[jones1980]

Hey Ladies and Gents,

I need some advice and I know you guys/gals can help me. Between everyone on the forum, I just know that someone has the answers that I am looking for.

I recently started dieting; I'm doing high protein and low carb because I have tried everything else under the sun and I am hoping that going "high-protein" will help me.

I decided not to do an actual diet, but to follow a calorie restriction and not go over 1800 calories a day. I know that sounds odd, but I feel a little be freer and I have more flexibility now that I can choose whatever I want to eat, within this calorie restriction. The result being that if I eat better and leaner, I can eat more food within my calorie range. THIS is specifically why I wanted to do high protein and low carb, because I can eat more proteins and feel fuller than eating less carb and feeling hungrier. I feel as though I have to trick myself.

Anyhow, my question is this; what supplements are good to take? I am a huge Dr. Oz fan and I literally write down every supplement and diet that comes on his show. I write them down and look them up later. A few weeks ago he had one on Garcinia Cambogia Extract. I have never heard of this before, I was looking into taking carb and fat blockers and ran into Chromium Picolinate and L-carnatine (I hope I spelled that correctly). So, as it happens I am trying to get my hands on as much information as possible. The extract is supposed to be a miracle supplement and I want to know if anyone has tried it. I found an article on it

http://www.prnewswire.com/news-relea...231403591.html

and did a wikipedia search (I know some of you check wiki too) and it seems legit. Please tell me if you tried it and whether or not it worked and also tell me where I can buy it. There are so many places online that sell these supplements but I'd rather get a good recommendation from you.

In addition to this I joined Bally's Total Gym, I'll be honest, it's a poor-mans gym and I'm on a budget. I can't complain too much, they have a pool and sauna and they have an aerobics area as well as the usual gym equipment. My question here is this; I have used the Elliptical and I have used the Cross Trainer. I have a bad back (car accident) and I noticed that the Elliptical bothers my back and my knees, despite the fact that the trainer at the gym (they give you a free session as a new member) told me that the Elliptical would be gentle on my knees. It wasn't! The Cross-Trainer bothered me a little bit, but overall, I noticed that I burn more calories on the Cross Trainer.

I don't have "trainer" funds (I have terrible health insurance and pay for my BPD meds out-of-pocket) so I am hoping that anyone with experience in the gym might be able to tell me how I can get a good workout "that counts" that will help me strengthen my knees and back. I enjoy the Cross-Trainer, I don't mind the Elliptical too much but I absolutely cannot do the Spinning Cycle or Weights. Aerobics also never seem to be in session on my visits and no matter how many times I take a schedule home, I always miss the classes.

It's hard to lose weight and get fit when you have back and knee problems and this is why the supplement advice is very important for me but in addition, any tips or advice for equipment use would be much appreciated.

It's hard for me to stay on track with my BPD, I tend to give up quickly, BUT I found you guys and there is a lot of hope and love in these forums and I"m counting on reporting my progress here, to keeping me on track. I will keep you updated on my progress, this is my first week back at the gym after one year (give or take a month or two) and I really want to keep going and progressing.

Thanks for your help in advance

[kaliope]

I tried the garcinia for two months and didn't lose a pound. I didn't use it in conjunction with any other method. just took it and ate regularly. no diet or exercise. you can get it on amazon fairly reasonably.

good luck in your endeavors!

[jones1980]

Hey Kaliope,

Thank you so much for reading through my monologue ;-) I appreciate it! How do you know when to trust Amazon with things like supplements. MY BP kicks in and I start to wonder if the pills were switched out. LOL

[hayleytheherbivore]

You seem really motivated, that's great! Despite all the prescriptions I'm on, I really advocate natural substitutes. Have you ever heard of Young Living Essential Oils? They have remedies for just about every physical problem you can think of, including mental as well. And some will definitely help in weight loss! What works on one person won't always work on the next, so I hope you find a good option for you. Strive for progress, not perfection and keep your eyes on being healthy! Good luck.

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