Carb blockers, do they work? How?

JamiesMummyX
JamiesMummyX Posts: 37 Member
edited December 18 in Health and Weight Loss
Do carb blockers work and if so how?

Anyone with any personal experiences using them? Which ones? I keep seeing a advert for XLS or something similar.

I have used fat blockers before but realised pretty quickly how pointless they were, they force you to eat less and therefore you don't need them. But these carb blockers have no side effects listed as opposed to the fat blockers.

I eat alot of carbs, love chips breads rice pasta veggies, I refuse to cut down on them because I love them so much and I don't really have an issue with them, but if I can lessen the calories from them says it can cut off 50/60% off then surely that's a good thing if the rest of my diet is overall good but I need to lose some weight.

I'm aware people have lots of mixed opinions on fads and doing things the right/healthy way and I understand that but I'm not asking for opinions just experiences and maybe a couple facts for and pro them.

Anyone, please?

Replies

  • FredDoyle
    FredDoyle Posts: 2,272 Member
    http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/the-truth-about-starch-blockers

    Yuck. Just eat smaller portions of the stuff you like. It's your choice. Buckle down or remain overweight.
    Starch blockers probably do allow complex carbohydrates to pass through the small intestine largely undigested, says Christine Gerbstadt, MD, RD, an American Dietetic Association spokeswoman.

    “But when they get to the large intestine, the starches ferment, give off gas, and cause bloating and diarrhea,” Gerbstadt tells WebMD.
  • ascrit
    ascrit Posts: 770 Member
    Short answer: no, "carb blockers" don't work.

    Ideally your diet should consist of a mixture of carbohydrates, fats, and protein. If you are serious about losing weight the right way then you should consult with a registered dietician and get some guidance on the levels of macro nutrients your body needs to perform at its optimum levels. Also, make sure that you are upping your activity level.

    I have found in my own experience that as long as you are eating properly then there is no need for supplements to achieve your goals. Be smart, consult experts, get informed about what works best for you. Good luck!
  • SashleyA
    SashleyA Posts: 122 Member
    Short answer: no, "carb blockers" don't work.

    Ideally your diet should consist of a mixture of carbohydrates, fats, and protein. If you are serious about losing weight the right way then you should consult with a registered dietician and get some guidance on the levels of macro nutrients your body needs to perform at its optimum levels. Also, make sure that you are upping your activity level.

    I have found in my own experience that as long as you are eating properly then there is no need for supplements to achieve your goals. Be smart, consult experts, get informed about what works best for you. Good luck!

    This also my own experience. I also love carbs- rice, pasta, chips, potatoes, fruit. So I eat them, just watch my portion sizes and haven't had problems. Personally, I'd be concerned about the side effects of the carb blockers. Anything that causes diarrhea and fermentation in your intestine sets off huge red flags for me. What does that do to your digestive system long term? Are there any studies that show that? Is it worth the quicker weight loss?
  • 3laine75
    3laine75 Posts: 3,069 Member
    Garcinia cambogia works.

    = D
  • ladymiseryali
    ladymiseryali Posts: 2,555 Member
    You're not going to get the answers you seek because this site is dedicated to fitness, not fads or pills. Sorry. You know that in order to lose weight, you may need to cut down on your carbs and learn portion control.

    It's just that simple. I'm not saying cut out carbs and deprive yourself, but learn how much ONE serving size of chips is and eat ONLY that. Learn how much ONE serving size of rice is and stick to that. Don't waste your money on pills. That doesn't help you in the long run.
  • castlerobber
    castlerobber Posts: 528 Member
    I have used fat blockers before but realised pretty quickly how pointless they were, they force you to eat less and therefore you don't need them. But these carb blockers have no side effects listed as opposed to the fat blockers.

    I eat alot of carbs, love chips breads rice pasta veggies, I refuse to cut down on them because I love them so much and I don't really have an issue with them, but if I can lessen the calories from them says it can cut off 50/60% off then surely that's a good thing if the rest of my diet is overall good but I need to lose some weight.

    Carb-blockers are just as pointless as fat-blockers. Not very effective, with unpleasant side effects.

    You can't have your cake and eat it too, sorry. You're tacitly admitting that you know such a starch-heavy diet isn't good for you.
    Replace most of that bread and pasta with veggies, fat and protein.
  • JamiesMummyX
    JamiesMummyX Posts: 37 Member
    I've been on MFP for years (newish account) and I find it's just a few that need to shove there views down peoples throats on right and wrong (I understand it, kind of) which is why I asked directly for peoples experiences and I am sure there is many people on this site who would of used these, maybe still do used these and other types of diets/fads and such. They all come with there own experiences it's not just for calorie counting but the overall look at health, calorie counting is not always some ones first point of call for weight loss.

