people who lost a lot of weight using diet pills

Mia_RagazzaTosta

Can you link a thread in which the successful OP used diet pills? I have yet to see one.

How you define successful and how others may define it could be two different things. I have been losing weight on diet pills.

By successful I mean I have yet to see a thread in the Success Stories in which the OP said all he/she did was take diet pills without watching his/her diet and lost a ton of weight.

pyrowill

I imagine the main reason why people slate diet pills is more that its very much an easy way out and that many others are working hard to make changes. Changes that require effort. Taking a pill requires no effort and teaches nothing about food and healthy eating.

lorabledsoe

It's not for me, but to each their own.

mlauster

Personally I don't and won't use them, I didn't take a fat pill to get fat. Nor, would I judge people who do. But, I wonder what the success rate is for people that do take them? What happens when you reach your desired weight and stop taking them, and have not learned good eating habits because the diet pills have been a crutch? I'm going to continue to take it one day at a time, learn how to eat healthy. If it takes me a couple of years, oh well!

lauren3101

I think there are several reasons.

1. They are a waste of money, mostly because the ingredients they contain are predominantly caffeine and fibre - so you can get the same effect from drinking a cup of coffee with a bowl of all-bran, for a fraction of the price.

2. Some can have dangerous side-effects. I've heard of people feeling dizzy, racing heartrates, nausea, even passing out. These kinds of side-effects are generally found in the ones you cannot buy in shops, but still, they are not difficult to get hold of.

3. Lastly and probably most importantly, they teach you nothing about where you are going wrong and how to live a healthy lifestyle. Too many people see them as an easy way out and then don't bother to change their eating habits, and wonder why they aren't losing.

At the end of the day, there's a reason why they all say 'must be taken in conjunction with a healthy diet and exercise' - because THAT is what makes you lose weight. If there really was a magical pill, there would be no obesity problems.

scottkjar

My experience seems to be exactly the opposite of what everyone here is claiming.

My physician has me on Phentermine for appetite suppression. I was given an EKG to be sure my heart was good, and I visit the physician's office every week to check my vital statistics.

From the first day, it succeeded, and I began losing weight. Before that, I did not exercise, I did not pay attention to what I ate, I did not know how many calories I consumed, etc. The tiniest bit of sugar in the morning would send me into an up-and-down cycle all day long.

Once I started the drug, the physician put me on 1200 calories and told me to track my calories on MFP. I started to see how my calories added up -- an extra slice of toast, a slice of cheese, a pat of butter, and my calories for the day were destroyed. To hit my goal, I needed to remove these things one at a time and work my way down. I was LEARNING about food choices. I was able to take the time to learn, and make mistakes along the way, because of the appetite suppressant. Because I was not hungry all the time, I was able to choose when to eat and what to eat. Because I was not hungry all the time, I had time to learn.

For the first month, I did not exercise. I continued everything in my life the same, except that with the drug, I was consuming around 1500 calories per day. I lost 15 pounds that month (5 fat, 5 muscle, 5 water).

At the beginning of the second month, the physician increased the dosage of the drug and told me to hit 1200 calories per day. He also reminded me to start being more physically active. I bought a Wii and started doing Wii Sports. It's not a major workout, but it was more exercise than I had been doing. MFP lists it as aerobic, but I could feel the burn in my bicpes and triceps -- because I had virtually no muscle at all. I have very low testosterone (a lifelong condition) so I have very little muscle mass. I lost another 15 pounds that month (10 fat, 5 muscle).

At the beginning of the third month, the physician and I reviewed the food changes I was making. First, I was eating more vegetables, in particular, a combination of broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, and celery. Second, I was eating more salmon for Omega 3 and 6 -- having grown up in Iowa, seafood had never been in my regular diet. Third, I barely ate fast food at all, and when I did, it was as a social event rather than a food choice (everyone in the office went out for lunch together). Fourth, I limited my fruit to 1 piece per day, which I split up over 3 meals to reduce sugar spikes.

The physician was pleased, and suggested again that I exercise more. So I started walking. At first, it was a struggle to go a half mile. Then a mile. Then 2. I have kept at it, and now I am walking 5k at 3.5mph. As I lose weight, I can walk farther and faster. The weight loss came first -- the exercise came second. I lost 11 pounds that month (10 fat, 1 muscle).

I am in my fourth month now, and I have continued to learn about food choices. I have added avocado to my diet, and this week I am adding nuts. I grew up in a meat-and-potatoes family that had pancakes and syrup for breakfast, so salmon, avocado, and nuts were foreign foods to me.

