people who lost a lot of weight using diet pills

JackiLean

When I was in college, I took Hoodia, an appetite suppressant.

After a month on the pills, I stopped eating entirely. Literally. I had absolutely no hunger, so I lived off water and black coffee to keep me awake.

The longest I went without eating a single bite was 11 days. It was also during the beginning of my exams and I couldn't focus or concentrate on anything, so I went back to eating. I threw out the pills and never looked back.

But I did lose about 15 lbs at that point. Just by not eating.

It was SO STUPID.

Timshel_

I've seen a lot of people who have had success with sill diets. Right after they balloon right back up becuase they haven't changed the behavior or eating healthy.

EdwardNortonFan43

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.

I didn't go looking for diet pills for a quick and easy "way out" as you say. My doctor is the one who brought up the fact that I was overweight for my height and suggested putting me on the appetite suppressant. He also talked with me about eating healthy and excercising.

strangeone25

I started with them but only took them for one month as like others have said the pill also promoted healthy eating and exercise. So why spend 60.00 a month when I didn't need too. I will say they got me started for which I am grateful but glad that I did not stay on them long. They did help me to see just how much I had been eating versus how much I should be eating.

EdwardNortonFan43

You lost over 50 pounds within 3 months?! Wow, that's a lot more than I'm losing. Actually, after the first three weeks, my weight loss slowed tremendously. There were about three days that I didn't take the phentermine and immediately gained back seven pounds, but that was because I binged for those days. I'm trying to be good.

riveroflight

Such debate over diet supplements/pills Here's my take:

Can supplements 'do it all'? No. Can they help? Yes, certain ones can. Are they unhealthy? I'd stay away from the chemically ones that are based on 'boosting energy' ephedra-style, and go with the herbal ones. (Although, by the way, a *little* caffeine- green tea or a cup of coffee- right before exercise is a good thing.) This does seem to be a touchy subject on here, I think because people who are working hard on diet and exercise are threatened by the notion that diet pills *do* work, and are 'the easy way out'. It's okay people, they support, but don't replace diet and exercise. Just like exercise supports, but cannot replace, a healthy diet. I think some of the herbal/plant based ones, the ones that are actually 'food', can be considered as part of healthy diet, and their positive effects seen as such.

yoovie

because its against the terms of service probably? unsafe weightloss methods.

either that or because everyone here that is successful already knows better.

Muddy_Yogi

I define success as losing the weight and keeping it off. I have yet to see a thread out there that states, I took said pill to lose weight, lost the weight, stopped taking the harmful pill and still kept the weight off. When I meet a special snowflake that can prove this to me and also show me that they did not do significant damage to their body by doing so, then I will congradulate them. Until then...Yoovie is right, it is harmful and thus against terms of service for MFP.

melkhamilton

Such debate over diet supplements/pills Here's my take:

Can supplements 'do it all'? No. Can they help? Yes, certain ones can. Are they unhealthy? I'd stay away from the chemically ones that are based on 'boosting energy' ephedra-style, and go with the herbal ones. (Although, by the way, a *little* caffeine- green tea or a cup of coffee- right before exercise is a good thing.) This does seem to be a touchy subject on here, I think because people who are working hard on diet and exercise are threatened by the notion that diet pills *do* work, and are 'the easy way out'. It's okay people, they support, but don't replace diet and exercise. Just like exercise supports, but cannot replace, a healthy diet. I think some of the herbal/plant based ones, the ones that are actually 'food', can be considered as part of healthy diet, and their positive effects seen as such.

Good point. I think it's the culture of "immediate results" that is a huge turn-off here (and justifiably so.) Do diet pills work? Yes. Do they work long term? Heck no! I say the safest way is to try the gentle herbal ones to give you a push in the beginning of your weight loss plan, but you MUST change your lifestyle, exercise and eat right, and plan a time to stop using them. You have to know that they are a temporary tool. Too many people use them as a miracle cure with no effort involved.

briebuck

I took them, same results as drinking a LOT of caffine. same results for a very sedentary friend. gave me more energy at the gym, actually got her to go to the gym. but considering all of the other things in the pills I would stick to lots of sleep and lots of caffine if you need it to get pumped to work out ..........

ErinMLB

I think there is a huge difference between causation and correlation, and people get confused. A lot of people just starting out on a "healthy living" change, or diet will do diet pills , they will take them at the same time as their big kick start to eating healthy and exercising. All of a sudden they think the diet pills caused their weight loos. Wrong, it correlates to it, but there is no peer reviewed medical journals to prove causation. There ARE peer reviewed medical studies to prove that many diet pills can cause detrimental health effects.
Example of correlation, say every morning I decide to spin around in circle five times while saying "flying monkey butt" and then proceed to eat healthy with my calorie range, do a moderate work out routine and a followed this same plan for a week, pretend at the end of the week I step on my scale and I've lost two pounds. So I decided it was the spinning around saying flying monkey that was the cause of it. Wrong, it was being healthy, that was the causation.

