So the course is over and the results are in. I think it is abundantly apparent, as can be seen by my Results, that it has been an outstanding success.
I have lost about 4.5kg - 5kg, my fitness has greatly improved and to a certain extent so has my strength. I have not lost as much as I was aiming for, but I am extremely happy with the results. More on that later.
But first, the question to answer is "Would I have lost the same amount of weight or more without the Adrenaline XR and Estro-test?"
This is a hard question to answer and truly I think I have to say "Yes, I could have". However here is the rub, WOULD I have? I think the answer to this is "No".
Here's why. First and foremost I found the pills gave me the energy and stamina to keep on going. Initially my cardio levels were low and without the pills it would have been harder to 'push on'. When I was physically tired I could still keep going, this in itself is a huge bonus, as I firmly believe one of the main keys to losing weight is continuous motion. After doing a run at lunch time and really pushing hard, I was able to backup with a solid Karate session in the evening.
Secondly, by committing to the course it provided a bit of discipline. Even for a highly motivated and self-disciplined person, this can't be under estimated. But, reflecting back on my first point, the pills made that motivation and self-discipline easier by providing a certain level of 'encouragement'.
Thirdly, as my results show, the weight loss and fitness improvements were very quick. I lost 2kg and all my measurements came down in the first week. There is nothing like instant gratification to spur you on! Importantly though, the losses continued at a more or less constant rate which again is hugely motivating. When trying to lose weight there is nothing more demotivating than being REALLY, REALLY good and training hard and the scales don't go down.
Now the next question to ask is "What about side effects, what are the negatives?"
Well, firstly DO NOT take the Adrenaline XR and Estro-test on an empty stomach. If you want nausea, feeling lightheaded and a general feeling of "I am going to throw up", be my guest and give it a go! You don't have to have a lot, I found just a glass of fresh 100% pure fruit juice was sufficient.
Secondly, I only did it once, but two rest days in a row are inadvisable. I don't think I mentioned it in my posts at the time but certainly after two days I had a little too much energy to burn.
Thirdly, Mark advised me to take the Adrenaline XR in the morning. The bottle says "Take 20 minutes before training". This is sound advice, as once or twice when I knew I was going to go hard I delayed taking them in the morning and took them before exercise. BUT and I stress BUT unless you really do "go hard" and don't kid yourself here, I would not advise it. Especially don't take them at night, not that I tried but I think it would be a sleepless night for you. I personally would not take them in the evening and do a 3 hour seriously hard Karate session.
Fourthly, I found that my internal core temperature was quite a lot higher, by that I mean I got hot and sweated easily. DUH! The Adrenaline XR is a stimulant and designed to do this. Just be aware of it.
Fifthly, in the first week I found, on a work front, I was a little demotivated or just plain old naafi, but this passed really quickly. I think maybe I just wanted to be out there training!
Sixthly, I didn't have any mood swings, anger, loss of appetite, loss of libido, loss of sleep etc.
Thus on the negative side I would have to say "Not much really!"
So all in all I am 100% convinced that the Adrenaline XR and Estro-test have done the business and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend them.
However they are NOT a magic panacea, you still have to put in a bit of hard work and eat healthily - something you should be doing anyway!
So now to my earlier point about not losing as much as I hoped for. I certainly could have lost more if I had "gone harder". However I made a very conscious decision right in the beginning to try and be as 'normal' as possible. I know not everyone out there has Green Smoothie for breakfast and salad for lunch, but in general my eating is, I think, pretty normal.
The hardcore out there would say I should have "cut the carbs", "dropped the alcohol", "run every day and hit the weights" blah blah blah. But you know what? For a 40 something year old who works a darn hard 55 hour a week (including travel), Pizza, a few beers and a glass of red wine on a Friday night is OK. Also having a rest day is OK, there is no point in absolutely flogging yourself to the point where you either injure yourself or you are simply too sore to train. Again it comes back down to continuous motion.
So I really, really do believe if you are a little (or a lot) overweight, a little (or a lot) unfit, it is well worth giving the Adrenaline XR and Estro-test a go.
Just be prepared to maybe cut back on your food intake, do a bit of exercise and I would be astounded if you don't have a positive outcome.
Good luck.