Is it worth getting weight loss pills?

I was looking for something to help boost my weight loss and the main aspect every pill advertised was it being an appetite suppressant. I don't mind that, but regardless I still am going to eat my daily three meals.

Would it be worth getting? Some did also promote fat burning.
Have any of you tried any weight loss pills? What were your results?
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Replies

  • pollypocket1021
    pollypocket1021 Posts: 533 Member
    By "getting pills" do you mean talking to your physician and having something prescribed and monitored? If so, that is not the path I've chosen, but I can't fault your for it.

    If you mean buying something sold on Facebook or and over the counter supplements, save your money. If those things worked, they would be considered drugs that would require a prescription. They are ineffective at best and dangerous at worst. Be careful.
  • Ready2Rock206
    Ready2Rock206 Posts: 9,487 Member
    Waste of money and potentially dangerous to your health. There's no quick fix, put in the work and you'll get results.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,982 Member
    What do you learn from them? How does it actually teach you to habitually change your current habits? There is no such thing as a "fat burning" pill. Things you should think of before purchasing.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

    9285851.png
  • jennifer_417
    jennifer_417 Posts: 12,344 Member
    Newp. Most of them are basically legal speed.
  • Orphia
    Orphia Posts: 7,097 Member
    If pills existed that guaranteed weight loss, Oprah wouldn't be fat.
  • george7527
    george7527 Posts: 267 Member
    xNausicaa wrote: »
    I was looking for something to help boost my weight loss and the main aspect every pill advertised was it being an appetite suppressant. I don't mind that, but regardless I still am going to eat my daily three meals.

    Would it be worth getting? Some did also promote fat burning.
    Have any of you tried any weight loss pills? What were your results?

    Hi
  • george7527
    george7527 Posts: 267 Member
    Hello iv spent loads of money tried them all.NOTHING works except hard work and determination you put in
  • Whitezombiegirl
    Whitezombiegirl Posts: 1,042 Member
    xNausicaa wrote: »
    the main aspect every pill advertised was it being an appetite suppressant. I don't mind that, but regardless I still am going to eat my daily three meals.

    Hi Hun
    A couple of points to note:
    1. There are no fat burners- that's woo!
    2. Prescribed weight loss pills are amphetamines (same as Adderall/ Concerta etc. too) . They reduce your appetite and that's why you lose weight. You may have every intention of eating 3 meals whilst taking them - but have you ever taken amphetamines? They make it almost impossible to face eating, you just can't stomach it.

    So , some things to consider.

  • misskarne
    misskarne Posts: 1,765 Member
    Every time I see someone mention this my mind flashes back to a story I read on a British newspaper site about a young woman who bought "fat burning diet pills". Oh, they burned fat all right. They burned everything else too, from the inside out, a horrible, drawn out and painful death.
  • Whitezombiegirl
    Whitezombiegirl Posts: 1,042 Member
    edited December 2015
    I saw that too- they were some sort of industrial chemical that some body builders use before competitions and a tiny amount can cause a horrific death. Just shocking and so upsetting.

    Also the tv documentary about celeb autopsies found that karen carpenter was a healthy weight when she died- it was the weight loss pills ( various meds) that caused her heart attack. Scary.
  • _mr_b
    _mr_b Posts: 302 Member
    Are weight loss pills worth getting? - No.

    It's not just about weight loss, it's about lifestyle change. Get more active and make better food choices, I'm not saying enter a marathon and eat lettuce but park further away from the shop, take the stairs, learn a bit about nutrition and use protein and fibre to keep you fuller rather than running to the medicine cabinet.

    You will lose weight but it needs to come from you, it's one hell of a rollercoaster and it sure as hell won't go smoothly but doing it the right way is better in the long run and you have a way better chance of staying thin than if you make a change to your daily life for a short period of time (and that applies to fad diets as well as pills etc).
  • whatatime2befit
    whatatime2befit Posts: 625 Member
    No.

