weight loss supplements
firefighterswife58
Posts: 46
I'm looking for a weight loss supplement that works. I'm thinking of using alli, which is what my sister uses. Something that will help with energy and help suppress my appetite. I am only looking for positive feedback for someone who can help with my question.
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Replies
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alli's biggest side effect is uncontrollable crapping in your pants.
Don't do it.0 -
I don't think Alli helps curb appetite or give you energy. IT alters your body's ability to absorb fat (i believe). It's the low rent version of hte prescription MEridia0
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Glucomannan!0
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alli's biggest side effect is uncontrollable crapping in your pants.
Don't do it.
amen. i used alli for a while and had to use panty liners constantly because of the damn orange oil discharge. don't do it. at all.0 -
So lately it has been driving me nuts about how many people want to take a pill to be skinny. Seriously, if there was a pill that made you skinny without having to exercise and eat right obesity would cease to exist. Don’t you think if doctors and the FDA had a pill that did this, they would prescribe it! People are to obsessed with a quick fix that has temporary results, if any results. I see people posting and asking “what about ______ pills?” or “ What diet pill do you recommend?”. PEOPLE STOP! Get your @ss in a gym, join a class, start a walking club, buy some DVD’s, hire a personal trainer, do something aside from trying to take a pill. The $60 you are going to pay for a bottle of pills can buy a lot of DVD’s and months at a gym.
"Lose 30 pounds in 30 days!"
"Block the absorption of fat, carbs, and calories with this pill!"
"Wear this and watch the pounds melt away."
Whether you're flipping through a magazine, scanning the aisles of a health store, or watching late-night television, you're bound to see slogans like these touting the latest and greatest product designed to help YOU lose weight.
But chances are the only thing you'll lose by purchasing the latest "miracle diet product" is money. Diet scams are big business with sellers vying for their share of the nearly $35 billion that Americans spend each year on weight loss products and programs.
There have always been quack weight loss schemes out there because nobody ever believes that you can't lose weight faster than you gained it," says registered dietician Althea Zanecosky.
"It maybe took two years for them to gain those 15 pounds, but they want to lose it in two weeks."
A more realistic timetable for lasting weight loss is to lose about a pound or two a week, says Zanecosky.
Experts say relying on pills, patches, creams, and other gadgets to lose weight keeps millions of people from seeking weight loss programs that could really help them lose weight and reduce their risk of disease. The sale of diet pills continue to be on the rise in North America. Many people are lead to believe that they are a safe and effective way to lose weight. Most diet pills on the market are not safe, can cause serious side effects and have resulted in death. Popular diet pills such as Acutrim and Dexatrim contain a combination of phenylpropanolamine and caffeine. Phenylpropanolamine is a stimulant and effects the central nervous system. It can produce symptoms such as increased heart rate, dizziness, high blood pressure, nausea, anxiety, irritability, insomnia, dry mouth and diarrhea.
The biggy’s in the diet scam industry right now:
1. Metabolism-boosting/calorie-burning pills
At the top of the list of diet scams are pills based on herbal ingredients that promise to boost your metabolism and help you burn calories or fat faster.
“New herbs always seem to percolate to the top as potential diet aids, as one leaves another shows up because the FDA doesn’t monitor herbs,” says Zanecosky. “Most of time they are just ineffective; once in a while they are dangerous.”
Two recent examples of herbal diet pills that caught the attention of the FDA as dangerous are ephedra and kava (Piper methysticum, also known as kava kava).
Until recently, ephedra was found in many herbal dietary supplements for weight loss, but in February 2004, the FDA banned the sale of ephedra in any dietary supplement in the U.S. due to the risk of illness or injury. The herb is a close chemical cousin of methamphetamine or speed and can cause high blood pressure, irregular heartbeat, insomnia, nervousness, tremors, seizures, heart attacks, strokes, and even death.
Kava is a plant found in the islands of the South Pacific. Supplements containing the herbal ingredient are often promoted for relaxation as well as weight loss. But the FDA issued a warning in 2002 that use of supplements containing kava has been linked to severe liver injury.