This morning, I was down 50 pounds from where I started.

Without the drug, I would not have started learning about food.
Without the drug, I would not have started working on the Wii.
Without the drug, I would not have started walking.

I am still learning about food choices. I am about to start my last month of the drug, and I am reducing my dosage. The drug helped me learn how to eat 1200 calories, but now I am going to learn about how to eat 1600 calories. Then I am going to learn how to eat 2000 calories. I need to learn what I can add to my diet that gives me more of what I need without just giving me more of the same things I am already eating.

Nearly all commentators here bash diet pills because they say that using the pills means the user does not learn about food choices and exercise. My experience is exactly the opposite. By suppressing my appetite, the pills gave me the room to learn about food choices. The pills gave me the room to learn about exercise. The pills gave me the jumpstart that I needed.

Will everyone be able to use the pills as a way to start learning? Surely not. But some of us DO learn from using them.

gabbygirl78

I lost 85 lbs using phentermine and kept it off for over 2 years. I gained it back only after being laid off from my job and going through a terrible divorce and going through nursing school and it took me a full 2 years to put it all back on. So There are success stories to using phentermine... also I had absolutely no serious side effects with phentermine. The only side effect I had other that appetite control and massive weight loss was a dry mouth which in turn helped me with my water intake so it was a welcome side effect.

Unknown

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JingleMuffin

I just hate it when I work hard and the next person just took pills and lost weight. I don't care that they did it, I'm just jealous that I had to work so hard.

it doesnt matter to me that I have to work hard to lose weight.

I'm going to be better - faster- stronger. thats what im trying to do in conjunction with eating well and losing bodyfat.
some one who takes diet pills and doesnt work their *kitten* off like I do- am I jealous of them? No way. Maybe I feel like I'm better off doing things the old fashioned way. It has no effect on me what other people do.

Eleonora91

I think that the only reason no one likes them here for is because they're tricky. I've used them when my state of mind was altered and they didn't work (if you're lucky they've got the same substances you can find in herbal teas and work less). So many people actually rely on them too much.

cici1028

I think there's many "right' ways to lose the weight... I personally lost my fifty pounds without any medical assistance. However, some people may need that initial boost, whether it is a pill or surgery... As long as it is done in conjunction with a doctor/nutritionist and has a set end point, I say more power to you. I would never ever take supplements or over-the-counter stuff though... way too scary! No regulation and no way to know what side effects you'll get.

leadiax3

Diet pills can be beneficial if u just want to lose a few quick pounds, but they end up messing up ur body's system and your mentality. They are not a good idea for someone who is interested in being healthy.

TimElwis

I'm sure it's because most people using them are still looking for a quick fix easy way out. Most of those who post on this site that they plan to use them are the people who ended up giving up when they realized no pill will make weight fall off. You have to still diet and you have to still work your butt of even more when you come off those pills. I'm not against them. I'm agasint people thinking it's magic and telling others that's the case. Truth to dieting is. Change your life style. WIth or without pills you still need to change that or you will fail.

So if you take them or not. GOOLUCK to you as it will always be a challenge and we're here for you.

FizikallyFit

I have met people in the real world who worked out and "dieted" while taking diet pills. They lost weight but as soon as they stopped they gained it back.

IMO nothing teaches you the discipline and consistency needed to lose and keep the weight off like old fashioned eating healthy and exercise.

Everything else that is a "cheat" always seems to be a quick fix but won't stand up to the test of time.

bmqbonnie

The only successful people I know of are the ones in ads for them.

I'll be honest, I've tried it. I took Alli. Do the math. It doesn't help much at all. It blocks 25% of fat you consume. Lets say you eat something with 10 grams of fat. It will block just over 3 grams of that fat. Fat has 9 calories per gram, so it saves you 27 calories from that meal.

Not really worth crapping your pants or risking liver damage over now is it? Also it makes it sound like you'll only crap (or oil, I guess) your pants if you overeat. Not true, and you will continue to crap (oil) your pants for a while after stopping. Trust me on this one.

Also tried Hydroxycut. I was in a phase I seem to go through from time to time where I was hungry all the time and wanted something to help. I lost like 3 lbs overnight when I started and nothing happened after that, other than being dehydrated. The main ingredient is caffeine, which is a diuretic, and I'm pretty sure that's all it does.

They're all scams. I've heard good things about various supplements like Tonalin CLA, but it's not the same thing.

