  The scales have budged!!  I've also noticed that I crave less carbs and I'm so much less hungry since my blood-sugar isn't all whacked!

I'm really thrilled and I would like to know if anyone has tried carb-blockers and did they gain weight when going off? This was the only real criticism that I found and of course the study doesn't show whether the subject just started inhaling ice cream every single day when they quit their diet.  Which I don't and won't do either.

Of course it could be the thyroid support supplements, eating less calories, or the carb blockers-- or a combination of the three that helped me break this weight-loss stand still!  Anyone?

Hi Everyone,  This kidney bean pill is the only"assistance" i'm using and I'm only using it to help wean the cravings for excessive sugars and carbs.  It isn't like some $60/mo (they're $11 and I'm worth every penny) expensive designer pill and it hasone simple ingredient.  And if just eating just kidney beans (bleech) was so great why wouldn't there be some kidney bean fad diet?  It must be concentrated and yes, we all probably take some kind of supplement that help us in someway so I guess we're all cheaters, including the critics.  I mean, how many on this post take anti-depressants that just happen to kill your appetite?     If this helps me cut back then I'm really really happy with it and I promise I won't be eating gallons of ice cream when I run out. 

Thanks for the advice from the person who said they use it on occasion.  Now that my carb cravings have lessened I will use it only on occasion as well. *** That is what I was looking for. ***   And I can't find any research which shows this has resulted in the non-absorbtion of other nutrients.  Don't worry, I won't abuse the kidney beans  (it's only been four days).  But I am thrilled to finally see the scales move just a smidgen and feel like I have some will power over the candy bowl at work!! 

And also for you who say "just cut out carbs and sugars"--- have you any idea how hard that is when you're an addict?  Sorry, no cold turkey here. And don't worry, I still get a lot of fiber from veggies (and not by sprinkling it on my food) and low-sugar fruit.   BTW, what's the diff between sprinkling fiber on your food and taking a (magical/fad/whatever) fiber pill???? 

be careful you don't become a kidney bean addict - we dont want to see you on 'intervention' or anything ok? its becoming a real problem. ha

good luck monkey girl. ;)

Thanks watergirl! You made me laugh!  I guess folks don't know me and don't know that I'm slightly ocd when it comes to research and will find everything I can about a product before I use it, especially when it comes to nutrition.  There just wasn't enough feedback out there about it, good or bad.   Hey, I got ONE!  Lol.

Original Post by monalisamonkey:

And also for you who say "just cut out carbs and sugars"--- have you any idea how hard that is when you're an addict?  Sorry, no cold turkey here. And don't worry, I still get a lot of fiber from veggies (and not by sprinkling it on my food) and low-sugar fruit.   BTW, what's the diff between sprinkling fiber on your food and taking a (magical/fad/whatever) fiber pill???? 

I suggested eating less carbs (if you have a problem with them), not cutting them out - I'm not a fan of diet plans that completely eliminate a macronutrient group.

No, I have no idea what it's like to be addicted to carbs. I get about 40-60% of my calories from carbs, and I just don't feel good if I try to reduce them past about 40%, but I don't consider myself addicted. My mother in law, when she gets very hungry, needs protein - I need carbs - just different bodies. I do worry about people who, in the wake of Atkins, believe that eating carbs is bad and try to cut them needlessly from their diet.

And I explained my opinion on the difference between adding fiber and taking something that blocks absorption. But I don't have a problem with people taking supplements, so I wouldn't care if the fiber came as a powder or a pill. It would be great if we could get everything from our diets, but I don't (I take multivitamin, cal/mag to reduce muscle cramping, vit B and D3, and fish oil - I don't eat fish, but want the omega-3s), and I don't expect others to either.

I do think that buying carb blockers is most likely a waste of money (even if it's not expensive) - when it comes to buying things for weight loss, I tend to follow the "if it's available for purchase and it works, Oprah would be skinny" rule of thumb... but it's your wallet, not mine.

Original Post by monalisamonkey:

And also for you who say "just cut out carbs and sugars"--- have you any idea how hard that is when you're an addict?  Sorry, no cold turkey here. 