2. Fat- and carb-blocking pills
Pills that claim to block your body’s absorption of fat and more recently carbohydrates are also commonly-sold diet scams.
Even if these fat and carb blockers worked as they say they do, researchers say the effects can be dangerous if not just plain unpleasant.
It’s like making someone lactose intolerant, says Zanecosky. By making the body unable to breakdown nutrients in the body, which leads to gastrointestinal problems like diarrhea, bloating, and gas, these pills also block the absorption of the vitamins that travel with these nutrients.
“Why would someone purposely submit themselves to that?” says Zanecosky. “Some fat blockers might have something in them that can interfere with how people absorb fat, but they’ve never been shown to help with substantial weight loss.”
3. Weight loss teas
Teas based on herbal ingredients are also touted as diet aids, but researchers say the main ingredient in many of these teas is caffeine, which is a diuretic and leads to water loss.
“Losing water isn’t losing weight,” says Zanecosky. “Caffeine can also increase metabolic rate by a small amount but not enough that you would be able to say that it contributed to weight loss.”
Registered dietitian Nelda Mercer agrees and says the only potential weight loss benefit of drinking herbal teas might be using them as a substitute for high-calorie beverages.
Mercer says that with some diet teas, it’s the program the comes along with the teas that may sometimes promote weight loss, such as teas that recommend you drink it after dinner and then not eat anything else until morning. That way it could curb late-night eating, but it’s not necessarily a result of drinking the tea itself.
4. Diet patches and jewelry
Patches that deliver drugs though the skin have become popular for helping smokers quit and delivering estrogen to relieve menopausal symptoms.
But experts say no effective weight loss drugs have been designed to be delivered through the skin via patches. Most of the time, these patches contain the same ineffective herbs found in dietary supplements or teas.
Also included in this diet scam category is jewelry, such as earrings or bracelets, designed to be worn on the body with the promise to help people shed pounds. According to the FTC, any claim that people can lose even a pound or more a week using these devices is false.
5. Body wraps or “slim suits”
If there were an “oldie but goodie” diet scam prize winner, experts say it would likely go to body wraps.
The thick, layered sweat suits once popular decades ago have morphed into silver “slim suits” and fat-melting body wraps designed to lock body heat in and melt away the pounds.
But researchers say the only type of weight loss caused by wearing these outfits is water loss caused by excessive sweating. As soon as you take a drink, you’ll gain all that water weight back.
6. HCG- Tune in next week for why this is the biggest scam of all! This one ruffles my feathers the most so I will have an ENTIRE post about it!
How to Spot a Diet Scam
Experts say the only way to lose weight for the long haul is to burn more calories than you eat, and that process is slow. That means any diet products or program that promises “quick and easy” weight loss without any effort or sacrifice is bound to be bogus.
But if that’s not enough to raise your suspicions, here are some frequently used buzz words to watch for, according to the FTC:
No Diet! No Exercise!Lose 30 Pounds in 30 DaysEat Your Favorite Foods and Still Lose WeightShrinks Inches Off Your Stomach, Waist, and HipsScientists Announce Incredible Discovery!Revolutionary European Method! Ancient Chinese Secret!Turn On Your Body's Fat-Burning ProcessAutomatically Convert Fat to Lean Trim Muscle!Absorbs FatDeveloped After Years of Secret ResearchNew Scientific/Medical Breakthrough
Not only do diet scam pitchmen tend to use the same words in their advertising, the FTC says they also employ some of the same sales techniques, such as:
—Extravagant claims of dramatic, rapid weight loss.
—Testimonials from "famous" doctors, researchers, or other medical experts.
—Dramatic before-and-after photos depicting substantial weight loss.
—Ads that tout the latest trendy ingredient in the headlines.
—A footnote hidden somewhere in an ad noting "diet and exercise required."
http://torquefitness.blogspot.com/0 -
Alli did not help me. It did not give me energy or suppress my appetite. I do use Herbal supplements now. I take Acai Berry 2 times a day, I use Garlic for a lot of my seasonings because Garlic is supposed to help supress appetite as well as Cinnamon so I take 2 Cinnamon capsules after meals.