Yah for being healthy! boo for trying short cuts .

mspoopoo

It's all fun and games until someone gets sick or dies and then they or their families want to sue someone.

People are weak and want a quick fix.

shellylb52

Back in the late 90's when phen phen was really popular, I had a very good friend who had a Doctor prescribe them to her. She was a larger girl who struggled with her weight her entire life. She took them off and on for 3 years. She was diagnosed with a damaged heart in 2005 (she was part of the class action suit against the drug company) and she collapsed and died in June of 2006, leaving a 16 year old son. I miss her terribly. I think there is a definite risk that should be considered.

Kevalicious99

If it was that easy .. and really was a viable good option we would all be on diet pills. But the truth is that there is no such pill ... if there was it would make Prozac look like a multi vitamin. Pharmaceuticals spend billions of dollars on research every year .. and if a good easy way to lose weight was possible, they would be all over it.

navyrigger46

Simple, it's because they don't work, they are not intended to work. Ask yourself this, what kind of business want's to eliminate it's customers? Diet companies have a vested interest in fat people, and all businesses like repeat customers.

Rigger

Urban_Princess

I remember in highschool, one of my friends and her sister used Herbal Magic pills. Her sister lost a lot but my friend said it is because she didn't eat a lot (my friend gave the example of her not eating appetizers, desserts, or pasta at family meals). Whereas my friend ate decently and found weight loss but at a slower rate. Based on that I think it is purely psychological. I tried pills but it was years ago. I realized I was only losing weight because you had to drink a lot of water when taking the pill (and you had to take the pill 3 times a day). For all I know it was a placebo. Waste of money, IMHO.

broox80

I took Phen Fen when I was 16. I went from a size 14 to a size 4 in about 2 months. It made me CRAZY!!!! It also made me develop an unhealthy relationship with food and weight all together. It also gave me a heart condition. I know that for me I could go and lose a bunch of weight quick with diet pills, only to regain it after stopping them. To me the only way is to eat at a deficit and exercise. Eating more fiber makes me fuller as does drinking more water. And I dont have jitters or side effects from a pill.

davert123

I am sure diet pills are ok if you use them on a calorie controlled diet :-) They can reduce fat absorption or carb uptake but the figures I've seen show they are going to remove a couple hundred calories . They are not going to protect you from eating big macs all day and going for a 2 mile walk would most probably increase your calorie deficit the same and is good for your body at the same time..

Benji_Applebaum

Cocaine is my choice for rapid weight loss.

MakePeasNotWar

Such debate over diet supplements/pills Here's my take:

Can supplements 'do it all'? No. Can they help? Yes, certain ones can. Are they unhealthy? I'd stay away from the chemically ones that are based on 'boosting energy' ephedra-style, and go with the herbal ones. (Although, by the way, a *little* caffeine- green tea or a cup of coffee- right before exercise is a good thing.) This does seem to be a touchy subject on here, I think because people who are working hard on diet and exercise are threatened by the notion that diet pills *do* work, and are 'the easy way out'. It's okay people, they support, but don't replace diet and exercise. Just like exercise supports, but cannot replace, a healthy diet. I think some of the herbal/plant based ones, the ones that are actually 'food', can be considered as part of healthy diet, and their positive effects seen as such.

^^this

ash8184

Ahhhh.

I hope no one bashes you for this thread. Instead I just hope they answer you and not be judgemental.

Personally, I have used diet pills in the past, to get my weight loss started (by a physician mind you, not myself) and the one I was on was Meridia. It did help me with my appetite, and it did help me lose weight. I was only on it for 2 months... just long enough to get my weight loss started and my appetite under control. I lost 24 lbs in 2 months on it, and then after I went off, I didn't change anything, (because my stomach shrank) and I lost another 60 lbs in 7 months.

I don't down anyone that is using diet pills. Just like I don't down anyone who is only eating 1,200 calories. I've learned... judge not, because it is THEIR business, and THEIR bodies. Do they work? Well.... that was prescription, and it worked for me, and it got me started and that is what I wanted/needed at the time. The other diet pills... I haven't used.

Hope this helps? What diet pills are you referring to exactly?

