Monday, June 9, 2014

Belly Fat Buster That Really Works!


Day 1 – I’ll be honest. I’m leery of Forskolin, but I’m so fed up with my enormous belly (I’m embarrassed to tell you its size, but here goes – a whopping nearly 38”) that I HAVE to try SOMETHING beyond exercise! Trust me when I say that when your bones are as tiny as mine are, a 37 and a half+ inch waist looks like you have a hippopotamus wrapped around your belly. 

Another belly fat buster I once took, Refirm, promised to get rid of belly fat (it didn’t), so I promised myself that I would never fall for another belly blaster advertised “promise”. Dr. Oz, however, was so convincing about Forskolin, I decided to give it a try. And, trust me when I say that I will NOT post this blog if it doesn’t work (why would I divulge my belly size if I can’t improve it). I will, however, leave that sentence in if Forskolin does work, but I will post a completely different blog that says Forskolin doesn’t work without telling you how fat my belly is.

First, a little about why my belly is so fat. I assume the cause is stress. The rest of my family isn’t fat, and the rest of me isn’t fat, but this huge gelatinous blob of blubber that sits around my midsection is so incredibly ENORMOUS, it looks as if it belongs on a much bigger body! Yes, I’m stressed. I’m always stressed – about finances mostly. But I put on most of my belly fat when my Marine son went to Iraq (4 times) in the early-to-mid 2000’s during the Iraq War. 

In addition to not being able to get rid of the blubber, my belly has expanded over these past 13 years. I continue to stress about situations that affect my son, my three girls and all of my grandkids. I honestly attempt to relieve stress by trying to relax, but my body refuses to cooperate. It apparently feels most comfortable in washing-machine mode (agitated).

Because some of you know me and have seen me, I should mention that even though you tell me I look just fine and that I don’t need to lose weight, you’re right in a sense I’m really not fat anywhere – except my tummy. I probably need to lose about fifteen pounds of BELLY FAT, though, which I keep, for obvious reasons, hidden. You would never know to look at me unless a strong wind blew my blouse upward, because I wear enormous tops that cover the blubber. I’m certainly not going to expose that mountainous mass to you or anyone else. Seriously, I would love to be able to wear clothing that doesn’t make me look as if I’m wearing a tent.

As a result of everything I’ve mentioned so far, I decided to give Forskolin a try. What determines whether or not a product works (for me anyway) is if the product works when the person taking it doesn’t change his or her lifestyle in any way. I’ve tried taking Garcinia Cambogia, but I was never very consistent about taking it, so I can’t comment on whether or not it contributes to weight loss. I can say that taking it inconsistently didn’t work. I’m just hoping that Forskolin works because I honestly can’t stand not only looking at my enormous belly, but also knowing I have to wear pants that either come with an elastic band around the waist or fit fairly comfortably beneath my blob. In the past couple of decades I have been unable to wear anything around the waist that comes with a snap or a button.

Will I ever get a completely flat belly? Probably not. I tried sit-ups for an entire summer one year and the only thing that resulted was a bad back made worse. After my third child was born, my uterus fell out over my pubic bone, a matter made worse after the birth of my fourth child. I had to wear a band for several months after each child was born, but it never again became flat. I also have a slight case of scoliosis, so I’ve had a bad back for as long as I can remember. After 90 days of giving sit-ups all I had, I gave up and worked more on healing my aching back, which continues to be an ongoing problem.

Anyway, I’m hopeful that I’ve found the one product that will melt belly fat and allow me the dignity of wearing clothes – and a bathing suit – that I won’t be afraid to wear in public. Some other product manufacturers (like those that make Refirm – read my review of that product HERE) tell you to work out like a fiend in order to see results. Why would I have to use the product at all if working out gets the same results? No – if a product works, it stands alone. 

So here it is, Day 2, (May 26, 2014) and I still have a fat belly. However, I have found that I am emptying my colon more frequently – without the urgency brought on by such things as enemas or suppositories. So that’s good, especially for people like me who have a problem with constipation and sometimes go as long as 3 weeks without ever having a bowel movement. You have no idea what a relief it is to be able to “go” and not feel so heavy. I’m fairly certain that constipation is due to stress, but as far as Forskolin is concerned, so far, I’m impressed. 

One thing I should mention. When I bought this product, a little statement appeared on the page saying that people taking Forskolin also bought 7-Keto, a non-steroidal product that is supposed to speed up metabolism and aid in weight loss, so I’m taking that as well. For the past two mornings, half an hour before breakfast, I have taken two Forskolin tablets and one 7-Keto tablet. I’ll do the same for dinner later today.