I also take Complex B12, which is a combination of the B vitamins. In the past I have taken Hydroxycut, but I can't now because it always gives me a killer headache.0 -
I am only looking for positive feedback for someone who can help with my question.
If you are only looking for positive feedback, why bother posting? If ALL you are looking for is a couple of people to say "sure, go ahead, it worked for me" and do NOT want to hear from all the people who will say "It sucks", then it sounds like you have already made up your mind to take it regardless, and are just looking for someone to make you feel good about your bad decision.I don't think Alli helps curb appetite or give you energy. IT alters your body's ability to absorb fat
and this person is right, it does just block fat absorption, no energy boost or appetite suppression, you still crave the fat, it just makes you crap your pants if you eat it.0 -
Just to let anyone know who posts something negative I'm not gonna read it so don't waste your precious time... thanks!0
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Just to let anyone know who posts something negative I'm not gonna read it so don't waste your precious time... thanks!
This makes you the most closed-minded person on the planet right now.
If you said "I would like to smoke crack but am only looking for positive feedback" and ten THOUSAND people said "please don't, it's bad", and that one nasty crackhead told you to go for it just so they wouldn't be alone in their misery, you would listen to them and do crack?!?!?!?!?!?0 -
First of all I'm not gonna read or reply to ppl posting rude remarks! I do diet eat right and exercise so stfu. Pretty sure I used to weigh 300 lbs n I'm no where close to that now!! So anyone with helpful advice pls comments below thanks
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Just to let anyone know who posts something negative I'm not gonna read it so don't waste your precious time... thanks!
I really don't see the point in posting then. People are giving you their honest opinion. Diet pills are dangerous and the best way to lose weight is by exercising and eating well.
I tried trimendous before I started being sensible about my weight loss journey and all it did was make my heart race and give me killer headaches. You'd be hard pushed to find people who will agree that diet pills are great because most people on this site I would bet are here because they have decided to make a commitment to a healthier lifestyle.0 -
First of all I'm not gonna read or reply to ppl posting rude remarks! I do diet eat right and exercise so stfu. Pretty sure I used to weigh 300 lbs n I'm no where close to that now!! So anyone with helpful advice pls comments below thanks
If you diet and eat right, then alli isn't something you need. It doesn't provide energy or suppress appetite. All it does is block your body from absorbing some of the fat that you eat. That's it. Really.0 -
I am asking if anyone has any recommendations for anything I can try.. I am really struggling0
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Just to let anyone know who posts something negative I'm not gonna read it so don't waste your precious time... thanks!
This makes you the most closed-minded person on the planet right now.
If you said "I would like to smoke crack but am only looking for positive feedback" and ten THOUSAND people said "please don't, it's bad", and that one nasty crackhead told you to go for it just so they wouldn't be alone in their misery, you would listen to them and do crack?!?!?!?!?!?
If this person wants to take a drug, crap their pants, be unhealthy, etc, that's their own prerogative. Some people just aren't in it to be healthy. They just want to "lose weight fast". *shrug*0 -
I am asking if anyone has any recommendations for anything I can try.. I am really struggling
If you're low on energy and having trouble with your appetite, then you might want to take an honest look at your habits:
-Are you eating *enough*
-Are you eating as little processed as possible? Lots of veggies, beans, high-fiber, whole grains, enough protein, healthy fats? These will keep you satisifed so much more than processed foods.
-Do you drink enough water
-Do you get enough sleep
Unless you have a medical problem, addressing these issues will likely solve any energy/appetite problems you have in a much safer way than any pill will.0 -
Hey the crack comment reminds me of something - methamphatimine users are really skinny. HMmmm.
Seriously - this site My FITNESS Pal - is not about the shortcuts (drugs), but the long term changes. Practicing "changes" will help you keep weight off in the future.0 -
I took orlistat (the Rx of Alli) when it first came out.
I positively lost 14 pounds. It works by blocking some of the fat absorption from foods.
You will positively learn NOT to eat a slice of pepperoni pizza for lunch at work. (I learned that wearing tan scrubs while working in one of the busiest ERs in California). It's Funny as hell NOW, but then, not so much. Learned very quickly to always have an extra pair of underwear or two in a ziploc bag handy and accessible.
