Are appetite suppressants always a bad thing?
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yellingkimber wrote: »Are we including natural appetite suppressants like coffee, green tea, and dark chocolate? Because I love those things and they make me noticeably not hungry after consuming them. In which case, no, I don't think things that suppress your appetite are always bad. I wouldn't take a pill, though.
I wouldn't consider them the same thing, in part because you usually aren't consuming them to kill the appetite, but for other pleasures. I don't even notice coffee diminishing my appetite, if it does, I just love it. I am pretty sure dark chocolate does nothing for my appetite, but if it reduced it beyond the calories I suppose that would be a nice side effect. (I don't care for green tea, so am not going to drink it, including as a supposed appetite suppressant.)0 -
I kind of agree with the headache analogy. I would not suggest anyone take them every day. I know there are some prescription ones out there, and I would hope that anyone taking them are under close supervision of a doctor, and that the health benefits far outweigh the risks. However in regards to some of the OTC ones available, and the mention of TOM for the ladies, I can see how it might be helpful in not allowing yourself to completely derail. I know when I get a headache I take Advil and drink a red bull, so me it seems like the same thing. I will however, say that I only agree for those who already have solid approach to nutrition and no disordered eating habits or thoughts. I think it could be a very slippery slope for someone who already had disordered eating habits.0
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What kind of appetite suppressants are we talking here? I don't think any of those over the counter tablets work, been there, done that.1
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Christine_72 wrote: »What kind of appetite suppressants are we talking here? I don't think any of those over the counter tablets work, been there, done that.
EC works famously for a couple of months, but as the body adapts, most of the "side effects" (reduced hunger, increased heart rate, increased energy) tend to fall off. It's a big part of the reason it gets cycled, even though the thermogenic effect remains.
Anything else? Ehh, all of the good stuff is pretty much impossible to get without a prescription anymore.0 -
Aah ok. I was thinking garcinia cambogia, green tea extract and it's ilk.
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wellthenwhat wrote: »Obviously it wouldn't be sustainable to take them forever. But is it really bad to use them moderately to help get over a hump?
I totally think they are good but to be utilized as a "Dietary Supplement" as stated on the bottle not as your primary weapon in your arsenal, that is and will always be reserved for your nutrition (diet).0 -
wellthenwhat wrote: »Obviously it wouldn't be sustainable to take them forever. But is it really bad to use them moderately to help get over a hump?
To me, yes it's a bad idea. "Moderate" use is a lot of pills that can mess you up for no reason.1 -
When I took the Appetite Stimulants out of my macro then my body's own Appetite Suppressants got back in control of my brain and the weight loss came naturally when cravings left going on three years ago. This has enabled me to lose weight and maintain it for the first time in 40 years yet never going hungry as long as I eat the macro that works for my body to self manage my calories since I stop eating when I get full now.1
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Just looked over your food diary.... to be honest, HUGE red flags everywhere. Please do NOT take an appetite suppressant, in all likelihood your body IS starving..... not for food necessarily but actual nutrients. I only went back about 5 days, but you literally live on "treats" and no real food. April 19 for example, you basically had no protein, and only like 900 calories in total, yet still managed to go over your sugar by like 22g. You're feeling hungry because your body literally IS starving for real nutrition. Protein and fiber are what will actually keep you feeling full for longer. Sugary *kitten* is literally going to spike your blood glucose, burn off pretty much immediately, and then signal your brain to want "more more more". Sugar addiction is very real, and when that's all you feel yourself, your body cannot thrive on that. Again, using April 19 as an example, 900 calories isn't enough to begin with, but you basically ate no food that day.... just junk after junk after junk.5
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Appetite supressants must be good for you, or why would it take me no time at all to find doctors willing to prescribe them whereas it took two decades to find a doctor willing to test thyroid function by testing thyroid function. (By which I mean I've had doctors offer appetite suppressants to me without asking for them whereas the "standard" thyroid function test actually measures a pituitary gland hormone; why that is the standard rather than directly testing thyoid hormones, I cannot begin to guess.)
That's just my bitterness talking.
I won't tell you they are harmless. But I also won't tell you that they are horrible. I did not like how I felt when I took them, and then about 11 o'clock at night when they wore off, I would be very hungry and end up bingeing. Clearly some people have gotten some good out of them, or they'd be done away with. No one else can weigh the potential for harm against the possible benefits for you except you. If you want validation that it is ok to use them, you will ignore people warning against.1 -
Sounds like a slippery slope to me, OP, particularly since you mentioned disordered eating tendencies and laxative usage.
