PGX by Natural Factors, Daily Singles Powder, 30 Packets

Before I go into the review I will give you my tips on taking this stuff. I can't swallow large pills and the pill version of this stuff is are huge pills, really hard to swallow, but I'm bad with pills. A friend who is an MD recommended this to me, she is very much against any sort of unregulated drugs and anything that promises "lose weight over night" type claims. She also detests anything that has a stimulant type effect. Her logic was that even if every claim that PGX made was false, there is nothing wrong with taking it. Good source of fiber and for those of us with poor diets, we are likely not even coming close to what we should have in fiber.First here is my recommendation on how to take PGX. After reading all the complaints about texture here is how I overcome it.Buy a water bottle with a large opening, do not use a "sport top" but rather a bottle you'd find at a supplement shop (just don't use any of the filters they have in them) or even any old rubbermaid plastic bottle, ideally something with markers for measurement. Key is one with a larger opening. I've also used plastic water bottles but since they are a pain to clean and a waste to throw out, you are better off with a reusable one.1.Fill up about 400ml of water, add the PGX mix AFTER i repeat AFTER you fill up your water.2. DRINK IT FAST. Yes this stuff will have the texture of really thin small gummies sort of like tapioca in bubble tea. If you drink it fast, and I'm talking about drinking 400ml in like 5-10 seconds fast, you won't taste anything besides some minor powder in your drink. If you casually sip it, or wait too long your going to get the full tapioca effect. It is truly unflavored so if you can deal with the texture it is not bad, but best bet is to drink it FAST.3. Slam 400ml of water right after, not doing so I've found can lead to cotton mouth. Don't sip this 400ml since they recommend you drink water immediately after and the longer you wait, whatever little bit of PGX you didn't drink will quickly thicken up.4. Eat healthy! :)5. Don't mix this stuff with food. I'm not even sure why they recommend this, it makes yogurt lumpy, eggs lumpy I haven't found anything that this mixes well with. The granular do not dissolve, they thicken, which this stuff is supposed to do. The instructions say drink water IMMEDIATELY after consuming, which since if it takes someone 5-30 minutes to eat a meal they "sprinkled" this stuff on how could they possibly drink that much water immediately after? I suppose it depends on your definition of immediate.The positives:I have been using PGX for just over 2 months and have lost 15 lbs, clothes started fitting better after a few weeks of PGX/Diet/Exercise. Is it magic? No. Will it help you feel more full and avoid cravings... yes. I'm up to 3-4 packets a day now and am truly amazed at how my diet has changed. I stopped taking it on weekends and noticed my "munchies" were more pronounced. I work a 9-6 life style and I figured hey, if I'm at work, working hard, I may as well eat healthy, just one more of my many responsibilities at work. Salad also takes a lot longer to finish than your typical junk fast food so its good to snack on at your desk while you work. Honestly it was hard at first but now I feel actually quite fed throughout the day.I now eat 500ml of greek yogurt for breakfast, do 50 minutes of running on the tread mill at lunch and come back to the office for a spinach salad. Carrots, bell peppers, green onion (much less work than regular onions to cut up), avocado, cucumber, zucchini and a bit of pine nuts is what goes into my salad. Also keep some fruit salad on hand, and in the case of unflavoured greek yogurt, throw it on top of the fruit.At first I was putting store bought guacamole (100 cal packs but fairly high in sodium) and plenty of feta cheese in my salad. After about a month I've successfully gone to a completely green, no dressing, no guac, no feta salad. I never thought I would see the day where I could eat something like this regularly. I love cheese, and can manage to skip the feta. I eat this 4 days a week, and I'm not even bored after 2 months. I couldn't eat at the same fast food place daily for 2 months!I still throw avocado in there but that's probably the worst part of my salad. 3 months ago the only vegetable I liked was potatoes. I now feel pretty satisfied with my salad and I put no meat or tuna on my salad. I've introduced chick peas to help it feel more filling. I am usually not hungry until about 6-7 pm when I finish work.. That is where it gets tricky (more on that later). Since i've only ate cold food for the day, I still crave a hot meal. However since I'm so proud that I've managed to stay full off mere yogurt and salad (I used to be hungry by 4 pm after eating pasta at lunch and a breakfast wrap for breakfast). I actually try and make a healthier choice for dinner. I've stocked my fridge with frozen easy to bake fish, which has helped me get that meat feeling without having to go overboard on red meat.I feel really good, and I've done a lot of yo-yo diet / exercise, I attribute a fair bit to PGX and of course will power. At first I bought the pills and granulars but once I realized I can't swallow the pills, I gave a bottle to a friend. He shares the same positive feedback I do and has ordered his own bottle.PGX has helped me curb my appetite. Curbed my cravings, but like I said it isn't magic. Potato chips still taste good, I just feel less inclined to grab a bag. My favorite chips are in the kitchen right now, sealed, and untouched since last week!THE NEGATIVES-IT IS NOT MAGIC. In the evenings, particularly if I've ate a light dinner and stuck to my yogurt / salad day food, I can be a bit hungry. It takes some will power. I usually just snack on a bit of cheese every other night which I realize isn't the healthiest but hey, it has only been 2 months.Problem is if you take PGX in the evening, the amount of water may have you waking up at night to pee.-I would say my bladder is mid sized, not small but certainly not huge. Taking this 3-4 times a day this stuff I've found has increased my trips to the bathroom for #1's drastically and the ability to delay or hold it in has decreased. I wouldn't take this stuff before/during a road trip or if you are far from a bathroom.-I think my body is responding fairly well to the fiber, I'm pretty regular, however this stuff has also increased my trips to the bathroom for #2's . Though its clean and quick (sorry for the detail but hey I think it might help)-They say these singles are perfect for "on the go". Don't even think about putting this in your restaurants water, since you need two glasses of water and this stuff isn't really easy to drink from an open cup. You could however go to a corner store, buy 2 bottles of water, mix the stuff in one, drink it, and then slam the other bottle. That would work. However if you can manage to swallow the pills, they would probably be easier "on the go"-This stuff is designed / made in Canada but sells cheaper in the USA lol. Hence why I'm posting on Amazon. Good news is if your a Canadian it's still cheaper to buy in the USA on amazon and pay taxes on it should CBSA search your car (no duties since it was manufactured in Canada!).I like this stuff so much I'm going to try the PGX / Protien powder next, for some reason it isn't on ebay.Best of luck, work hard, exercise and don't give up. Give this stuff a try, but order 3 boxes. Start with 1 a day for a week, then 2 a day for another week and move on to 3-4 when you feel comfortable.Best of luck.