BarbieAS

I lost a lot of weight using diet pills once. Yes, I was loosely following Weight Watchers at the time, so I did watch my calories and did exercise, but I was also taking Stacker 3 the entire time - I lost about 80lbs in about 9 months during grad school. Diet and exercise did most of the job, but I do believe the pills sped the process along in a noticeable fashion.

Ok, so, with that said. After 9 months of taking 3 pills a day, every day, I reached a point where I didn't sleep for 2 solid days. I went to Wal-Mart at 2am on the second day and took my blood pressure in the machine by the pharmacy, and it was something like 170/110, despite being 25 years old and, by that time, in good shape and a healthy weight. I never took another diet pill.

Thankfully, I wasn't left with any lasting cardiovascular effects. However, I'm now faced with the challenge of re-losing that 80lbs after I gained it all back during 2 pregnancies (plus, I'd love to lose about 10 more this time). I'm down just shy of 40lbs, so I'm doing it, but it's taken me almost a year and a half to lose that 40lbs - so, twice as long to lose half as much as compared to last time. My metabolism is permanently shot. Despite the most careful logging and use of a Fitbit for TDEE, I consistently lose about half of what I "should" be losing based on my weekly calorie deficits.

Worth it? No effing way.

lucystacy71

I walked into class one day (I was a teacher) and found that one of my coworkers had laid a bottle of some weight loss pill on my desk. I was a little insulted to be honest. You see, I'm in kidney failure and most of those pills could literally kill me.

I only can speak for myself, but I would never use any weight loss pill. So far, I seem to be doing okay by just watching what I eat and being sure to exercise.

determined2bfit13

I lost a lot of weight on those Phentermine diet pills. I started getting dizzy at work, my vision was blurred. I passed out a few times and even threw up a few times. I eventually stopped using them and gained all the weight plus more back. I don't judge anyone and believe people have the right to do what they want.
I personally would never use them again, the effects scare me and for me the weight loss was only temporary. I'm looking for a lifestyle change and want to maintain my weight after I lose it.
It all depends on what you want.

myprana

It appears that this is a touchy subject on mfp. I personally don't use diet pills and I am neutral to the idea.
I was wondering why people on mfp don't like the idea. I say this because from the treads that I have read where a person lost weight from using diet pills, I see that a lot of ppl are opposed to the idea or they don't really congratulate the person but instead they tell them that they should have lost weight without the pills for whatever reasons.
So what do you think? Or why does it really matter?

I'm opposed to diet pills because I've been a yo-yo dieter for decades and have used them. It was nice to get the energy boost and appetite suppressant from these pills, but the side effects (jitteriness, kept needing to up the dosage to get the same effect, had trouble sleeping) were not healthy for me. Granted, this extra weight isn't healthy either, but I am determined to use good old-fashioned diet and exercise to get the job done right. I can't afford to risk my health further by taking unnecessary pills.

darlingyellow

The only successful people I know of are the ones in ads for them.

I'll be honest, I've tried it. I took Alli. Do the math. It doesn't help much at all. It blocks 25% of fat you consume. Lets say you eat something with 10 grams of fat. It will block just over 3 grams of that fat. Fat has 9 calories per gram, so it saves you 27 calories from that meal.

Not really worth crapping your pants or risking liver damage over now is it?



LMAO!- no it's not worth it.

TemikaThompson

There are two commonly prescribed medications which, "off-label", can assist with weight loss:
Metformin, which is prescribed to diabetics to overcome insulin resistance, and
Bupropion, or Wellbutrin, which is an anti-depressant.

I take Wellbutrin (I've also struggled with depression my whole life) and it does help me in several ways but...it doesn't count calories for me, it doesn't pick the healthy foods when I shop, it doesn't spend an hour making nutritious meals each day, and it doesn't place one foot in front of the other when I go running...I have to do all that myself. It doesnt speed up my metabolism or burn fat faster or flush toxins either, lol.


Hats off to you for doing what you have to do! Everybody journey is dif and we require dif methods and steps. At least you KNOW what you are doing and what's working for you and you know it's not a fix all, but that it still requires work.
But, it does help me stick to making better choices. It doesn't work for everyone, but it seems to target and quiet the part of my mind that spends all day screaming "FEED ME!!" and it seems to help me make better decisions when it comes to diet and fitness. I HATE the idea of promoting a pill, because I am doing the work, but Wellbutrin helps me get my head together in a way that allows me to do what I have to do to get healthy.

