Has anyone found pills or weightloss plns that work?

I have tried Adios and it just didn't help at all. A friend of mine is using Herbalife and has dropped 2 dress sizes on it.
I was just wondering what are people experiences with things like this.

*Some comment have been far from helpful all I wanted was to be informed, before I made a choice that could effect my body. Yes I know there are no magic pills, or anything like that. I only wanted to be infromed some of you thank you for your input, experiences and advice.*
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Replies

  • Alatariel75
    Alatariel75 Posts: 18,211 Member
    No. Just... no. If it doesn't have evil scary potential side effects, it doesn't work. If it works, it has evil scary potential side effects. Do you plan on taking pills the rest of your life? No? then learn to eat well and exercise. There are NO magic pills.

    Your profile says : "I am doing this heathly this time." so do it healthy.
  • willdob3
    willdob3 Posts: 640 Member
    There are no magic pills.
  • taniiagirl
    taniiagirl Posts: 47
    No. Just... no. If it doesn't have evil scary potential side effects, it doesn't work. If it works, it has evil scary potential side effects. Do you plan on taking pills the rest of your life? No? then learn to eat well and exercise. There are NO magic pills.

    Your profile says : "I am doing this heathly this time." so do it healthy.

    Thank you I was just wanting to get an idea of experiences and views before I tried anything and it going wrong.
  • ken_hogan
    ken_hogan Posts: 854 Member
    My general rule is if its something I'm not willing to do for the rest of my life then I'm not going to do it or try it....
  • Alatariel75
    Alatariel75 Posts: 18,211 Member
    Just had a look back, you've said before, recently, that you struggle to hit 600 calories a day. You do NOT need to be looking for something else to do to your body.
  • xinit0
    xinit0 Posts: 310 Member
    All weightloss pills and potions and creams only work under one condition - that you eat a caloric deficit and/or exercise.

    Caloric deficit and/or exercise works equally well on its own.

    If there were a successful miracle pill, we wouldn't be fat.
  • MyM0wM0w
    MyM0wM0w Posts: 2,008 Member
    You want to "get fit" and "do it healthy this time(according to your profile) then this time you need to stop thinking about diet aids. Strength train and eat your TDEE -20% and stop looking for short cuts.
  • HeidiCooksSupper
    HeidiCooksSupper Posts: 3,839 Member
    There are plenty of diet supplements out there that only seem to work because the person follows a meal plan along with them so the real weight loss is due to calorie restriction which you don't need to spend money on. There are NO non-prescription drugs or supplements that have any research backing up the weight loss claims. The prescription drug phentermine does work but also can result in a lot of really dangerous side effects. You must be under doctor's supervision to take it.

    That being said, the way to lose weight is through eating less and moving more. Look at the success stories here and you will find almost all who have lost a good deal of weight have done it through calorie counting and exercise. For many of us, we are not seeking "a diet" but rather developing healthy eating habits that we can maintain for the rest of our lives.

    Like many others here, I have chosen to determine my TDEE (total daily energy expenditure in calories) and then to eat 80% of that. For me, this is resulting in a fairly regular weight loss averaging 1.3 to 1.4 pounds per week. That may sound slow compared to the promises of the magazines in the checkout line that tout losing 10 pounds in two weeks but that rapid weight loss is not possible long term without a doctor's supervision, nutrition supplements, and perhaps even surgery. One to two pounds per week is sustainable and makes sense particularly if you want to keep the weight off when you are done losing.

    Look around the site and the message boards and you will find lots of folks choosing different approaches to a healthy, sustainable diet and exercise. Mine may not be for you but it works for me.
  • happieharpie
    happieharpie Posts: 229 Member
    I have taken combinations of Serotonin manipulators that suppress my appetite, including a loss of about 60 pounds while taking Meridia.

    I was able to proudly maintain my Meridia weight loss for nearly 17 minutes before regaining it all and more. No one had told me that such drugs typically "poop out", an honest to goodness medical term which means that at a certain point they stop working, even if you double the dose, and of course, by doing so double the side effects.

    Phenylpropranalomine worked as an anorexic too, but my relaxing heart rate was about twice what it should have been, so "no" to that one too.

    CONCLUSION- there is nothing in pill or plan form that is safe, comfortable, and does what I want it to do.

