Charles Manson

Is anyone here actually using this? I'm curious to know how long you've been on it and if you're seeing real results—assuming, of course, you're staying active and hitting the gym regularly...

Is there absolutely nobody here??

Daniel Lopez; you actually using this stuff? Btw, curious if there are any side effects—does that little pamphlet say anything besides just being allergic to shellfish? 😢 Also, I noticed it says everything just gets flushed out through your stool... does that mean we're talking five trips to the bathroom a day?

I’ve only been using it since Friday, so it’s a bit too early for me to give a definitive verdict. I actually asked my wife if there were any side effects, and she assured me there weren't—though, let's be honest, she probably wouldn't tell me if there were. As for the issue of having five bowel movements a day, I can't really say if it's caused by this, especially since I already deal with some digestive irregularities. It’s not like I bought this thinking I could suddenly eat three times as much 🙂
. Actually, I haven't been feeling hungry very often lately, but I don't think that's due to the supplement. It might be because I've been drinking apple cider vinegar a few times a day—not the capsule kind, just the real stuff diluted in water. Who knows...

Chitosan is that stuff found in shellfish shells... it binds to the fats from your meals... which is fine, and I'm pretty sure it actually works... though obviously, you’ve gotta pair it with some solid exercise to see results.👍
I haven't tried that myself; I've been sticking with L-carnitine.
It's similar, honestly—I think it might even be more natural.

See, you take L-carnitine along with your food, and it's already in things like milk and meat...
Basically put, it turns fat into energy.
It's great for your liver and kidneys, too—makes their job a lot easier.
So, if you take it in slightly higher doses (you can get it in capsules) alongside good aerobic activity, it's easier to burn off fat and help your body out.
Plus, there's really no risk of toxicity, because if you take too much, your body just flushes it out through your urine.
On top of that, you get a boost in energy since L-carnitine spares your glycogen. Instead of burning through those reserves, you're burning fat instead—which is what you actually need anyway, right?

Which manufacturer did you end up going with? I'd love to know where you picked it up, what the price tag looks like, and all those other details... I'm trying to save myself some serious digging. 🙂

I tried using L-carnitine and honestly? Just a total waste of money 👎

You’ve definitely piqued my interest here..

So, we're talking about those supplements that are supposed to make dropping weight a little less of an uphill battle?
Where on earth can I grab some, what's the damage on the price tag, how many come in a bottle, and what's the actual daily dosage?

Come on, give me the scoop—I'm dying to know if this is actually worth checking out or if I should just save my money!

I picked mine up at Encian... you can find it at CVS or local pharmacies too, but it’ll cost you at least $10 more there. I managed to snag it for about 65-$23 (compared to nearly 90 at CVS). It looks like there are 60 tablets in the bottle. The clerk mentioned I shouldn't bother taking it in the morning since breakfast calories just burn off throughout the day anyway; she suggested taking it before lunch and dinner (if I'm eating tonight). Currently, I'm taking two a day, but it's probably too soon to see any real results. I think I've actually lost a pound, though I doubt it's solely from this supplement. I'm staying active and doing plenty of other things besides just taking this—I've completely ditched the elevator for the stairs, and my appetite hasn't been huge lately either...

Thanks, I honestly thought they were going to be way more expensive, which is why I wanted to double-check everything first.

Most weight loss supplements out there are just outrageously overpriced for basically zero results, so at least these guys didn't go overboard with the price tag.

Yeah, I did some digging online for that L-carnitine, and honestly, it’s priced at nearly $67. That just doesn't seem worth it to me, and frankly, I have my doubts about whether it even works. I already wasted money on that Chitosan, too. A friend of mine is currently obsessed with drinking Top Slim tea, using ten different types of cellulite creams, and sipping on soy milk and those protein shakes constantly. When I asked her if she was seeing any actual progress, she admitted she hasn't seen a single thing; she's basically just doing it so she feels better mentally while she consumes it...

On the other hand, Encian has some pretty decent pricing for the quality of products they offer...

Well, hey, to each their own when it comes to what brings them joy—I'm talking about your friend here, obviously.

Personally, I’d be feeling a whole lot more celebratory if I could actually drop a few pounds before summer hits without it being a total nightmare, but let's be real, we both know that unless you're willing to sacrifice everything and possess the willpower of a Navy SEAL, it’s just not going to happen magically.

Unfortunately, I've found that Chitosan doesn't really do much for me. 😢
But hey, the weather is finally turning beautiful. It's the perfect time to get out there—skateboarding, cycling, running... maybe head out for a hike up near Mount Rainier or just go on some weekend trips. It feels great!

Daniel Lopez said:Yeah, I looked up this carnitine online and it costs nearly $67. It’s just not worth it for some random supplement, and frankly, I have my doubts anyway. I wasted my money on that Chitosan too. A friend of mine drinks Top Slim tea, uses ten different cellulite creams, drinks soy milk, and all those protein shakes—I asked her if she actually saw any results, and she admitted she hasn't seen a thing. She just takes them so she feels like she's doing something...

And Encian has pretty decent prices for their stuff...

Look, if you want actual, measurable results, you can't be penny-pinching over the price tag...