Much better to learn to dismiss cravings. If you know you get them at certain times of the month, then you can learn to say "no" to them. A craving is just a passing want. If you deny it you learn that YOU have control over food and not the other way around. Much more empowering than relying on pills.
I have never used laxatives as a weight loss system. I was comparing them to using a laxative occasionally if you are constipated. (I have had chronic constipation my entire life)0 -
tifarahmonteith wrote: »Just looked over your food diary.... to be honest, HUGE red flags everywhere. Please do NOT take an appetite suppressant, in all likelihood your body IS starving..... not for food necessarily but actual nutrients. I only went back about 5 days, but you literally live on "treats" and no real food. April 19 for example, you basically had no protein, and only like 900 calories in total, yet still managed to go over your sugar by like 22g. You're feeling hungry because your body literally IS starving for real nutrition. Protein and fiber are what will actually keep you feeling full for longer. Sugary *kitten* is literally going to spike your blood glucose, burn off pretty much immediately, and then signal your brain to want "more more more". Sugar addiction is very real, and when that's all you feel yourself, your body cannot thrive on that. Again, using April 19 as an example, 900 calories isn't enough to begin with, but you basically ate no food that day.... just junk after junk after junk.
Yes, I know I eat too much sugar. That is why, I crave it like it's my last day on earth. I was upset that day, had had a bad night, and I had left over chocolate from Easter. So I binged. I probably went over my calorie goal so quit logging. That is another thing I'm working on, I get scared to log when I know I'm over.0 -
wellthenwhat wrote: »tifarahmonteith wrote: »Just looked over your food diary.... to be honest, HUGE red flags everywhere. Please do NOT take an appetite suppressant, in all likelihood your body IS starving..... not for food necessarily but actual nutrients. I only went back about 5 days, but you literally live on "treats" and no real food. April 19 for example, you basically had no protein, and only like 900 calories in total, yet still managed to go over your sugar by like 22g. You're feeling hungry because your body literally IS starving for real nutrition. Protein and fiber are what will actually keep you feeling full for longer. Sugary *kitten* is literally going to spike your blood glucose, burn off pretty much immediately, and then signal your brain to want "more more more". Sugar addiction is very real, and when that's all you feel yourself, your body cannot thrive on that. Again, using April 19 as an example, 900 calories isn't enough to begin with, but you basically ate no food that day.... just junk after junk after junk.
Yes, I know I eat too much sugar. That is why, I crave it like it's my last day on earth. I was upset that day, had had a bad night, and I had left over chocolate from Easter. So I binged. I probably went over my calorie goal so quit logging. That is another thing I'm working on, I get scared to log when I know I'm over.
@wellthenwhat it sounds like you have made good progress. I remember what it was like three years ago to crave sugar like it's my last day on earth. At the time I did not understand I even had the craving.
Finally I realized while the numbers count that I would just focus on improving my health marker numbers rather than calorie/macros goals only. That has helped me loss and maintain my weight for the first time in 40 years with better health markers then in decades.
After I found a food macro that stopped my sugar cravings once and for all after about 15-30 days I have been able to stay full and lose/maintain weight. I fully understood my last day on earth was going to be sooner than later and that was my initial motivation.
Keep up your good success. MFP is loaded with info to help yet it can take a while to find out what info applies in our case since we all can be very different as how to stop cravings for the rest of our lives.0 -
GaleHawkins wrote: »wellthenwhat wrote: »tifarahmonteith wrote: »Just looked over your food diary.... to be honest, HUGE red flags everywhere. Please do NOT take an appetite suppressant, in all likelihood your body IS starving..... not for food necessarily but actual nutrients. I only went back about 5 days, but you literally live on "treats" and no real food. April 19 for example, you basically had no protein, and only like 900 calories in total, yet still managed to go over your sugar by like 22g. You're feeling hungry because your body literally IS starving for real nutrition. Protein and fiber are what will actually keep you feeling full for longer. Sugary *kitten* is literally going to spike your blood glucose, burn off pretty much immediately, and then signal your brain to want "more more more". Sugar addiction is very real, and when that's all you feel yourself, your body cannot thrive on that. Again, using April 19 as an example, 900 calories isn't enough to begin with, but you basically ate no food that day.... just junk after junk after junk.
Yes, I know I eat too much sugar. That is why, I crave it like it's my last day on earth. I was upset that day, had had a bad night, and I had left over chocolate from Easter. So I binged. I probably went over my calorie goal so quit logging. That is another thing I'm working on, I get scared to log when I know I'm over.
@wellthenwhat it sounds like you have made good progress. I remember what it was like three years ago to crave sugar like it's my last day on earth. At the time I did not understand I even had the craving.
