Weight loss supplements

SincerelySasquatch
SincerelySasquatch Posts: 14 Member
edited November 11 in Health and Weight Loss
I have started taking some weight loss supplements to help with my appetite while I begin my weight loss effort. I did some reading, as well as read lots of reviews, and I am taking green coffee bean, garcinia cambogia, raspberry ketones, and CLA. Does anyone have experience with these specific ingredients? I started taking them yesterday and I seem to notice I am full quicker and not craving to binge as much, but I know it can take a few days for them to really start working.
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Replies

  • Camo_xxx
    Camo_xxx Posts: 1,082 Member
    The active ingredient in all of those supplement is " a desire to take the easy way"

    If you want to lose fat I suggest you redouble the effort you put into researching supplements and read these 10 chapters.
    http://www.acaloriecounter.com/diet/

    I promise you , nothing to buy on that link. Just the truth.
  • SincerelySasquatch
    SincerelySasquatch Posts: 14 Member
    I'm not looking for an easy way, just a slightly less difficult way. God, I can't remember the name of that chemical. One of the chemicals that causes fullness misfires when you are obese like me and it takes a lot more food to feel full. I just want to feel full after eating a small or regular size meal instead of having to binge until I feel sick in order to feel full.
  • Chrisparadise579
    Chrisparadise579 Posts: 411 Member
    yeah about half of those ingredients were confirmed to not effect weight loss in any way about a month ago. The best you can do is consistently work out and hit your calories and macros. I know its not easy and not fun, but I promise it works, every single time. It may not be the quick way but it definitely works. Just do it the natural way and I know you will feel better and look better before you know it! plus there is a certain sense of pride when you know you put in so much work to get the body youve always wanted
  • Ready2Rock206
    Ready2Rock206 Posts: 9,487 Member
    Magic pills do nothing for weight loss. Eat right and get some movement in.
  • SincerelySasquatch
    SincerelySasquatch Posts: 14 Member
    edited January 2015
    I am calorie counting and exercising, I am "doing the work" I just want to feel full like a normal person does. I am on a 1200 calorie diet and treadmilling for 20 minutes, 5 times a week. Once my heart and lungs get in slightly better shape I will increase that to 30 minutes, work my way up to running.
  • I have heard that Raspberry ketones are good. It takes 21 days to make something a habit. Hang in there!
  • SincerelySasquatch
    SincerelySasquatch Posts: 14 Member
    edited January 2015
    Thanks for understanding. I know there is no magic pill that makes you lose weight, I just want some help with my appetite to make the diet a little more bearable. Ever since I became obese my appetite has been out of control. Also the chemical I was thinking of is Glucagon, one of many satiety chemicals that begins misfiring around the time you reach obesity.
  • gramarye
    gramarye Posts: 586 Member
    I am calorie counting and exercising, I am "doing the work" I just want to feel full like a normal person does. I am on a 1200 calorie diet and treadmilling for 20 minutes, 5 times a week. Once my heart and lungs get in slightly better shape I will increase that to 30 minutes, work my way up to running.

    Part I: I used to be 300 pounds, and I would eat easily 3000 to 4000 calories a day before I started reducing. You will feel hungry, but eventually normal amounts of food will feel normal, and you won't. It sucks, but I promise you don't need anything more than time to achieve that.

    Part II: You're eating way, way too little. I started at 2100 calories, and lost weight consistently at 1900 calories and exercised rarely. (I'm so, so lazy.) I still eat 1700 to lose, and maintain somewhere in the 2000s.

    I'm really worried that you're not eating enough and exercising your way into a burnout. Take it slow. Get in touch with your body and your feelings about food (if food is an emotional issue for you; it was/is for me). It's a slower route, but a lot more sustainable.
  • emdeesea
    emdeesea Posts: 1,823 Member
    Okay well for one thing, 1,200 calories a day is nowhere near enough to eat. If you're going to lose weight successfully, you need to eat just enough to stay satisfied without going overboard.

    http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/

    I use this calculator and have lost 20 pounds. I'm close to my goal weight so it's slow, but it works and I don't feel hungry.

