Project Slim

In the name of truth and science (and sheer desperation) I have decided to trial a product which claims to get you beach ready in two weeks. It's been a good few months now that I've felt and looked like a dumpling. I've never been one to subscribe to the "one is need, two is greed" ethos (except when we're talking packets... or tubs) and the freezing weather has not enticed me to move my gelatinous behind from the sofa much this winter. For the meantime I can wrap up my dumpling self in duvet coats and jumpers and pretend I didn't eat half a pack of Hobnobs the night before, but when Spring comes knocking there ain't no pretending.
A few days ago an email popped into my inbox from a company called Rodial offering a huge reduction on one of it's bestselling products, Skinny Beach sticks,  for one day only. Instead of paying a whopping £48.00 for a box they were offering it at only £14.95. This is supposed to be both a slimming and sun care product rolled into one. 14 sticks of powder (one per day) which you dissolve in water to make a fruit-flavoured drink, which has the dual purpose of getting rid of water retention and prepping your skin for the sun so that it tans faster without burning. This is what they say:

Active ingredients, including betacarotene and lycopene, help to build up the tanning pigments in the skin, which provides a powerful layer of antioxidants to protect skin from free radical attacks. What’s more they help to build your natural UV protection levels. Green tea extracts are teamed with meadowsweet which will encourage fat combustion and limit the absorption of lipids.

Well here's hoping. I wonder what would happen if I mixed the sachet with Haagan Daz's Cookies & Cream....

Only Joking.

Still, I impulsively clicked and purchased. Not only did it seem like a good opportunity to put the product to the test, but also the idea of being harpooned on the beach this summer was just not sitting well with me. Mr P tells me it's because I'm a delicacy in some countries.... well, who doesn't like a dumpling?
I couldn't seem to locate many reviews of the product, other than on the site itself, and let's face it, they're not going to post anything non-positive, are they? So I decided to conduct my own study and document the trail on a day-to-day basis, complete with measurements. It doesn't really make sense to start drinking the sachets as soon as I get them, so I'll wait until I know I'm going away somewhere where there'll be sun. Not sure I can wait as long as August, but perhaps April when I go to Barcelona... we shall see! So the results will be in two phases: Phase one, when the two weeks are up pre-holiday I'll measure the amount of weight lost (if any). Phase two, after the holiday, I'll note if I've tanned easier and quicker.

Please note, I'm in no way advocating weight-loss supplements as a replacement for healthy-eating and exercise and this product is not marketed as such. My interpretation of it, is that it the results it could potentially have can be the icing-on-the-cake of weight-loss achieved through diet and lifestyle changes.
Just don't eat the cake in the process. :)