    I know portion control, calorie counting ect works, I did lose 50 odd lbs a couple years back on here after having my son but life happened and slowly but surely put some back on, I'm not completely blind to the fact this works, I know it does, this is why I'm back and not on WW or slimfast websites.

    I'm only asking for if people know these work and how, I've found a couple websites online, but still no people reviews other than on amazon, which is why I turned here...you never know!!

    This might sound a bit sarcy/stroppy not meant to come across that way of course, everyones got there own views and that's cool!


    Personally, I'd be concerned about the side effects of the carb blockers. Anything that causes diarrhea and fermentation in your intestine sets off huge red flags for me. What does that do to your digestive system long term? Are there any studies that show that? Is it worth the quicker weight loss?


    The ones I was looking at said they had no side effects, though clearly the foods got to go somewhere so they can't be without fault on the few reviews I did see they said the side effects only last a matter of days, but when you look at it that way - it can't do much good for the insides, your right. As for if it's worth it, I wouldn't know because I don't know how well they work, if it comes straight back on, how long people tend to use them for ect, but probably not!
  • agthorn
    agthorn Posts: 1,844 Member
    The way garcinia cambogia works is WITH diet and exercise. But you take it an hour before you eat.. it suppresses your appetite some but the thing it does for the most part is instead of converting carbs/sugar to fat, it converts to energy. Granted, I do eat a caloric deficit and exercise, but once I hit a plateau and wasn't losing anymore, once I took those and remained working out/eating mostly right, I started losing again. But make sure they're 100% natural and AT LEAST 50-60 HCA.
    Not really. http://examine.com/supplements/Garcinia+cambogia/
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 49,031 Member
    Not really.

    And if eating carbs is your issue, then portions should be addressed not using something that allows you to OVEREAT them.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness industry for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • kgeyser
    kgeyser Posts: 22,505 Member
    The way garcinia cambogia works is WITH diet and exercise. But you take it an hour before you eat.. it suppresses your appetite some but the thing it does for the most part is instead of converting carbs/sugar to fat, it converts to energy. Granted, I do eat a caloric deficit and exercise, but once I hit a plateau and wasn't losing anymore, once I took those and remained working out/eating mostly right, I started losing again. But make sure they're 100% natural and AT LEAST 50-60 HCA.

    mal-speechless.gif
  • DeadliftAddict
    DeadliftAddict Posts: 746 Member
    Why block carbs? None of that stuff is really needed to get yourself in the shape you want to be in. People will have to learn not to look for the easy way or magic pill. Learn to track your food which is a whole lot cheaper, easier and proven than anything you will buy and experiment with. Track your food and macros and boom you can enjoy life and the fat will fall off. You don't have to starve or cut out the foods you enjoy eating.
  • VeggieKidMandy
    VeggieKidMandy Posts: 575 Member
    I consider carb blocking not having any carbs in the house. I had a huge issue with carbs when i first started. After the first 50lbs came off, then i started to have more carbs in the house.

    Ive lost 130 lbs in 15 months, with a huge carb tooth. trust me, just not having it in the house works better than taking some pills .After you lose your initial weight or kick the craving then you can slowly start to incorporate stuff like white rice and pasta back into your diet. Not saying carbs are EVIL in any means, but they can easily be over eaten. Especially if its most of what your diet ( before you started MFP ) consisted of.
  • auddii
    auddii Posts: 15,357 Member
    No direct experience, but I searched pubmed for you.

    This review article suggests that you can get the same effect from just eating more fiber (and with similar side effects, but would be cheaper than a supplement):
    http://www-ncbi-nlm-nih-gov.ezproxyhost.library.tmc.edu/pubmed/20150600

    However, "carb blockers" only brought back 9 articles. You'd probably have better luck looking at specific names, but I don't care that much. :smile: You could just try search pubmed on your own and seeing what the research says.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    The way garcinia cambogia works is WITH diet and exercise. But you take it an hour before you eat.. it suppresses your appetite some but the thing it does for the most part is instead of converting carbs/sugar to fat, it converts to energy. Granted, I do eat a caloric deficit and exercise, but once I hit a plateau and wasn't losing anymore, once I took those and remained working out/eating mostly right, I started losing again. But make sure they're 100% natural and AT LEAST 50-60 HCA.

    LOL...carbs/sugar aren't converted to fat...carbs/sugar are used for energy...if you are exercising, they are the first sources of energy you will use. They are the rocket fuel that helps you crush your workouts...run for miles and miles...cycle for hours on end.

    Carbs/Protein/Fat all get converted to fat...when you consume more energy than you require to maintain.