    They will give you no long term benefits. Eat at a deficit, and the weight will come off. Sure it may come off slower than you'd like, but it will come off. Be patient.
  • callsitlikeiseeit
    callsitlikeiseeit Posts: 8,626 Member
    sure if you want to throw away money, possibly cause harm to your body and lose only water weight
  • zojo78
    zojo78 Posts: 29 Member
    I tried Adios which say they increase your metabolism - I definitely don't recommend them! I got heart palpitations (occasionally still do), couldn't sleep and it was pretty scary. I'd never try anything like that again. Diet and exercise is the way forward. Good luck with your journey.
  • I tried some Jillian Michael's ones a few years ago and all they did was make me sick to my stomach. I'm still fat btw.
  • LBL1986
    LBL1986 Posts: 58 Member
    Honestly OP as tempting as it is, I'd steer clear of them.

    Everyone I know that has taken a weight loss supplement has lost weight BUT they end up piling on almost twice as much weight once they stop taking them!

  • quirkytizzy
    quirkytizzy Posts: 4,052 Member
    You'll notice diet aids always have the caveat "along with a balanced diet and exercise." That tells you what's doing the actual work.
  • slideaway1
    slideaway1 Posts: 1,006 Member
    You will only burn fat in a calorific deficit. These pills will just jack your heart rate up.
  • shadows2424
    shadows2424 Posts: 179 Member
    By "getting pills" do you mean talking to your physician and having something prescribed and monitored? If so, that is not the path I've chosen, but I can't fault your for it.

    If you mean buying something sold on Facebook or and over the counter supplements, save your money. If those things worked, they would be considered drugs that would require a prescription. They are ineffective at best and dangerous at worst. Be careful.

    Agreed. My doctor warned me other day telling me weight loss pills are very dangerous and really shouldnt be used. Even prescription ones are dangerous.
  • NotGnarly
    NotGnarly Posts: 137 Member
    Don't waste your money or health on those pills. I took them years ago and did lose a little with the appetite suppressant but gain back all and then some. Plus some make your heart race which is scary. My friend lost a lot of weight losing them but her heart started acting weird after a while and now she's heavier than she ever was.
  • auddii
    auddii Posts: 15,357 Member
    You'll notice diet aids always have the caveat "along with a balanced diet and exercise." That tells you what's doing the actual work.

    This. Nevermind that many can be down right dangerous as they are not closely regulated. Ones that stay on the market for a long time (because they aren't found to be dangerous) usually are not effective.
  • ashliedelgado
    ashliedelgado Posts: 814 Member
    edited December 2015
    Here's my anecdote.

    I used phentermine for one month, I was prescribed the medication for 3 as my doctor uses it as a "jump start" for weight loss if patients seek it. We had a long conversation about the risks and benefits.
    I followed the prescription, took it first thing in the morning.
    If I would have taken it later than say, 9am, I would not have slept that night. It's basically speed.
    The first week I felt jittery, nauseous, and on edge. This subsided after the first week.
    I lost 12 pounds in that month (starting weight of 262). I was eating probably around 900 cals a day - IF I forced myself.
    After one month, my resting heart rate went from 70-80 to 136, so I elected to stop taking it.
    Had I gone back to my previous lifestyle, the 12lbs would have been negated. At first I went back up about 5 as my body adjusted to eating more as my appetite returned.

    But, I took that jumpstart for what it was, and am now down another 60lbs. I did that with CICO, moving more, and eating less. I still eat pretty much whatever I want, just not as much. Sometimes as much, I'll be real. But most of the time, I eat a modest deficit and work out. Could I be further? Sure. Could it have gone faster? Sure. But this way... this way is sustainable. This way is forever.

    Don't waste your money on over the counter crud, and know that anything you get from your doctor will be temporary, and speed. You won't eat three meals a day. You will choke on what you force yourself to eat. It can be worth it as a jumpstart, if you use it that way. Weigh the pros and cons out for yourself. I'm glad I did it, it got me going, got me motivated, and I learned a lot about portioning as I made myself eat when I wasn't even kind of hungry.

    Best of luck.
  • PinkPixiexox
    PinkPixiexox Posts: 4,142 Member
    xNausicaa wrote: »
    I was looking for something to help boost my weight loss and the main aspect every pill advertised was it being an appetite suppressant. I don't mind that, but regardless I still am going to eat my daily three meals.

    Would it be worth getting? Some did also promote fat burning.
    Have any of you tried any weight loss pills? What were your results?

