Zi Xiu Tang

So it’s Warrior Wednesday and I’ve got 20 weeks until the Warrior Dash. I’m not one bit worried and I’m feeling stronger than ever.

Exercise is going well. Joining the Tae Kwon Do class was the best thing I ever did. I’m motivated to show up, to progress, and to lose weight. And then there’s the Zi Xiu Tang supplement I’ve been taking on and off for about 3 weeks. Between the exercise and the supplement, I’ve lost 10 pounds.

The main ingredient of Zi Xiu Tang is bee pollen, but there are a bunch of other herbal-type ingredients, too. A friend recommended it and I’m pretty willing to give these herbal concoctions a try. So far, so good. Several reviews said that it’s mainly a laxative, but other reviews said they’ve changed the formula. Bottom line is that I am not hungry at all. I don’t feel any laxative effect, but it makes me a little jittery about an hour after I take it. Not bad, just that Energizer Bunny feeling for a while. I’m not typically sensitive to caffeine or other stimulants, so your mileage may vary.

I’m so not hungry that I can only take the supplement every other day, otherwise I think I might not eat. While it’s nice that I have no desire for food, the fact is that I can’t take this stuff forever. At some point I have to learn some discipline in my diet. Still working on that. The plan is to use the supplement to help get the weight off, and then develop the discipline to keep it off.

Discipline. Sometimes I hate that word. Like when I really want french fries and chocolate and cherry martinis. Or when my kids just don’t want to cooperate on anything. It’s easy to give in and shrug your shoulders. It’s easy to let it go just this time. Except that just this time quickly turns into every day. And that’s no good. Just this time will never strengthen my discipline.

On a somewhat related note… I’m wondering how you feel about crying in front of your children? Does it make you appear weak? Please join the conversation on my Facebook page.

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