Glucomannan Supplements

Marjayhan
Marjayhan Posts: 59 Member
edited November 20 in Food and Nutrition
I saw these in Holland and Barrett today and was wondering if anyone ever tried them before. Apparently there some sort of fibre supplement, you take 2 about a half an hour before your 3 main meals (so 6 in a day) with water. They are supposed to expand in size in your system making you feel fuller and suppress hunger pangs. I'm trying the normal way to cut back on calories, and eat healthy but I always snap and end up putting the weight back on and then some! I'm at my wits end. I can't do much with exercise due to chronic back problems and lymph odema in the legs and feet. It didn't cost a lot to get these €9 for 60 tabs. So was just curious if any one tried them before and if they helped! Thanks in advance :)

Just to add in as well, i eat plenty of fruit and veg, and drink a lot of water, but it never seems to fill me. If anything eating an apple makes me twice as hungry as I was before. I seem to be constantly hungry. And too much protein makes me gain weight, I don't know why but I was on a nutritional diet that didn't help at all with weight loss. Good for nutrition but I still want to fight the flab. I can only ever lose 5lbs and that's it. I gain it, then lose it, then gain it.. That's no good as I have 25 lbs to lose and that excess weight makes me feel like crap, physically and mentally. The pharmacist says its mostly water retention in my body but I don't know how accurate that info is.

Replies

  • Old_Cat_Lady
    Old_Cat_Lady Posts: 1,193 Member
    eat more nutrient dense foods: add big servings of low calorie vegetables like squash, zucchini, cucumbers, asparagus, kale, romaine, Brussels sprouts, mushrooms, green beans, snow peas, eggplant, winter squash, broccoli, cauliflower, mushrooms. Eat them fresh, canned, or frozen. They add protein and fiber to your day as well.
    copied from https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10177183/glucomannan
    You can also just use plain psyllium husk or any fiber supplement before meals to help with digestion and satiety from any grocery store.https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1449138/glucomannan-experiences
    I like to eat a bit of greek yogurt with a tbsp of chia seeds (they seem to expand in my stomach).
  • kommodevaran
    kommodevaran Posts: 17,890 Member
    If you can't stick to eating less because of hunger pangs, you're either eating too little, too poorly, or are too sensitive to hunger pangs. Also consider if you're experiencing cravings, and not hunger. And you don't have to exercise to lose weight.
  • YvetteK2015
    YvetteK2015 Posts: 654 Member
    I've tried these before because I always had hunger pangs (because I didn't understand what was causing my hunger pangs at the time). I tried all the fad pills that were supposed to help. Everything that was "some kind of fiber". Every pill mentioned on Dr. Oz (I know...I felt desperate at the time though). Any pill mentioned in any magazine. Let me be so clear on this: NONE OF THEM DID A DARN THING! Maybe it's not that expensive, but it's still money down the drain.

    Eat food high in fiber to feel more full. Make sure you have a good ratio of protein, fiber, and fat. That will keep you full. Don't buy Glucomannan. It is a complete scam. You will see no results from it. Oh, and drink plenty of water with your food. Believe me, you will feel full.

    Good luck!
  • Marjayhan
    Marjayhan Posts: 59 Member
    If you can't stick to eating less because of hunger pangs, you're either eating too little, too poorly, or are too sensitive to hunger pangs. Also consider if you're experiencing cravings, and not hunger. And you don't have to exercise to lose weight.

    I think it's a combination of both craving and hunger but i can barely tell the difference between the 2 only that with the hunger, its actually painful with my stomach growling at me. I definitely don't eat 2 little. I wish i could eat little , that would be a dream lol
  • Marjayhan
    Marjayhan Posts: 59 Member
    eat more nutrient dense foods: add big servings of low calorie vegetables like squash, zucchini, cucumbers, asparagus, kale, romaine, Brussels sprouts, mushrooms, green beans, snow peas, eggplant, winter squash, broccoli, cauliflower, mushrooms. Eat them fresh, canned, or frozen. They add protein and fiber to your day as well.
    copied from https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10177183/glucomannan
    You can also just use plain psyllium husk or any fiber supplement before meals to help with digestion and satiety from any grocery store.https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1449138/glucomannan-experiences
    I like to eat a bit of greek yogurt with a tbsp of chia seeds (they seem to expand in my stomach).

    Dear, i did all that. Eating healthy and all but none of it quells my hunger and protein enriched foods just made me gain more weight. People always say if you're hungry eat some fruit. For some funny reason i'd be starving after eating fruit. I don't know why but they do not at all fill me up. It's like my stomach is bigger than it should be I don't know, why that is. But i'm always always hungry, i try to fill it up with water but its like my body knows its not food. It's like i can't get full.
  • Gallowmere1984
    Gallowmere1984 Posts: 6,626 Member
    Psyllium husk is pretty legit for shutting up a grumbling gut. I've used it before on hard cuts, and it's a shitload cheaper in bulk, ground form than anything that comes in a capsule.
  • kommodevaran
    kommodevaran Posts: 17,890 Member
    margeh75 wrote: »
    If you can't stick to eating less because of hunger pangs, you're either eating too little, too poorly, or are too sensitive to hunger pangs. Also consider if you're experiencing cravings, and not hunger. And you don't have to exercise to lose weight.

