I would like to know your views, please, on Sensa! I am 5’1″ and weigh 129. I am looking a Fat Loss 4 Idiots, the Nuphedrine, or Sensa, but would like your opinion. I work at a desk and then go to take care of my mother. I should be walking more, and am not happy about this weight…thanks for your assistance. –Terri B.

Dear Terri,

Sensa is a powdered form of a digestible carbohydrate that is flavored with sweet and salty tastes. You sprinkle it on your food before eating and it promises to heighten your senses of smell and taste so that you are more quickly satisfied. It’s up to you, though, to stop eating when you notice you are full. People who aren’t in touch with their hunger and satiety (fullness) sensations may continue to eat until their plate is cleared and have a difficult time losing weight. I don’t personally know of anyone who has tried this, although the website directs you to a couple of studies that have been conducted showing people lose an average of 30 pounds in 6 months.

Fat Loss for Idiots is a program that teaches you how to eat smarter: choose lower calorie foods, eat smaller meals, stop when you’re full, eat more frequently, etc. It also recommends walking 30 minutes a day to increase your metabolism.

Nuphedrine is supposedly a concoction of herbal supplements that help you “burn fat” and lose weight. Supplements like these are not regulated by the Food and Drug Administration so there really isn’t anyone to attest to their safety or their effectiveness. Their website shows many examples of people who lost weight using this product, but they all have “results not typical” indicated below the before and after pictures–even one of a man who lost 18 pounds, which doesn’t seem like a lot of weight to lose.

Over all, you’d be best off saving your money and trying to eat smaller portions, notice when you are no longer hungry and stop eating then (don’t wait until you’re feeling stuffed; just stop once the hunger is no longer noticeable), and get in a few minutes of exercise a day. It doesn’t even have to be 30 minutes at a time: 10 minutes 3 times a day would be just as effective. It might just be a matter of taking the stairs instead of the elevator, parking a little farther away when you drive somewhere, and stopping for a moment before you eat something to decide if you are truly hungry!

Good Luck!