L-carnitine is a legitimate tool, and everything mentioned above about it is spot on. However, there's a major gap in the info: they didn't mention the daily dosage, nor did they specify which brand to trust. Just like there are premium chocolates and cheap junk, there is high-quality L-carnitine and low-quality garbage.
Your friend definitely didn't get lucky with that tea, but you might actually see progress if you grab something like Twinlab L-carnitine and take at least 3 grams a day. L-carnitine is effective, but it won't do a damn thing if you're taking even 500 mg less than the recommended amount.
By the way, athletes—especially cyclists—rely on L-carnitine for exactly this reason: it accelerates fat metabolism so that fat is used as a primary energy source.
So, stop messing around with teas and start using the real stuff.

I finally decided to give running a shot, though I’ve never really been one to obsess over fitness trends... and honestly, I only picked up some Chitosan out of pure curiosity.

It feels pretty silly paying for some kind of excuse to eat more than I should...

If I'm hungry, I'm going to eat, and I'll just deal with whatever happens next.

So, I jumped on Dr. Atkins' initial diet plan.
It goes like this: breakfast—eggs and bacon, eat as much as you want.
Lunch: tuna—all you want.
Dinner: roasted chicken with a bowl of salad, plus vitamins and tons of water. You can work out if you feel like it. If you want more meat during those meals, go for it, just stick to the meat.
I’m almost embarrassed to admit I only lasted five days, BUT—and this is a massive BUT—I actually feel better because I dropped 4 pounds in just those five days!
I was stepping on the scale every single day, and man, his book doesn't lie; the results are right there. I was drinking coffee with sugar every day too, which probably slowed things down, but even then, it was a huge shift.
I regret quitting, but honestly, life just happened.
I'm taking a day or two off to breathe, and then I'm getting back on the horse.
I know people have been tearing him apart, and because of all that negativity, I didn't even want to touch his books. But at this point, I’m just tired of failing. I’ve tried everything—even that L-carnitine from Twinlab, but nothing happened. Tried that Top Slim tea; it tastes good enough to sip, but that's about it. Tried Metabolan capsules... Honestly, the best thing for me was dried figs plus prunes and some senna tea (just grind it up and take a spoonful before bed)—it really gets things moving.
Feeling pretty desperate, I finally picked up his book and realized he’s basically the godfather of the carnivore diet, which I actually did once after my pregnancy and lost a decent amount of weight.
I’m about 5'8" and hit 165 pounds. I've been throwing everything at the wall to see what sticks, and now I'm starting to believe this diet actually works. Giving up coffee was brutal (you aren't even allowed decaf until week two), and don't get me started on peanuts—I love them—or fruit. But for someone like me who struggles to drop weight, it's solid. I didn't feel crappy, but like someone once said, we're all just emotional eaters, and with some heavy stuff going on at my job lately, I just buckled.
Just read the book first; he says don't start anything without checking with your doctor.
My hang-ups are fading now that I've seen how he approaches things, and the meal plans he offers later on seem doable.
Look, I'm not preaching here. Everyone’s different, and this is just my experience. I'm not telling you to go out and start this diet tomorrow. I'm just saying it worked for me and I'm happy with it. People can say losing weight fast is bad all they want, but I feel way better without the extra weight than I do with it.

Keith Robinson2 said:I tried Dr. Atkins' original diet once.

So it's basically just a meat feast—basically, you slam tons of protein while dodging carbs like the plague. It’s supposed to work, I guess... though it definitely puts a massive strain on your kidneys and liver.

P.S. Didn't Atkins have a heart attack recently or something?

George Bailey2 said:I think if you actually want results, you can't be penny-pinching...

L-carnitine is great, and everything mentioned above about it is spot on. However, they didn't mention the daily dosage, and more importantly, which brand you should actually buy. Just like there’s better and worse chocolate, there is definitely better and worse L-carnitine.
Your friend certainly didn't get lucky because of some tea, but you might actually see a difference if you grab something like Twinlab L-carnitine and take at least 3 grams a day. Carnitine is one of the good ones, but it won't do squat if you're taking even 500 mg less than what's recommended.
By the way, athletes—especially cyclists—use L-carnitine for the exact reasons listed above: it speeds up fat burning so it can be used as fuel.
So, forget the teas and stick to the real stuff.

Yeah, Twinlab is fine, and Universal Nutrition L-carnitine works too. 👍 👍
I'd say a 1500 mg daily dose is plenty if you're getting enough aerobic exercise.
Again, it all depends on so many factors—how much you want to lose, blah, blah, blah...
Just split those capsules throughout the day, ideally after a meal and right before a workout or whatever physical activity you're doing.
Like I said before, it isn't toxic, so don't stress if you accidentally take a little too much.
👍

Gary Sanchez said:Yeah, Twinlab is fine, and Universal Nutrition L-carnitine works too. 👍 👍
I’d say a daily dose of 1500 mg should be plenty if you're actually putting in the work with aerobic exercise.
But look, it all boils down to a dozen different factors—how much weight you're trying to drop, etc., etc.
Just space those capsules out throughout the day; it's best to take them after meals and right before you hit the gym or whatever physical activity you've got planned.
Like I said earlier, it isn't toxic, so there's no reason to panic if you accidentally take a little extra.
👍

It isn't just non-toxic; it's actually highly beneficial. It's proven to lower cholesterol, and lately, it's even being used to help with kidney and liver issues.

George Bailey2 said:That Twinlab L-carnitine

Does anyone actually know who's manufacturing this stuff and where I can grab some locally?