It positively turned me into a raw vegetable only eating basket case.
I positively learned that it was not really a good long term solution. Who wants to fart grease all day, often without warning?
Those are my positive experiences with it.
Good luck with your journey, I wish you the best.0 -
I am asking if anyone has any recommendations for anything I can try.. I am really struggling
POSITIVE HELPFUL response,
The best thing you can try is to open your diary to the public so people can see what you are doing right AND wrong, and give helpful suggestions to break your plateau.
VERY often, people achieve success for a while, then stall, reason being that they are eating too LITTLE. The closer to goal you get the more you have to eat to get the last few off.
I did the (horridly low) 1200 for a while, had to up it to 1500 to lose more, and then to 1700-1800 for the last couple, and now maintain at 1800-2200 a day, and I am 5'2" and 107 lbs.
Now, since your diary is private, nobody knows if you are eating 1000 a day, 2000 a day, or anywhere in between....hard to give advice that fits YOU if we don't know anything about you...0 -
I took orlistat (the Rx of Alli) when it first came out.
I positively lost 14 pounds. It works by blocking some of the fat absorption from foods.
You will positively learn NOT to eat a slice of pepperoni pizza for lunch at work. (I learned that wearing tan scrubs while working in one of the busiest ERs in California). It's Funny as hell NOW, but then, not so much. Learned very quickly to always have an extra pair of underwear or two in a ziploc bag handy and accessible.
It positively turned me into a raw vegetable only eating basket case.
I positively learned that it was not really a good long term solution. Who wants to fart grease all day, often without warning?
Those are my positive experiences with it.
Good luck with your journey, I wish you the best.
Ha!!! That made me laugh so much, way to go with your positive slant on it - you're a legend 0 -
I am asking if anyone has any recommendations for anything I can try.. I am really struggling
If you are really looking for help, maybe you should call your dr and ask him/her. I am sure you will get the same answer. I am going to be honest because I have tried diet pills. Four kinds in the last year. Seriously none of them worked. At all. In fact, I was gaining weight.
I would recommend, like a person above, that you look into some herbal supplements (though again, mention them to your dr because some can interact with other meds) and see if you can get more energy from them (B complex is great for energy.)
I am trying so hard not to be "negative" so you will read this post, but I have to urge you to please think carefully about them, they really aren't worth the money. I have lost nearly 10 since stopping them in mid-April.0 -
Hey all - the OP deactivated her account, so there's no point in continuing to respond to her...0
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I am asking if anyone has any recommendations for anything I can try.. I am really struggling
I'm guessing since you have already lost a lot of weight that you are now in a plateau? ...and you are looking for something to help get you out of it? Yeah. I'm there right now. I haven't lost anything since Dec. 17. I've been at the SAME. WEIGHT......for almost 5 months. It is frustrating BUT you shouldn't turn to un healthy ways of losing the weight. Change up your exercise routine. Have you tried doing more intense cardio? How is your muscle development? You know lean muscle mass help you to burn fat. Drink more water.
Watch your fat intake. Since that is what Alli initially "does" for you. Try cutting out some of your fats and see if that helps. You don't want to use Alli because for one it's a nuisance. Two it keeps your body from absorbing any fat, and we all need some healthy fats in our diet. I'm sorry I can't give you my experience on taking Alli because I have never and will never put something like that in my body. I want to be strong and healthy not skinny and malnourished. But if that's what you want, go for it.
Everyone here is trying to be helpful. Save you some frustration and some money since those things are crazy expensive. It's just not worth it.0 -
I will skip the OMG posting of how weight loss supps are only a bad idea...
These types of posts will bring out the dogs!
I have tried a lot of them and I am not going to BS anyone about it.
Alli is bad news and did almost nothing for me but increase the frequency with which I had to change my shorts.
Hydroxycut hardcore XL 5000 super thermo etc was ok and I take it from time to time for the thermo jolt so I can make it through a 1000 cal cardio burn.
