Just a bit of food for thought, the drug companies that are trying to get a "new" drug approved by the FDA are the same drug companies that are PAYING for that testing process. Quite frankly, I don't trust any of them. Plants were created for a purpose, many of them do have healing properties that those drug companies some people put so much stock in would go to any lengths to keep people from learning about or believing in. Tell me, what would happen if the world was to find out that ACV could help with Acid Reflux and/or chronic indigestion? *Grins* Exactly. They'd stop buying "the purple pill" and start buying ACV. Personally, I trust the products that God made before I'd trust those which are man made. ACV is made from apples. The "mother" mentioned in this thread are simply vital nutrients and minerals our bodies benefit from which are lost in the pasteurization process of the "grocery store" brands. ACV is acidic by nature, but when your body burns it, the ash created by the process of converting it to calories is "Base" in nature, which balances out the body's Ph. There ARE health benefits of ACV, many. But you'll never see a "clinical trial" of ACV. Why? Well think about it. Who pays the bills in a clinical trial? What drug company would want it proven clinically that ACV does the same thing as their "wonder pill?" Not to mention many prescription drugs are based after that which occurs naturally in nature. Personally, I have taken ACV for over 3 years now. I have gone from a jean size 24 to a jean size 8. But you must remember that no "weight loss" product, no exercise, nothing works overnight. It is a gradual process. My advice? If you're going to try ACV, then make a commitment to stay on it for at least 3 months. That's how long it took before I began to see results. The first thing I noticed was that my craving for junk food began to wane. I began to crave healthy food. I began to drink more water, I began to get full faster. I had more energy, I felt better. But I've also not been sick in 3 years. I've had kids with bad colds standing over me while I'm kneeling down at work and coughing right in my face, and not gotten sick. No stuffy noses, no sore throats, no flu. The only time I had a problem was when I stopped taking it for a few months. I didn't realize how much ACV doing for me until then. I was miserable, I just felt like crap. And within that 2 month time frame, I gradually began to go back to eating junk. Within a few weeks of going back on ACV, I felt much, much better. Most of the weight loss I experienced occurred during the first 6 months, mainly during a 2-3 month time frame. Within a few months, I'd noticed that my clothes were a bit big. 6 months after beginning, I went up and tried on clothes to find that I was a size 10. Concerned that there might be another reason for my weight loss I went to the doctor, and was told that I was in perfect...

Good for you! Weight loss can be slow but as long as you're setting goals and heading for a number you're more comfortable with, you'll get there. Congratulations on a fantastic beginning to a new you!

I'm new to this forum and just now starting to seriously think about losing from 230lbs to 175lbs. I know diabetics eat smaller meals four times a day with a snack in-between each meal. This keeps their metabolism working at top speed and evenly paced throughout the day, but it's too hard for me to do. Also the more water you drink the more smoothly your metabolism works. I lost 47lbs 4 years ago and kept it off for a year. Then life broadsided me. now I'm right back where I started. The water before each meal is a tried-and-true technique to increase any efforts made by a dieter, so I'll definitely do that. I had a Gastroenterologest, stomach specialist, tell me that any thing i ate one hour or more after sunset turned increasingly faster to fat and that the digestive track doesn't start normal function again until an hour before sunrise. So when I was dieting before I quit eating sunset to sunrise. And walking is my favorite exercise. It's a 3 mile walk to go around the block I live on, so that is where I start. The water, eating hours, and walking worked for me before, so I guess they are what I'll try again. Good luck and let someone know what you decide to do, it helps somehow to tell. l.marie

I live the Virgin diet every day. It should be called the Virgin Lifestyle. This is a good diet for people with intolerances and who have a very difficult time losing weight, but it's great for everyone I think because it makes complete sense and is super natural. It's a ten-week plan to lose weight and discover intolerances. Take out 7 foods for three weeks then reintroduce them one at a time for the next seven weeks. Below I've explained the reasons for taking out these 7 foods. Gluten: contains lectins that bind to insulin, which creates insulin resistance and can make your blood sugars rise, making it hard to lose weight. Gluten is also an inflammatory. Soy: a phyto-estrogen, a plant source of the hormone estrogen. It's also heavily genetically modified. Dairy: like gluten, acts as an isulin resistant. It's nearly impossible to find hormone-free milk. So, hormones and rising blood sugar=acne and fat. There are studies out there that show countries with the highest dairy consumption have the highest levels of osteoporosis. On the contrary, countries that rely on calcium rich foods have a much lower rate of osteoporosis. I've read that the pasturization process of milk breaks down the protein that allows our bodies to absorb the calcium. I believe all this but there is still a huge debate about it. Corn: inflammatory and a high-glycemic food Peanuts: inflammatory and high in lectins. Eggs: inflammatory. If you have sensitivity to corn and soy, eggs might affect you because the chickens are probably fed corn and soy. I have a huge intolerance to fat so another reason eggs bother me. Sugar: we all know that's bad! And don't be fooled by agave necter...higher in fructose than high fructose corn syrup. I'm 5'8 and was 148 lbs. I'm now 135 and holding. In two weeks, my injured knee from subluxation over a year before wasn't hurting and felt stronger. My ankles reduced by 1/2 inch, something I thought was genetic but I guess was just excess fluid. I never really had bad acne, but what I did have cleared up and my blackheads reduced significantly. Also, my menstrual cycle went from seven days to three. My head felt clearer and I had more energy. I rarely have wind or bloated belly as well. The cellulite on my legs reduced by about 50%. I made a point to not exercise the first three weeks to see how effective just changing my diet was. ALL these changes happened without exercise, though of course after the three weeks I went back to yoga. I don't think everyone needs to cut out all of these foods. I also know some people won't have as many changes as I did. But I don't see how it will hurt to try, just to see what changes might happen to you! I think JJ knows what she's talking about. In regards to sticking to it, I cheat every once in a while but I usually feel so bad when I do that I find myself cheating a lot less. Good luck!