Hydroxycut & other fat burners

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allie_girl
allie_girl Posts: 66
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi!

I just joined MFP from FatSecret the other day and I am looking for some advice on some fat burner suppliments.

So I had been using D-4 after a friend's success with it. I wasn't happy with the results so I went back to GNC and they recommended Hydroxycut for Women. Well, I spent 60 bucks on this crap and I've been using it a couple days and I don't think I am liking the side effects. Anyone else take this or D-4 or any other suppliment? I'd love to hear some advice on it. I really like the added boost for working out from the energy but I don't think it really "burns fat" or curbs my appetite at all. I am really full now and I took one this morning.

Any sort of advice would be appreciated :) Thanks!
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Replies

  • kneeki
    kneeki Posts: 347 Member
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    To my knowledge, there is nothing over the counter which simply burns fat. You can increase your BMR though, by using stimulants. The side effects you're experiencing are likely from the Caffeine.

    The only thing over the counter which works is an ECA Stack. Ephedrine + Caffeine + Asprin

    Ephedrine cannot be found in a diet pill anymore, so you'll likely have to buy it online.
  • binary_jester
    binary_jester Posts: 3,311 Member
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    Hi!

    I just joined MFP from FatSecret the other day and I am looking for some advice on some fat burner suppliments.

    So I had been using D-4 after a friend's success with it. I wasn't happy with the results so I went back to GNC and they recommended Hydroxycut for Women. Well, I spent 60 bucks on this crap and I've been using it a couple days and I don't think I am liking the side effects. Anyone else take this or D-4 or any other suppliment? I'd love to hear some advice on it. I really like the added boost for working out from the energy but I don't think it really "burns fat" or curbs my appetite at all. I am really full now and I took one this morning.

    Any sort of advice would be appreciated :) Thanks!
    DON'T listen to people at GNC. I mean, they are not trying to mislead you. They are given a job there and suddenly expected to be an expert on every product there. Mostly you will hear the usual language you will get on the product package, certainly nothing constructive.

    Do research...and not from company sites. You can find many thermogenics that have clinical trials to support their claim. Be critical and realistic of expected results.

    Thermogenics are the cherry on top. Make sure you have a solid plan before you start them.

    Also...read the side effects. The theory of 1 being good so 5 is better will NOT apply.
  • Acg67
    Acg67 Posts: 12,142 Member
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    Most OTC fat burners don't do a whole lot other then provide a decent energy boost. if you have your diet in check somethings may provide a teeny boost to your weight loss
  • kneeki
    kneeki Posts: 347 Member
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    Also...read the side effects. The theory of 1 being good so 5 is better will NOT apply.
    This. This. This. This!

    Thermals, Diet Pills, ECA Stacks.... This stuff needs to be respected.

    It WILL kill you!
  • jewelzz
    jewelzz Posts: 326 Member
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    Yes i use it,but only for my workouts they really power it up and i can go longer and stronger.I like it and it takes a few days to get used to the effects,cut back if its to much
  • allie_girl
    allie_girl Posts: 66
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    So, how can a place like GNC get away with selling it then? I just don't get it!!! How does it kill you?

    My side effects are just on my stomach so far- I don't feel jittery or anything along those lines. Just experiencing some troubles with regularity.
  • Bugsyzgrl
    Bugsyzgrl Posts: 98 Member
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    I take Hydroxycut in the AM before I work out. I find it makes me work a little harder at the GYM and sweat a LOT more. Whether that has any true intrinsic value, I can't say.

    You are supposed to take the product three times a day. I've not done so historically... I don't want to have that 'rush' feeling while I am working at my desk job, and by the time I make it home, I don't want to be kept up all night by the last dosage. I have a trainer appointment tonight, and I will probably take a dosage before I work out with him.
  • amayzingamanda
    amayzingamanda Posts: 254 Member
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    Hi!

    I just joined MFP from FatSecret the other day and I am looking for some advice on some fat burner suppliments.

    So I had been using D-4 after a friend's success with it. I wasn't happy with the results so I went back to GNC and they recommended Hydroxycut for Women. Well, I spent 60 bucks on this crap and I've been using it a couple days and I don't think I am liking the side effects. Anyone else take this or D-4 or any other suppliment? I'd love to hear some advice on it. I really like the added boost for working out from the energy but I don't think it really "burns fat" or curbs my appetite at all. I am really full now and I took one this morning.