Flash point by Gaspari is prob the best one I have used yet. It i sublingual so you put it under your tongue and its disolves pretty quickly. Tastes a little like a sweat tart but this way I end up with gut rot a lot less. It is a thermo that works almost instantly without have to fill your gut with some liquid or handful of pills. I really did not feel a crash either. A friend of mine lost a decent amount of weight on this combined with exercise and proper nutrition of course :bigsmile:
I do not take W loss supps as frequent because being a warm person already any thermo tends to make me sweat all am even after working out....0 -
Seems silly to do that because she wasn't getting the info she wanted. Like I said - we're working to be healthy and fit the right way, not by popping pills0
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This site is supposed to be supportive. Have you heard the phrase " If you dont have anything nice to say, then don't say anything at all". Making a life change is difficult, and there is nothing wrong with taking some help from God given natural things or advice from friends. Just keep your opinion to yourself if you have to be a jerk about it!0
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So lately it has been driving me nuts about how many people want to take a pill to be skinny. Seriously, if there was a pill that made you skinny without having to exercise and eat right obesity would cease to exist. Don’t you think if doctors and the FDA had a pill that did this, they would prescribe it! People are to obsessed with a quick fix that has temporary results, if any results. I see people posting and asking “what about ______ pills?” or “ What diet pill do you recommend?”. PEOPLE STOP! Get your @ss in a gym, join a class, start a walking club, buy some DVD’s, hire a personal trainer, do something aside from trying to take a pill. The $60 you are going to pay for a bottle of pills can buy a lot of DVD’s and months at a gym.
"Lose 30 pounds in 30 days!"
"Block the absorption of fat, carbs, and calories with this pill!"
"Wear this and watch the pounds melt away."
and so i think i read that only positive answers to her question - YOU cleraly have too much time on your hands and YOU can't save everybody. you dont agree with her? move the frik on then...youre not goign to change her mind.
Whether you're flipping through a magazine, scanning the aisles of a health store, or watching late-night television, you're bound to see slogans like these touting the latest and greatest product designed to help YOU lose weight.
But chances are the only thing you'll lose by purchasing the latest "miracle diet product" is money. Diet scams are big business with sellers vying for their share of the nearly $35 billion that Americans spend each year on weight loss products and programs.
There have always been quack weight loss schemes out there because nobody ever believes that you can't lose weight faster than you gained it," says registered dietician Althea Zanecosky.
"It maybe took two years for them to gain those 15 pounds, but they want to lose it in two weeks."
A more realistic timetable for lasting weight loss is to lose about a pound or two a week, says Zanecosky.
Experts say relying on pills, patches, creams, and other gadgets to lose weight keeps millions of people from seeking weight loss programs that could really help them lose weight and reduce their risk of disease. The sale of diet pills continue to be on the rise in North America. Many people are lead to believe that they are a safe and effective way to lose weight. Most diet pills on the market are not safe, can cause serious side effects and have resulted in death. Popular diet pills such as Acutrim and Dexatrim contain a combination of phenylpropanolamine and caffeine. Phenylpropanolamine is a stimulant and effects the central nervous system. It can produce symptoms such as increased heart rate, dizziness, high blood pressure, nausea, anxiety, irritability, insomnia, dry mouth and diarrhea.
The biggy’s in the diet scam industry right now:
1. Metabolism-boosting/calorie-burning pills
At the top of the list of diet scams are pills based on herbal ingredients that promise to boost your metabolism and help you burn calories or fat faster.
“New herbs always seem to percolate to the top as potential diet aids, as one leaves another shows up because the FDA doesn’t monitor herbs,” says Zanecosky. “Most of time they are just ineffective; once in a while they are dangerous.”
Two recent examples of herbal diet pills that caught the attention of the FDA as dangerous are ephedra and kava (Piper methysticum, also known as kava kava).
Until recently, ephedra was found in many herbal dietary supplements for weight loss, but in February 2004, the FDA banned the sale of ephedra in any dietary supplement in the U.S. due to the risk of illness or injury. The herb is a close chemical cousin of methamphetamine or speed and can cause high blood pressure, irregular heartbeat, insomnia, nervousness, tremors, seizures, heart attacks, strokes, and even death.
