Vitamin D3 for weight loss?

liittlebrunette

I heard that Vitamin D3 helps aide weight loss (speeds it up a little). I'm wondering if anyone has or is taking Vitamin D3 and if they've noticed a significant difference at all in their weight loss?

Also, if you are taking it, how much daily?

adubyou

I don't know about weight loss, but I know it drastically helps improve my food. It's like getting sunlight without actually getting sun... although I don't know why you'd want to do that. Haha.

miadhail

I don't know about weight loss but I do take it since I don't get enough sun where I am at . So I use Nature's Bounty Calcium (1200mg) that comes with 1000IU Vitamin D3. Vitamin D helps with absorption of Calcium for maintainance of bone density. And as a woman, I am at high risk of osteoporosis if I don't take enough calcium. It has other benefits too. It helps with strengthening immune system too. Haven't realised much about weight loss, but it has kept me from being sick eversince.

SuffolkSally

Yes, I do take it - and no I don't think it does speed up weight loss. It's good for people to take in winter or for those who live in areas where there is little sunlight, and helps combat seasonal depression. So people who take for that reason may well find themselves able to be more active and motivated, and therefore lose weight. But I don't think there is any direct correlation (although I stand to be corrected).

Birdie

I don't think it will do anything for weight loss. People with low vitamin d levels tend to have less energy. But taking it would bring you to a normal level of energy. It doesn't give you energy like caffine (or something like that) might. Also too much vitamin d is dangerous. I am on vitamin d suppliments but under a doctors supervision. I have to get blood tests regularly to make sure I don't get too much.

lkc2854

I've never heard that it helps with weight loss, either. However, I take it because the medicine I'm on for my Lupus makes me VERY sun sensitive. Taking Vitamin D and calcium together will help with absorption in your body and both are needed to build strong bones. If you're peri-menopausal like me, you need all the help you can get in order to avoid developing osteoporosis.

fitwithin

My doctor put me on it because my Vitamin D level was so low. I haven't seen any difference in weight loss other than I do have more energy than I had before.

hayleywoodle

My mom has been taking d3 for a month with out changing her diet and lost 7 lbs. Her belly fat has reduced significantly. She told me she heard about it on Dr Oz so I looked it up - http://vitamindweightloss.net/. I'm adding it to my 1200 cal/day diet and see if it helps me!

CristinaL1983

I'm chronically vitamin D deficient (and I spend a good chunk of time in the sun). I'm not sure why. I actually need to pick up some supplements but I have not noticed any difference in weight loss whether I'm taking it or not.

sblake204

I have read that it helps increase building muscle. Think u need to consume at least 3000 IUs. Be careful before taking them without consulting a dr first. I've also heard too much can b hard on your kidneys

Aviva92

I coincidentally started taking vitaimin D3 around the same time I decided to lose weight. The vitamin D was because my doctor told me that I was dangerously low on it. I lost weight extremely easily. I do wonder if the vitamin D had something to do with it, but I have no basis for comparison because I wasn't dieting prior to taking it.

Aviva92

I'm chronically vitamin D deficient (and I spend a good chunk of time in the sun). I'm not sure why. I actually need to pick up some supplements but I have not noticed any difference in weight loss whether I'm taking it or not.

I think that in certain areas of the country, it doesn't matter how much time you spend in the sun because you just can't get it from the sun. I'm in one of those areas.

CoderGal

I heard that Vitamin D3 helps aide weight loss (speeds it up a little). I'm wondering if anyone has or is taking Vitamin D3 and if they've noticed a significant difference at all in their weight loss?

Also, if you are taking it, how much daily?

I wouldn't buy into the gimmick-e stuff for weight loss. Get enough D3, get enough everything, but don't over do it. Also, D3 isn't absorbed very well into the body in pill form. You're better off getting some sun. Also, D3 is absorbed through the skin and can be washed off, that's one of the reasons they recommend you do not shower after you suntan.

CoderGal

I coincidentally started taking vitaimin D3 around the same time I decided to lose weight. The vitamin D was because my doctor told me that I was dangerously low on it. I lost weight extremely easily. I do wonder if the vitamin D had something to do with it, but I have no basis for comparison because I wasn't dieting prior to taking it.

