Glucomannan - Experiences?

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mrJRamos
mrJRamos Posts: 63
in Food and Nutrition
Hi there everyone,

I came across an expired post that talked about how "Skinny Sprinkles" was the only thing that helped this individual lose weight on a consistent basis. I did some research and the main ingredient is Glucommanan - a natural fiber supplement. I know that it is used for making oneself full before meals - taking a specified amount of capsules with PLENTY OF WATER - and also used as a thickener in food products. The stuff absorbs "up to 200 times its weight" in water and fills your stomach so that you are essentially eating on a near-full stomach and thus are satisfied with smaller portions. Downsides are that in some people, it can cause a laxative effect, flatulence and other gastric disturbances. All of these symptoms can be minimized or alleviated by beginning with a smaller dose and gradually increasing the amount one takes before each meal.

My problem is that I am a binge eater and will often eat foods even when I am not hungry. Call it "emotional" eating because when I am depressed, happy, bored, lonely or whatever, I tend to eat with a minimal trigger of stress (good or bad). Whether this would work for me or just act as a fiber supplement - I just don't know yet. I am curious to try it but would like to hear what others that have used it have experienced.

Because all of us are different and respond to things in a different way, I'd like to know why one started using it, a brief history of their eating habits and also the dosage that they used. I'd like to see a broad spectrum of responses to get a "cross-section" and what one might expect.

Thank you in advance for your responses and I hope to learn something first hand from people's experiences.

Peace,
Jeff :huh:

Replies

  • WalkingAlong
    WalkingAlong Posts: 4,926 Member
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    There's a lot of reviews of it on Amazon. LowCarbFriends.com has a lot of people who use or used it. Glucomannan is the plant fiber they make shiritake noodles out of. They're also called Miracle Noodles.

    I was tempted to try it but it's really expensive. I think I'd rather just up my fiber content and satiety with vegetables.

    You can also just use plain psyllium husk or any fiber supplement before meals to help with digestion and satiety. The South Beach Diet is the first place I saw it recommended to drink a fiber supplement before meals, to help with weight loss and blood sugar.

    Though if you're bingeing regardless of hunger levels, I don't think fiber supplementation will help much or at all.

    Good luck!
  • bokaba
    bokaba Posts: 171 Member
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    I was going to try it, but I don't see any difference from regular fiber supplements except that you don't need to take as much for the desired effect. Metamucil (soluble fiber) and Citrucel (insoluble) are much cheaper. I've not found that these supplements help much with hunger as they're designed for more "personal" issues.
  • _Zardoz_
    _Zardoz_ Posts: 3,987 Member
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    By taking something like this that could in reality damage your health you would be focusing on the result not the cause. It's like people drowning in a pool so you close the pool rather than address the issue that people can't swim and teaching them. Maybe think about addressing your binge eating issues rather than dealing with the after effect. That could mean talking to a medical professional who deals in these issues or just addressing your personal triggers. Good luck
  • SoLongAndThanksForAllTheFish
    SoLongAndThanksForAllTheFish Posts: 831 Member
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    Downsides are that in some people, it can cause a laxative effect, flatulence and other gastric disturbances. All of these symptoms can be minimized or alleviated by beginning with a smaller dose and gradually increasing the amount one takes before each meal.

    This kind of sounds like someone suggesting eating tons of cabbage and beans for the same filling and gastric effect...except this is much more expensive.
  • mrJRamos
    mrJRamos Posts: 63
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    Thanks for the responses thus far. I would still like to hear from people that have actually used the product to hear about their experiences.

    Although it was suggested that this was much more expensive than eating tons of cabbage and beans for the same effect, the price I found from Swanson's Vitamins was a little over 10 cents a pill when buying a bottle of 90 and includes shipping and handling.

    I am addressing my binge issues, discovering what my triggers are and working to minimize them. Also I am getting lots of support in the MFP group "No Late Night Snacking".

    I will be trying it as soon as my shipment arrives (within a few days) and will be reporting here any experiences (good or bad) that I may have.

    If nothing else, I will be increasing my fiber intake and hope to have some positive effects from the use of it as an aid in making me feel fuller as I reduce my portion sizes.

    Thanks for all the wishes of luck! I really appreciate it.