    Supplements are a waste of time and money. Just eat food, it's really a lot better for you anyway.
  • williams969
    williams969 Posts: 2,528 Member
    1200 calories and 5x week exercise and you're hungry? Yep, you're normal; that's a very aggressively low calorie goal. With the amount of weight you're looking to lose, I'm guessing you could eat far more than that and still lose at a respectable pace (bonus: far less difficult and better fuel for your body).
  • SincerelySasquatch
    SincerelySasquatch Posts: 14 Member
    edited January 2015
    The problem is that calorie calculators aren't accurate for me. I think I ruined my metabolism when I was anorexic as a teenager. After anorexia I was a healthy weight for a while, when I was 5'5 and 140 lbs I was on a strict 1500 calorie diet to maintain my weight. Calorie calculators said my metabolism should have been higher than that.

    Isn't 1,200 calories a healthy calorie goal? I thought it was the lowest calorie goal you could go without a doctor's supervision.
  • SergeantSausage
    SergeantSausage Posts: 1,673 Member
    Snake Oil and Quackery.

    Why would you waste hard earned money?
  • Ninkyou
    Ninkyou Posts: 6,666 Member
    edited January 2015
    Unfortunately, you've wasted your money. ALL of the supplements you listed/bought have ZERO proven benefits. I understand where you're coming from, but unfortunately, these supplements are not going to help you.

    You don't have to be starving or miserable to lose weight. If you're feeling that way, you may need to re-evaluate your calorie goal. You said you're eating 1200 calories and exercising. Are you eating your exercise calories back? If not, you should be eating at least a portion of those back. Make sure that 1200 calories is actually appropriate for your weight/height/age/etc.

    Again, you don't have to be miserable to lose weight.
    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1080242/a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants
  • SincerelySasquatch
    SincerelySasquatch Posts: 14 Member
    edited January 2015
    I figured I was wasting my money when I bought them, but I figured I would try them. And I am still going to take them since I bought them, if for no other reason than because the green coffee bean ingredient gives me some energy. No, I am not eating my exercise calories back. I find stricter diets are easier to folllow than more lenient ones. Maybe it's remnants of the eating disorder issues. I find it easier to stay motivated on very strict diets. Losing weight quickly also helps keep me motivated.
  • williams969
    williams969 Posts: 2,528 Member
    The problem is that calorie calculators aren't accurate for me. I think I ruined my metabolism when I was anorexic as a teenager. After anorexia I was a healthy weight for a while, when I was 5'5 and 140 lbs I was on a strict 1500 calorie diet to maintain my weight. Calorie calculators said my metabolism should have been higher than that.

    Isn't 1,200 calories a healthy calorie goal? I thought it was the lowest calorie goal you could go without a doctor's supervision.

    If even it were the case (that you damaged yourself, which I doubt, but I'm no doctor), certainly eating at a severe restriction and taking questionable (and potentially gravely harmful) pills won't improve that. If anything, you're only going to do more harm and cause yourself defeat trying to maintain an unrealistic and overly difficult path.

    Why not at least give an honest go at a reasonable intake? A solid 6-8 weeks of accurate and honest food logging, moderate exercise (which you've got down pat already, as it sounds), and then assess after that. I guarantee that honoring your body and nourishing it well is the BEST thing you can for yourself.
  • SincerelySasquatch
    SincerelySasquatch Posts: 14 Member
    what calorie intake would you suggest? MFP's app suggests like 1350 calories a day for 2 lbs/week weight loss.
  • Ninkyou
    Ninkyou Posts: 6,666 Member
    I figured I was wasting my money when I bought them, but I figured I would try them. And I am still going to take them since I bought them, if for no other reason than because the green coffee bean ingredient gives me some energy. No, I am not eating my exercise calories back. I find stricter diets are easier to folllow than more lenient ones.

