I've just tried some slimming tea. It tasted so vile I couldn't manage more than 1 sip.

Does anyone have any idea what these teas contain and do they work? I assumed they were fake but they are so popular here I'm getting curious.

I have tried slimming teas before and how it works it you get diarrhea. Big time. I would drink them in the late afternoon and by 11 or 12 PM I'd run to the toilet a few times.

I was uneducated in nutrition back then. I thought it was weight I needed to lose, but now I know it's my fat percentage I needed to bring down.

When I first came here, I joined a gym to kill time. Now after four months of cardio and weight training I brought my fat percentage down from 26% to 18%. My goal is 15% and I'm in my eighth month.

I really do not recommend slimming teas. Absolutely foul. They don't work. They ruin your body. And when you gotta go, you'll do it in a bucket if you had to!

Most slimming teas contain ground up senna leaves, bark and whatnot. If the taste is too much for you, you can get it in pill form for about 170 NT. My pharmacy gave me another kind of pill which work just as well, at 150 NT for 100.

Most Chinese 'slimming teas' contain senna leaves and/or malva (either root or leaf) as their main ingredients. These are very harsh diuretics and loosen the bowels during the first 3 - 5 days. Extended use of these formulas can also cause electrolyte deficiencies and mineral/nutrient non-absorption.

A tea that you might try is Pu'er tea. A safer combination with much more pleasant taste and body effects.

Quite honestly, low carb diets are about the safest and most effective way to lose weight while leveling out your BP, lowering yr 'bad' cholesterol and increasing your energy. The ATKINS web site has some very good information.

Slinky darrrling,

You would be better off doing the Body For Life diet. You will lose the weight in 12 weeks, but it requires something--getting off your arse and into the gym as well as putting down those late night snacks and making healthy choices when stressful times hit....You can do it, just have to choose to ...

I've just been looking at the body for life website and it looks pretty good. However I'm living in a typical Taiwanese house and my kitchen has just 2 gas rings and a microwave - is it possible to cook suitabley / healthy food on this equipment?? Would the a#salmon and rice meal from Dante Coffee count as a suitable meal? Any more tips about how to follow this diet?

forget the slimming teas.. isn't there anywhere to get meal replacement shakes? like slimfast or something that at least comes in chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry flavor and that doesn't make you shit all day?

Yup, at Powerhouse by California Fitness on Zhongshiao E. Road. They carry all sorts of shakes, replacement drinks, and replacement bars.

are they actual meal replacement drinks used to diet, or just fitness protein drinks?

Here's their website: www.power-house.com.tw. I could be wrong, but I thought I saw replacement drinks there.