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"The Low Carb Experts!" SM |
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I had, of course, heard about the practice of "stacking" as described on the Alt.Support.Diet.Low-Carb Usenet Newsgroup. Let's just say I was more than skeptical! The idea of artificially raising my body's metabolism with an herbal combination of elements just did not "float my boat" at all! Plus, I was doing quite well on the low carbohydrate diet (Atkin's) that I started on April 18, 1999. Since then, I had lost 150 pounds (as I write this) and felt great! For other articles on my story, check out some of my additional articles, by clicking here. I, basically, ignored "stacking" as "extreme," and went merrily along on my great low carb diet! I knew that as time went by I would "slow down" in my weight loss. Why? Well, think of it in terms of percentages. When I weighed 500 lbs. and started the diet, I lost 20 lbs. the very first week! In fact, though impressive, and an attention getter for me, it was actually only about 4% of my total weight. As my overall weight decreased, my overall weight lost would decrease as well. And it would not even be mathematically proportional. The body is just not "precise" when doing these calculations because there are just too many factors to account for. How much weight loss is accounted for by water? How much by fat (adipose tissue?) It is not easily quantifiable. So... as long as I was losing at all, I was happy with any progress. And, it was obviously working well! 150 lbs. is not to be taken lightly! (No pun intended!) I felt better than I had in many, many years! Low carb dieting is ideally suited to me, and my lifestyle. I was losing the weight, and all was well! Then, I went two full months with no weight loss. This can be a "crushing" blow to your psyche! But, I would not be deterred! I knew that going off my new eating lifestyle would guarantee a return to 500 lbs. and misery. I reasoned, too, that even maintaining at my new weight was better than where I had been. Also, I knew from research that often "stalls," as dieters refer to them, are the body's way of "readjusting" to it's new "configuration." So, I waited... and watched the scales. No progress. After a while, you get tired of no progress when you have seen so much! This led me to reconsider the "stacking" issue. Now, keep in mind, I am in excellent overall health. I have NO history of any major medical issues (with the exception of obesity.) Even at 500 lbs. and living a completely sedentary lifestyle (who can move much at 500 lbs.?) I did not have truly high blood pressure. It was approaching that, but my doctors kept saying, "Well, we'll monitor it, and if it does get any higher, we will start you on medication." It never did. Also, once I started low carbing, my blood pressure dropped to textbook normal and "locked in" there! Low Carb dieting is phenomenal! Given this, I took a close look into "stacking" with a great deal of personal research. After much study and "soul searching" I decided to try Vitamin Power®'s stacking product "MetaboVite." (The company, Vitamin Power, has since discontinued this stacking product due to the controversy over ephedrine usage.) What happened? Well, the first day was interesting! I literally could feel "the burn!" I felt physically warmer as my metabolism increased under the influence of the MetaboVite! Also, I did experience what can only be called a "short temper." Not that I "exploded" in all directions or anything like that, but it did seem to make me uncharacteristically "testy." If you decide to try "stacking" products, keep this in mind! This phenomena seemed to decrease by the second or third day, as did other "side effects"... like the feeling of body warmth I mentioned earlier. However, my research indicates that the metabolic effect on the body does not decrease. I immediately noticed two exciting things, no, make that three! First, my ketosis, tested by ketone test strips, increased three fold! I have never seem so much purple on my sticks! Increased ketosis, means increased lipolysis (fat burning!) I was excited! Second, I was immediately greeted in the morning by a drop in weight! Two pounds in just over two days! Definitely the right direction! And, third, increased energy, manifested by a "need" to move! I wanted to run, walk, exercise... in any way I could! I felt "jazzed!" I decided to "use" this feeling to spur additional exercise and, therefore, more weight loss! A nice "side effect" if ever there was one! Everyone that I have read after (and the instructions on the MetaboVite bottle) say that you should NEVER exceed the dosage of three per day (one before each meal.) Also, be sure not to take any too late in the day, as it may interfere with sleep. Some also recommend that use three days "on" and two days "off." You should keep this in mind as well. Vitamin C will help prevent the phenomena of bruising while stacking. I am already taking Vitamin C in the dosage of 1000 