    Peace,
    Jeff :smile:
  • RodaRose
    RodaRose Posts: 9,562 Member
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    Start with a small dose in the beginning -- to see how your body reacts.
  • Foamroller
    Foamroller Posts: 1,041 Member
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    I don't have experience with glucomannan. I drink about 30g Psyllium fiber husk per day as a premeal. It has helped enormously in limiting binging and portion control. I simply can't eat as much as my inner "starved" self wants to.

    Agree with above poster bout gradually increasing doses. It IS laxative and gazzy in the start.

    If you want to try glucomannan, why not try the Miracle rice or noodles? Trial and error what works for you:-)

    Edit: I try to also eat foods with fibers in them like apples, pear, plums and Wasa crunching dry rye bread with fibers.
  • corgicake
    corgicake Posts: 846 Member
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    Sometimes there is no substitute for a good therapist.


    I have experienced this stuff in the form of shirataki noodles in a tasty Japanese soup. My experience was that the soup tasted delicious.
  • WalkingAlong
    WalkingAlong Posts: 4,926 Member
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    Good luck, Jeff. If you like it, I would try a cheaper fiber supplement after that bottle and see if you get the same benefits. The others are much, much cheaper than gluc and they're all just plant fiber, not magic beans. :smile:
  • mrJRamos
    mrJRamos Posts: 63
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    Thanks for all the wishes of luck in this experiment: I got my delivery of Glucomannan 90 capsules - 700 mg today and will start the trial tomorrow before dinner. I talked to my Primary Care Physician and he told me to keep him abreast of what happens as I begin taking the Gluc. He also mentioned that there's a possibility that the Gluc could affect medication absorbtion. With the psych meds I am on, he is concerned about me keeping the right dosage since it took so long to get me stable. I assured him that I would definitely keep an eye out for any negative effects.

    My plan is to take 1 capsule 30-45 minutes before dinner time. It is my hope that in addition to my regulated meals, it will keep me sated for a longer period into the evening. Typically an hour after eating, I'm ready for another round, be it dessert or another serving of dinner leftovers. I can eat like there's no tomorrow but am working on my tendencies to binge eat with the help of several friends on MFP and my therapist.

    My expectations: I am expecting to feel fuller later into the evening and to fend off any late night snacking other than what I budget in my calorie count for the day. I will report any negative side effects and also any possible benefits in future posts to this topic. If anyone else would like to report their experiences with Gluc in this space, I encourage them to do so.

    I am also eager to try some of the noodles made with Glucomannan - anecdotally I have heard that they are a viable substitute for regular pasta noodle so maybe after my trial with the gluc capsules, I will try them as well.

    My goal with this is to learn better eating habits - especially in the evening hours and ultimately would like to feel sated at a smaller size portion of food. I'm not starving myself - I am eating a minimum of 1800 calories a day and I exercise 5-6 days a week mostly on the elliptical trainer at the gym or at home. I also want to start the Stronglifts 5x5 program I read about on this site and hope to keep my body tone while I drop the pounds that I have gained over the past 7 years. To reach my ultimate goal of 165 pounds, I anticipate taking nearly a full year to get to that place. After just weighing in today at 198.8 #, I have 33.8 pounds to get to my goal weight.

    Take care everyone and I'll be reporting my experiences in this space starting tomorrow.

    Peace,
    Jeff :wink:
  • mrJRamos
    mrJRamos Posts: 63
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    Hi everyone,

    I took my first Glucomanan (Konjac Root) yesterday before dinner. I took one 700 mg capsule with lots of water. Unfortunately, I didn't take it 30-45 minutes before dinner was served at a friend's house but rather had only about 10-15 minutes warning that dinner was going to be served. I took the capsule and had dinner (Pizza and Salad) and I ate less than I usually would have. I was comfortably full after dinner and I thought, "Gee, this stuff works." Whether coincidence or fact, I felt like I continued to get even more full as the night went on as I continued to drink more water. It got to the point where I felt like Thanksgiving full despite eating a relatively small amount of food than what I am accustomed to. Whether this was the effect of the Gluc continuing to expand, I don't know for sure. I do know this however...When I'm full, I'm full and I stay at the same level of fullness and satiety. Last night, I felt even more full as time went on through the evening. The full feeling lasted a good 6 hours and I did not consume any additional food (besides a light dessert) during that time period. I felt so full that I even declined to have a piece of Apple Pie that I made earlier in the day and planned on having as my late night snack. So I feel that I accomplished what I intended with taking the Gluc.