Finally I realized while the numbers count that I would just focus on improving my health marker numbers rather than calorie/macros goals only. That has helped me loss and maintain my weight for the first time in 40 years with better health markers then in decades.
After I found a food macro that stopped my sugar cravings once and for all after about 15-30 days I have been able to stay full and lose/maintain weight. I fully understood my last day on earth was going to be sooner than later and that was my initial motivation.
Keep up your good success. MFP is loaded with info to help yet it can take a while to find out what info applies in our case since we all can be very different as how to stop cravings for the rest of our lives.
Thanks for the encouragement! I have always had a terrible sweet tooth, but I've been working on cutting back. I also had a tough childhood, and at school the only happy part of the day was lunchtime. So I have an unhealthy relationship with food, too. I am an emotional eater. I'm working on it, but it's stuff that doesn't go away overnight. Baby steps. I'll get there.0 -
I find fat is a good appetite suppressant and it helps curb sugar cravings (for me, your mileage my vary).0
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wellthenwhat wrote: »GaleHawkins wrote: »wellthenwhat wrote: »tifarahmonteith wrote: »Just looked over your food diary.... to be honest, HUGE red flags everywhere. Please do NOT take an appetite suppressant, in all likelihood your body IS starving..... not for food necessarily but actual nutrients. I only went back about 5 days, but you literally live on "treats" and no real food. April 19 for example, you basically had no protein, and only like 900 calories in total, yet still managed to go over your sugar by like 22g. You're feeling hungry because your body literally IS starving for real nutrition. Protein and fiber are what will actually keep you feeling full for longer. Sugary *kitten* is literally going to spike your blood glucose, burn off pretty much immediately, and then signal your brain to want "more more more". Sugar addiction is very real, and when that's all you feel yourself, your body cannot thrive on that. Again, using April 19 as an example, 900 calories isn't enough to begin with, but you basically ate no food that day.... just junk after junk after junk.
Yes, I know I eat too much sugar. That is why, I crave it like it's my last day on earth. I was upset that day, had had a bad night, and I had left over chocolate from Easter. So I binged. I probably went over my calorie goal so quit logging. That is another thing I'm working on, I get scared to log when I know I'm over.
@wellthenwhat it sounds like you have made good progress. I remember what it was like three years ago to crave sugar like it's my last day on earth. At the time I did not understand I even had the craving.
Finally I realized while the numbers count that I would just focus on improving my health marker numbers rather than calorie/macros goals only. That has helped me loss and maintain my weight for the first time in 40 years with better health markers then in decades.
After I found a food macro that stopped my sugar cravings once and for all after about 15-30 days I have been able to stay full and lose/maintain weight. I fully understood my last day on earth was going to be sooner than later and that was my initial motivation.
Keep up your good success. MFP is loaded with info to help yet it can take a while to find out what info applies in our case since we all can be very different as how to stop cravings for the rest of our lives.
Thanks for the encouragement! I have always had a terrible sweet tooth, but I've been working on cutting back. I also had a tough childhood, and at school the only happy part of the day was lunchtime. So I have an unhealthy relationship with food, too. I am an emotional eater. I'm working on it, but it's stuff that doesn't go away overnight. Baby steps. I'll get there.
I have a horrible sweet tooth also.1 -
Gallowmere1984 wrote: »Christine_72 wrote: »What kind of appetite suppressants are we talking here? I don't think any of those over the counter tablets work, been there, done that.
EC works famously for a couple of months, but as the body adapts, most of the "side effects" (reduced hunger, increased heart rate, increased energy) tend to fall off. It's a big part of the reason it gets cycled, even though the thermogenic effect remains.
Anything else? Ehh, all of the good stuff is pretty much impossible to get without a prescription anymore.
What does EC stand for?1 -
I think you'll receive a lot of mixed reviews on this topic!! I had gained a lot of weight and was struggling to get back on track. I went to the dr. and was prescribed an appetite suppressant, at the same time I also started Nutrisystem. Many would would say both were a bad idea. I have no regrets - I'm now down over 30 lbs, am back to eating regular foods (I still credit Nutrisystem with giving me that jump start that I needed). I have also started exercising daily. I continue to be monitored by the dr. and will likely stay on this for 6 months total, as it's not recommended for longer. It's not a magic pill unfortunately, I still log everything that I eat and stick to a 1200 calorie diet - some days I still get hungry, but it has helped to take the edge off. I don't recommend going to a dr. that's sole purpose is to sell these pills along with a cheesy diet plan though... Also seeing a nutritionist, even for just a few visits was very helpful - I didn't think it was possible to learn anything new, but I did and still try to incorporate some of those ideas daily.0
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