    It's not about being strict. It's about properly fueling your body. You're not properly fueling your body and making yourself miserable. It's not sustainable. If it's not sustainable, then you're not going to lose the weight you want or reach your goals.
  • brianpperkins
    brianpperkins Posts: 6,124 Member
    The Dr. Oz panacea of weight loss shenanigans which he had to admit did not pass scientific muster in his Congressional testimony. Congratulations, you padded somebody's wallet with your purchases of absolute junk.
  • Camo_xxx
    Camo_xxx Posts: 1,082 Member
    If your apatite is to much to bear for a given calorie intake/deficit I would reevaluate your goals and start with something less aggressive until you get to where you can tolerate the discomfort. Add in more aggressive deficits as tolerated along the way. Many people who start a new fat reduction journey go from a calorie surplus to a large deficit and find the change is to dramatic in one step and have to accelerate slower then others by breaking it down into a few smaller steps.
    Nothing wrong with being a little bit hungry but jumping from a slight calorie surplus to a large calorie deficit is a big first step. As they say, baby steps. You gotta learn to walk before you can run.
  • Christine_72
    Christine_72 Posts: 16,049 Member
    OP I tried all of the supps you listed. And not one helped with weight loss :( Like you said, finish taking them and then concentrate 100% on a healthy eating and exercise plan.
    Also I recommend working out what your tdee is, then come back here with your numbers and go from there
  • Well your not the only one taking garcinia. My husband bought a whole bunch a while back so I figure why not?! I am also on a 1200 calorie diet, but its not very strict. The type of food I eat is strict, mostly veggies, & protein. I run 3 miles a day 3 times a week, along with some strength training.
    My honest opinion about the magic pills it that there isnt one. Last year about this time I tried dieting without any pills and I still lost weight. It's all about eating good food and putting in the work.
  • Codilee87
    Codilee87 Posts: 509 Member
    "Weight-loss" supplements aren't worth the price.

    I do take a few dietary supplements to fill in the gaps in case I am unable to eat as healthy and balanced a diet as I would like. I take a multivitamin, probiotic cultures and bee pollen. I also add ground flax and chia seeds to everything I can.

    Any weight you lose while using magic pills is likely due to your own hard work and possibly a placebo effect - if YOU believe they work then it can help. But don't waste 100's of dollars looking for an illusory weight loss crutch.

    Also - EAT DAMMIT!! 1200 calories is crazy-low, especially if you are exercising regularly and are not a permanent couch fixture the rest of the day. And as for wrecking your metabolism, you should be working on healing it not prolonging the damage.
  • BWBTrish
    BWBTrish Posts: 2,817 Member
    edited January 2015
    I am calorie counting and exercising, I am "doing the work" I just want to feel full like a normal person does. I am on a 1200 calorie diet and treadmilling for 20 minutes, 5 times a week. Once my heart and lungs get in slightly better shape I will increase that to 30 minutes, work my way up to running.

    I am on 1200+ too. And i am not hungry because for me it is all about eating the right foods.

    So it is 1200 normally for me and than i eat 1/4 back of my exercise.
    I do cardio 6 times a week ( 60 minutes) and 3 times a week light lifting for 30 minutes.

    I only take some vitamin's and fish oil to help with my arthritis and rheumatism. But i do that for the last 25 years they are not for losing weight.
  • LAWoman72
    LAWoman72 Posts: 2,846 Member
    edited January 2015
    Would you be willing to reveal what you weigh?

    The heavier a person is, the more calories s/he needs (generally) just to get up and get around.

    I am 4" shorter than you, I'm 100% sure I'm much older, I weigh 198 currently, and my calorie goal is 1350.

    With that said, after my "eat all you want of only Food Category X" diets (which I gained on), eating more "normal"-size meals did, at first, feel as if I were starving. However, after about two weeks, they began to feel very normal. Now I don't like feeling overstuffed.

    I too have an anorexic history, BTW. Not as severe as many. My low was 95 lbs. (adult height).
  • veevee1950
    veevee1950 Posts: 19 Member
    Drink lots of water before, during and after any meal and you will feel full after the meal.
  • stopdropandstay
    stopdropandstay Posts: 16 Member
    edited January 2015
    well okay actually, CLA is helpful. It doesn't reduce your weight, but it definitely does help with the inches and muscle development. Everyone else here needs to calm down. One or two people giving out lectures on how the pills do not work? That's fine... However, not every single person needs to comment on that because I'm sure OP gets the point by now.
    Most of those supplements usually don't work, but sometimes they produce a placebo effect. It depends what brand you bought and what other ingredients are listed in those pills also. Some produce a thermogenic effect whereas others use a means of caffeine/ephedrine to suppress your appetite. Personally, the best appetite suppressant is some music (proven to help with cravings), warm water (just not with meals*), caffeine pills, and of course, the right nutrition. Protein provides the most satiety, then fatty acids, and finally carbs. Anything with loads of fibre in it is always great (I like manitoba hemp protein with fibre) - just make sure you drink water. if you're scared you aren't getting enough nutrients, try drinking vega one. That stuff is amazing...
    *Drinking water during while having your meals is actually a bad idea because it helps you process your food a lot more quickly. It may temporarily fill you up, but there is a big misconception that using water will provide long term satiety. This is why anyone who has gastric bypass surgery is not allowed to drink much water too close to their meal time.