    Unfortunately, I happened to wake up in the middle of the night and binged on leftover pizza but my experience with the Gluc was positive. I will continue to report on any effects that may occur with its usage (positive or negative). My first experience felt good and if I take it as I should (at least 30-45 minutes ahead of time), I'm sure that I will eat smaller portions and still feel satisfied. Hopefully this will continue into the future. So that's my report on day 1!

    Peace,

    Jeff :smile:
  • mrJRamos
    mrJRamos Posts: 63
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    Days 2 and 3 - This stuff works great! Prior to this, I had always eaten way too much stuff in the evenings. If I can resist the urges right after I finish eating dinner to eat more stuff, with Glucomannan I am so full that I have no desire to eat anything else. For some reason, my self control is better and I don't even feel like eating -- no extra portions of dinner, no snacking, no dessert. I have had no ill side effects from taking the Glucommanan so I would say this is going to be a good tool to help me re-learn my evening eating habits.

    Peace,
    Jeff :smile:
  • mrJRamos
    mrJRamos Posts: 63
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    Well, I tried to go without the Gluc last night and ended up snacking nearly the whole evening. It seems like even though I was full, I couldn't stop eating. It seems like a different kind of full when I take the Gluc and I am able to stay satisfied and satiated without resorting to constant snacking.

    I'll resume taking the Gluc tonight and report on any other changes. For me, definitely it is working at helping me curb my snacking at night and I'm beginning to learn the different sensations of "hunger". I will learn through repetition new eating habits and curb my late night snacking to an acceptable level.

    Peace,
    Jeff :smile:

    p.s. I'd still like to hear about other's experiences with Glucomannan or Konjac Root.

    Take care and enjoy the day!
  • newyorkmo
    newyorkmo Posts: 32 Member
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    hi - I take this supplement sometimes with, or before, breakfast and dinner (with lots of water) - seems to set the whole day off in the right direction, with me not nibblish before lunch or in the evening. I think it's helpful. It's soluble fiber, so very good for you. I also try to eat at least 25-35 grams of fiber otherwise, so I'm getting a lot of various fiber sources. I find this supplement is especially helpful when I'm at the beginning of making a dietary change. So if I've been overconsuming and decide I'm going to cut calories back, this helps me to do it without too much suffering in during the "adjustment" period. I don't have any issues with indigestion or other stomach upsets. Your doctor is right about the medication absorption. you'll want to take your meds at least three hours before or after the gluc.
  • mrJRamos
    mrJRamos Posts: 63
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    newyorkmo wrote: »
    hi - I take this supplement sometimes with, or before, breakfast and dinner (with lots of water) - seems to set the whole day off in the right direction, with me not nibblish before lunch or in the evening. I think it's helpful. It's soluble fiber, so very good for you. I also try to eat at least 25-35 grams of fiber otherwise, so I'm getting a lot of various fiber sources. I find this supplement is especially helpful when I'm at the beginning of making a dietary change. So if I've been overconsuming and decide I'm going to cut calories back, this helps me to do it without too much suffering in during the "adjustment" period. I don't have any issues with indigestion or other stomach upsets. Your doctor is right about the medication absorption. you'll want to take your meds at least three hours before or after the gluc.

    That's generally my experience too with this stuff. When I have time before dinner to take it and let it do its thing, I am much better off for the evening. My partner tends to have dinner ready once I arrive home so unless I remember to take it when I leave work, I miss the doses. I have had no gastric difficulties with it at all. You're right, it is a good source of dietary fiber and I too have lots of other fiber in my diet as well. At least for me, it's a good tool to have and I'm glad I tried it.

    Thanks for your comments, NewYorkMo!
  • SOOZIE429
    SOOZIE429 Posts: 638 Member
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    Good to know! I recently purchased this as well and have noticed being fuller. But I have yet to take before dinner because I forget :blush: Will make an effort to from now on!
  • KatiCoufal
    KatiCoufal Posts: 35 Member
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    MrJRamos, have you actually lost pounds as a result of taking this?

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