Diet pills, good or all bad?

fireheart5
fireheart5 Posts: 8 Member
edited November 12 in Health and Weight Loss
Hello everyone first let me say I have been on MFP for about a week and I am loving it. My question is what are the general thoughts on diet pills and their risk? I have been in Contrave for about a month and a half and have lost about 15lbs. I also exercise 3-4 times a week focusing mostly on cardio and weights. Should I stop the pill or is there another supplement that will help?
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Replies

  • kristen6350
    kristen6350 Posts: 1,094 Member
    Not good or bad. Just not needed.

    All you need is a calorie deficient. It doesn't matter how you make the deficient (by working out and/or eating less), the pills aren't needed.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 49,024 Member
    They teach you NOTHING about control or actual eating without them. That's why people who use them have a 90% failure rate of maintenance. Better to learn how to do it without them and save your money.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

    9285851.png
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  • hbb86
    hbb86 Posts: 63 Member
    I generally have never taken a diet pill in my life - I am terrified of them. If you google any diet pill you will find a horror story - to me, it's just not worth it, I'd rather bust my butt off exercising than put my body at risk by taking medications. Having said that. you'll probably find horror stories for paracetamol so what do I know lol good luck either way! x
  • fireheart5
    fireheart5 Posts: 8 Member
    Those are all good points and make sense. This has been a drastic lifestyle change for me so I thought they would help. I won't lie they have helped but I feel like I don't really need them anymore since I am trying to develop a healthier lifestyle. Thanks for the feedback!
  • giantrobot_powerlifting
    giantrobot_powerlifting Posts: 2,598 Member
    edited February 2015
    You will know the good from the bad diets when you are educated, at strength. Passive. A smart eater uses MFP for knowledge and accuracy, never for quick fixes. Diet pills do not make one lean.
  • AllOutof_Bubblegum
    AllOutof_Bubblegum Posts: 3,646 Member
    ninerbuff wrote: »
    They teach you NOTHING about control or actual eating without them. That's why people who use them have a 90% failure rate of maintenance. Better to learn how to do it without them and save your money.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

    9285851.png


    +1. Took the words out of my mouth.
  • SergeantSausage
    SergeantSausage Posts: 1,673 Member
    Take a placebo instead. Anything'll do - they're just as effective and hella cheaper, right?
  • triciab79
    triciab79 Posts: 1,713 Member
    I do not recommend them but there is a possible exception. During times of high stress or right before that time of the month I get insane cravings. I use little diet chews to help curb some of my snacking during those times. Its a tool and just like any tool it can be a good thing or a bad thing. :-)
  • cw106
    cw106 Posts: 952 Member
    just ask your pharmacist for the oxymoron diet pill brand.
  • Azexas
    Azexas Posts: 4,334 Member
    The only thing a diet pill is going to do is lighten your wallet.

    All diet pills are advertised as "in conjunction with diet and exercise". So whats working? the diet pill or the cico?
  • Roxiegirl2008
    Roxiegirl2008 Posts: 756 Member
    I would not touch them. To me the weight loss journey is about making life long changes. I don't think any should/ would be able to take those for their life time.

    Just log your food and exercise.
  • dirtyflirty30
    dirtyflirty30 Posts: 222 Member
    There's just too many side effects/things that could go wrong for me to ever want anything to do with them.
  • fireheart5
    fireheart5 Posts: 8 Member
    I asked because I wanted advice and I appreciate those who have provided advice, others are just condescending which is not needed. I will know in the future this is not a forum for genuine help.
  • Laurend224
    Laurend224 Posts: 1,748 Member
    fireheart5 wrote: »
    I asked because I wanted advice and I appreciate those who have provided advice, others are just condescending which is not needed. I will know in the future this is not a forum for genuine help.

    This is a public forum an people are going to answer however they choose. Keep in mind that it isn't personal, nor are they answering these questions just for your benefit. There are many lurkers reading these pages, and maybe one of the above responses will resonate with the person who is reading but too timid to ask for themselves.
  • PattiWalling
    PattiWalling Posts: 25 Member
    Many years ago I tried diet pills...they most all "worked" at first and I lost lots of weight but then I would gain the weight back plus a lot more. What I have found that has worked for me is at first slowly modifying my diet and working out with weights and doing cardio. I had to ease into a new way of eating because I felt if I changed too much too quickly I would eventually rebel and go back to eating the junk I had eaten before. Now healthy eating is my preference and the results I have gotten are better than anything any of those diet pills did for me. I'm 4 years in and 173 lb down with nothing but healthy eating and consistent weight lifting and cardio activity. Best of luck to you!
  • ukaryote
    ukaryote Posts: 854 Member
    edited February 2015
    -- edit -- FinallyHopeful said it best
  • namelesshere
    namelesshere Posts: 334 Member
    A long time ago I tried some diet pills, diet candies, etc. I could feel my heart race so immediately stopped taking them and tossed the remainder. Never again.
  • jennifershoo
    jennifershoo Posts: 3,198 Member
    Don't. Just don't.
  • Verdenal
    Verdenal Posts: 625 Member
    edited February 2015
    If you're healthy and taking them under medical supervision and they are helping motivate you they are fine, so long as you realize that you have to change your eating habits. But as a way to jump-start weight loss, I think they're a viable short-term method.

