Great responses Re: Xenical and strength training.
I see Xenical as something antabuse (which alcoholics take because it makes them deathly ill if they consume alcohol). Nothing like a little adversion therapy. NOT!
Rather than take chemicals RR why not try Rhodiola rosea?
Rhodiola rosea (also Golden Root, Rose Root, Roseroot, Aaron's Rod, Arctic root, King's Crown, Lignum Rhodium, Orpin Rose) is a plant in the Crassulaceae family that grows in cold regions of the world. These include much of the Arctic, the mountains of Central Asia, the Rocky Mountains, and mountainous parts of Europe, such as the Alps, Pyrenees, Carpathian Mountains, Scandinavia, Iceland, Great Britain and Ireland. The perennial plant grows in areas up to 2280 meters elevation. Several shoots grow from the same thick root. Shoots reaches 5 to 35 cm in height. Rhodiola rosea is dioecious - having separate female and male plants.
Rhodiola rosea may be effective for improving mood and alleviating depression. Pilot studies on human subjects[2][3][4] showed that it improves physical and mental performance, and may reduce fatigue.
Rhodiola rosea's effects are potentially mediated by changes in serotonin and dopamine levels due to monoamine oxidase inhibition and its influence on opioid peptides such as beta-endorphin,[5] although these specific neurochemical mechanisms have not been clearly documented with scientific studies.
Rhodiola is included among a class of plant derivatives called adaptogens which differ from chemical stimulants, such as nicotine, and do not have the same physiological effects.
In Russia and Scandinavia, Rhodiola rosea has been used for centuries to cope with the cold Siberian climate and stressful life.[6][citation needed] Such effects were provided with evidence in laboratory models of stress using the nematode C. elegans,[7] and in rats in which Rhodiola effectively prevented stress-induced changes in appetite, physical activity, weight gain and the estrus cycle.[8]
You can get it online or at Holland and Barratts.
Also, consider reading "The Skinny Rules" by Bob Harper. I've recently started trying to follw them and have lost four pounds in less than 10 days. I'm at my lowest 2012 weight and am a notoriously slow loser. it is a way of eating -- lifestyle changes - so, if I get the weight off this way, there is a very good chance it will stay off! BTW he advocates strength training and taking CLA to help build muscle, as you do strength train.