    What has finely worked for me is omitting sugar, salt, grain, and dairy. It works, no cravings, no shakes, no regrets, and for the first time in my life, I consider this a permanent lifestyle change. :love:
  • taniiagirl
    taniiagirl Posts: 47
    There are plenty of diet supplements out there that only seem to work because the person follows a meal plan along with them so the real weight loss is due to calorie restriction which you don't need to spend money on. There are NO non-prescription drugs or supplements that have any research backing up the weight loss claims. The prescription drug phentermine does work but also can result in a lot of really dangerous side effects. You must be under doctor's supervision to take it.

    That being said, the way to lose weight is through eating less and moving more. Look at the success stories here and you will find almost all who have lost a good deal of weight have done it through calorie counting and exercise. For many of us, we are not seeking "a diet" but rather developing healthy eating habits that we can maintain for the rest of our lives.

    Like many others here, I have chosen to determine my TDEE (total daily energy expenditure in calories) and then to eat 80% of that. For me, this is resulting in a fairly regular weight loss averaging 1.3 to 1.4 pounds per week. That may sound slow compared to the promises of the magazines in the checkout line that tout losing 10 pounds in two weeks but that rapid weight loss is not possible long term without a doctor's supervision, nutrition supplements, and perhaps even surgery. One to two pounds per week is sustainable and makes sense particularly if you want to keep the weight off when you are done losing.

    Look around the site and the message boards and you will find lots of folks choosing different approaches to a healthy, sustainable diet and exercise. Mine may not be for you but it works for me.

    Thank you this is what I wanted. I am not looking for shortcuts I was simply wondering if it helped that is all.
    I was just simply curious.
  • SurfyFriend
    SurfyFriend Posts: 362 Member
    Lol are you saying Myfitnesspal doesn't work?
    Go to the success stories section and read their stories!
  • jamesha100
    jamesha100 Posts: 214 Member
    Hi,

    I did try Alli which is a commercial brand containing approximately half prescription strength Orlistat.

    I works by binding fat and stopping it being absorbed and has a reputation for unpleasant side effects at toilet time.

    I took it for a month and it did increase weight loss by approx 25% which is some way below the claimed 50%.

    I was eating low fat meals and so it may not have been as effective as it could of been. I did not notice any side effects either.

    I did not carry on with it after my initial months supply ran out as the benefit seemed limited. It is definitely one to try though as it seems to be based on solid research.
  • taniiagirl
    taniiagirl Posts: 47
    Lol are you saying Myfitnesspal doesn't work?
    Go to the success stories section and read their stories!

    No I am not saying that I wouldn't be on here if I thought it didnt work.
    I was simply just asking if there are things that could help
  • dont_give_up
    dont_give_up Posts: 312 Member
    Diet pills are not the best thing. I tried several different ones about 16 years ago, after I had my oldest son. Yes, they worked at first, I was losing weight and felt great. Then after about a month, I could feel my heart racing all the time, I was so hyper that I practically ran everywhere I went. At the time I was working in a convenient store. On a Friday and Saturday night, when the store was filled with people buying beer or filling up their tanks, I could have everyone gone in less than 20 minutes.
    But no matter how bad I felt, I still continued to take the pills.

    After my 2nd month of taking them, I continued with the heart racing, along with headaches, feeling dizzy, and being tired all the time. I was so hyper from taking the pills, that I started taking sleeping pills to help me sleep. It got to where I was popping pills every chance I got. They were the first thing I put in my mouth in the morning and the last thing I put in my mouth at night.
    Even with the continuing side effects, I still kept taking them and never went to the dr.

    Soon after that, I don't know what happened, but I decided to stop taking them. All the weight I had lost, quickly came back as it had never been gone. Those few months were the scariest ones of my life, and is something I will never forget.

    Trust me when I say there are no magic pills to lose weight. The best way to do is the healthy way.