    Any sort of advice would be appreciated :) Thanks!
    DON'T listen to people at GNC. I mean, they are not trying to mislead you. They are given a job there and suddenly expected to be an expert on every product there. Mostly you will hear the usual language you will get on the product package, certainly nothing constructive.

    Do research...and not from company sites. You can find many thermogenics that have clinical trials to support their claim. Be critical and realistic of expected results.

    Thermogenics are the cherry on top. Make sure you have a solid plan before you start them.

    Also...read the side effects. The theory of 1 being good so 5 is better will NOT apply.


    I agree with this and my BFF works for GNC Corporate lol. It's true that people in the retail stores may only know what the product is advertised for so it's not always sound advice just because they work there. I've actually been recommended the D-4 as well but haven't tried it yet.

    I did, however, use OxyElite. It's a thermogenic and I liked it. I used it back in March to jump start my new routine. I just started taking it again a couple weeks ago to give me another boost after what I'm gonna call a "slow period" (two vacations set me way off track). But also do your research and see what can work best for you and your body. Listen to your body when taking them as well!!!! I know for what I'm taking, it does recommend 2-3 pills a day after the first week, but I only stick to one since taking more sometimes makes me feel sick or spacey.

    Good Luck!!!
  • binary_jester
    binary_jester Posts: 3,311 Member
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    So, how can a place like GNC get away with selling it then? I just don't get it!!! How does it kill you?

    My side effects are just on my stomach so far- I don't feel jittery or anything along those lines. Just experiencing some troubles with regularity.
    Free market. Buyer beware.
  • alaskan_blue
    alaskan_blue Posts: 24
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    I do take a so-called "Fat Burner" supplement, it's the Mega-T Green Tea Liqui-gels. They claim to have been "clinically proven" to help people lose weight. Well, that's true, in the study they cite, the experimental group did lose more weight than the placebo group but it was only a pound or two more. They also claim that the EGCG in the green tea concentrate boost your metabolism to burn more calories, again, this may be true but I doubt it makes any huge difference.

    You might be asking at this point, "So why are you taking it?" It's because the pills are the equivalent of three or four cups of green tea, with all the associated caffeine in them. I take the supplement to replace the caffeine that I used to get through drinking a large McDonald's Coke with no ice that came it at around 500+ calories EVERY MORNING. It has been a lifesaver in that regard as I cannot kick my caffeine addiction and I have come to accept that. I also suspect that for the people who claim that they have lost several pounds thanks to this product, did so for this same reason. When it replaces the caffeine that most people get through soda, or through coffee and the added sugar and/or creamer that most people add, of course you're going to take in less calories and in doing, lose more weight than you would have if you continued as always, or just cut back on the intake.
  • kneeki
    kneeki Posts: 347 Member
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    It's very likely the Caffeine giving you those problems. Stimulants effect everyone differently. =\
  • amayzingamanda
    amayzingamanda Posts: 254 Member
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    So, how can a place like GNC get away with selling it then? I just don't get it!!! How does it kill you?


    GNC isn't the only place that sells them. Most vitamin/supplement stores will. If it's approved for sale, retailers will sell it. It does not mean that they need to know every detail about the product.
  • reese66
    reese66 Posts: 2,920 Member
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    So, how can a place like GNC get away with selling it then? I just don't get it!!! How does it kill you?

    My side effects are just on my stomach so far- I don't feel jittery or anything along those lines. Just experiencing some troubles with regularity.

    They are saying read the side effects and don't take more than what is recommended.
  • dieseljay74
    dieseljay74 Posts: 376
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    Only thing that REALLY works is the Ephedrine / caffeine stack. Really does burn off the fat. It has also been shown to have some anabolic effects also. Although minimal, any anabolism is good.
    As stated above, you have to be smart about using it. It HAS NOT been proven to kill you unless you OD on it ....but so will aspirin or Ibuprofen.

    Here's some great links to do some research on the EC stack.l do not include aspirin due to the fact it can wreck your stomach. And it's not necessary to get the results.

    http://www.drumlib.com/dp/000028.htm


    http://www.hotnfit.com/ecstack.htm
  • AdAstra47
    AdAstra47 Posts: 823 Member
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    I tried everything under the sun at one point or another, including "miracle pills" and supplements that were supposed to burn fat. Personally, the only thing any of them ever did for me was make me jumpy & nervous, or really cranky & b!tchy. And I'm normally a very laid-back person. I hated the way it made me feel, so I decided the side effects were not worth it for me.