I really like the way you phrased this, because I totally agree that pills should be totally short-term and to jump-start weight loss. When I was at my heaviest, once I'd lost the first 5lbs, it seemed so much easier to stick with a program. I used a diet pill for a month or so and it created long-lasting habits, so even when I went off of it, I stuck to the same healthful habits. Definitely not a long-term fix, but if I had to choose between being almost 400lbs again and taking diet pills for a month to jump start weight loss, I'd definitely pick the latter.

As a side note, I had WLS about 5 years ago and have kept most of the weight off that I've lost (and am working to getting to my ultimate GW). Diet pills are the same as WLS in this regard... if you eat too much, you stretch your stomach out, and you might as well have not even had the surgery to begin with (which is why WLS is only a tool and not an easy fix). However, for someone who has battled with obesity for most of her life, it is a meaningful, long-lasting lifestyle change. It's all about using these things as a tool to jump start weight loss to create a lifetime of healthy habits.

retirehappy

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.

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.

Thanks for sharing your story.

All the best in your weight loss journey, you have it figured out. :flowerforyou:

Buff2022

Save want to finish reading

happieharpie

I took Meridia in 1997 or so and lost about 65 pounds and instantaneously gained it back. I meanREALLY instantaneously, plus the guilt over paying so much for it and then gaining all the weight back PLUS, WAS ABSOLUTE MISERY.
I SERIOUSLY DOUBT THAT i'd ever try a medication again.

almostanangel21

I've taken OTC diet pills in the past when I had an eating disorder, but ironically I didn't take them to lose weight. I was working a lot, and ephedra made it possible for me to run on empty a lot longer. My coworkers would bum them off me if they hadn't gotten a good night's sleep; my girlfriends would ask me for them before we went out dancing so they'd have more energy. I finally went off them when I found myself completely unable to sleep, crying from sheer weariness but still wired to the gills. Yes, they were unhealthy, but they helped me to realize overall that the way I was living wasn't healthy. Nowadays, the OTC diet pills are mostly B-vitamins, fiber, and caffeine. So, in a way, I'm still taking diet pills - I pop a B-50 if I have a big assignment I'm working on, I have a cup of really good coffee first thing every morning, and I get about 30 grams of fiber daily from my diet. Much healthier, far cheaper, and a lot more pleasant IMO.

teamAmelia

I can't speak for anyone else's opinion or on all diet pills, but:
1-I'm not sure how diet pills work, but I'm sure all of them recommend exercise and/or a sensible diet (the latter is what really causes weight loss).
2-Some of them don't even work (see number 1) or are harmful.
3-Even if they do work, the person will stop losing weight once they stop taking them, and if they want to continue to lose, they'll have to continue taking them or start a real diet, which is what they should have done in the first place.

BrianSharpe

Simple, it's because they don't work, they are not intended to work. Ask yourself this, what kind of business want's to eliminate it's customers? Diet companies have a vested interest in fat people, and all businesses like repeat customers.

Rigger

Shoot me know, I'm agreeing with Rigger......:laugh:

The best thing that can be said for most (not all) over-the-counter products is that they won't kill you.

arcana7609

I just find it funny how most shortcuts (shakes, pills, etc.) have a fine print that reads something like 'must be taken in conjunction with daily exercise and healthy eating,' so really, they do nothing lol.

This is what I found with Nutrisystem. It was here is some freeze dried overpriced crap to eat....now make sure to add in healthy vegetables and fruit.

I was like if i am going to do that I might as well just not eat your junk. It was ridiculus like $280 bucks a month for things you added water to and cooked in a microwave....yeah...healthy.

teamAmelia

I just find it funny how most shortcuts (shakes, pills, etc.) have a fine print that reads something like 'must be taken in conjunction with daily exercise and healthy eating,' so really, they do nothing lol.

This is what I found with Nutrisystem. It was here is some freeze dried overpriced crap to eat....now make sure to add in healthy vegetables and fruit.

I was like if i am going to do that I might as well just not eat your junk. It was ridiculus like $280 bucks a month for things you added water to and cooked in a microwave....yeah...healthy.

Nutrisystem/Weight Watchers are basically smaller (correct) portions of foods that you'd eat anyway. LOL. Just make your own food and watch the portion sizes. Much cheaper and probably tastier.

meex

Personally I have lost 25 kgs and I have 10kgs to go, I have been trying on and off to lose these 10kgs for the past 2 years and NOTHING WORKS even going to the gym 7 days a week (burning between 500cal -1500cals a day) and eating between 900-1500cals for 3 months I only lost around 3 kgs!!! I went to the doctor desperate for help and she put me on duromine. I have been losing 2khs a week for the last fortnight so for me it is just a kick starter. I know how to lose weight and I still eat healthy and exercise. Diet pills were just a way to fix my metabolism I guess. Some people lose the weight easily but I am not one of those people.