vitamin b12... this might sound crazy but....

gabriellejayde

I dieted for 2-3 weeks successfully, losing something like 6lbs the first week, then 2 the next, then 1, then I stalled completely for a few days. I started taking vitamin b12 sub lingual (the kind that dissolves under my tongue) once a day and all of a sudden, the weight has been coming off steadily for weeks. I have been losing around 3 lbs per week.

I do minimal exercising (I have a desk job, but I try to walk on the treadmill for 20-30 minutes a day). I do eat very healthy and i'm at around 1200-1300 cals a day, but... is it crazy to think the b12 is helping my weight loss?

I'm 45 btw.

ash_depp666

I actually just purchased a bottle of b12 vitamins and b12 dissolving tongue strips. I have ver low energy and am hoping b12 will help as I've heard that's what they inject into people on the dr. Bernstein diet. I too have a desk job and am trying to get motivated again to hop on that tredmill again. I have my goals set to sedentary at 1200 cals a day. I really do believe b12 has a link to weigtloss

stevencloser

It doesn't help with weight loss.
Stalling for a few days is totally normal.
Losing 3 pounds per week is normally not normal. How much are you trying to lose? What are your stats?

callsitlikeiseeit

vitamins are not going to help with weight loss in any way.

NOW, its possible, if you are truly deficient in something, that it helps increase your energy, and therefore you work out more, or better... but taking a vitamin will not result in weight loss in and of itself.

MelaniaTrump

You could have had a deficiency in the first place.
Consider taking a daily women's multivitamin instead.

girlinahat

JanetYellen wrote: »

You could have had a deficiency in the first place.
Consider taking a daily women's multivitamin instead.

why take additional vitamins when it seems to be B12 she is ACTUALLY deficient in, and is taking a targeted treatment for?

janejellyroll

JanetYellen wrote: »

You could have had a deficiency in the first place.
Consider taking a daily women's multivitamin instead.

There is no evidence that multivitamins are helpful for the average person.

Need2Exerc1se

Crazy or not, if you are not taking an unhealthy amount of the vitamin then why worry? If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

kgirlhart

I've been taking B-12 shots for over 10 years for B-12 anemia. It never helped me lose any weight. But it can help with your energy so that may be helping you to stick to your goals of eating right and exercising.

Equus5374

I think what people are trying to tell you is that, yes go ahead and take your vitamin if you feel it helps, but do not lose focus on your calorie deficit. That is the key to weight loss. Keep calories as your main focus and don't forget to weigh and measure everything that goes into your mouth. Also check to see if those B12 tablets have calories - some vitamins do.

EddieHaskell97

I take B12 three times a day in conjunction with two Lysine tablets. Not to lose weight, but on the advice of my doctor during recovery from Bell's palsy. It really does seem to help.

If I may suggest though, take methylcobalamin B-12, instead of cyanocobalamin B-12. Most supplements and vitamins will be cyanocobalamin because it's cheaper to manufacture, whereas methylcobalamin will generally make it to your nervous system (which is a big deal when you're body is regenerating a long facial nerve.)

BuffyBourbon

I just had a blood test come back with mildly deficient B-12. One dr is concerned, one sort of blew it off and told me to take a multivitamin. Which b-12 are you using that has helped you?

ElizabethOakes2

I have B deficiency and take a B complex once a day. I did it when I was fat, I do it now that I'm getting skinny. It doesn't make much difference to weight, but man does it help my mood and attitude. I'm a cranky cranky lady when my B gets too low.

SInce it's a water-soluble, not a fat-soluble, and excess just washes out, you're probably fine taking it if it helps your energy levels, but it's not any kind of magic bullet, and if your body doesn't really need it, well... to quote Sheldon, "You're just buying really expensive urine."

cafeaulait7

BuffyBourbon wrote: »

I just had a blood test come back with mildly deficient B-12. One dr is concerned, one sort of blew it off and told me to take a multivitamin. Which b-12 are you using that has helped you?

B-12 deficiency can get extremely serious. I have to take shots, and I still have permanent nerve damage from having an unknown deficiency that caused a hideous, drawn-out illness (where I got down to 85 lbs, too). I can't digest it at all since my 20's. Then there are folks who need megadoses to digest it from an oral dose. And then there are others who do fine with sublingual but taking it via the digestive track doesn't work.

