chitosan ... anyone heard of it?

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musicgirl99
musicgirl99 Posts: 252 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I just heard about this natural fat blocker called chitosan and was told to take one of these pills before eating a fattening meal if I were to go out to eat. Has anyone ever taken it? Is it safe? Did it seem to work??

I'm reluctant to take any type of diet pill or fat blocker but was curious to hear some opinions since this one is supposed to be natural.

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  • anubis609
    anubis609 Posts: 3,966 Member
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    I know people who have tried it and according to them, all it did was create little globules in their stool, but weight loss was temporary. Going on a low-fat diet seems to be a more natural way of cleansing the body from fat...
  • musicgirl99
    musicgirl99 Posts: 252 Member
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    Thanks for your help. I usually eat low fat but chitosan was recommended to me in case I were to eat out somewhere and knew that I would be eating something fattening. Do you think I should take one if I go out to eat or just work it off with exercise only?
  • anubis609
    anubis609 Posts: 3,966 Member
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    Honestly, what I do is just enjoy the indulgence. Don't make it a habit of constantly indulging, but every now and then is a good break for your body. It will let it know that it's not constrained to eating "healthy." If I know an indulgence day is coming up, I'll amp up my workouts days ahead of time to prepare for an inevitable weight gain, then work it off with a moderately more intense routine after. If it's a spontaneous outing, I'll just amp up my workouts afterwards.

    Just don't forget to log whatever it is you're eating. It doesn't hurt to know or estimate exactly what you're putting into your body. You can use it as a reference for later when you see little hiccups on the scale and say, "Oh, THAT'S why...because I ate/drank [such and such]."
  • rileysowner
    rileysowner Posts: 8,220 Member
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    I have heard of it. A quick google showed that there is little research on its actual usefulness in doing what you mentioned, but it might work. Apparently there is a lot of research going on currently on it. It is basically a type of fiber, and fiber is generally a good thing for losing weight. Whether you should try it or not I don't know. I can say any health claims have not been substantiated and the FDA has sent warning letters out to companies that sell it for making unfounded claims at recently at 2004.
  • madijo41
    madijo41 Posts: 367 Member
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    i did it for a few weeks a couple of year ago. My doctor told me that I would have to wear a pad just in case. In case of what you ask? Imagine the worst. Yup the fat that is separated from your food turns into an oily liquid that seeps out your butt. Nice!

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