I think it has something to do with the fact that you are running the highest calorie deficit recommended on this site as mentioned in another thread. I wouldn't blame it on D magic.

nataliescalories

I take 2000mg a day of D3 and, like Aviva, had a severe deficiency. It is super important because it aids in calcium absorption (which I also take)

"According to a 2009 study, Vitamin D levels measured at the beginning of a weight loss program can accurately predict the amount of weight loss in the participants. Thirty-eight overweight men and women were placed on a diet consisting of 750 calories per day more than needed to maintain their current weight for 11 weeks. Those participants with the lowest vitamin D levels lost less weight and less abdominal fat than those with higher levels of vitamin D.

"Our results suggest the possibility that the addition of vitamin D to a reduced-calorie diet will lead to better weight loss," said the study's lead author, Shalamar Sibley, MD, MPH, an assistant professor of medicine at the University of Minnesota.

Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/294163-vitamin-d3-weight-loss/#ixzz2KX8FiLep" -- Research sources are at the bottom of the link.

Basically the only solid correlation is that most obese people studied have D3 deficiencies. It's no weight loss miracle, but like any good supplement, it can help round out an already healthy diet.

Aviva92

I coincidentally started taking vitaimin D3 around the same time I decided to lose weight. The vitamin D was because my doctor told me that I was dangerously low on it. I lost weight extremely easily. I do wonder if the vitamin D had something to do with it, but I have no basis for comparison because I wasn't dieting prior to taking it.

I think it has something to do with the fact that you are running the highest calorie deficit recommended on this site as mentioned in another thread. I wouldn't blame it on D magic.

well, others would say that i would have stalled on my calorie deficit, but i didnt. i still wouldn't discount it as possibly helping. losing weight just seemed incredibly easy for me and makes me wonder how i got to 140 in the first place.

nataliescalories

I heard that Vitamin D3 helps aide weight loss (speeds it up a little). I'm wondering if anyone has or is taking Vitamin D3 and if they've noticed a significant difference at all in their weight loss?

Also, if you are taking it, how much daily?

I wouldn't buy into the gimmick-e stuff for weight loss. Get enough D3, get enough everything, but don't over do it. Also, D3 isn't absorbed very well into the body in pill form. You're better off getting some sun. Also, D3 is absorbed through the skin and can be washed off, that's one of the reasons they recommend you do not shower after you suntan.

Liquid D3 taken with a meal has a high absorption rate and would certainly be more healthy than suntanning. Extended suntanning would be overkill given that, "spending just 20 to 30 minutes in the sun induces the skin to produce approximately 10,000 IU of vitamin D, which is 50 times more than the U.S. government's recommendation of 200 IU per day."

Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/294163-vitamin-d3-weight-loss/#ixzz2KX9babUW

CoderGal

I'm chronically vitamin D deficient (and I spend a good chunk of time in the sun). I'm not sure why. I actually need to pick up some supplements but I have not noticed any difference in weight loss whether I'm taking it or not.

I think that in certain areas of the country, it doesn't matter how much time you spend in the sun because you just can't get it from the sun. I'm in one of those areas.

Or you shower to much, or shower after sun exposure (this is how you absorb vitamin D). If you're looking into getting a suppliment, consider getting one encapsulated in an oil base. Vitamin D is fat soluble.

CristinaL1983

I'm chronically vitamin D deficient (and I spend a good chunk of time in the sun). I'm not sure why. I actually need to pick up some supplements but I have not noticed any difference in weight loss whether I'm taking it or not.

I think that in certain areas of the country, it doesn't matter how much time you spend in the sun because you just can't get it from the sun. I'm in one of those areas.

I'm in Texas. I'm pretty sure I should be absorbing enough vitamin D It could have something to do with the fact that I'm overweight... I have been losing weight pretty easily, as well (even without the supplements).

CoderGal

I heard that Vitamin D3 helps aide weight loss (speeds it up a little). I'm wondering if anyone has or is taking Vitamin D3 and if they've noticed a significant difference at all in their weight loss?

Also, if you are taking it, how much daily?

I wouldn't buy into the gimmick-e stuff for weight loss. Get enough D3, get enough everything, but don't over do it. Also, D3 isn't absorbed very well into the body in pill form. You're better off getting some sun. Also, D3 is absorbed through the skin and can be washed off, that's one of the reasons they recommend you do not shower after you suntan.

