I have heard a lot about the magic of Activated Charcoal Pills. So I decided to take it on a test run for weight loss.
I have to keep a fairly strict diet in order to stay a stable weight. . . and an even stricter diet in order to lose any weight.
I am Gluten-Free, Low sugar, and Low Carb in order to maintain my weight.
But once or twice a month, an event comes around that I decide is worth splurging. I’ve noticed the rhythm of weight gain/loss enough with my body that I know exactly what happens after a night of indulgence.
Day after:
I wake up with a stomach ache, and slight queasy feeling. I also am hungrier the next day, and I am up 1-2 pounds.
2 days after:
Assuming that I ate healthy yesterday, I would still gain another 3-4 pounds. an aftermath of the indulgent day.
3 days after:
My weight is at a standstill, or has gone down a pound.
4 days after:
(or 4th day of eating healthy) I lose 2-3 more pounds and I may be back to weight.
5 days:
I am for sure back to starting weight.
So as you can see, it can be a 5 day process to get over a splurge.
Well, Activated Charcoal Pills have started the rounds, claiming to a legitimate way of ‘fixing everything’ that is wrong with your body.
So I asked myself “Could Activated Charcoal pills fix a night of splurging?”
Most articles that I read just raved about activated charcoal. There was one here, that talked about the dangers of eating it. and I quite agree. Before I even put one pill into my mouth, I promised myself that I would not use this technique more than once a month if it indeed worked.
Ok. So here I go.
I had a church Christmas party I attended. it was a perfect time to try it. The sweet southern ladies brought so much turkey, ham, pies, cakes, mac and cheese, egg salad, mashed potatoes, cookies brownies. . . you name it, it was there!
I loaded up a good 2 (cough, 3) plates full and I ate till I was pretty much sick, and it was yummy! About 20 minutes after my first bite, I took 2 Activated Charcoal Pills. about 4 hours later after I got home, I took 2 more pills, just for good measure.
I was worried about what the effect would be on my body while I was not at home. But everything was fine.
The next day
I woke up and paid attention to my stomach. it felt a little off, but not the same strong tummy ache as usual. Awesome!
Then I stepped on the scale: 4 pounds!
Not my favorite news, but ok.
2 days after.
2 extra pounds.
At that point I had to admit the truth. It didn’t help all that much. I would call the activated charcoal a failure. Which is really too bad.
Well, here I am, 5 days post-partying,
and I have actually regretted my decision to take activated charcoal pills. Apparently it’s really good at stopping diarrhea. So I now am having bloated constipation because of it.
But never fear. I actually know a natural way to fix that. It’s called magnesium. The body loves magnesium, and when it gets more than it needs, it will just be ‘passed through’ in a rather fast way. So fun fact for you.
I guess I will go back to my “strict, yet effective way of getting through holiday bloat”
My Tried and True method of losing Holiday Bloat
First. Let’s talk supplements. Making sure your body has what you need is always essential in every day eating and all diets.
Salt, magnesium, Calcium, a good multivitamin. are all important.
To add to this, I have low body temperature, which makes burning calories excessively hard. so I also take Cayenne Pepper pills to help get my temperature up.
I also keep apple cider vinegar with the mother on hand.
A small bit in a large cup of water is A, refreshing, B, helps keep your blood sugar stable, and C, can help you lose your appetite for snacking on unhealthy things.
Breakfast.
First, to be clear, I follow a ketogenic diet to lose weight. Carb control has been the ONLY way that has ever worked for me. But I do a more strict form of keto, called the Egg Fast, when i’m trying to bounce back.
Hold off on breakfast till you actually feel hunger. Your body has enough to deal with from the previous days, giving it a break is ok (intermittent fasting) Scientifically speaking, this would be an ideal time to take advantage of natural Autophagy.
The first couple of days after splurging, can be a big shock to your body if you put it straight into fasting mode (calorie deficit). So the first 2 days, I concentrate on zero gluten, zero sugar, and low carb, but NOT low calorie.
I eat 3 eggs in the morning. Eventually the eggs will be plain with butter and seasonings. But for the first 2 days, they’ll be omelettes with cheese, onions, peppers, spinach, etc in it. topped with salsa.
Eat lunch when hungry.
Again, don’t just eat because it’s time, eat when you feel hunger. At first, that might be quite soon after breakfast because your body was used to eating a lot. But as the days go on, the time might stretch longer between meals
I have sliced turkey/ham/chicken/tuna etc. wrapped with cheese and lettuce for lunch. Then handfuls of pecans till satisfied. (I also have pecans or almonds as snacks in between meals)
Dinner:
3 eggs omellette. or leftover protein, veggies and cheese. (any keto recipe will do here)
After the first 2 days, I will focus more on eggs and less on the other things. I found I lose weight more effectively without the cheese and red meats.
After the first 2 days, is when its time to go into a calorie deficit. 7 eggs + 7 T oil, (egg fast) will give you adequate calories to live, but at a loss so you can lose weight.
And if you are taking the supplements, you will have everything you need to live.
I also keep pecans, meat, green veggies, and cheese on hand if I need more. but they are in the background of the day.
After the 2 days, I will eat only the 3 eggs for a late breakfast. a handful or 2 of pecans for lunch, then 3 eggs for an early dinner (I eat before I make dinner for my family so i’m not tempted)
. But I don’t feel bad if I eat a little bit of the meat or veggies that I serve at dinner. But I know I had the minimum I need for nourishment, so I don’t feel desperate to eat anything.
Sometimes, especially around the Holidays, it might take me up to 2 weeks to return to my pre-feasting weight. 2 weeks might sound like a ridiculous amount of time to be eating eggs. . . But it is the holidays. Usually I only have to follow this plan for a 3-5 days recovery after I splurge (once or twice a month). Not bad really.
So here it is:
Activated Charcoal Pills = Doesn’t help with overeating.
Eggs = faster recovery.