    Just the other day I read yet another article saying that some people do better when they lose weight relatively quickly. They are more motivated to sustain the weight loss. Slow and steady is not the way for everyone.
  • uconnwinsnc1
    uconnwinsnc1 Posts: 902 Member
    fireheart5 wrote: »
    I asked because I wanted advice and I appreciate those who have provided advice, others are just condescending which is not needed. I will know in the future this is not a forum for genuine help.

    Don't take things personally on a forum. People aren't attacking you.
  • giantrobot_powerlifting
    giantrobot_powerlifting Posts: 2,598 Member
    edited February 2015
    fireheart5 wrote: »
    I asked because I wanted advice and I appreciate those who have provided advice, others are just condescending which is not needed. I will know in the future this is not a forum for genuine help.
    Hey man, I quoted Yoda. No?
    A long time ago I tried some diet pills, diet candies, etc. I could feel my heart race so immediately stopped taking them and tossed the remainder. Never again.
    Diet candles have gotta be the WMD of diet-woo.
  • itsclobberintime
    itsclobberintime Posts: 164 Member
    Some don't work, others are dangerous, the rest just prevent you from learning healthy habits.
  • esjones12
    esjones12 Posts: 1,363 Member
    edited February 2015
    Another +1 for @ninerbuff‌

    Pills are just shortcuts and who knows what the long term side effects of those drugs could be or how they could interact with other things in your life. Just do it the hard way. There is something to be said about the journey and truly changing your lifestyle.
  • elphie754
    elphie754 Posts: 7,574 Member
    Sure many diet pills in the past were worthless and often downright dangerous. However, Contrave is composed of 2 drugs that have been in use for decades. One is an anti-depressant and the other is a drug to stop cravings for addictions. Sugar has been proven to be highly addictive. The anti-depressant wellbutrin has a side effect of decreased hunger and will likely improve one's mood which is often affected by excess weight. Therefore, I think Contrave is a reasonable and safe drug to try since to me obesity is a disease.

    I started Metformin for pre-diabetes the end of September upon my request. Immediately almost all of my cravings were gone on the very first day. I was constantly plagued by cravings for sweets for the decade prior and found it impossible to maintain any sort of diet beyond 3 months. I really recommend that anyone struggling with obesity to ask for a glucose tolerance test with insulin levels done at the same time as all of the glucose levels to look for pre-diabetes or insulin resistance. I also recommend asking for Metformineven if they are normal since there have been some studies suggesting a benefit even in obese patients without insulin or glucose problems.

    I started Contrave one month after the Metformin. I found the wellbutrin component made me jittery the first 2 or 3 weeks so I quit caffeine immediately and stayed on only one pill of Contrave a day. The jitters went away after the first few weeks as expected and I found one pill of Contrave a day gave me the extra control that I needed in addition to the Metformin. I have lost 20 pounds since then and I am very hopeful to lose even more now that the holidays are over. Usually at this time of year with the winter and the holidays I gain at least 20 pounds so I am very happy. I also find my so called willpower to be fantastic. In addition I have fullness with meals and even leftovers which I cannot remember having. I am not plagued by constant cravings anymore. I would recommend Metformin and Contrave as tools to help battle this awful disease. I do not see these drugs as impairing my ability to change my behaviors at all. In fact, these drugs have made it abundantly easier to change my eating and lifestyle behaviors.

    Oh really? Who told you that?
  • InvaderGashloog
    InvaderGashloog Posts: 76 Member
    My views are that they're horrible. I went through the whole crap with them. Hydroxycut messed me up, now it feels like I have to pee all the time, even when I don't (sorry, tmi). I tried this one Japanese diet pill (forgot the name), and it made no difference at all, but at least I felt no damage. -.-

    They're a waste of money.
  • FinallyHopeful
    FinallyHopeful Posts: 14 Member
    elphie754 wrote: »

    Oh really? Who told you that?

    Just google it. There has been numerous studies regarding how sugar is just as or even more addictive than cocaine.

    Here is just one doctor on sugar:

    https://youtube.com/watch?v=dBnniua6-oM

  • FinallyHopeful
    FinallyHopeful Posts: 14 Member
    A long time ago I tried some diet pills, diet candies, etc. I could feel my heart race so immediately stopped taking them and tossed the remainder. Never again.

    You probably had either phen-fen or some sort of amphetamine. Contrave is nothing like those sorts of drugs and it helps attack the root of the problem. Of course, you also need to be seeing a legitimate weight loss doctor and dietician as I am.

  • elphie754 wrote: »

    Oh really? Who told you that?

    Just google it. There has been numerous studies regarding how sugar is just as or even more addictive than cocaine.

    Here is just one doctor on sugar:

    https://youtube.com/watch?v=dBnniua6-oM
    I'm not going to sit through a 90+ minute video to discover where this doctor said it, and googling will be useless - free country means you can say whatever you want. Furthermore, you made the claim, the burden of proof rests on you. Asking me to do the research for a claim that you made is a hallmark of intellectual dishonesty.
  • Liftng4Lis
    Liftng4Lis Posts: 15,151 Member
    Hard work- its free!
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