So sublingual is your best bet, but the docs had better follow up on your levels in case you need it injected instead. If you do, you'll surely want to know it before deficiency symptoms set in (it's awful if you do have it and it goes untreated).

OP, it is a key vitamin in energy and all sorts of other metabolic processes, so it's possible that taking it does some good for you. It won't hurt you. It's actually hard to have a deficiency from diet since the liver does store it and you only need a bit, but there are various other ways to get deficient (usually due to the digestive tract). Deficiency affected my weight bigtime, but that was after it had affected a bunch of normal bodily processes. My hair was falling out, had nerve symptoms, etc. That's obviously not common, lol

BuffyBourbon

cafeaulait7 wrote: »

BuffyBourbon wrote: »

I just had a blood test come back with mildly deficient B-12. One dr is concerned, one sort of blew it off and told me to take a multivitamin. Which b-12 are you using that has helped you?

B-12 deficiency can get extremely serious. I have to take shots, and I still have permanent nerve damage from having an unknown deficiency that caused a hideous, drawn-out illness (where I got down to 85 lbs, too). I can't digest it at all since my 20's. Then there are folks who need megadoses to digest it from an oral dose. And then there are others who do fine with sublingual but taking it via the digestive track doesn't work.

So sublingual is your best bet, but the docs had better follow up on your levels in case you need it injected instead. If you do, you'll surely want to know it before deficiency symptoms set in (it's awful if you do have it and it goes untreated).

OP, it is a key vitamin in energy and all sorts of other metabolic processes, so it's possible that taking it does some good for you. It won't hurt you. It's actually hard to have a deficiency from diet since the liver does store it and you only need a bit, but there are various other ways to get deficient (usually due to the digestive tract). Deficiency affected my weight bigtime, but that was after it had affected a bunch of normal bodily processes. My hair was falling out, had nerve symptoms, etc. That's obviously not common, lol

Thanks - My Neuro will definitely keep tabs since my GP wasnt' concerned. The Neuro sent me to the GP for instructions, he said bah, take a multi. I've ordered some sublingual tablets for now, and i visit the neuro every 3 months anyway so after i've been doing those for 2 months i'll ask her to order new labs. In my case, i've been on Proton Pump Inhibitors (prescription) for nearly 15 years, which is a risk factor for deficiency.

OP - what type is it that you like? I just ordered the highest rated Methyl on Amazon that didn't have xylitol (my dog is naughty and likes to steal things)

cafeaulait7

Oh, perfect! Neurologists are the best at thinking about Pernicious Anemia (they know the nerve symptoms), so you should be in good hands then

fittyscent

EddieHaskell97 wrote: »

I take B12 three times a day in conjunction with two Lysine tablets. Not to lose weight, but on the advice of my doctor during recovery from Bell's palsy. It really does seem to help.

If I may suggest though, take methylcobalamin B-12, instead of cyanocobalamin B-12. Most supplements and vitamins will be cyanocobalamin because it's cheaper to manufacture, whereas methylcobalamin will generally make it to your nervous system (which is a big deal when you're body is regenerating a long facial nerve.)

Thank you for the reminder. I've been lax in my b12. 22 months since onset and doing much better. Very slow, but i do still see improvements. #smilingontheinside

LKArgh

OP if you suspect a vitamin deficiency, you need to talk to a dr. B12 deficiency is serious and it is very important to figure out what is causing it. Unless you are older, the causes are often serious and need monitoring and possibly treatment on their own. Do not try to cover up any suspected deficiency, talk to your dr so that this will be properly handled. Not to mention that self medicating will most likely not really help as you will nto get the right dosage.
Now, if you have no diagnosed deficiencies and someone told you to take B12, then stop. There is no such thing as a safe B12 sublingual pill. It has interactions with other drugs, it can cause serious health issues if there are other underlying medical conditions, and you can overdose. Vitamins and other supplements, they are not candy.

LKArgh

ash_depp666 wrote: »

I actually just purchased a bottle of b12 vitamins and b12 dissolving tongue strips. I have ver low energy and am hoping b12 will help as I've heard that's what they inject into people on the dr. Bernstein diet. I too have a desk job and am trying to get motivated again to hop on that tredmill again. I have my goals set to sedentary at 1200 cals a day. I really do believe b12 has a link to weigtloss

No. There are several causes of low energy, B12 deficiency is not among of the most common. You need to talk to a dr. Dependign on what is the real problem, a large dose of B12 could cause very serious damage.