Lose Weight the Sensa way! Oh really?

Wow, Sensa, sounds great. Use it like salt, you can lose up to 30 pounds quickly.

What a deal! Right?

Think again. Okay, now, think again. This is an old topic. But it's endemic of these kinds of things. Do be aware. When something sounds too good, do consider it probably is. Hard work usually pays off best.

According to Health Hound web site, Sensa's claims are questionable, at best. Check it out:

"[Sensa's] Dr. Hirsch claims there was a peer reviewed study supporting the claim that subjects lost over thirty pounds using Sensa (versus the control group that lost only 2 pounds). The claim is that this study was peer reviewed by the Endocrine Society. The Endocrine Society says they did not review the study. On ABC’s 20/20 news they stated that, “they were surprised and troubled by the promotional nature of his presentation”. In fact, none of the internal “studies” are confirmed by any respectable body."

That would be bad enough to wise you up to at least, "wise up", but there's more.

"Customers simply don’t appear to be happy. Please go through the comments below. It appears Sensa’s free trial offer is kind of tricky. It is not only on this blog, but all over the web… Community doesn’t lie.

So aside from not losing weight, people are getting charged $89 not once, but twice before they are able to stop the billing. And getting a refund doesn’t seem to be that easy. In short, it appears to be one of those over aggressive marketing organizations that I love so much."

So, it sounds like these guys are your worst nightmare as far as taking a chance on a product. Of course, Health Hound has an alternative, but rather than that, check out a real backed up program. Some of the most notable food in a box programs, do work but are expensive; they help because they are easy. You open the right box at the right time and eat what's there. Follow the program, you lose weight. Exercise, you lose more.

According to an article on the Mayo Clinic's site by, Katherine Zeratsky, R.D., L.D."

"Alan Hirsch, M.D., who developed Sensa, says proof of its effectiveness comes from a six-month study he conducted in which participants lost an average of 15 percent of their body weight. The makers of Aroma Patch and SlimScents point to another study by Dr. Hirsh to bolster their claims. That study, which was reported in a medical journal, showed that volunteers who used an aroma inhaler lost an average of 2 percent of their body weight over six months. Neither one of these studies looked at whether participants were able to maintain the weight loss.

"So can these weight-loss products lead to significant, sustainable weight loss? The jury is still out on that question. Even the makers of these weight-loss products acknowledge that losing weight comes down to diet and exercise. It makes more sense, then, to skip the scents and focus on what's proven to work — reducing the calories you consume and increasing the calories you burn through exercise"

Exactly, it still takes effort to lose weight. That starts with attitude. You have to want change to effect change.

For a different kind, try Kinetix, backed by Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Utah's Blue Shield groups so much that they bought the company. I tried it a couple of years ago and it worked pretty well for me. I steadily lost weight and felt much better.

The final word on this is that there is no magic dust you can sprinkle on your food to lose weight. It still takes balance and effort (exercise, denying eating at the wrong times, like after two hours before bedtime). Smaller meals and snacks, properly spread out through the day, watching your intake and output, like someone said, its really a numbers game, take in the right amount, put out the right amount. The rest just happens.

Eat right, workout, you lose weight. Start now. It's January. Begin today, by time its summer, you will appreciate it. Don't be caught in the Summer, thinking, "if I had only started in January, I'd be there now."

Just do it.

The HealthCare Disease after Heart Disease

NOTE: I just wanted to say, to those of you who have donated money to help this family out this week, from them and myself, Thank You So Much!

A very good friend of mine recently had a serious scare in his life. He almost lost the person closest to him in his life, aside from his daughter, that is.

I've known him since I was having trouble in my own life back in 1992 around the time we first met. He was the nicest guy in the world and working at a local establishment that has a fond spot in my heart. A local brew pub called The Big Time Ale House on the "Ave" in the "U District" in Seattle. My marriage was disintegrating around me. I had a four year old boy. I had bills. I ended up living in a house where I rented a room from the woman who was leasing the house. It was a sad period in my life.

At one point, I was working two full time jobs so that I could get enough money to buy my son a Christmas present. I had been eating top ramen for my one meal per day. I got a second job at a bakery making Pasty's. I was working for a Ex Pat Brit who also ran a Pub on the "Ave" called The Unicorn. During this time I was hanging with this friend in my off time when he was available. A bright light in an otherwise dark period.

Then he moved to California for a while and we lost touch. After a whille he moved up to Portland and eventually got married and had a daughter, Mollie. Recently his wife, had a medical scare and we were quite worried but she came through it. They came through it, but as our health care is in America (and don't get me started on that topic), they are now left with bills from it.

They are good people, they are hard working, small business people. The started a business last year cleaning houses. The two of them. Now, just he can do it. They got their dream started up, things were going well, then this happened. To me, they are the cream of America, and they need help.

If you've ever had a medical condition and came through it, but were left with large bills from it, then you know that the bills can be almost as devestating emotionally, as the original condition that almost killed you. I never understood that about healthcare. "Great, I survived, but the stress is killing me anyway and I may have a heart attack just from that!"

The other day, on her own, their daughter Mollie put up a donations page. They didn't ask for it. She just wanted to do something to help. So I figured that the least I could do, after donating what I could, was to give others the opportunity to help too. If everyone that reads my blog were to donate $10, just $10, it would pay off their medical bills.

So, please, consider it.

All I want to do now is to post their daughter's words from her donations page and, if you feel moved, please help them out with anything. $20? $10? Even $5 would help, if enough people donated.

So here she is and thank you for your time and consideration. This isn't something you will ever see me do very often.

My name is Mollie and I am 18 years old. On December 26, my mom began experiencing severe chest pains. I called 911, not knowing what was really happening as they drove her to the nearest hospital. The next day, after testing, doctors informed us that she had a minor heart attack and needed to be moved to a bigger hospital where she could have her Angiogram. A few days later the heart surgeon suggested a triple bypass as her best option. For a diabetic with heart disease and three stints put in 11 years ago, he believed that bypass surgery would be the most beneficial to her. We were all scared, but we encouraged her to go through with the surgery.

December 31 my mother had her surgery. After many anxious hours I got word that all went well, though she ended up needing a quadruple bypass instead of a triple. January 5, 2013 my mom came home. Though she is getting better every day, she is still in the process of recovering. 

My parents own a house cleaning business; however, since my mother will be out of work for up to four months my dad has completely taken over, while I stay at home. I am a full time college student, while also taking care of my mom in her recovery. 

With a huge amount of hospital bills, regular expenses, the cost of medication, and daily needs, we are very tight on money. We understand everyone is going through hard times right now, so any amount will help. Thank you for listening to our story and support my family in this difficult time. God bless.

So, that was Mollie. Thank you for your time.

Here is the link to the donations page.