But I’m not changing my daily routine. I work out infrequently – just enough to tell myself I’m working out – but how can I fairly judge a product if I change my regimen? Nope – Forskolin will be judged on its merits (if it has any) alone. I’ll write more when – and if – I see results.

Day 10 and Forskolin appears to be working. My flabby belly is down to 36.25.” I can fit into some jeans and shorts that I couldn’t fit into before. The movie, Flowers for Algernon comes to mind, though, after I measure myself. What if I stop taking it for some reason (like not being able to afford it, or not remembering to take it, and I suddenly become the Sea Witch from The Little Mermaid, who, after she is discovered to be the Sea Witch (she was pretending to be Ariel), balloons out of herself and bellies all over the ship. Will I have to take Forskolin forever?

I forgot to take a dose today (June 5, Day 12). We’ll see if Ursula the Sea Witch faces me in the mirror tomorrow.

I was going to wait until I finished the entire bottle before I posted my results, but when I measured myself this morning (June 9, Day 16), I was down to just under 35”! Still a very flabby tummy for my frame, but with results like this, I am so excited, I feel that I should post them now.

Unexpected results from taking Forskolin – I found myself eating less, because I felt fuller faster. I found myself wanting to exercise more because I was so happy to see such immediate results, I couldn’t help but want to rush my progress. I discovered, after researching the product, that Forskolin helps with respiratory issues. Because I have asthma and numerous nodules on my lungs (scars from previous upper respiratory infections), I feel like Forskolin is a win-win for me. Nowhere in Forskolin’s literature does any mention appear concerning help with constipation, but coming from someone who has had that problem my whole life, either the Forskolin or the 7-Keto or possibly a combination of the two of them has helped to relieve mine. 

Other reasons to take Forskolin – According to WebMD, “When taken by mouth, forskolin is also used to treat allergies, skin conditions such as eczema and psoriasis, obesity, painful menstrual periods (wish I had known about that little perk when I was having periods), irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), urinary tract infections (UTI), bladder infections, advanced cancer, blood clots, sexual problems in men, trouble sleeping (insomnia), and convulsions (italics mine).” If my cancer comes back (my type of cancer has a high recurrence rate, so it might), that’s one more reason to take Forskolin.

How I take Forskolin. For rapid belly melt, Dr. Oz recommends taking 125 mg Forskolin with a minimum of 10% forskolin (my bottle says 20%) before breakfast. He also recommends consuming a “1/2 teaspoon of one of these spices at every meal: cinnamon, clove, oregano, cayenne, or turmeric. Use cinnamon and clove at breakfast by adding a dash to coffee or oatmeal, and sprinkle the savory ones on your salads, sandwiches, and main dishes the rest of the day for a flavorful seasoning that can help fry belly fat.” 

Dr. Oz also recommends drinking green tea lemonade to supercharge belly melting and eating pickled peppers and jalapeƱo peppers. I take 2 Forskolin tablets and one 7-Keto tablet twice a day, 20 minutes to half an hour before my 2 biggest meals of the day. That could be breakfast and dinner or lunch and dinner, depending on what I eat for each meal. If I have a smoothie, for instance, I don’t take Forskolin and 7-Keto with that meal.

One concern I had about Forskolin was its expense, but the way I look at it now is that what I’m saving by not eating as much as I used to eat more than makes up for the expense. I just purchased my second bottle of Forskolin and my second bottle of 7-Keto and my food is lasting longer!

So does Forskolin really work to get rid of belly fat? Absolutely! I don’t know what kinds of results you’ll get, but I’m very happy with mine so far. I have many more inches to lose, but I hope that I’ll be able to wear my bathing suit by July without a bunch of flab folding out over the bottom, and when that blousy top blows in the wind, I won’t be embarrassed when it exposes my future blubberless belly.

Added information – in my zeal for better health, I have incorporated Dr. Oz’s suggestions in a couple of my food preparations that might also contribute to my belly burn (adding spices listed above).

My smoothie consists of whatever fruits and veggies I have on hand, (such as fresh bananas, frozen strawberries {the fresh ones go bad too quickly}, carrots, and fresh spinach), yogurt, a couple of sprinkles of cinnamon, a teaspoon of honey, a teaspoon of peanut butter, and a couple of sprinkles of cayenne pepper. The cayenne pepper, which has capsicum, adds some zing to my smoothie, and since peppers are supposed to aid in melting belly fat, I feel I’m helping the Forskolin do its job more efficiently.