    Garcinia Cambogia often doesn't work at all, but it does help with suppressing your appetite sometimes. People claim that it only works if it has over 60% HCA..I would check the nutrition label to see what the percentage is. It also may suppress your appetite because of the caffeine that is packed into those pills also.. (Even though it's supposed to be an appetite suppressant that doesn't use caffeine, but you never know)
    Thermogenics "work" by increasing your heart rate & body temperature (which uses more energy) thereby "increasing your metabolism" temporarily. These may work a tiny bit but you do have to be careful because they can mess up your heart (and liver). They definitely don't do enough to give significant weight loss, but they may help a tiny bit if you use them with the right kind of diet and exercise. Possibly the best supplement you can take is a multivitamin.
    Because you are restricting quite a bit, it's possible your body will feel weak and lethargic. To avoid this, make SURE you take potassium and B12 supplements. Maintain your electrolyte levels (and some sodium + water) and you won't feel weak - if you ever do.
  • LAWoman72
    LAWoman72 Posts: 2,846 Member
    veevee1950 wrote: »
    Drink lots of water before, during and after any meal and you will feel full after the meal.

    Honestly, this never worked for me. Of course that's just me. But no matter how sloshy and physically full I felt, my body definitely knew the difference between calories and water.

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  • veevee1950
    veevee1950 Posts: 19 Member
    Have tried many prescription weight loss drugs over the years, acupuncture, diet fads, yes and even hypnosis and they all 'work' at first because my willpower works at first as it does with all new efforts.
    MFP seems to be working (30 days and counting) and Weight Watchers worked in the past, so it seems to me that I respond better to being accountable to others for my success or failure.

  • Pootler74
    Pootler74 Posts: 223 Member
    edited January 2015
    You can eat way more than 1200. At 240 pounds I could lose weight on 1900 a day. I'm about 200 now and losing 2 pounds a week on 1600 a day. In fact I'm going to up my calories soon because it's going a little too fast. I also have a long history of disordered eating.

    What you might find when you increase your calories is that you retain water. That could look like a gain or maintain on the scale for a few weeks. Give it time to stabilise.

    I know all about how much easier it seems to stick to a very low calorie diet than a more reasonable one. But it's not sustainable. A few hundred more calories allows you to have more of the dangerous foods I'm guessing you have trouble controlling yourself with. It's easier just to say no, right? But you will be surrounded by those foods all the time for the rest of your life. Isn't it better to learn how to deal with them? You can't always avoid them. And severe restriction always leads to a binge.

    I've found to my amazement and delight that eating at least 30% protein and getting at least 25% fat has made a huge difference in my ability to deal with trigger foods. They can be in the house and I'm not obsessed with the idea of eating them or not eating them. They're just there. I never ever thought this would be possible. And I can eat normal portions of everything now. It just took a couple of months for my body to adapt. Now eating too much of anything just makes me feel awful and often sore.

    The supplements may help suppress your appetite, they may not. For long term success and health you really need to gently and gradually adjust to eating in a way that you can and will eat for the rest of your life.

    ETA: One supplement I have found aids in curbing appetite is fine ground psyllium husk. Making sure you get at least 25g of fibre a day is a big help. I boost mine by adding psyllium to my morning protein smoothie. Not only does it add fibre, but it expands and thickens in your stomach like those Skinny Sprinkles. :) A 300 calorie smoothie at 7:30 am powers me through a 90 minute gym session and all the way to lunch time with no hunger or cravings.
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