Yep, been there, done that. I also have researched the science behind why we feel like we are a 'carb addict' - there is a chemical reaction in the body in reaction to eating carbs - not in the brain like real addictions, but there is a very real hormonal and endocrine reaction to eating foods that the body converts readily to sugar (aka - carbs, particularly grains). Eliminating them is not easy, but it does eliminate these blood sugar problems and thus the cravings go away very quickly.

Also, personally I have come to realize that I feel much, much better without these foods and I have to reallllly want that piece of pizza to suffer the stomach upset that goes with it - a stomach upset that I attributed to IBS and simply how my body worked before I realized it was wheat.

To each their own though, most people are not willing to eliminate those foods they love simply for the sake of their health.

Good luck :)

I lost my first 60 lbs with the help of carb blockers and fat blasters (or something of such).  The truth is I think they work especially the carb ones.  All they really do (according to my nutritionist) is push things threw faster.  But the trick is to take them 20-30 min before you eat the carb heavy meal.  I haven't taken them daily since September, and though my weight loss has slowed, I have lost another 10lbs.  So if you stick to the plan, judging from personal experience, I would say you don't gain the weight back. 

Sticking to the plan is key.

Good Luck

During a particularly dumb part of my life, I used Phase 2 carb blocker, which is just white kidney bean extract.

Worst.  Thing. Ever.

Carb blockers obviously block carbs from being absorbed into your blood stream.  This means your blood sugar doesn't rise and fall with meals as it normally would.  After using them for a while, you will be hungry ALL THE TIME.  You'll feel the tension in your arms from the low blood sugar, and at that point it's very hard not to binge.  It's really a truly awful feeling and I wouldn't recommend the product to anyone.  You don't need fewer carbs to lose weight, just watch your calories naturally.

I don't think it's a good idea to mess with your blood sugar in non-prescribed ways.  Your doctor's certainly told you the diet to follow.  Take some vitamins as well.  But don't use these...at least in my experience, it's awful.

And if you do want some of the advantages, eat some white kidney beans.  Sure, it's not as much (because you're not eating the pure extract), but it's gotta help a little.  If you do use them, just make sure your doctor knows and maybe take half a dose so it doesn't lower your blood sugar too much, as it did for me.

Thanks fillenouvelle, pamm, and everyone else for all of your input and user feedback.  I know, like amethyst said, that eating less carbs does help me feel better. Right now it has helped my incessant hunger so much.  I will keep veggies, legumes (no soy), and some fruits in my diet.  I never disallow myself completely from any food like I see so many attest to on these forums.  and fille, I rarely bing so hopefully that will keep those wild sugar swings in check.

Keep the user feedback coming if you've tried them. I thank all of you, including the devil's advocates who have never tried the kidney bean carb blockers. hee.

Please, everybody, have a look at all this information about carbs that's available right here from Ask Mary

http://caloriecount.about.com/cc/qa/search.ph p?qa_search=carbs&x=16&y=12

Start opening the links on the list that appears and educate yourselves about this very important component of a balanced diet.  Here's an example of the many things you will learn:

You will lose weight if you stay within your calorie budget, but the correct mix of energy nutrients is for your good health.  The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends that carbohydrates provide 45% – 65% of total calories.  At 2000 calories a day, carbs could range from 225 – 325 grams a day.  Carbohydrates are found in grains, fruit, vegetables, milk, beans, and added sugar.  In general, modern man needs more carbohydrates that contain dietary fiber and less from added sugar.  The Nutrition Facts label lists grams of sugar but does not separate added from natural.  The only way to identify added sugar is by reading the ingredient list.

And don't take pills. 

I'm a freelance journlaist and I just wrote an aricle about carb blockers ... I copy and pasted it below .. I dont think its been published but my editor has it so it is COPYRIGHTED I trust u all not to steal it anyway :) ... hope it helps

Low carbohydrate diets remain in the spotlight because of their quick effectiveness for weight loss. Individuals on low carbohydrate diets lose weight rapidly due to Ketosis, a state the body goes into when carbohydrates are restricted. According to an article from " Archives of Neurology," Ketodic diets (low carbohydrate diet) work because your body burns carbohydrates for energy first and after the carbohydrates are burnt up it resorts to burning fat. Therefore by limiting your carbohydrate intake your forcing your body to use more stored fat for energy. Supplementing with these natural products can help support a low carbohydrate lifestyle.



