Diet pills?

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hsh0927
hsh0927 Posts: 259 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I know "diet pills" are not magic and you can't simply take them and wait for the weight to come off. However, I've been considering taking one because I heard it helps with energy levels. Since I have extremley long days (some 14 hrs straight of work) I never find myself having energy to work out. I'm worried about how dangerous they can be for my body, though. Anyone out there no the pros/cons of pills and, if there are and pros, which is a good one to take?
PS- I am not interested in anyone that is trying to sell me a pill they are selling and I will not respond to any messeges from such people :smile:

Replies

  • lizard053
    lizard053 Posts: 2,344 Member
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    The problem with most diet pills are that the upping of energy also comes with jitters/anxiety. The last time I tried any of them, I had such bad panic attacks I ended up gaining weight from the stress eating. If you want more energy, and lasting energy, look towards vitamins and minerals, such as B-complex and vitamin D, magnesium, licorice root, etc. They tend not to drop as much into your system all at once too, so it's easier to adjust.
  • hsh0927
    hsh0927 Posts: 259 Member
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    If you want more energy, and lasting energy, look towards vitamins and minerals, such as B-complex and vitamin D, magnesium, licorice root, etc. .

    Awesome, thanks (= do most vitamins have them or should I look for something else (individual supplements, certian foods, etc)?
  • zafferFL
    zafferFL Posts: 402
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    If you want more energy, and lasting energy, look towards vitamins and minerals, such as B-complex and vitamin D, magnesium, licorice root, etc. .

    Awesome, thanks (= do most vitamins have them or should I look for something else (individual supplements, certian foods, etc)?

    you can buy vitamin b-complex on it's own, it really does give you a good boost without the anxiety.

    I second the comment that the energy from the other pills are mostly caffeine induced so imagine just drinking too many cups all in one go
  • _HeathBar_
    _HeathBar_ Posts: 902 Member
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    Diet pills are usually stimulants and are typically loaded with caffeine. As the other poster said they tend to cause shaking and jitters and can create a nervous or anxious feeling. I would avoid anything that is not FDA approved like the plague. Pills such as hydroxycut, which are not FDA approved, have been linked to liver damage and who knows what else they could potential do long term.

    I'd recommend trying a natural alternative such as green tea, it will give you a little caffeine and it's also a appetite suppressant.
  • hsh0927
    hsh0927 Posts: 259 Member
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    I'd recommend trying a natural alternative such as green tea, it will give you a little caffeine and it's also a appetite suppressant.

    I'd love to drink green tea but I can't stand the taste :frown: I'll defitely look into something more natural, though, thanks!
  • elpiper
    elpiper Posts: 183 Member
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    I previously used a couple of different "diet pills" for help firing up my metabolism and energy levels. Unfortunately....they made it to where it more than tripled my already pretty crappy anxiety. I felt like I had bugs crawling all over me and had to keep moving to get them off. I guess it was a great way to keep moving, but not worth the mental price.
  • lizard053
    lizard053 Posts: 2,344 Member
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    If you want more energy, and lasting energy, look towards vitamins and minerals, such as B-complex and vitamin D, magnesium, licorice root, etc. .

    Awesome, thanks (= do most vitamins have them or should I look for something else (individual supplements, certian foods, etc)?
    If you don't live in the tropics, you're probably deficient in vitamin D, I suggest taking a D-3 supplement. I can find them in any vitamin store or pharmacy, even at Target! Try to get them through food first, but a lot of these are available as supplements too.
  • NikkiPsuedoDupuis
    NikkiPsuedoDupuis Posts: 56 Member
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    I take a B Complex and Vitamin D (Because I rarely see the sunshine this time of year). I also started taking Ginseng recently and I find it's really helping with the late afternoon tiredness :)

    And I drink a lot of green tea but like you, don't like the taste that much. I found some good flavored ones though, Blueberry and Lemon are my favorites.
  • GetFitE
    GetFitE Posts: 247 Member
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    I've tried Healthé Trim and am now on Fireball Liqui-fusion. I was VERY successful with Healthé Trim and lost 30lbs using it. I never experienced jitters/anxiety/ or any other side effect. I have had no health problems since taking it. As with all fat burner/diet pills (and as mentioned on the bottle), you start off with half a dose (usually 1-2 pills) to test your tolerance level. If you DO take a fat burner/diet pills, it's always good to check with a doctor first to make sure you don't have any blood pressure/kidney/liver problems. (I have no major health problems & was cleared by my doctor who suggested it for me since I was in a plateau and couldn't seem to budge even with healthy dieting and regular exercise).

    Taking a fat burner/diet pill is not a life-long thing, but from personal experience, it DOES help to get past a pleateau. Most products recommend that you only be on it for about 12-16 weeks, anyway, and some recommend even only taking it 6 days a week.

    I take a regular B-Complex/Omega 3 complex, but neither has done anything for me...as well as a daily multivitamin with B-complex in it... And tried Green tea...and all the other "healthier" options...but I still wasn't able to lose any weight/surface fat from it. Again, talk to your doctor about it and see what he/she says.
  • ErinBeth7
    ErinBeth7 Posts: 1,625 Member
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    I have this same questions. I am wondering if there are any natural pills, so to speak, to supplement my weight loss? I'm just afraid that when I stop taking them, that the weight will just come back.