TemikaThompson

I have used 'green coffee extract' which is technially a 'diet pill'. As you can see, I have lost around 80 pounds (and counting). But it's not because of the diet pill. It's in CONJUNCTION with a ton of exercise and eating much much better. I do believe the diet pills have HELPED me. The green coffee extract supresses my appetite so I eat just enough and don't overdo it. Hope that helps.

Hmmmm interesting? Does it speed your heart up too much or at all? Is it kind of the same as drinking the tea or no? I was thinking about taking an appetite suppressant as well but idk, just a thought for now.

brower47

The pills aren't fixing the overall problem, the overconsumption of food. If your weight loss or maintenance isn't sustainable without the crutch of the pills then the weight will come right back after the pills are discontinued. You have to fix the root problem, not cover it with a temporary bandage.

TemikaThompson

Can you link a thread in which the successful OP used diet pills? I have yet to see one.

How you define successful and how others may define it could be two different things. I have been losing weight on diet pills.

By successful I mean I have yet to see a thread in the Success Stories in which the OP said all he/she did was take diet pills without watching his/her diet and lost a ton of weight.

I haven't seen one either, but my point was that eventhough the people clearly stated that they still did what was required to lose weight besides the diet pills, they were still bashed instead of getting a congrats. They should have still been praised to me for all their hard work they did. The journey is still hard for the most part. Why bash them because they added pills. That's all I was pointing out. Also, I believe it may be possible to lose with pills alone because they force you to eat less in some cases and some ppl for they own reasons are not able to do it without the help. I just believe if a person doesn't have something nice to say then don't say anything...ijs

TemikaThompson

Personally I don't and won't use them, I didn't take a fat pill to get fat. Nor, would I judge people who do. But, I wonder what the success rate is for people that do take them? What happens when you reach your desired weight and stop taking them, and have not learned good eating habits because the diet pills have been a crutch? I'm going to continue to take it one day at a time, learn how to eat healthy. If it takes me a couple of years, oh well!

I agree with you on this. I have tried dif eating systems and after losing all the weight I gained it back because I didn't know what else to do unless I went back to that system. I did not learn how to eat what I really wanted in portions and having control. I'm still learning that now. Although there has been times when I got discouraged, I did want to try pills but every time I keep saying, nope, you need to "learn" how to do it on your own so you won't fall off. Whatever works for you...

PikaKnight

Ever notice diet pills say to do while adhering to a "good diet" and exercise routine?

Coincidence? Or maybe it's their way of admitting you don't really need it while still duping you into spending that money.

stephanieross1

I've been using herbal pills "St. John's wort", but that's mainly to regulate my mood and help me sleep better. I've found that while on it, it has curbed my appetite, and I have lost weight. But that's all in combination with the amount of calories I've been eating and exercise.

I know many people who lost weight throughout diet pills, AND kept it off, but again that is in combo with healthy food and exercise.

IMO. To each their own, we're all here on a journey, we all have different ways on getting there. As long as your health is not in jeopardy, do what you will.

smb0701

Is this an advertisement?

i don't think it is. but i do think it is just a question because a lot of the ppl on here are pretty judgmental. Mfp participants don't play about weight loss. i guess that's why i find this site so helpful.

I am taking diet pills to help curb my appetite, and there are several people on here who criticized me for it. But, if they have a problem with my decisions, that's their issue.

go grl!!!! i don't see the harm in them myself. have used Hydroxy cut some yrs. back. it's to each's own.

SuperSexyDork

My experience seems to be exactly the opposite of what everyone here is claiming.

My physician has me on Phentermine for appetite suppression. I was given an EKG to be sure my heart was good, and I visit the physician's office every week to check my vital statistics.

From the first day, it succeeded, and I began losing weight. Before that, I did not exercise, I did not pay attention to what I ate, I did not know how many calories I consumed, etc. The tiniest bit of sugar in the morning would send me into an up-and-down cycle all day long.

Once I started the drug, the physician put me on 1200 calories and told me to track my calories on MFP. I started to see how my calories added up -- an extra slice of toast, a slice of cheese, a pat of butter, and my calories for the day were destroyed. To hit my goal, I needed to remove these things one at a time and work my way down. I was LEARNING about food choices. I was able to take the time to learn, and make mistakes along the way, because of the appetite suppressant. Because I was not hungry all the time, I was able to choose when to eat and what to eat. Because I was not hungry all the time, I had time to learn.

For the first month, I did not exercise. I continued everything in my life the same, except that with the drug, I was consuming around 1500 calories per day. I lost 15 pounds that month (5 fat, 5 muscle, 5 water).

