Weight loss supplements

"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.

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).

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.

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.

gramarye wrote: »

SincerelySasquatch wrote: »

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.

Yeah, I'm in the 150s and don't even eat 1200 to lose when not working out. It's not sustainable for most people.