The major concern of most Filipino women are weight loss and skin whitening.  When Glutamax Slim came out on the market one could imagine the excitement.

The active ingredients per tablet is the 100-mg L-Carnitine, which shrinks fat cells, breaks down calories and allows fat to be used as energy.

The tablet also has 100 mg CLA (conjugated linoleic acid), which increases lean muscle mass and uses the fat cells as fuel to maintain the muscles and quicken metabolism.

Of course, the burning of fat/calories causes oxidation and therefore, cell damage, which contributes to aging; this is where 250-mg reduced glutathione teamed up with 50 mg sodium ascorbate comes in.  It repairs and reverses cell damage to slow down the aging process. But since you take at least two tablets a day the side effect surfaces faster which is whiter, softer and silkier skin.

Friends who have tried it noticed the weight loss first. As for me, the whitening and silky skin came first because on weekends I ended up consuming up to 1,250 mg of glutathione and 250 mg of sodium ascorbate a day.

The suppliers sent me four boxes (a total of 40 pieces) to test. You are instructed to take from one to three tablets after every meal. You are not to take it on an empty stomach.  What I did was take one if I had a heavy breakfast and none if my breakfast was medium to light.

My dose: one or two after lunch, depending on how heavy the meal is, and two after dinner, which is usually the heaviest meal of my day.  During pig-out weekends I would consume up to five tablets a day and honestly did not gain any weight by Monday.  On weekdays where I usually have brunch, three tablets are enough unless I get a heavy dinner.

Good and bad

Good effects:

• Bathroom habits became regular.
• I went to the bathroom twice a day and my waistline dropped two inches plus half inch off each thigh.
• I obtained the required energy to get through the day and even squeeze in aerobic activity.
• No dry mouth, headaches, palpitations or dizziness like prescription appetite suppressants or diet pills.
• Inch loss- weight loss was not impressive, but my pants fit better or slid down my hips. My  shirts were looser at the shoulders and waist.

The bad effects

• If you   hardly move the day you take them, you may get restless because your body is trying to get rid of that excess energy, so sleeping may be uncomfortable.  (Rainy season does not allow for brisk walking outdoors so I am restless at times.)
• You may experience frequent urination as you are expelling the excess fat and toxins.
• I lost only two pounds on day 11!  The logic here is that muscle weighs more than fat so pay attention to the inch loss over the pounds.
• When you stop, the energy level goes back to normal after two days and I gained the two pounds back after seven days.

Do not rely on the treatment solely for weight loss as it is expensive at P499 a box (which I consumed in just two days during pig-out weekends).  Instead think of it as something that will help you not gain weight even during weekend feasts when you indulge with your friends.

Any weight you lose because of Glutamax  Slim you consider a bonus.  Take advantage of the excess energy due to the L-carnitine and CLA/Tonalin by doing more aerobic activity and weight training, which will speed up the weight and inch loss.

Please consult your doctor if you have any history of prostrate, thyroid, high blood and heart problems, especially if you are considering taking extra L-Carnitine and CLA supplements on the side.

Glutamax is available at Watson’s.