    I've also tried taking those One A Day women's multi-vitamin, but they made me feel sick. Perhaps, I should take single vitamins and not all-in-ones?
  • PearsPeppersandPeanutButter
    PearsPeppersandPeanutButter Posts: 190
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    I took hydroxyvut once and I felt like i was tweaking. I shook and couldn't concentrate. But my husband took it and was fine. However, i guess i'm a purist and think that weight loss should be done as naturally as possible even if if it takes longer becuase then you develop healthy habits too.
  • GetFitE
    GetFitE Posts: 247 Member
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    I have this same questions. I am wondering if there are any natural pills, so to speak, to supplement my weight loss? I'm just afraid that when I stop taking them, that the weight will just come back.

    I've also tried taking those One A Day women's multi-vitamin, but they made me feel sick. Perhaps, I should take single vitamins and not all-in-ones?

    I was in the vitamin shop (Vitamin World) and they gave me a magazine that talks abour organic vitamins and proteins and stuff. It's called "Raw" brand. I don't have the magazine on hand, but they have everything under the sun pretty much: powder protein, meal replacement powder, daily vitamins, omega complex, etc. I just did a google search and the company is "Garden of Life".

    and side note: One-a-Day used to make me sick, so I switched over to Multi-Vites gummy vitamins. I LOVE them. No sick feeling or anything. They go down so smooth, I actually sometimes forget I've even taken it.

    And with taking a fat-burner/diet pill: I never gained the weight back. I learned healthy diet & exercise habits before & during, so I was able to keep the weight off, and it's been 2 years since I took one. I just started a new one today cause I've been in a plateau for a year and with trying everything from changing my diet, decrease and increasing my caloric intake, and all the other plateau breaking suggestions--I still haven't been able to lose body fat.
  • amuhlou
    amuhlou Posts: 693 Member
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    B-vitamins are definitely great for energy. And vitamin B2 and B6 are naturally found in broccoli, so eat up :)

    Diet pills give you energy and some of the weight loss results from copious amounts of caffeine, which obviously peps you up but is also a diuretic.
  • zafferFL
    zafferFL Posts: 402
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    studies have shown that caffeine is only a diuretic after something like 360mg...

    an espresso has at it's max around 75mg of coffee

    So unless you are drinking 3 or 4 cups in short succession you do not need to worry about these effects. And if you are drinking this much, you should probably cut back anyway.
  • amuhlou
    amuhlou Posts: 693 Member
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    studies have shown that caffeine is only a diuretic after something like 360mg...

    an espresso has at it's max around 75mg of coffee

    So unless you are drinking 3 or 4 cups in short succession you do not need to worry about these effects. And if you are drinking this much, you should probably cut back anyway.

    I was referring to caffeine in diet pills, which is what the OP was asking about. For example, slimquick has 575mg in one dose. Add your usual cup of coffee in the morning and that's quite a shock to your system.
  • zafferFL
    zafferFL Posts: 402
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    studies have shown that caffeine is only a diuretic after something like 360mg...

    an espresso has at it's max around 75mg of coffee

    So unless you are drinking 3 or 4 cups in short succession you do not need to worry about these effects. And if you are drinking this much, you should probably cut back anyway.

    I was referring to caffeine in diet pills, which is what the OP was asking about. For example, slimquick has 575mg in one dose. Add your usual cup of coffee in the morning and that's quite a shock to your system.

    you are correct, my mistake, I jumped the gun on that one :)
  • future_marathoner
    future_marathoner Posts: 170 Member
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    i take an all natural one packed full of B12 and a few other things... I love it. gives me energy, supresses my appetite a bit and boost my metabolism.
  • apretz1
    apretz1 Posts: 18
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    I'd recommend trying a natural alternative such as green tea, it will give you a little caffeine and it's also a appetite suppressant.

    I'd love to drink green tea but I can't stand the taste :frown: I'll defitely look into something more natural, though, thanks!

    You can try using green tea pills, they are a concentrated form and are great for energy levels as well as providing tons of antioxidants. Green tea is also proven to increase and stabilize your mood, making your days a little bit happier. You may also consider match powder, it a very pure form of green tea, you can add the littlest amount to a smoothie and it provides a ton of energy plus helps with metabolism.
  • cinole1706
    cinole1706 Posts: 42
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    I've tried Healthé Trim and am now on Fireball Liqui-fusion. I was VERY successful with Healthé Trim and lost 30lbs using it. I never experienced jitters/anxiety/ or any other side effect. I have had no health problems since taking it.


    I tried Healthé Trim back in early 2009. I was just starting to diet and exercise so I would go through a lot of dizzy spells (probably from the lack of caffeinated drinks and the big dose of caffeine in the pills) if I didn't drink the recommended amount of water. I would take one pill in the morning and one in the afternoon. The pills definitely helped though. If anything, they gave me the energy to get through workouts because I did notice a difference on days I didn't take it.

    I've been taking it again since the summer of 2011, and I'm going to continue. Unfortunatley, I don't lose weight vary fast and have maybe lost 15 pounds since last summer. I take two in the mornings and wait atleast 2 hours before eating.
  • thefuzz1290
    thefuzz1290 Posts: 777 Member
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    Diet pills these days don't do much for weight loss, especially since they took out ephedra. However, if you're going to use some for energy, you're better off buying caffeine pills...they're cheaper.

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