    If you didn't take any pills to gain weight, then why would you take pills to help you lose it?
  • Snow3y
    Snow3y Posts: 1,412 Member
    clen, but I don't recommend it
  • Orlistat - people learn which are the fatty foods, avoid those and end up more than compensating for the reduced fat by increasing carb and protein intake, which is why it's not all that effective.
    Sibutramine, and the others like it - risk of heart rate and blood pressure going up, and since carrying too much weight puts blood pressure up anyway, not a great idea.
    The problem with fancy plans and all the weird shakes/drinks instead of meals approaches is that even if they work at the time, they don't help you to make the major life change you need to if you want to avoid putting it all back on again.
    That's why the only way which really really works is to know, pretty accurately, what you take in, and then making sure that your calories burned are more than that - and adjusting attitudes and ideas towards food as you go, losing the weight is only a part of what needs to be done, it's maintaining what you achieve which is the more useful goal. MFP's approach certainly did it for me - I've stayed on here after reaching my target weight to make sure I'm also learning to maintain :smile: and will stop once I'm sure I know how to do it right.
  • berriboobear
    berriboobear Posts: 524 Member
    Nope. Don't do it.

    If it seems "too good to be true" or promotes an "easy solution" than it will only workout your wallet and expectations.

    I've been there, only tried a few, and kept going on a roller coaster and ending up crashing and burning. MFP is the best thing that has happened to me. What will help is to try to adapt a mindset that is centred around making improvements and changes to your lifestyle. You will learn and be able to maintain these changes, these changes don't happen overnight! Heavens knows how many times I've wished they did, but dedication and consistency will do you well.

    Don't forget to make full use of MFP! The tool is here, you can even find motivation from a good friends list... but most of all YOU have to want this change longterm! Good luck!
  • alisonlynn1976
    alisonlynn1976 Posts: 929 Member
    The only weight loss plan that works: Eat less and/or exercise more. Any fad diet that happens to work is some version of that. Stimulants work by reducing appetite, which leads to eating less, but they have other, harmful effects too, and do not lead to sustainable results unless you're planning on taking them for the rest of your (likely shortened) life.
  • RCottonRPh
    RCottonRPh Posts: 148
    I am a pharmacist, and a question I get from patients all the time is "Which diet pill would you recommend?" Then they look at me all stunned when I answer "None of them". Both the prescription and non prescription diet pills available are a rip off and are chock full of potentially quite harmful side effects. I don't know why people want to over complicate things in an already hectic and crazy world. You don't need a fancy plan or pills or shakes or gadgets or gizmos. You need a willingness and commitment to change. You need to decrease your calorie intake, and move more. My customers and other other store employees have noticed my weight loss and seem almost disappointed when they find out I'm not on Adipex, or HGH, or herbalife or some other crazy thing.
  • 2horsestoride
    2horsestoride Posts: 37 Member
    Your profile pics show a beautiful, healthy young woman. You don't need an aid - you are already there. Your goal weight of 100 lbs seems way too low. I do not intend my next statement to be mean or insulting, but IMO, you need help with seeing yourself as the slim, trim young woman you are, not losing more weight. :)
  • bouncingrl
    bouncingrl Posts: 16
    While I do agree that weight loss pills are bad, I have been drinking a shake. I'm sure a lof of you have heard of it. It's called Shakeology. I have lost more weight drinking this daily than with anything else.

    Before anybody posts bad comments about drinking "shakes," this shake just isn't about losing weight. It provides a lot of beneficial nutrients. There are no bad side effects.
  • I have tried Adios and it just didn't help at all. A friend of mine is using Herbalife and has dropped 2 dress sizes on it.
    I was just wondering what are people experiences with things like this.

    The story of my life is this: I took chemicals in one way, shape or form my WHOLE life. I dont anymore. Not one pill, at all, ever. Not for mental depression, not for weight loss, not even a multi-vit. Why? Because eating right and exercising has SAVED MY LIFE. It is the big LIE that we need a pharmaceutical to IMPROVE us. "God" gave us everything our bodies could EVER need in the form of food, air, and water. You only need to go LIVE and enjoy what the planet has to offer to change you. Run~it cures a myriad of ills. Eat~ GOOD FOODS THAT NOURISH. You CANT go wrong with that formula. Please for the love of all things good, do not DECEIVE yourself, or BUY the LIE that freedom of any kind is found in a PILL.
  • I am a pharmacist, and a question I get from patients all the time is "Which diet pill would your recommend?" Then they look at me all stunned when I answer "None of them". Both the prescription and non prescription diet pills available are a rip off and are chock full of potentially quite harmful side effects. I don't know why people want to over complicate things in an already hectic and crazy world. You don't need a fancy plan or pills or shakes or gadgets or gizmos. You need a willingness and commitment to change. You need to decrease your calorie intake, and move more. My customers and other other store employees have noticed my weight loss and seem almost disappointed when they find out I'm not on Adipex, or HGH, or herbalife or some other crazy thing.