mg, so I was already "set." Also, keep this in mind. Ephedrine and pseudoephedrine (the components of Ma Haung) are contraindicated in the same conditions as caffeine, and also should not be consumed by persons taking MAO inhibitors (prescription blood pressure drugs or antidepressants such as Marplan® Nardil® and Parnate®). Additionally, the use of Ephedra alkaloids is contraindicated in persons with diabetes or thyroid trouble or difficulty in urination due to an enlarged prostate gland. Paul R. Moses says in his article, "How do ephedrine, caffeine and aspirin work together?" (quoted below in it's entirety:) "How do ephedrine, caffeine and aspirin work together? First, let's start with some definitions. Agonists are chemical agents which stimulate a certain kind of response. Usually agonists are compounds which activate a receptor in cell membranes. Antagonists are chemical agents which work against a certain kind of response. Antagonist compounds may block a receptor so that it cannot be activated, or they may activate a different receptor in the same cell and activate a process which works agais are being affected. Other studies have found lower amounts of lean tissue loss in subjects on a low calorie diet as compared to control subjects (not receiving ephedrine). That suggests an effect on beta-2 adrenoceptors, which seem to be linked to protein synthesis. The subjects receiving ephedrine also experienced greater rates of fat loss. Still other studies show that the thermogenic response to ephedrine comes primarily from skeletal muscle and visceral organs, with only a small contribution from brown adipose tissue (BAT). Some evidence suggests that chronic use can enhance the function of BAT and its contribution to thermogenesis (fat burning.) The body normally uses a variety of methods to rein in the stress hormones. It can inhibit the release of catecholamines in the first place. It can mobilize antagonists to act on receptors in the synaptic junction. It can also act within the cell to slow the propagation of signals via secondary messengers. The CAE stack combination (200 mg caffeine, 325 mg aspirin, 20-25 mg ephedrine) targets all of these stages. Ephedrine apparently enhances the release of catecholamines. Aspirin, as we saw in the FAQs, blocks the formation of prostaglandins. These prostaglandins normally would blunt the effect of the catecholamines in the synaptic gap. Finally, caffeine antagonizes the adenosine receptor and, more importantly, the phosphodiesterase enzymes within the cell. Check the FAQ entry on caffeine for more specifics. Whether or not it is necessary to include aspirin in the "stack" is unclear. Different studies reach different conclusions as to whether it enhances thermogenesis or not better than just caffeine and ephedrine together. One interpretation of the conflicting studies is that the CAE combination is better for obese subjects to enhance fat loss, while a CE combination is more appropriate for lean muscular subjects who have already "adapted" to the stack (with an increased metabolic rate and higher receptor response, and a dampening of the effects on heart rate and nervousness). Timeframe considerations. Tolerance appears to develop after two to four weeks of use. Fat loss effects seem to reach a point of diminishing returns after 24 weeks. After that point, the stack seems to simply maintain an elevated metabolic rate. The take home lesson for people who do use the stack is: DO NOT increase the doses or frequency of the stack when acclimation occurs! Although you may be able to tolerate it better over time, it is still having powerful and effective consequences on your metabolism. Again, PLEASE review the FAQ section on Ephedrine to appreciate the consequences and risks of this drug. The source for the diagrams and the substance of the material presented here is: Dulloo, A.G. (1993). Ephedrine, xanthines, and prostaglandin-inhibitors: Actions, and interactions in the stimulation of thermogenesis. International Journal of Obesity, 17 (supp. 1), S35 - S40. Copyright notice: The entire contents of this document are Copyright 1997 Paul L. Moses. Redistribution for personal, noncommercial use is permissible, so long as the document is distributed in its entirety, including this notice. Any other use requires an express written request and consent from the list owner. All rights reserved." The emphasis above is mine. I emphasis it to note why you should consider using simple aspirin with MetaboVite, or similar product. The blockage of the formation of prostaglandins by aspirin enhances the effect of the use of stacking products. So, the bottom
line... I can't recommend stacking lightly... and it is not for
everyone... lactating (nursing) women should avoid it, as should
those with thyroid and other health problems. However, in the face
of many months of successful low carb dieting, after an extended
stall... to reinvigorate your weight loss, it can be a useful tool! |
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