    I think it's a combination of both craving and hunger but i can barely tell the difference between the 2 only that with the hunger, its actually painful with my stomach growling at me. I definitely don't eat 2 little. I wish i could eat little , that would be a dream lol
    You can actually quantify "too little". It means a "too large calorie deficit". If you are aiming for a weekly weight loss rate of more than 1% of your total body weight, that is too little food. Your body just can't lose weight faster than that. Hunger that comes from eating too little, should be fixed by eating more. Hunger that comes from sensations in your stomach, thoughts about or exposure to food, and mood swings, can be ignored. That's easier said than done, though. It takes practice and insight and willingness. Separating feelings of hunger and cravings isn't always easy, and we can even have both at the same time. Have a look at the images below, pay attention through the day, before, during and after meals. I think they will help. At least, you can learn a lot about yourself. Be aware that maybe your signs and scales are a little different:

    thehungerscale-Gdr7Svag24wmjcf33AZBen.jpg

    922297_orig.png

    margeh75 wrote: »
    eat more nutrient dense foods: add big servings of low calorie vegetables like squash, zucchini, cucumbers, asparagus, kale, romaine, Brussels sprouts, mushrooms, green beans, snow peas, eggplant, winter squash, broccoli, cauliflower, mushrooms. Eat them fresh, canned, or frozen. They add protein and fiber to your day as well.
    copied from https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10177183/glucomannan
    You can also just use plain psyllium husk or any fiber supplement before meals to help with digestion and satiety from any grocery store.https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1449138/glucomannan-experiences
    I like to eat a bit of greek yogurt with a tbsp of chia seeds (they seem to expand in my stomach).

    Dear, i did all that. Eating healthy and all but none of it quells my hunger and protein enriched foods just made me gain more weight. People always say if you're hungry eat some fruit. For some funny reason i'd be starving after eating fruit. I don't know why but they do not at all fill me up. It's like my stomach is bigger than it should be I don't know, why that is. But i'm always always hungry, i try to fill it up with water but its like my body knows its not food. It's like i can't get full.
    You're not really supposed to "get full", just "satisifed". If you aren't getting in enough fat, your stomach can fill up, but you'll still feel unsatisfied, and overeat to try to reach that point. So, balance your meals, and make sure you get in variety, too. And eat food you like. That's important in order to feel satisfied.

  • RuNaRoUnDaFiEld
    RuNaRoUnDaFiEld Posts: 5,864 Member
    I like to eat it in its edible form. Konjac flour noodles and rice.

    I find it filling. Never tried it in tablet form.
  • CamGoddess
    CamGoddess Posts: 28 Member
    This is from the WebMD page on side effects:
    http://www.m.webmd.com/vitamins/ai/ingredientmono-205/glucomannan
    "Glucomannan powder or flour is LIKELY SAFE when consumed as food.
    Glucomannan powder and capsules are POSSIBLY SAFE for most adults and children when used in medicinal amounts for up to 4 months.
    However, solid tablets containing glucomannan are POSSIBLY UNSAFE for adults and LIKELY UNSAFE for children.
    These can sometimes cause blockages of the throat or intestines."

    This sounds eerily similar to Cal-Ban 3000 sold back in the nineties, which was a fiber/sugar supplement that was supposed to swell and make you feel full.
    https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-12278981.html
    (The capsules didn't work for me...but thankfully I didn't get sick or suffer any life-threatening obstructions like many others did, before the company was finally stopped from selling them. That is, after they made tens of millions of $ at the risk of people's lives, of course.)
  • fishgutzy
    fishgutzy Posts: 2,807 Member
    This supplement is only beneficial to those with compromise cartilage. That is from a doctor friend.
    I have degenerative osteoarthritis in several joints due to minor injuries over the years. So i take a GC supplement every day.
  • mangrothian
    mangrothian Posts: 1,351 Member
    fishgutzy wrote: »
    This supplement is only beneficial to those with compromise cartilage. That is from a doctor friend.
    I have degenerative osteoarthritis in several joints due to minor injuries over the years. So i take a GC supplement every day.

    Are you sure you're not talking about glucosamine in this case, rather than glucomannan?
  • Christine_72
    Christine_72 Posts: 16,049 Member
    fishgutzy wrote: »
    This supplement is only beneficial to those with compromise cartilage. That is from a doctor friend.
    I have degenerative osteoarthritis in several joints due to minor injuries over the years. So i take a GC supplement every day.

    Are you sure you're not talking about glucosamine in this case, rather than glucomannan?

    Good catch :smiley: I was struggling to figure out how a fibre supplement could help with arthritis/joints :huh:
  • CharlieBeansmomTracey
    CharlieBeansmomTracey Posts: 7,682 Member
    stomach growling doesnt necessarily mean you are hungry.its normal bowel sounds when you hear it "growling" https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/why-does-your-stomach-gro/ .it shouldnt cause pain though,see a dr and have any health issues ruled out.it could be an ulcer or a number of things.
This discussion has been closed.