I am an amateur "weekend warrior" distance swimmer who has gone in and out of training over the years. I recently had achilles tendon surgery (from running. . .a runner I am not) and put on weight and had no choice but to get back into the pool for my exercise routine.As anyone who swims knows (or lifts weights), controlling appetite is very difficult. About the only thing that will satisfy you after a long swim is big ol' turkey legs, pizza, roast beef hoagies, etc, just about anything that moves. Let's just say I can eat with the best of you readers out there.After one week of being on this supplement, I have lost 4 pounds. Yes, this supplement does what it claims to do - take away ravenous hunger. I am frankly surprised it doesn't have more mainstream coverage. I swam 2/3rds of a mile yesterday and with the supplement, had a sensible dinner. I even watched "Diners, Drive-ins and Dives" and although there were "emotional cues" to eat, I didn't go to the refridgerator. If anything, with the amount of exercise I am doing, I feel like I am eating too little and don't want to have a bounce back so I am upping my calories to 500-600 per meal with a snack midday (nothing formal, just realize I am not eating enough).As with anything, whatever your poison - bariatric surgery, supplements, exercise routines, there is always an important disclaimer - "When combined with a sensible diet and exercise." That's always there for a reason, meaning, people. . ."there is no cure for a bad diet and inactivity." This is no exception. If you are going to take this supplement and eat Tastykakes, Doritos, and Pecan Pancakes from IHOP, just pass on this. But,this is a great "crutch" to get you to make good choices. My diet has consisted of soups, tuna in tomato, salads, apples, eggs, bacon, nuts, seeds, and some dried fruit. Not all GREAT choices, but ABOVE average choices. So, in my opinion, you still have to consciously be pro-active with your nutrition and activity level. I try to cook Paleo lifestyle but don't always obtain that lifestyle.Read the other reviews. . .they are correct - you need to drink it right away and keep on the water. My urine darkens a bit when I am dehydrated and this supplement has a tendency to dehydrate you so drink a good amount of water. It's a little weird to try to slam the "flakes/granules" at first but after 3 days you get used to it.I do 2 packets per meal so 6 packets/day. . .I will probably venture over to just the granules in a container (I imagine more cost efficient) vs. the single packets but will probably keep the single packets on hand.And I will try to return frequently as I refill orders, adjust them up or down and read comments or questions if you have any.In short, if you have ravenous, uncontrolled hunger, and protein isn't cutting it, and you can't maintain an adequate fiber intake, I would give this a try.

Over the past three months I built up a tolerance for high-fiber foods so I did not experience any of the usual complaints of bloating, etc., associated with this product. It was pleasant feeling full ... a pleasant sensation for somebody who is usually hungry all of the time.I was under the impression this product mixed well with water but I could not get the "full feeling" by mixing it with liquids but instead must use applesauce or yogurt. Not sure why that made a difference. Always drink plenty of water afterward! If you use Invisalign, remove the aligners prior to using this product to save yourself hassle of scrubbing off the fiber particles.I recently read a physician's recommendation to use 2.5 gm (half dose) of PGX 20 minutes before meals. I was feeling so full that I could barely eat my meal! This would be a great way to loose weight if you have a problem with appetite control. I'll stick with my bedtime routine since I'm always "starving" at that hour but do not need the calories.The packaging leads you to believe this is a product you can safely take while "on the go" but I would hesitate with that claim since the extra water intake necessitates visiting the bathroom more often and you want to make sure your GI system tolerates the effects of extra fiber before going into public.