Obesity and the Latest in Weight Loss

Colossal CupcakeThis weekend in Royal Oaks, Michigan, officials from the Guinness Book of World Records were on hand to certify the world’s largest cupcake. The 1200+ pound gargantuan snack-cake with bright pink frosting was made using more than 800 eggs, and 200 pounds each of sugar and flour.  Is it any wonder that 75% of Americans are either overweight or obese? But have no fear!  Modern medical science continues to chip away at the mysteries surrounding weight loss and our apparent inability to slim down.  Your humble moderator himself was tipping the scales at nearly 365 pounds before finding a program that works for weight loss.  I am proud to say that I shed nearly 65 pounds since beginning the Medi-Fast meal replacement program about 5 months ago.  I will admit too, that after shrinking from a 4X to a mere double X, I decided to take a little break from the program to enjoy my favorite season for meals — BBQ season.  But I plan to re-engage my plan in the fall once the dog days of summer are behind us. For those of you interested in weight loss, I highly recommend the medi-fast program.  But there is a new product that is just hitting the market which intrigues me.  Called “Sensa”, the new weight loss product is a flavorless crystalized powder that you sprinkle over your meal just befiore you eat, like salt or pepper.  It is supposed to work on t he olfactory center (your sense of smell) and the satiety center of the brain, to make users feel the sensation of fullness before they overeat.  Knowing that the diet industry has made skeptics of most of us through decades of bogus claims about “the latest breakthrough in weight loss products” the folks at Sensa are giving away a sixty-day supply, trial offer for nothing more than the cost of shipping.  I am inclined to try it to see if it really does work as they claim it does. If I do end up testing the product, I will definitely post here with my review of the product.  If any of you have tried it, I would be interested to know what you thought of it.  In fact, it would be valuable to the community to share any success stories you may have with regard to weight loss.  At 75%, it is a safe bet that three out of four of folks reading this post would be interested in learning what has worked for others seeking safe, affordable methods of shedding the unwanted pounds. Also, for full disclosure, I must include the fact that I gave up my crown as the King of Couch Potatoes and began taking a 2.5 mile walk every day (or every other day) around my neighborhood.  In the end more physical activity is the only true ingredient for losing weight and becoming healthier.  Well, that and avoiding 1200 pound cupcakes.

5 Responses to “Obesity and the Latest in Weight Loss”

  1. Natasha

    I’ve used Medifast with MUCH success. Nothing works for me as I am not a fan of preparing meals. This program has ready to eat or items you can add water to, for people on the go. I lost 30 lbs, but I did find that I was unable to stick with it. once I started to eat normally again, I had gained back half the weight. The best advice I can give for long term, healthy dieting is, you have to work out.
    If you do that, even if you eat the same amount, your body will start to
    feel better. Which may encouage moderation for myself (an overeater). I have at treadmill, that’s my preference. Just find something you like and keep busy.
    The yo-yo effect is fairly dangerous so make sure you always talk to a doctor before dieting. My doctor actually retailed the Medifast product so I felt secure in the process.
    Just a thought…

    • Anthony

      I have found that the medifast program has trained me to east five small meals a day, spread out in two hour intervals. It has also helped me to moderate my expectations about portion sizes. Before medifast, I would have considered a 2000 calorie meal as a half-size portion and would have been irritated beyond belief at having to cut back like that. LOL! I have to admit, when I began medifast, eating a packet of chili made with 3/4 cup of water seemed like a miniscule portion. But after getting into the groove with it, I began to view that size meal as the proper portion that it truly represents. Now, I can be more than satisfied with a plate that has 6 oz of protein a cup of starch and a two cups of vegetables. So it is alot about managing expectations. Also, you’re too correct about exercise. That is always the key to any weight loss program.

  2. Rose Ribboni

    I am addicted to food. I spend a lot of time thinking about it, a lot of time eating it, and a lot of time regretting having eaten it. The problem with food addiction is that it is not a “substance” that you can avoid, in terms of having to eat every day and it is everywhere. I find that when I buy something that has a number of portions in it (a bag of Cheetos for example), I cannot eat just some of it – I have to finish the bag, even if I am completely full. The only way I can control this is to not buy the item. I keep my fridge pretty empty at home and do my best to order less when I eat out. I am not one to take much in the way of a doggie bag, because any food left on the plate, even when I am full, screams out to me to eat it. I grapple with this every single day of my life.

  3. I have never heard of Sensa before, and whilst I understand the theory I do not think this method will work for a lot of obese people.
    It depends how you look at obesity. Many people are overweight because of a food addiction or comfort eating. For these people even the feeling of being full isn’t enough to dissuade them from overeating.
    I suppose that is why extreme methods like gastric bypasses are so popular with the morbidly obese.
    On the other hand I would be interested in trying Sensa myself.

Leave a Reply