    You name the 'miracle pill' and I've probably tried it.
    Please, please PLEASE save your money. They absolutely do not work.
  • LKArgh
    LKArgh Posts: 5,178 Member
    If you discuss it with your dr and your dr has concerns about your health and believes you absolutely need to lose weight fast, under medical supervision, then pills your dr prescribes might have their place.
    If you mean trying on your own, no. At best you will be wasting your money, at worst you will be risking your health.
  • Bonny132
    Bonny132 Posts: 3,617 Member
    As someone who has taken Alli, the weight loss pills, here is my 2P as there is a reason I stopped at brand #1 that I tried.

    I honestly do not recommend taking pills. Alli works by incapsulating the fat you consume and taking it out of your body. Does it do this? Yes it does. What they do not tell you though is all about Alli Ups!! Just google it, it really is TMI!!

    Eat anything fatty in any shape or form and you get horrific cramps, wind and you get to spend some quality time in the bathroom and with the washing machine, as I promise you your laundry bill will rocket, no matter how quickly you run to the bathroom, unless you got bum cheeks made out of steel.

    Did I loose weight? Yes!! I was terrified of eating, I nearly gassed my poor OH to death and had to throw away clothes, terrified of accidents, my social life suffered and I spent too much time online taking to other sufferers so I could cope with the pills. Cleaning a fatty toilet several times a day is also no fun.

    If you are willing to put up with horrific side effects, then go for it. If you do your research on the side effects, I think you will see that they are just not worth it. 33lbs CICO and counting, slower yes, but much more healthier on you and your loved ones.

    If diet pills was the answer, nobody would be fat, whatever you decide, please do your own research on the side effects of the pills you are tempted by.
  • Sevendust912
    Sevendust912 Posts: 122 Member
    Adderall should do the trick
  • shabaity
    shabaity Posts: 792 Member
    xNausicaa wrote: »
    the main aspect every pill advertised was it being an appetite suppressant. I don't mind that, but regardless I still am going to eat my daily three meals.

    Hi Hun
    A couple of points to note:
    1. There are no fat burners- that's woo!
    2. Prescribed weight loss pills are amphetamines (same as Adderall/ Concerta etc. too) . They reduce your appetite and that's why you lose weight. You may have every intention of eating 3 meals whilst taking them - but have you ever taken amphetamines? They make it almost impossible to face eating, you just can't stomach it.

    So , some things to consider.

    That second part isn't necessarily true if they are being taken for reasons other than weightloss. Plus the other side effects are horrible, I don't know how a normal person reacts (I've been on them for the treatment of adhd) but I barely slept and was jittery and tired at the same time all the time.
  • kbmnurse
    kbmnurse Posts: 2,484 Member
    NO!!!!!!! Just a bandaid.
  • Asianbutterflies
    Asianbutterflies Posts: 62 Member
    I say to each it's own. I believe the use of weight loss pills in conjunction w diet and exercise is ok of course under the supervision of your doctor. Sometimes ppl feel that they are at the ends of their rope when they've done all they can (i.e
    Changing eating habits incorporating exercise portion control counting calories) and they are not professing any further and they been doing all the right things for along time now. So I can say that I'm utilize meds and am under supervision of my doctor. I eat right and stay active and thus far it's working. My appetite is curbing and I don't feel like I'm deprived either. I don't have any of the side effects except dry mouth but I like water so I jusy drink more. Again it's different for everyone. Just my thoughts on it. Good to you all on whichever path is best in regards to your health.
  • amyk0202
    amyk0202 Posts: 666 Member
    I say to each it's own. I believe the use of weight loss pills in conjunction w diet and exercise is ok of course under the supervision of your doctor. Sometimes ppl feel that they are at the ends of their rope when they've done all they can (i.e
    Changing eating habits incorporating exercise portion control counting calories) and they are not professing any further and they been doing all the right things for along time now.

    I agree with this. If someone is working with their doctor and their doctor believes that a prescribed weight loss drug would be more helpful than harmful, I think it can be a useful tool. I don't think there is anything wrong with using a period of time where you are not being driven by hunger to evaluate your eating habits and develop a realistic plan that you will stick with long term. As long as you go into the whole process knowing that you do have to do the work on your own--you will still have to develop a sustainable eating plan that you can maintain after you stop taking the drugs. Most of them are for very short term use. I think only a few have been approved for long term use & they are very expensive. Even the fda approved drugs have serious side effects. I would stay away from any over the counter ones. They are not effective--I have tried some of them in the distant past, & some of them proved to be very dangerous.