Yesterday I started a dietary experiment with an herb named Hoodia, or more specifically, Hoodia Grodonii. Hoodia is supposed to be a natural appetite suppressant, and it has been seen on shows like "60 Minutes", and others. Here are a few links if you'd like to learn more about it:

1. Hoodia review - Does hoodia work for weight loss (About.com)
2. Sampling the Kalahari cactus diet (BBC)
3. Desert Plant -- Hoodia Gordonii-- May Be an Effective Aid in Weight Loss

I'm trying this herb because of something I've always told people: At six feet tall and 235 pounds, I'm always hungry. I can literally eat a satisfying meal, and within sixty minutes be hungry again. I do it all the time. I eat a big lunch somewhere, and within an hour (ninety minutes, tops) I'll start eating something else.

I've recently switched to a diet of almost exclusively fruits and vegetables, so while I'm eating food that is better for me, this still hasn't solved the weight or appetite issue. I'm still hungry all the time, and the only difference is that I eat a lot of fruits and vegetables instead of the other stuff I used to eat (cakes, cookies, crackers, etc.).

Two other circumstances have also led me to this decision to try the Hoodia Grodonii. First, I know some people that are naturally thin, and they can easily go a day without eating. Personally I've never gone a day in my life without eating, and I get very irritable whenever I go long periods without food. So, why can they do this very easily, and I can't? Second, I've tried diets like Atkins and the South Beach Diet for several months at a time. While I've lost weight on these diets, and willpower is wonderful, I'm still hungry all the time.

These two circumstances/discoveries lead me to this conclusion: After having the same hunger problems after trying these two diets, I believe that this hunger problem is more fundamental, something at a biological level. My feeling is that the only way to solve the problem, at least temporarily, is with some form of appetite suppressant.

So, all of this thinking and personal experimentation has led me to try this Hoodia Grodonii herb, and, well, the experiment begins. Stay tuned ...