Kava is a plant found in the islands of the South Pacific. Supplements containing the herbal ingredient are often promoted for relaxation as well as weight loss. But the FDA issued a warning in 2002 that use of supplements containing kava has been linked to severe liver injury.
2. Fat- and carb-blocking pills
Pills that claim to block your body’s absorption of fat and more recently carbohydrates are also commonly-sold diet scams.
Even if these fat and carb blockers worked as they say they do, researchers say the effects can be dangerous if not just plain unpleasant.
It’s like making someone lactose intolerant, says Zanecosky. By making the body unable to breakdown nutrients in the body, which leads to gastrointestinal problems like diarrhea, bloating, and gas, these pills also block the absorption of the vitamins that travel with these nutrients.
“Why would someone purposely submit themselves to that?” says Zanecosky. “Some fat blockers might have something in them that can interfere with how people absorb fat, but they’ve never been shown to help with substantial weight loss.”
3. Weight loss teas
Teas based on herbal ingredients are also touted as diet aids, but researchers say the main ingredient in many of these teas is caffeine, which is a diuretic and leads to water loss.
“Losing water isn’t losing weight,” says Zanecosky. “Caffeine can also increase metabolic rate by a small amount but not enough that you would be able to say that it contributed to weight loss.”
Registered dietitian Nelda Mercer agrees and says the only potential weight loss benefit of drinking herbal teas might be using them as a substitute for high-calorie beverages.
Mercer says that with some diet teas, it’s the program the comes along with the teas that may sometimes promote weight loss, such as teas that recommend you drink it after dinner and then not eat anything else until morning. That way it could curb late-night eating, but it’s not necessarily a result of drinking the tea itself.
4. Diet patches and jewelry
Patches that deliver drugs though the skin have become popular for helping smokers quit and delivering estrogen to relieve menopausal symptoms.
But experts say no effective weight loss drugs have been designed to be delivered through the skin via patches. Most of the time, these patches contain the same ineffective herbs found in dietary supplements or teas.
Also included in this diet scam category is jewelry, such as earrings or bracelets, designed to be worn on the body with the promise to help people shed pounds. According to the FTC, any claim that people can lose even a pound or more a week using these devices is false.
5. Body wraps or “slim suits”
If there were an “oldie but goodie” diet scam prize winner, experts say it would likely go to body wraps.
The thick, layered sweat suits once popular decades ago have morphed into silver “slim suits” and fat-melting body wraps designed to lock body heat in and melt away the pounds.
But researchers say the only type of weight loss caused by wearing these outfits is water loss caused by excessive sweating. As soon as you take a drink, you’ll gain all that water weight back.
6. HCG- Tune in next week for why this is the biggest scam of all! This one ruffles my feathers the most so I will have an ENTIRE post about it!
How to Spot a Diet Scam
Experts say the only way to lose weight for the long haul is to burn more calories than you eat, and that process is slow. That means any diet products or program that promises “quick and easy” weight loss without any effort or sacrifice is bound to be bogus.
But if that’s not enough to raise your suspicions, here are some frequently used buzz words to watch for, according to the FTC:
No Diet! No Exercise!Lose 30 Pounds in 30 DaysEat Your Favorite Foods and Still Lose WeightShrinks Inches Off Your Stomach, Waist, and HipsScientists Announce Incredible Discovery!Revolutionary European Method! Ancient Chinese Secret!Turn On Your Body's Fat-Burning ProcessAutomatically Convert Fat to Lean Trim Muscle!Absorbs FatDeveloped After Years of Secret ResearchNew Scientific/Medical Breakthrough
Not only do diet scam pitchmen tend to use the same words in their advertising, the FTC says they also employ some of the same sales techniques, such as:
—Extravagant claims of dramatic, rapid weight loss.
—Testimonials from "famous" doctors, researchers, or other medical experts.
—Dramatic before-and-after photos depicting substantial weight loss.
—Ads that tout the latest trendy ingredient in the headlines.
