These are general guidelines for the effortless weight loss formula resulting from our experiments. Included are the dosages that seemed to be effective for us, but it's important that you begin with low dosages and determine what what works for you. It should be assumed that even natural supplements become toxic at some level. Hoodia has not been formally tested for toxicity or long term side effects, though it has a long history of use in some cultures and there are no negative reports.

The testing was neither performed under scientific protocol, nor was it extensive, and while it includes all natural products that are generally considered safe, it may not be appropriate or effective  for everyone. We're not doctors and we can make no claims as to the safe use of these supplements for any particular individual. We recommend that you approach this as you would any other diet or exercise regimen and consult your health care provider for advice as to whether or not it is appropriate for you.

For basic hunger response

Source Naturals Hoodia Gorndonii extract 1:4

1/2 tsp, 3 times/day (note: this is double the recommended dosage)

For blood sugar balance

Twinlab L-Glutamine, 500mg

3 to 6/day as required (Recommended dose is 1/day)

For stress cravings

Source Naturals Theanine Serene with relora

2 to 4/day as required

For general nutritional balance

Rainbow Light just once (mens one/womens one energy multivitamin)

1/day as recommended

Our friends at thelemonadediet.com were very helpful in our work and they should have (or will have) kits available that include the above products or whatever they believe will be as effective or better.

We began by addressing the basic hunger response using the Hoodia. It acts very quickly (maybe 15 minutes) and I found that a dropper full (the dropper included with the Hoodia) three times a day seemed to deal nicely with this basic sense of hunger in the tummy, but there was clearly far more to the hunger than this basic sensation.

It became clear that there were certain times of the day that a craving would come on and the Hoodia was unable to deal with it at any dose. What stood out was a craving that came on at 10pm and relented at 1am, like clockwork, often preceeded by a sleepiness. Since it was clear that this was a blood sugar dip, we tried various supplements purported to normalize the blood sugar roller coaster, including various vitamin and herbal combinations including cinamon, chromium picolonate, L-Glutamine. In this process, which took a couple of weeks, I could see my blood sugar dips shifting in time, frequency and intensity, generally leveling out, but sometimes dipping at 8pm instead of 10pm, or dipping once at midday and again in the evening, as though it was going through a complex adjustment.

It appeared as though the L-Glutamine was most effective, though it seemed to take quite a bit more than was suggested on the bottle (500mg/day). We did some research and found that much higher doses were being used regularly by professionals, and studies failed to establish a toxic level for it. Doages of 4,000 to 5,000mg/day are not uncommon, and I found that 1,500 to 2,000mg taken periodically throughout the day, was completely effective in normalizing my blood sugar levels. The cravings stopped completely and I stopped taking naps in the evenings. My energy level is constant throughout the day, and I found that I no longer got sleepy trying to read boring website articles such as this.

With the basic hunger response and the blood sugar cravings taken care of, it was easy to notice certain times (not regular or predictable) when a cravings would happen. It became clear that these were times when I didn't physically feel well, or some stressful situation would arise. In other words, it was entirely psychological and I wasn't really 'hungry' at all, I just wanted comfort food.

One good way I found to discern the difference between a physical and psychological craving is to ask yourself what food you find to be okay, but not especially enjoyable to eat, then ask yourself if that's what you want. For me, it's apples. They're okay, but only if I seem to need something and just to satisfy the hunger. When the 'comfort food' craving would come on, apples didn't seem to be the solution. Cookies or potato chips seemed far more appropriate, though I resisted the temptation to conclude that my 'body intelligence' was telling me I needed something vital that these so called foods could supply.

So, again, we tried various herbal, homeopathic, vitamin and 'brain nutrients' and found that Theamine Serene, by source naturals, was quite effective in relieving most such cravings, and seems to work quickly. (This concoction contains GABA, Taurine, Theanine, Magnesium, as well as their proprietary blend.) I found that 1 tablet, three times a day was enough to eliminate the need for 'comfort food' in almost all cases. However, if there are no particularly strong emotional triggers, 1 or 2 will do fine. (The recommendaton on the bottle is 2/day)

So, if I'm interested in eating little or nothing in a day without any craving, this is the formula I use. (I'm male, 6'0", 200lbs and slightly stocky build)

Hoodia- 1 dropper full (little less than 1/2 tsp, 3 times/day.

L-Glutamine- 500mg 3times/day.

Theanine Serene- 1 tablet 3 times/day.

Rainbow Light Mens multi-vitamin/mineral supplement- 1/day.

As a reminder, this is just what works for me. The formula at the top of the page is more of general requirement for the group involved with the testing, including men and women of various dimensions.

With this formula, and pretty much eating what I want, responsibly noting calorie and fat content, I seem to lose 1 to 2 lbs/day. The point of the whole program is that there is no struggle or resistance or control involved beyond being intelligently aware of what you put in your mouth, which I suspect all dieters are. When there is no longer any particular desire to eat, it simply doesn't happen. In the absence of any self created internal struggle, there is very little focus or interest in food, though a good meal is still very much enjoyed, and even the occasional trip to McDonalds or a fudge brownie. In fact these 'dietary sacrilidges' are your assurance that you have indeed severed the negative struggle relationship with food, and that's what this is all about.

All the best,

Dean Reynolds-IRI