Liquid D3 taken with a meal has a high absorption rate and would certainly be more healthy than suntanning. Extended suntanning would be overkill given that, "spending just 20 to 30 minutes in the sun induces the skin to produce approximately 10,000 IU of vitamin D, which is 50 times more than the U.S. government's recommendation of 200 IU per day."

Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/294163-vitamin-d3-weight-loss/#ixzz2KX9babUW

I wouldn't recommend excessive suntanning. Or purposely suntanning at all. Mostly just getting outside getting fresh air and absorbing some vitamins.

jbbrannon

I feel a lot better since my doctor told me to take Vitamin D3 every day. I don't get out in the sun at all without sunscreen because we live in Florida.

CristinaL1983

I'm chronically vitamin D deficient (and I spend a good chunk of time in the sun). I'm not sure why. I actually need to pick up some supplements but I have not noticed any difference in weight loss whether I'm taking it or not.

I think that in certain areas of the country, it doesn't matter how much time you spend in the sun because you just can't get it from the sun. I'm in one of those areas.

Or you shower to much, or shower after sun exposure (this is how you absorb vitamin D). If you're looking into getting a suppliment, consider getting one encapsulated in an oil base. Vitamin D is fat soluble.

Good to know! I pretty much just take whatever they give me at the VA clinic. Can't argue with free (The booster supplements I take once a year are definitely in oil.) Not sure about the others but I do get a healthy amount of fat in my diet so I don't think that would matter too much (?). Haven't looked into it too much though I probably should.

SanteMulberry

I heard that Vitamin D3 helps aide weight loss (speeds it up a little). I'm wondering if anyone has or is taking Vitamin D3 and if they've noticed a significant difference at all in their weight loss?

Also, if you are taking it, how much daily?

I take 4,000 units a day throughout the winter (you can take up to 10,000 units a day safely--more than that, you should get a doc's okay and supervision). I take 2,000 to 3,000 units per day in the summer depending on how much sun I am getting (and I never get a lot because I burn easily). When I have my 25 OHD tested (the test to see whether your vitamin D levels are adequate) it is right in the middle of the healthy range. Researchers are discovering more and more about how beneficial this hormone is (that is actually what it is) to ALL bodily processes. I feel that it has likely helped me to lose weight because I am just a lot healthier with it. I hardly ever get colds or flu. Google "benefits of Vitamin D" and you will be amazed at all the beneficial effects from getting adequate levels of it. If you are getting a lot of sun over large portions of your body, you probably don't need to supplement (and getting it from the sun is preferable). Tanning parlors are not a good idea because they use lamps that mostly just put out ultraviolet A rather than the B rays you need to develop vitamin D in the skin. If you are getting sun, avoid using sunscreen as that disrupts the D forming processes in the skin.

pamwhite712

I take it because I'm at a high risk for skin cancer and therefore can't be exposed to sunlight for very long. I've been taking it for several years now. I can say that only since the beginning of January when I started counting my calories and exercising on a regular basis did I begin to lose weight. So no- definitely not, at least for me.

SanteMulberry

I'm chronically vitamin D deficient (and I spend a good chunk of time in the sun). I'm not sure why. I actually need to pick up some supplements but I have not noticed any difference in weight loss whether I'm taking it or not.

I think that in certain areas of the country, it doesn't matter how much time you spend in the sun because you just can't get it from the sun. I'm in one of those areas.

I'm in Texas. I'm pretty sure I should be absorbing enough vitamin D It could have something to do with the fact that I'm overweight... I have been losing weight pretty easily, as well (even without the supplements).

If you are using sunscreens, you may not be getting enough Vitamin D, as sunscreens interfere with the D-forming process in your skin.

Aviva92

oh and i wasn't eating at an "extreme deficit" btw.

SanteMulberry

I take it because I'm at a high risk for skin cancer and therefore can't be exposed to sunlight for very long. I've been taking it for several years now. I can say that only since the beginning of January when I started counting my calories and exercising on a regular basis did I begin to lose weight. So no- definitely not, at least for me.

The Australians have discovered that using sunscreen does NOT protect against skin cancer---probably because sunscreens interfere with the D-forming processes in the skin and Vitamin D actually has a protective effect against cancers of all sorts but particularly skin cancer.

