Diet pills/ supplements (are they ever okay)

I have been going back and forth about taking diet pills or nutritional supplements. I tend to stay away from them since they are not FDA approved for the most part. Also, many of them increase your heart rate and have long term side effects that are not even known due to their short time on the market.

With all that said, I would like something to boost/increase my weight loss. Has anyone heard of something out there that is safe and works well? Has anyone tried diet pills? How was your experience? I am interested in looking into this topic more. I am just really picky about what goes in my body.

Replies

  • chuckles9189
    chuckles9189 Posts: 343 Member
    this is going to be a gritty thread.

    My theory....

    You didn't take a pill to put the weight on, why should you take one to take the weight off?

    Weight loss is slow. and if its not, odds are it's unhealthy or you have A LOT to lose. Be patient.
  • Pookylou
    Pookylou Posts: 988 Member
    Alli (I think it is called over in the UK) makes you poo yourself if you have too much fat in your diet............. Good times! A friend of my dad was prescribed something similar and couldn't make it from his garden to the toilet, anal leakage is fun kids!
  • I was offered diet pills from my gp but the side effects out weighed any good points.

    basically the ones i was offered make you unpleasantly ill if you have too much fat in your diet..... i decided i could cut down the fat myself without the unpleasentness

    also there is no quick fix! the weight didnt just appear it took years to put on so it wont disappear overnight.

    this is my opinion and each to their own
  • Alli (I think it is called over in the UK) makes you poo yourself if you have too much fat in your diet............. Good times! A friend of my dad was prescribed something similar and couldn't make it from his garden to the toilet, anal leakage is fun kids!

    the unpleasant side effects i mean but so elequently put :laugh:
  • The answer is no, I promise you everyone of them will have the disclaimer "" along with proper diet and exercise"" written on the label.
    All diet pills do is speed up your heart rate, And like you already mentioned, none of them are regulated by the FDA, so they can put anything they want in their product which should be a very scary thing to anyone.
  • juliemouse83
    juliemouse83 Posts: 6,663 Member
    I tried Alli for a few months. While the weight came off, the threat of leakage just didn't do it for me. One nacho chip with cheese - ONE - was a near disaster for me at work and I called "foul" (no pun intended). I have also heard since then that (and don't quote me on this) some study linked Alli to liver issues...


    ah...here is the link: http://www.livestrong.com/article/231034-the-health-risks-of-alli/
  • FunFitFast
    FunFitFast Posts: 35 Member
    I work 65 hours a week, and I'm not athletic so taking a thermogenic or fat burner helps alot!
  • redraidergirl2009
    redraidergirl2009 Posts: 2,560 Member
    drink green tea
  • I take a lot of supplements, but not any "diet" pills

    * fish oil
    * creatine
    * glutamine
    * BCAA
    * ZMA (zinc magnesium)
    * flax seed, chia seed, spirulina, wheat grass, barley grass ...
  • Acg67
    Acg67 Posts: 12,142 Member
    I have been going back and forth about taking diet pills or nutritional supplements. I tend to stay away from them since they are not FDA approved for the most part. Also, many of them increase your heart rate and have long term side effects that are not even known due to their short time on the market.

    With all that said, I would like something to boost/increase my weight loss. Has anyone heard of something out there that is safe and works well? Has anyone tried diet pills? How was your experience? I am interested in looking into this topic more. I am just really picky about what goes in my body.

    Everything has inherent risks associated with them, but ephedrine + caffeine is pretty solid
  • I figured no would be my answer, I just needed reaffirmation. I wish I could loose faster. I need to kick up my workouts instead of taking the "easy" way out. I mean one pound a week is normal right? I have lost 8 pounds all together since January 1st. I think I'm impatient.
  • cksoto
    cksoto Posts: 50 Member
    I figured no would be my answer, I just needed reaffirmation. I wish I could loose faster. I need to kick up my workouts instead of taking the "easy" way out. I mean one pound a week is normal right? I have lost 8 pounds all together since January 1st. I think I'm impatient.

    One pound a week is normal and healthy, if you have lost 8 pounds since January that means on average 2 pounds a week which is fine and a great accomplishment. I have alot to lose and I've lost a lil over 10 pounds this month, which is huge for me though in the back of my brain I'm always thinking I should be losing more than that.

    We are the generation of instant gratification, I think that has alot to do with the obesity problem in America, alot of us turn to food to make us feel good when other things in our lives are not going the way we want. The only problem with instant gratifciation is gaining tons of weight in the process and making it harder to lose that weight when it doesn't come off as fast as we put it on.

    Changing your life and losing weight and being healthy is a journey, not a race, give it time and also take a moment to congratulate yourself on the small hurdles. You're doing great, don't get discouraged, just continue to work at it and live it. You'll get there, we all will. :heart:
  • redraidergirl2009
    redraidergirl2009 Posts: 2,560 Member
    I figured no would be my answer, I just needed reaffirmation. I wish I could loose faster. I need to kick up my workouts instead of taking the "easy" way out. I mean one pound a week is normal right? I have lost 8 pounds all together since January 1st. I think I'm impatient.

    so aren't you a nurse?
  • MuddyEquestrian
    MuddyEquestrian Posts: 366 Member
    I work 65 hours a week, and I'm not athletic so taking a thermogenic or fat burner helps alot!


    ^this is not a good excuse to take a "shortcut" (that won't actually work). I work full time, go to school full time and have a farm PLUS I don't FIND time to exercise I MAKE time. There's no excuse to take a pill. Eat less, move more.
  • Matt_Wild
    Matt_Wild Posts: 2,673 Member
    A "diet pill" (what a silly name) will simply cause your metabolism to increase as they act thermogenically e.g. cause the metabolism to increase 1-2% (plucked from air, small amount in reality). If you're diet is not in check, they will do nothing at all. If it is, they may cause a small amount of increased fat loss - imagine over 12 weeks you lost 10lb, with a thermogenic (if lucky) you may lose 11lb. Not massive, but something.
  • JanJan060
    JanJan060 Posts: 16 Member
    I figured no would be my answer, I just needed reaffirmation. I wish I could loose faster. I need to kick up my workouts instead of taking the "easy" way out. I mean one pound a week is normal right? I have lost 8 pounds all together since January 1st. I think I'm impatient.

    One pound a week is normal and healthy, if you have lost 8 pounds since January that means on average 2 pounds a week which is fine and a great accomplishment. I have alot to lose and I've lost a lil over 10 pounds this month, which is huge for me though in the back of my brain I'm always thinking I should be losing more than that.

    We are the generation of instant gratification, I think that has alot to do with the obesity problem in America, alot of us turn to food to make us feel good when other things in our lives are not going the way we want. The only problem with instant gratifciation is gaining tons of weight in the process and making it harder to lose that weight when it doesn't come off as fast as we put it on.

    Changing your life and losing weight and being healthy is a journey, not a race, give it time and also take a moment to congratulate yourself on the small hurdles. You're doing great, don't get discouraged, just continue to work at it and live it. You'll get there, we all will. :heart:
  • JanJan060
    JanJan060 Posts: 16 Member
    great post. I liked it.
  • atrebor18
    atrebor18 Posts: 235 Member
    the only supplement thing I take is drinking dandelion root tea, it definetly helps me feel less bloated and i read that it helps the liver too.