—A footnote hidden somewhere in an ad noting "diet and exercise required."
http://torquefitness.blogspot.com/0 -
interesting OP. she seemed crabby.0
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So lately it has been driving me nuts about how many people want to take a pill to be skinny. Seriously, if there was a pill that made you skinny without having to exercise and eat right obesity would cease to exist. Don’t you think if doctors and the FDA had a pill that did this, they would prescribe it! People are to obsessed with a quick fix that has temporary results, if any results. I see people posting and asking “what about ______ pills?” or “ What diet pill do you recommend?”. PEOPLE STOP! Get your @ss in a gym, join a class, start a walking club, buy some DVD’s, hire a personal trainer, do something aside from trying to take a pill. The $60 you are going to pay for a bottle of pills can buy a lot of DVD’s and months at a gym.
"Lose 30 pounds in 30 days!"
"Block the absorption of fat, carbs, and calories with this pill!"
"Wear this and watch the pounds melt away."
Whether you're flipping through a magazine, scanning the aisles of a health store, or watching late-night television, you're bound to see slogans like these touting the latest and greatest product designed to help YOU lose weight.
But chances are the only thing you'll lose by purchasing the latest "miracle diet product" is money. Diet scams are big business with sellers vying for their share of the nearly $35 billion that Americans spend each year on weight loss products and programs.
There have always been quack weight loss schemes out there because nobody ever believes that you can't lose weight faster than you gained it," says registered dietician Althea Zanecosky.
"It maybe took two years for them to gain those 15 pounds, but they want to lose it in two weeks."
A more realistic timetable for lasting weight loss is to lose about a pound or two a week, says Zanecosky.
Experts say relying on pills, patches, creams, and other gadgets to lose weight keeps millions of people from seeking weight loss programs that could really help them lose weight and reduce their risk of disease. The sale of diet pills continue to be on the rise in North America. Many people are lead to believe that they are a safe and effective way to lose weight. Most diet pills on the market are not safe, can cause serious side effects and have resulted in death. Popular diet pills such as Acutrim and Dexatrim contain a combination of phenylpropanolamine and caffeine. Phenylpropanolamine is a stimulant and effects the central nervous system. It can produce symptoms such as increased heart rate, dizziness, high blood pressure, nausea, anxiety, irritability, insomnia, dry mouth and diarrhea.
The biggy’s in the diet scam industry right now:
1. Metabolism-boosting/calorie-burning pills
At the top of the list of diet scams are pills based on herbal ingredients that promise to boost your metabolism and help you burn calories or fat faster.
“New herbs always seem to percolate to the top as potential diet aids, as one leaves another shows up because the FDA doesn’t monitor herbs,” says Zanecosky. “Most of time they are just ineffective; once in a while they are dangerous.”
Two recent examples of herbal diet pills that caught the attention of the FDA as dangerous are ephedra and kava (Piper methysticum, also known as kava kava).
Until recently, ephedra was found in many herbal dietary supplements for weight loss, but in February 2004, the FDA banned the sale of ephedra in any dietary supplement in the U.S. due to the risk of illness or injury. The herb is a close chemical cousin of methamphetamine or speed and can cause high blood pressure, irregular heartbeat, insomnia, nervousness, tremors, seizures, heart attacks, strokes, and even death.
Kava is a plant found in the islands of the South Pacific. Supplements containing the herbal ingredient are often promoted for relaxation as well as weight loss. But the FDA issued a warning in 2002 that use of supplements containing kava has been linked to severe liver injury.
2. Fat- and carb-blocking pills
Pills that claim to block your body’s absorption of fat and more recently carbohydrates are also commonly-sold diet scams.
Even if these fat and carb blockers worked as they say they do, researchers say the effects can be dangerous if not just plain unpleasant.
It’s like making someone lactose intolerant, says Zanecosky. By making the body unable to breakdown nutrients in the body, which leads to gastrointestinal problems like diarrhea, bloating, and gas, these pills also block the absorption of the vitamins that travel with these nutrients.
“Why would someone purposely submit themselves to that?” says Zanecosky. “Some fat blockers might have something in them that can interfere with how people absorb fat, but they’ve never been shown to help with substantial weight loss.”
3. Weight loss teas
Teas based on herbal ingredients are also touted as diet aids, but researchers say the main ingredient in many of these teas is caffeine, which is a diuretic and leads to water loss.