At the beginning of the second month, the physician increased the dosage of the drug and told me to hit 1200 calories per day. He also reminded me to start being more physically active. I bought a Wii and started doing Wii Sports. It's not a major workout, but it was more exercise than I had been doing. MFP lists it as aerobic, but I could feel the burn in my bicpes and triceps -- because I had virtually no muscle at all. I have very low testosterone (a lifelong condition) so I have very little muscle mass. I lost another 15 pounds that month (10 fat, 5 muscle).

At the beginning of the third month, the physician and I reviewed the food changes I was making. First, I was eating more vegetables, in particular, a combination of broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, and celery. Second, I was eating more salmon for Omega 3 and 6 -- having grown up in Iowa, seafood had never been in my regular diet. Third, I barely ate fast food at all, and when I did, it was as a social event rather than a food choice (everyone in the office went out for lunch together). Fourth, I limited my fruit to 1 piece per day, which I split up over 3 meals to reduce sugar spikes.

The physician was pleased, and suggested again that I exercise more. So I started walking. At first, it was a struggle to go a half mile. Then a mile. Then 2. I have kept at it, and now I am walking 5k at 3.5mph. As I lose weight, I can walk farther and faster. The weight loss came first -- the exercise came second. I lost 11 pounds that month (10 fat, 1 muscle).

I am in my fourth month now, and I have continued to learn about food choices. I have added avocado to my diet, and this week I am adding nuts. I grew up in a meat-and-potatoes family that had pancakes and syrup for breakfast, so salmon, avocado, and nuts were foreign foods to me.

This morning, I was down 50 pounds from where I started.

Without the drug, I would not have started learning about food.
Without the drug, I would not have started working on the Wii.
Without the drug, I would not have started walking.

I am still learning about food choices. I am about to start my last month of the drug, and I am reducing my dosage. The drug helped me learn how to eat 1200 calories, but now I am going to learn about how to eat 1600 calories. Then I am going to learn how to eat 2000 calories. I need to learn what I can add to my diet that gives me more of what I need without just giving me more of the same things I am already eating.

Nearly all commentators here bash diet pills because they say that using the pills means the user does not learn about food choices and exercise. My experience is exactly the opposite. By suppressing my appetite, the pills gave me the room to learn about food choices. The pills gave me the room to learn about exercise. The pills gave me the jumpstart that I needed.

Will everyone be able to use the pills as a way to start learning? Surely not. But some of us DO learn from using them.

I'm glad that you've learned to make healthier choices but don't you think a slower rate of loss would have kept you from losing 11lbs of muscle?

Do you know how long it can take to regain 11lbs of muscle, especially if you have low testosterone, as you say you do?

11 lbs of muscle means that you lost 22% of your weight from muscle instead of from fat.

I couldn't live with those numbers.

icecreamdreams

I too have walked down the phentermine journey, and it is a BOOSTER that I do encourage people who struggle with weight loss to try. I have also probably used every other diet pill (OTC) in the world which I have long given up and would never recommend.

For the above poster, losing 11 pounds of muscle out of 50 isn't horrible. When I first started my journey many years ago, I had a break down of my fat/water/muscle build up. They then calculated my ratio to what my goal weight will be. I was very alarmed at why such a decrease in muscle. I was informed by my trainer that the less you weigh, the less muscle you will need to carry yourself around with. His explanation is far better than I can sit here and type, but I believe him.

Anyways, back to phentermine. I used it for a little over three months. I lost 52 pounds in that time. It didn't do the work for me - I was still out there sweating my *kitten* off, frustrated as hell every week trying to figure out my menus. But what it did do - was take my mind off of food. See as a food addict for most of my life, I couldn't go .212 seconds without wanting to eat (look at me, it was pretty obvious). I was starving and I could never feel satisfied with a normal meal. Now, of course this goes away naturally as you eat less. But for some, going through that hell results in giving up. It took my mind off of food, killed my cravings, and allowed me the freedom to step outside of the balloon smothering me so that I COULD for the first time in my adult life make the RIGHT choices. It wasn't some magic pill as everyone thinks...but it was MY magic pill. Hell, anything to kill my appetite was magic. After I went off of it, I went into maintenance phase, and yes I began laxing on keeping total of what exactly I was putting in my body, yes I have regained SOME of the weight back in the last two years, but I'm still under where I began. I was okay staying at the weight that I was, but now I'm ready to go lower. I definitely enjoy the confidence booster that it seemed to give me, that I can do this, I am in control feeling, so I do plan on using phentermine again to reduce even more. Doctor willing, of course.