My dip for veggies (I hate eating raw vegetables without dips) consists of 16 oz greek yogurt, a package of dry vegetable or onion soup mix, and spices, including cayenne pepper, white pepper, and sea salt, or garlic sea salt.


So bottom line, is this – for me, Forskolin is working! If I see more amazing results over the next few weeks, I’ll update my blog, but for now, I’m very happy with my belly burn progress. I’m not where I want to be yet, but I can see me getting there now!

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Monday, December 30, 2013

Drain Cleaner that REALLY WORKS!




When I moved into my manufactured home October, 2007, one bathroom sink was clogged. I tried various products to get it to unclog, but nothing seemed to work. After a while, I just gave up and used a different sink (that bathroom had two sinks). 

But when I bought a small set of drawers to set up in the bathroom, I needed to use the clogged sink, and I went in search of a powerful drain cleaner I hoped would finally work.

And I found it! Pro-Strength Liquid-Plumr Full Clog Destroyer! I followed directions exactly as they were written. Funny, I thought. The directions say to pour a full bottle down the drain s-l-o-w-l-y. How else would anything go down that drain? The only way down was slowly. So I stood there and allowed the bottle to empty very slowly anyway – I didn't want in any way to screw up the possibility that my sink wouldn't drain properly.

But then I discovered another problem when I read that after 15 minutes I had to flush the drain with warm water. How was that going to work? It takes nearly a full minute and sometimes longer for the water to become warm in that bathroom, because it is so far away from the water heater.

But – success! – I came up with a remedy. I set the timer for 14 minutes and ran hot water in the bath for that minute. I grabbed a bucket, filled it with hot water and tons of expectations, poured it down the sink 15 minutes after I had poured the Pro-Strength Liquid-Plumr Full Clog Destroyer, and THE CLOG WAS GONE!

Don't you just love when something actually works?



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Friday, August 9, 2013

Tangle Teezer Brush Really Works!




When I first saw the commercial for the Tangle Teezer, I thought, "That will never work on MY hair!" My whole life, my hair has been wiry. Getting the snarls out of my hair got even worse after I got cancer – I lost all my hair and when it grew back in, it was even more wiry and suddenly curly as well.

I dreaded shower time, because my pre-shower ritual consisted of brushing my hair until all the snarls came out, a job that took for EVER, because brushing hurt, and I had to pull the brush through my hair very slowly! So the commercial intrigued me and I thought that if the Tangle Teezer worked on me, it would work on anybody. 

One of my granddaughters (8), whose hair is about 2 feet long, HATES having her hair brushed. She hangs on to her head and winces, complaining the whole time that it hurts, so when I got the Tangle Teezer, I tried it on her first. The Tangle Teezer didn't hurt her at all! Seems promising, I thought. I couldn't wait to try it on my own hair.

That night before I showered, I tried the Tangle Teezer. I should tell you first about how I tested this product. I was in North Carolina visiting my son for the past month and a half when I saw the ad for the Tangle Teezer. On the day I ordered it, I vowed to shower without brushing my hair for the entire week and a half that it took for me to get home, where my Tangle Teezer would be waiting for me. I wanted to give this brush a true test of its worth.

Guess what! After a week and a half of not brushing my hair AT ALL and trying this brush for the first time, I discovered that this brush is PHENOMENAL! I will NEVER use another brush. After a week and a half of not brushing my wiry cancer hair, I ran this brush through my hair and watched it glide from top to bottom effortlessly! With each stroke I became more and more amazed. It worked, it didn't hurt, AND it got the snarls out.

If I gave stars, and 5 was the most I gave, I would add another 20 for this product. I don't know HOW the Tangle Teezer works, I can't figure out WHY the Tangle Teezer works, but I can tell you THAT it works – absolutely! 

The ads for this product are completely truthful. I sincerely do not understand why this brush is so different from all the other brushes. It makes no sense to me that anything could take out tangles pain-free, especially after a week and a half of no brushing, but the Tangle Teezer lives up to its promise and I have become a forever fan!

You can purchase Tangle Teezer from any Sally Beauty Supply shop or go online (where I purchased mine) at SallyBeauty.com. The brush is expensive but SO WORTH IT!

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Friday, July 12, 2013

Refirm? Don't Bother!


Let me be upfront about something – and I realize I'm outing myself here – but I have a LOT of belly fat, so when I heard the commercial for Refirm, I thought to myself that if Refirm really works, as the "doctor" in the commercial claims it will, I owe it to myself to give Refirm a try.

First problem: Refirm is EXPENSIVE, but I'm worth it right? Yes – I am – IF REFIRM WORKED! It doesn't! 