Aviva92

Liquid D3 taken with a meal has a high absorption rate and would certainly be more healthy than suntanning. Extended suntanning would be overkill given that, "spending just 20 to 30 minutes in the sun induces the skin to produce approximately 10,000 IU of vitamin D, which is 50 times more than the U.S. government's recommendation of 200 IU per day."

Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/294163-vitamin-d3-weight-loss/#ixzz2KX9babUW

huh, i didn't know that liquid D3 is best. by liquid do you mean gel caps? i had those at first, but now i have the hard pills. do i need to switch to gel caps?

SanteMulberry

I'm chronically vitamin D deficient (and I spend a good chunk of time in the sun). I'm not sure why. I actually need to pick up some supplements but I have not noticed any difference in weight loss whether I'm taking it or not.

Are you using sunscreens? They mostly eliminate vitamin D formation in the skin.

CoderGal

I heard that Vitamin D3 helps aide weight loss (speeds it up a little). I'm wondering if anyone has or is taking Vitamin D3 and if they've noticed a significant difference at all in their weight loss?

Also, if you are taking it, how much daily?

I wouldn't buy into the gimmick-e stuff for weight loss. Get enough D3, get enough everything, but don't over do it. Also, D3 isn't absorbed very well into the body in pill form. You're better off getting some sun. Also, D3 is absorbed through the skin and can be washed off, that's one of the reasons they recommend you do not shower after you suntan.

Liquid D3 taken with a meal has a high absorption rate and would certainly be more healthy than suntanning. Extended suntanning would be overkill given that, "spending just 20 to 30 minutes in the sun induces the skin to produce approximately 10,000 IU of vitamin D, which is 50 times more than the U.S. government's recommendation of 200 IU per day."

Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/294163-vitamin-d3-weight-loss/#ixzz2KX9babUW

'cause I'm going to trust a livestrong writer. And if you want to go by that, the same website states a different number:
http://www.livestrong.com/article/458399-how-much-vitamin-d-is-absorbed-in-the-body-from-sunlight/

Not to mention people on this thread are already taking higher ones and mentioned you can get into the several thousands a day without doctors approval.

Anyhow, liquid D3 is not absorbed as well as the natural stuff. But if you are deficient, you should ingest it. I'm pretty sure that's what the governments recommendations come from. The comment about the amount of vitamin D produced vs what is actually absorbed well be significantly different, especially since you can get rid of a bunch by rubbing off of things and washing your hands, and nowhere could I find the amount is 10,000 IU, Which makes sense, since it really depends on a lot of factors like strength of the sun, your location, season, cloud cover, smog and time of day along with sunscreen, clothes, if your in direct or covered, or through a window etc.

The government also assumes you're not a vampire and go outside as well, so I'm assuming the "recommended daily intake" is the amount you should digest aka eat. Not to mention the U.S. government decided their recommendation was to low and changed it in 2010 to something much higher by over quadruple the amount depending on what age you are according to the amount you listed.

Aviva92

I heard that Vitamin D3 helps aide weight loss (speeds it up a little). I'm wondering if anyone has or is taking Vitamin D3 and if they've noticed a significant difference at all in their weight loss?

Also, if you are taking it, how much daily?

I wouldn't buy into the gimmick-e stuff for weight loss. Get enough D3, get enough everything, but don't over do it. Also, D3 isn't absorbed very well into the body in pill form. You're better off getting some sun. Also, D3 is absorbed through the skin and can be washed off, that's one of the reasons they recommend you do not shower after you suntan.

Liquid D3 taken with a meal has a high absorption rate and would certainly be more healthy than suntanning. Extended suntanning would be overkill given that, "spending just 20 to 30 minutes in the sun induces the skin to produce approximately 10,000 IU of vitamin D, which is 50 times more than the U.S. government's recommendation of 200 IU per day."

Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/294163-vitamin-d3-weight-loss/#ixzz2KX9babUW

'cause I'm going to trust a livestrong writer.

Anyhow, liquid D3 is not absorbed as well as the natural stuff. But if you are deficient, you should ingest it. I'm pretty sure that's what the governments recommendations come from. They assume you're not a vampire and go outside as well.

well, in manhattan where i live i can't get the natural stuff, so i'll stick with pills.