“Losing water isn’t losing weight,” says Zanecosky. “Caffeine can also increase metabolic rate by a small amount but not enough that you would be able to say that it contributed to weight loss.”
Registered dietitian Nelda Mercer agrees and says the only potential weight loss benefit of drinking herbal teas might be using them as a substitute for high-calorie beverages.
Mercer says that with some diet teas, it’s the program the comes along with the teas that may sometimes promote weight loss, such as teas that recommend you drink it after dinner and then not eat anything else until morning. That way it could curb late-night eating, but it’s not necessarily a result of drinking the tea itself.
4. Diet patches and jewelry
Patches that deliver drugs though the skin have become popular for helping smokers quit and delivering estrogen to relieve menopausal symptoms.
But experts say no effective weight loss drugs have been designed to be delivered through the skin via patches. Most of the time, these patches contain the same ineffective herbs found in dietary supplements or teas.
Also included in this diet scam category is jewelry, such as earrings or bracelets, designed to be worn on the body with the promise to help people shed pounds. According to the FTC, any claim that people can lose even a pound or more a week using these devices is false.
5. Body wraps or “slim suits”
If there were an “oldie but goodie” diet scam prize winner, experts say it would likely go to body wraps.
The thick, layered sweat suits once popular decades ago have morphed into silver “slim suits” and fat-melting body wraps designed to lock body heat in and melt away the pounds.
But researchers say the only type of weight loss caused by wearing these outfits is water loss caused by excessive sweating. As soon as you take a drink, you’ll gain all that water weight back.
6. HCG- Tune in next week for why this is the biggest scam of all! This one ruffles my feathers the most so I will have an ENTIRE post about it!
How to Spot a Diet Scam
Experts say the only way to lose weight for the long haul is to burn more calories than you eat, and that process is slow. That means any diet products or program that promises “quick and easy” weight loss without any effort or sacrifice is bound to be bogus.
But if that’s not enough to raise your suspicions, here are some frequently used buzz words to watch for, according to the FTC:
No Diet! No Exercise!Lose 30 Pounds in 30 DaysEat Your Favorite Foods and Still Lose WeightShrinks Inches Off Your Stomach, Waist, and HipsScientists Announce Incredible Discovery!Revolutionary European Method! Ancient Chinese Secret!Turn On Your Body's Fat-Burning ProcessAutomatically Convert Fat to Lean Trim Muscle!Absorbs FatDeveloped After Years of Secret ResearchNew Scientific/Medical Breakthrough
Not only do diet scam pitchmen tend to use the same words in their advertising, the FTC says they also employ some of the same sales techniques, such as:
—Extravagant claims of dramatic, rapid weight loss.
—Testimonials from "famous" doctors, researchers, or other medical experts.
—Dramatic before-and-after photos depicting substantial weight loss.
—Ads that tout the latest trendy ingredient in the headlines.
—A footnote hidden somewhere in an ad noting "diet and exercise required."
http://torquefitness.blogspot.com/
yeah so THIS is what i meant to say: and so i think i read that only positive answers to her question - YOU cleraly have too much time on your hands and YOU can't save everybody. you dont agree with her? move the frik on then...youre not goign to change her mind.0 -
OMG.
PEOPLE do you not READ-. She wanted Positive comments. Everybody jumped down her throat about not taking Diet pills.
She has DEACTIVATED HER ACCOUNT because of the lovely support everyone gave her.
Let this thread die.0 -
I am only looking for positive feedback for someone who can help with my question.
If you are only looking for positive feedback, why bother posting? If ALL you are looking for is a couple of people to say "sure, go ahead, it worked for me" and do NOT want to hear from all the people who will say "It sucks", then it sounds like you have already made up your mind to take it regardless, and are just looking for someone to make you feel good about your bad decision.I don't think Alli helps curb appetite or give you energy. IT alters your body's ability to absorb fat
and this person is right, it does just block fat absorption, no energy boost or appetite suppression, you still crave the fat, it just makes you crap your pants if you eat it.
maybe its a bad idea for YOU...maybe some people need ot live and learn...step off and move onto another topic ... there' splenty out here for you to b*tch about.0
This discussion has been closed.
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