    OP...just eat less carbs and take in a more balanced diet...and eat more fiber.
  • dagreer
    dagreer Posts: 1 Member
    My daughter has polycistic ovaries syndrome (PCOS). One of the issues she faces is higher than normal androgen hormone. This can lead to insulin resistance. Insulin is what allow cells to absorb sugar (glucose) - which is what carbohydrates are turned into when the body digests them. Insulin is supposed to control your blood sugar level, as blood sugar levels rise the pancreas releases more insulin so the sugar can be absorbed by the cells.
    PCOS causes the cells to be resistant to the normal effect of insulin, the body releases the "normal" amount of insulin but the cells do not recognize it therefore they do not absorb the sugar in the blood. The body releases more insulin to try and compensate. When your blood is full of insulin your body cannot use stored energy - in other words as long as you have high insulin levels you cannot burn fat. There are numerous serious health issues relate to insulin resistance. In this instance she is already on a severely restricted carbohydrate intake. She only takes in "good" carbs but even a minimal amount can spike her blood sugar levels. Rather than taking medication we support her with naturopathic supplements that support her liver and blood sugar. A good quality carb block supports her with vitamin D B12 Zinc Chromium Inulin and other ingredients that she needs additional supplementation in. This is a chronic condition that has serious lifelong implications for her health carb block is one of many supports that help us regulate her health.
    There is no magic pill but you shouldn't denigrate something until you have really done the research. Different things work for different people. I hope you all find your way, life is a journey and we all want to make it without being judged.
  • Yagisama
    Yagisama Posts: 595 Member
    Carb blockers? That's a real thing? :noway:
  • kikityme
    kikityme Posts: 472 Member
    I really can't say this enough. You KNOW anything purporting to be a miracle diet cure doesn't work. You KNOW this.

    MjAxMi02Mzg1NjM2ODQwMWU3ZTY3_zps2e1f202c.png
  • _KitKat_
    _KitKat_ Posts: 1,066 Member
    If there was a proven carb blocker, it would be medically approved and by prescription for type 2 diabetics. It would be a gold mine so pretty sure the answer to your question is NO it does not work, but along with diet and exercise it just might!
  • auddii
    auddii Posts: 15,357 Member
    Every single reply has avoided answering your question. I have some info. I have used carb blockers for years. I buy the ones that only contain phaseoleum vulgaris on the internet. Walmart sells some with chromium but chromium makes me sick. I know they work because I get hungry fairly quickly after I use them. To me, that means my food isn't being digested. Also, I am a diabetic. My A1C tests have become so normal since taking them that my doctor decreased my diabetic medication. Again that means to me that the carb blockers are not allowing the carbs to be digested and thereby raising my blood sugar. Best of all, I stopped gaining weight, although I haven't lost any, but am not trying. My question and what led me to this site is how do they work. As I understand it, they prevent the enzyme that digests carbs from forming, but I don't know if that happens in the mouth, in the stomach or where ever along the digestive tract. Therefore, do you have to take them before you eat to be effective or can you take them in the middle or at the end of a meal and still have them work. If they work on the enzymes in the mouth, obviously they need to be taken before you eat. If they work somewhere else in the digestive system, taking them while or after eating should work too. Can't find the answer to my questions either. Just my experiences.... Good luck. They work for me.
    Coming from the person who's username is 30daysupply. That's not fishy at all...
  • tracydr
    tracydr Posts: 528 Member
    I did use fat blockers for quite awhile when xenical came out. I found that they really helped me to lose weight basically because I was forced to modify my diet. Combined it with low carb but plenty of non-starchy veggies. I lost about 20 pounds doing this.
    Carb blockers would be similar because you can get gassy and bloated if you don't digest your carbs so a negative reinforcement for going over your carb limits. Just be sure that you don't overheat on protein and fat.
    There are some diabetes medicines that work as carb blockers, but I'm not that familiar with them since they're a 3rd to 4th choice. If somebody needs 4 drugs to control their diabetes, I will either start them on insulin or get an endocrinology consult.
    All of my patients go to Diabetes Education, which is very helpful.
  • ElliottTN
    ElliottTN Posts: 1,614 Member
    If they really did do what they advertise (which is unregulated so you know how that goes) would you really want to do it? If something is sitting undigested in your stomach then it's going to ferment there and you are going to end up a bloated, gassy, probably about to poop yourself mess whenever you eat your favorite foods. That doesn't sound enjoyable at all....unless you are into that sorta thing.
  • Momepro
    Momepro Posts: 1,509 Member
    kikityme wrote: »
    I really can't say this enough. You KNOW anything purporting to be a miracle diet cure doesn't work. You KNOW this.

    MjAxMi02Mzg1NjM2ODQwMWU3ZTY3_zps2e1f202c.png

    Well there is ONE benefit to raspberry ketones. You will be burping up raspberry flavor for the next several hours. A coue days of that will ruin your appetite for anything sweet or fruity flavored!
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