    This. From a Pharmacist. Thank You!!!
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  • vjohn04
    vjohn04 Posts: 2,276 Member
    I know what works! A calorie deficit.
  • sevsmom
    sevsmom Posts: 1,172 Member
    Herbal life = don't do it. Actually, all you NEED to do is eat healthy foods in moderation, pick up some exercise, and be patient. If you think you need to drop 30 pounds in 2 months, you're likely going to be very disappointed. Slow & steady wins this race.
  • lexoxoc
    lexoxoc Posts: 135 Member
    Hey!

    I was one the diet pill train for years, I struggled with anorexia (still do because it's a constant battle) and part of that struggle was the use of diet pills and laxatives. One thing I can tell you is diet pills do not help at all in the long run. All I was left with was a seriously messed up metabolism. They negatively impact not only your body's natural ability to digest food but also can do serious damage to your heart and cause seizures.

    The best thing to do, and what I have come to live by, is to use natural remedies that only aid you in your weight loss. For example, I drink a cup of green tea or sage tea once a day as both have been found to help support a fast metabolism and burn the bad fats. I also take Acai Berry Organic Supplements as they do the same thing. It's all natural and WON'T leave your body with all the toxic crap you find in diet pills! Also, Dr. Oz (who I love) supports the use of sage and green tea as a natural weight loss remedy!

    Hope this is helpful! Be healthy & treat your body well! Feel free to message or add me if you have any questions!

    Good Luck!
  • robynatk99
    robynatk99 Posts: 4 Member
    I did Herbalife for 2 months and lost 29 lbs...but once I quit...I gained it back, plus a few more. That was too hard to drink just shakes then try to go to a regular diet. I still have some, and drink them when I'm too lazy to make something...but its not a staple in my diet. I've tried Alli too...this sounds gross...but I felt like I was gonna crap my pants constantly. Right now, I'm trying out skinny fiber (no I'm not a rep) and it seems to help fill me up quicker, but am doing Atkins...and I think its gonna soon replace my skinny fiber...I am at the point now where I beleive I'm at the point where I can figure out a good diet plan for myself...I guess its all about finding ones "groove"
  • RachyLovesRattys
    RachyLovesRattys Posts: 143 Member
    First off, I was recently taking NV Caffeine Free after getting a bottle of it for about $5 (the ingredients are completely safe...just some stuff in regular "herbal" detox supplements). Absolutely nothing happened...didn't really expect it to, but there was some ayurvedic support to the ingredients. Anyway...nothing. So, no surprise there.

    However...I had gotten a product from Bally Total Fitness when I was about 18 called Fat Burner or something along those lines. It was low on caffeine and I only had 3 ingredients (one was green tea) so I was okay with it. Starting taking it, dropped like 5 pounds instantly and continued to lose for a while. Felt like I was super energetic coked- out all the time, but was losing weight ..and then I did my research...

    Turns out the reason I was losing so much weight was because of Bitter Orange Extract (Advantra Z- or Synephrine on the label). They had taken my Bally Total Fitness Fat Burner off the market STAT because of young people having arrhythmias and heart attacks because of that ingredient. Turns out it's just the modern substitute for ephedra...another thing that will soon be gone I'm sure.

    But I did notice when picking up the NV Caffeine Free, many products (some very popular ones in fact) all still have synephrine and Bitter Orange Extract in them. Like, a freakish amount. And it's in combination with some crazy other amounts of diuretics and caffeine. You will lose weight...but you may lose your life too. It sucks to know how well it works...and I still have that haunting bottle in my bedroom. But I haven't touched it in years...I just don't feel like taking that risk. And being a smoker and on BC pills, I'm already being dumb with that...no need to make more mistakes over here!

    In the end, yes, there are ones that work. But no, they are not healthy or good for you...and in fact will probably kill you. Don't take the risk! If you want a good old energy boost, drink a few cups of coffee or green tea before you start your day. That way, we can still see you on this board in the future :)
  • quirkytizzy
    quirkytizzy Posts: 4,052 Member
    So if you know that they won't help, why are you asking if there is a pill that will help?