1.    Salacia Oblonga
According to a 2009 article in "Muscle & Fitness" this Indian herb can block carbohydrates. The article says, "salacia blocks the body's ability to digest and absorb carbs by inhibiting the alpha-glucosidase enzyme, which normally breaks down carbs in the digestive tract. If the carbs can't be broken down, they can't be digested, and they pass right through you."

2.    White Kidney Bean Extract
This works similarly to Salacia Oblonga in that the active ingredient in white kidney beans, Phaseolus Vulgaris, stops the breakdown of carbohydrates to sugars. If carbohydrates are not being transformed into sugar then they aren't absorbed into your bloodstream and then stored as fat in your body.

3.    Chromium Picolinate
Supplementing with Chromun Picolinate daily has been shown to support healthy blood sugar levels. It slightly reduces they body's carbohydrate absorption also, it helps raise they body's basal metabolic rate.

4.    Chitosan
Chitosan is in shellfish like crab and lobster. It has been shown not only to block carbohydrate absorption but fat absorption as well.


"Salacia slashes carbs: this Indian botanical can block absorption of carbohydrates even after a serious binge"
Muscle Fitness, April, 2009
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0801/i s_4_70/ai_n31396410/

"A Multicenter Study of the Efficacy of the Ketogenic Diet"

 http://archneur.ama-assn.org/cgi/gca?allch=&a mp;SEARCHID=1&FULLTEXT=a+multicenter+stud y+of+the+efficacy+of+the+ketogenic+diet&F IRSTINDEX=0&hits=10&RESULTFORMAT=& ;gca=archneur%3B55%2F11%2F1433&allchb=

I have done "no/low" carb the month before my wedding. I lost 20 lbs in a month, but gained it all back really fast!

Not saying this is the same thing, but I'd be curious to know if they are working for you!!! keep us updated!!

I'm not trying to restrict my carbs so that I'm going into Ketosis at all.  I just had low-sugar oatmeal with canadian bacon.  The oatmeal I just had and my healthy choice pasta dish I have for lunch will blow the ketosis out of the water.  And Claire, the article is written for the "average american", the average American is very overweight, no offense, or are always struggling with their weight.   More importantly most Americans DON'T get their carbs from whole whole grains (not flours), veggies, beans, or fruits, -- they get it from flours, foods made from flours, and added sugars.  That is what I'm trying to cut back on, the added and sugars which seem to be in everything, including my Healthy Choice meal so I'm not worried about going into Ketosis, which isn't even always dangerous.  I can't live without my al dente pasta!

Like I said, I'm usually starving all of the friggin' time and something has changed !!!

This is a lifestyle change, not a temporary diet that I just started last week.  The kidney bean pills are just a tool to assist, like your treadmill or a couple of ibuprofen tablets.

Hello there. I stopped reading after the first few posts.

I'm on a "carb blocker" kind of. I'm on Metformin. I have PCOS. I have Insulin Resistance. I have been eating healthy and watching every morsel I eat while exercising regularly with no results. My body is messed up. My doctor prescribed it. It's a prescription drug. For a real medical problem. People commonly use it for diabetes. It isn't FDA approved for my use, but is commonly prescribed for my condition because it lowers the effects of insulin resistance.

If I didn't have to take it, I'd be thrilled. But to help fix my problems (obesity, inability to lose weight, annovulation, large painful ovarian cysts), I have to.

It makes me crap. It makes me sick. I don't feel hungry. But if I don't eat, I feel shaky and sad. So I eat. And it get sick again. It's the first few weeks, it should get better after a few months, once my body adjusts. But for now, it sucks.

