Proper use of Weight Loss Supplements

alyssamiller77

So I think most here would agree that weight can be shed without the use of drugs, pills, potions, syrups, etc. Instead managing your diet and/or getting additional exercise will eventually lead you to the promised land. I'm one of many who has been successful in that regard. Dropped 34 pounds in 6 months and have been "maintaining" (I'll explain the quotes in a minute) ever since.

Now that I'm in maintenance mode, I've been doing a calorie cycling approach in an attempt to build muscle while still staying in roughly the same body fat%. Lately my cuts have gotten harder. I've gone down to 1800 calories a day (a 500 calorie deficit for me, not including exercise calories) this past cycle and still couldn't get much downward movement. I tried not eating my exercise calories and still no success. So desperate for something to get my loss jump started I turned to a free sample of a diet supplement I got from GNC with a recent purchase. I have about 3 weeks worth of Hydroxycut Hardcore Elite. I figured what the heck anything is worth a try.

So one week into taking it, I'm already seeing results, down about 3-4 pounds now. So it seems to be working. Now I posting this not to advertise this product. The reason I bring this up is that I believe despite how they're marketed, this is really how these products are meant to be used. I'm not relying on them to lose weight, obviously I'm managing my diet and exercising regularly just as I always have. I'm using them more as a sort of plateau buster and plan to stop taking them once I get to my goal weight for this cut cycle.

Just throwing it out there for your thoughts.

justal313

I suppose a weightloss suppliment would be better than eating this

WendyTerry420

I agree that they can be safe and effective for short term use. They are not designed for long term use.

alyssamiller77

I agree that they can be safe and effective for short term use. They are not designed for long term use.

Exactly, and they can't be the only thing you're doing. They're an aid, not a solution.

alyssamiller77

I suppose a weightloss suppliment would be better than eating this

I'm going to assume that this was you making a joke and not suggesting that I'm spamming on behalf of this supplement or something. Considering I have more than twice as many posts as you on these forums (and have never posted an unsolicited recommendation for any product) I'm sure that couldn't be what you're suggesting here.

:P

Hendrix7

I agree they have their place in specific situations but out of everything out there hydroxycut would be not be at the top of the list.

Would be cheaper to buy the 2 main ingredients (caffeine and yohimbe) seperatly and than at least you can dose them how you like.

Plus you really want yohimbine hcl rather than the herbal extract in hydroxycut, the dosage is too low to have any real effect.

The makers of hydroxycut had been in trouble a few times and sued for false advertising if I recall.

CannibalisticVegetarian

Supplements can be useful at times, but of course you are STILL going to have to do the work in order to see some of the results. I get countless customers who waltz into my store looking for a weight loss product only to then ask 'Do I have to exercise while I'm on these?'

I can't say that without a doubt whether or not the product will work regardless of exercise, but I wish people wouldn't get so angry about their products not working if they aren't willing to tweak their eating habits a smidge or maybe get in a LITTLE activity.

alyssamiller77

Hendrix, do you have other suggestions, I'd certainly be willing to try something else. This was just a free sample I got which is the only reason I chose this brand. Figured things weren't moving so I'd give it a shot. I don't see myself using it very long, I'm hopeful that all I needed was a jump start to get the cut cycle going again. Then again who knows, maybe it's placebo effect

Honestly the side effects of it are not very pleasant. Probably from the caffeine more than anything else but I was super jittery the first day or two of taking it and I definitely sweat a whole lot more. It does give me extra energy during my workouts but I have plenty of other pre-workout supplements that I could take if I needed that.

Honestly I hope this is a one time deal and that I'm not at a point where my cuts are going to be like this every time. Usually I just cut my calories and I drop the weight pretty quick.

Hendrix7

270 mg caffeine is quite a big dose if you don't take stimulants regularly/aren't used to it.

The herbal version of yohimbe that you get in hydroxycut is actually less effective that the synthetic version (yohimbine hcl) but the side effects are worse. These 2 combined are what gives you the sweats/jitters/heart rate etc.

You would get the same benefit with less sides form a cheap 200mg caffeine supplement. Yohimbe does work, but only If you train fasted as insulin negates any effect it has so it's quite a specific compound, also it only really does anything If you are already pretty lean. It pretty weird stuff some people get dreadful side effects from a tiny dose and others get nothing on the full dose.

http://forums.lylemcdonald.com/showthread.php?t=4076

Most of the *name brand* fat burners are just caffeine and small doses of other stuff to make it sound better.

Poorgirls_Diet

When I was diagnosed with diabetes with the doctor at the beginning of January he put me on a shake diet, that lasted one month until I collapsed in a shopping mall because my blood sugars were high. The next thing he put me on weightloss tablets called Orlistat, these made me very sick and I was constantly on the loo. After that he changed me to taking weightloss injections (wasn't hcg as they are banned in UK but something else which I can't remember the name of) but anyways they didn't work with my diabetes as well. Now after two months of not losing I have kidney problems because of these shakes that I was on and to my shock he wanted to change me onto something else until I said hang on enough is enough I am fed up of being a drug rat for new weightloss gimmicks that has done nothing but wreck my health further.

Now I am having a dreadful time trying to lose weight and don't know what to do to get things moving again in the right direction. So my advice to anyone even thinking of supplements, some of them may be fine but they are just a short term solution to bigger problems with your health later on. I learnt these lessons earlier on myself the hard way and now on tablets for the rest of my life and still got 170lbs to lose which I don't know what to do or what to try and educate myself to try next. Two nights ago I just sat and cried because of my health conditions and nothing moving either way on the scales.

justal313

I suppose a weightloss suppliment would be better than eating this

I'm going to assume that this was you making a joke and not suggesting that I'm spamming on behalf of this supplement or something. Considering I have more than twice as many posts as you on these forums (and have never posted an unsolicited recommendation for any product) I'm sure that couldn't be what you're suggesting here.

:P

Just being silly

alyssamiller77

270 mg caffeine is quite a big dose if you don't take stimulants regularly/aren't used to it.

The herbal version of yohimbe that you get in hydroxycut is actually less effective that the synthetic version (yohimbine hcl) but the side effects are worse. These 2 combined are what gives you the sweats/jitters/heart rate etc.

You would get the same benefit with less sides form a cheap 200mg caffeine supplement. Yohimbe does work, but only If you train fasted as insulin negates any effect it has so it's quite a specific compound, also it only really does anything If you are already pretty lean. It pretty weird stuff some people get dreadful side effects from a tiny dose and others get nothing on the full dose.

http://forums.lylemcdonald.com/showthread.php?t=4076

Most of the *name brand* fat burners are just caffeine and small doses of other stuff to make it sound better.

Thanks for the info. I've got another trial of a different supplement. Much less caffeine but similar in other regards (includes Yohimbe in multiple forms including alpha yohimbe HCL). I'm going to try it instead this week and see how it goes. So far I can already tell you having far less caffeine in it means I don't feel as bad as I did on the Hydroxycut stuff. We'll see what if any effect it has on my weight loss.

I don't do any particular fasting before training, in fact I usually try to each a fair amount of carbs 2-3 hours before a workout so that I've got that extra hit of energy. I am already pretty lean 9.8% body fat (based on my most recent 7-site caliper test results). So based on the info you provided, I'll be very curious to see if it has any effect at all. Right now I'm about halfway through my cut cycle (from a weight perspective) so I'll see how it goes and report back. Again thanks for the info!!