    If you give your body the correct combination of nutrients, it will burn fat naturally; it will have no choice. The best idea for fat-burning is to adjust your diet, rather than trying to pop pills.

    Your body can get its energy from a couple of different sources: one is carbs & sugars. These give you quick bursts of energy, which is why some people load up on carbs before an intense workout. But the other way your body gets energy is by burning a combination of fat & protein. I won't bore you with the biochemistry, but it's roughly three parts fat to one part protein. So if you cut down on your daily carb intake, you'll force your body to burn fat instead. And if you make sure to eat plenty of protein, you will only lose the fat without losing any muscle. I rarely exercise, but I've lost 38 lb since I made these dietary changes, and according to my doctor I've really lost 42lb in fat & water weight and gained 4 lb of muscle.

    I know this is not really what you asked, you asked about drugs. But if you're looking for a way to burn fat, this is the best (the only!) way that I've found.

    Good luck to you!
  • binary_jester
    binary_jester Posts: 3,311 Member
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    Only thing that REALLY works is the Ephedrine / caffeine stack. Really does burn off the fat. It has also been shown to have some anabolic effects also. Although minimal, any anabolism is good.
    As stated above, you have to be smart about using it. It HAS NOT been proven to kill you unless you OD on it ....but so will aspirin or Ibuprofen.

    Here's some great links to do some research on the EC stack.l do not include aspirin due to the fact it can wreck your stomach. And it's not necessary to get the results.

    http://www.drumlib.com/dp/000028.htm


    http://www.hotnfit.com/ecstack.htm
    Of course take this with a grain of salt:

    Aspirin is included in the ECA stack to help prolong the effects of ephedrine. Basically as a normalizing procedure the body reacts to ephedrine by producing prostaglandins and adenosine outside the cell, and phosphodiesterase inside the cell. Inside the cell, it has been found that methylxanthines, like caffeine, inhibit the activities of phosphodiesterase. Stimulation of the beta receptors by ephedrine (via noradrenaline) causes an increase of cAMP (cyclic adenosine monophosphate) within the cell. This crucial part of the process that leads to thermogenesis is vulnerable because cAMP is degraded by phosphodiesterase. Outside the cell, aspirin inhibits the peripheral synthesis of prostaglandins. Prostaglandins inhibit the release of noradrenaline in the synaptic junction (before receptor stimulation). So in other words without aspirin (and caffeine), the beta agonistic qualities of ephedrine (via noradrenaline) are practically negated by prostaglandins. Thermogenesis is prolonged because aspirin interferes with this negative feedback mechanism!


    I found ECAY to work for me, but the aspirin was low dosage enteric coated.
  • Sh1tsRainbows
    Sh1tsRainbows Posts: 1,227 Member
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    LOVE Ephedrine

    but nothing works better for me then healthy diet and exercise
  • Krizzle4Rizzle
    Krizzle4Rizzle Posts: 2,704 Member
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    Is ephedrine still illegal? Or have I been out of the loop?
  • _Ben
    _Ben Posts: 1,608 Member
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    Ive said it in many many posts. There are only 3 drugs that cause weight loss without any change in lifestyle:

    1. Cocaine
    2. Heroin
    3. Amphetamines such as Methamphetamine and Ectasy

    All of the above are extremely dangerous and illegal narcotics, I never recommend taking any of them.

    I work at a pharmacy, and here is my experience. For over the counter medications, there is pretty much nothing they really do for you. They are either packed with caffine to try to make your heart beat faster and have more energy to workout; have a diuretic in them to make you pee; some have laxatives in them; and there are a few that are appetite supressants. Though appetite supressants can work, the real secret to weight loss is simple: Diet and Exercise. Thats really the only trick. There are a few behind the counter medications that can help boost your weight loss, but without diet and exercise, nothing will ever change.
  • Salpica
    Salpica Posts: 205 Member
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    I did Hydroxycut for a couple months and it didn't do anything! Then the next month they had warnings on TV talking about how it can cause kidney failure and wanting me to sue them if I ever suffered that problem while taking it......

    I now take the MegaMen Vitapacks from GNC and am very happy with how they make me feel and how it helps me. My wife is on GNC Women Ultra Mega Engery and Metabolism and she enjoys how it helps her not feel sluggish late in the afternoon.

    You aren't going to find any MAGIC pills that will do the job of weight loss and fat burners for you, but you can find many things that will help assist you when you workout. Go to GNC and talk to them and they will give you suggestions, and it's not going to cost $60....

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