-----------

I'm of the school of thought that we should eat healthfully and not take supplements. Why replace natural, good foods with a pill? Why not just eat right? If you have a normal body, I'd say, suck it up and lose weight the natural (and only) healthy way. If your body is messed up, see a doctor.

Original Post by hgielrehtaeh:

I'm of the school of thought that we should eat healthfully and not take supplements. Why replace natural, good foods with a pill? Why not just eat right? If you have a normal body, I'd say, suck it up and lose weight the natural (and only) healthy way. If your body is messed up, see a doctor.

Amen. :)

I did see a doctor and she told me to watch my carbs.   I would bet money that if everyone could or would get to a doctor many would be told the same thing.

From Discovery Health:

If you said more than 15 million, you are right. In the U.S., over 20 million people have diabetes. This number is equal to 7% of the population. Experts say about one-third of those who have diabetes have not yet been diagnosed or treated. To put that into perspective, in a room of 100 people, seven are likely to have diabetes. Of the seven, at least two of them don't know it yet. Over one million new cases of diabetes are diagnosed in the U.S. every year. By the year 2025, diabetes is expected to increase to around 9% of the U.S. population.

Diabetes is a costly - and deadly - problem. In 2002, diabetes was a factor in more than 224,092 deaths in the U.S. It's the 5th leading cause of death in this country. Diabetes results in $132 billion in medical and other costs each year.

Also taking calcium, EFA's, multivitamins, etc., all just put back into our foods what is no longer available. Every woman should be taking extra calcium.   Our soils don't have the nutrients like they used to.  Go Google "deplete soils" for a ton of articles.  You can't possibly eat enough food to get of your daily nutrients, I don't have the fridge room! 

Besides, everyone probably takes a vitamin, pain killer (ibuprofen is my fave), prescription, etc.  Heck, if you're preaching to go all naturelle, go ALL naturelle. 

Oh, my bad. I thought you wanted advice. Not affirmation. Well, good luck getting it here. We're way too smart for that.

To the last poster (for some reason while i'm typing this I can't see your user name) I'm grateful for your input and the fact that the carb-blockers you used really helped you.  I already know to cut carbs but was looking for others with experience with carb-blockers.  My last post was not directed to you at all but to the others who have never tried them and who are able to eat a diet that consist of %60 carbs, want to preach about it, but have probably never had their blood-sugar tested and how serious diabetes is.   Thanks for your input!  

When I asked about others with experience with carb-blockers, for whatever reason I had, I didn't think to put my life's history down.     But I guess it was assumed I never went to a doc...    

Update all ya'll:

Two months later and I have the will power to stay away from the candy bowl at work and cookie or cinnamon goodies and dough.   I don't need to use the carb-blockers anymore as I don't feel so addicted to carbs like I was before.  I DO eat carbs though!  Only in whole grain form, veggies, potatoes, some fruits, beans, al dente or whole grain pastas, and Ezekial bread.   I actually can choose to eat the carbs  but I also have the will power to not eat as many as I used to.  I average between 29-45% of my calories coming from carbs.  I'm not afraid of lactose either, a natural dairy sugar. I also had about a teaspoon of honey today with my greek yogurt and peanut butter because I actually needed the carbs.

I have found the perfect food lifestyle for me based on Jillian Michaels' Master Your Metabolism.  It's exactly the kind of foods (mostly all organic, whole, from the ground or a mother) I've been wanting to eat.  I suspect I have some hypo-thyroid issues from using Accutane in my late 20's.  By following this way of eating I'll at least be doing what I can to help boost my burning power.  I just needed a little more guidance on how to combine my 30/30/30 (+ 10 to play with) macro-nutrients.

I feel amazing and I've been consuming more calories without gaining weight.  Now I'll just have to wait to see if this new eating plan works (I seem to hit a plateau with every 5 pounds I loose) or if I have to see an endocrinologist. 

Not that anyone cares (and I'm okay with that) but I feel great!!!!

In sum: the carb blockers worked for what I wanted them to do.  I honestly don't know if I could have managed without them or not.

I tried carb blockers a couple of years ago, but the gas and stomach ache they gave me made me quit taking them after a week. I was in so much pain! Must have been the beans in them.