Any time I see a product that claims it will get rid of belly fat and it comes with a plan that also includes a change in diet and an exercise program, I decide right then and there that the product probably DOES NOT WORK without the diet plan and the exercise program! Why not just institute the diet plan and exercise program WITHOUT the product?

Why?

Because if the product truly worked, it should stand alone as a working product. Refirm claimed that it had proven results. I'm generally not very trusting of commercials, but this one was convincing.

Secondly the commercial states something to the effect that if you lose more than 10 pounds in 10 days, Refirm implores you to go back to the store where you purchased it and readjust your plan. What a bunch of BS.


Yeah, that was the line that was supposed to cinch the deal. Wow! 10 pounds in 10 days! Sign me up, right? WRONG! I was already exercising and I was already following a healthy diet. I just wanted to get rid of my belly fat. I took the pills as I was supposed to and – guess what! I DIDN'T LOSE EVEN ONE POUND with Refirm.

To me, if a product truly works, it works. It doesn't require a special diet or a special exercise program. It works because it works. And in this case, Refirm does NOT work! I weigh exactly the same now as I did 6 weeks ago.

It probably would be better for me to start a new program – on my own, without Refirm. I have a plan and I'll let you know if it works. I'm waiting until the middle of August when I return home to the midwest. In the meantime don't waste your money on Refirm.

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Thursday, July 11, 2013

Breast Cancer and the Genie Bra



In 2009 I was diagnosed with breast cancer. I underwent a lumpectomy and had both radiation and chemotherapy. What I haven't been able to do since that lumpectomy is wear a bra. Not that I mind, but some clothes require a bra and I couldn't wear one until ...

One day, my youngest daughter told me that her upscale consignment boutique had just gotten in some Genie bras and she thought that I might be able to wear them. I was suspicious. Every bra I'd ever tried on hurt, because my cancer was located just under my right breast at the point where an underwire would scrape and push on it. Imagine somebody placing a large hard rock just under the underwire on your bra and having to walk around with that huge lump ever present. What happened was that the surgery effectively replaced my 4-centimeter-wide lump with close to 6 centimeters of rock-hard scar tissue.



So when anybody suggested I try on anything that had elastic of any kind, I soon discovered that I couldn't wear it.

Until I tried on the Genie bra. For three and a half years I went without a bra, and still do for some summer clothes, but now I know I can wear those nearly-see-through tops again with my new Genie bras.

I'd like to thank the makers of Genie Bras for making a bra so comfortable that even breast cancer survivors with rock-hard scar tissue can wear them. I've included links to the Genie Bra for anyone looking for comfort after breast cancer surgery. Just click anywhere you find Genie. Of if an ad appears above this post, you can click that.



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Tuesday, July 9, 2013

Bling it On (Your Graphics)



Thanks to Linda Herder, I learned about a web site that brings a little bling to graphics and photos. Want your graphics to sparkle? Want to fix your photos? I don't need to write a long blog about it. All you have to do is check it out. Click FotoFlexer and sign up! 



NOTE: When you get to the part that says, "Save to my computer," nothing may show up, but when you look on your computer you'll find it, so Bling it On with FotoFlexer!

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Sunday, June 23, 2013

SOLEIL Best Self Tanning Product I've Ever Used



Last year my youngest daughter introduced me to Lancome's SOLEIL, Expert Sun CareFlash Bronzer. The tanning salon she visited sold it. What I wanted to know was why, if she was getting such great results with this tanning product, did she even need to go tanning. 

She had lost a tube of SOLEIL (very expensive {$37}) and had to purchase another one. Then she found the tube she lost and she gave the older one to me. I applied it and within an hour I saw results. So I tried it the next day and the next. Though my skin doesn't tan well, even in the sun, people asked me if I'd been on vacation.



The expense of this product could be lower, but I guess that when you sell a product that works better than any comparable product and people see the results, SOLEIL can ask whatever price it wants. (If anybody from Lancome is reading this blog, please don't be so greedy – lower the price so everybody can use it.)

SOLEIL doesn't streak, dry out the skin, or turn the skin yellow. The Vitamin E in the product assures silky smooth skin. This year, my daughter hasn't had a minute to spend in a tanning bed. I'm grateful – not that she doesn't have a minute to relax, but that she can't find time to sit in a tanning bed – skin cancer runs on both sides of her family, so I'm glad she can achieve the same great tanning results with SOLEIL.



The product I used came with no SPF protection, so if your SOLEIL Flash Bronzer purchase comes with no sun protection, make sure to add sun protection. You might have to go to your nearest tanning salon to purchase the product or you can find it online. 

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