Do diet pills really work?

[janemorris]

Hi Jane morris here.I am 23 year old software professional.Suffering from over fat.I don't have time for Exercise.I want some information about weight loss medicines. Do weight-loss medicines really work? Few days back I came across a diet pills blog.This blog has vast information about diet pills.But I am still confuse and want some more information related to weight loss medicines.Is there any negative side effect of weight loss medicines? Pls help me.


Thanks.......... ;)

[Kathi]

Hi Jane, My doc put me on Phetamine & they really didn't work, they kept me awake nights & I really didn't lose much weight. I wouldn't do them again. As for the OTC ones, I don't know, cuz I haven't tried them. I need to lose about 50 lbs *sigh* & just started Weight Watchers, but would sure like something quicker & I seem to lose about 10 lbs & then I just stop. I also, did Atkins & the same thing, 10 lbs & then nothing. If you find something that works please let me know. Kathi

[ICNDonna]

The weight loss medications that help are prescription items and do have some side effects, one of which is increase in blood pressure. And when you take them, it requires you to be closely monitored by a health professional.

Per my doctor, the over-the-counter pills only work if you follow the directions exactly --- which means that you need to follow the diet that goes with the pills. And if you follow the diet without the pills you will lose just as much. The only thing that gets slimmer from the pills is your wallet.

Donna

[dolphinfire]

I tried the green tea ones once with a low carb, not atkins, I catered it to my needs(to tired on atkins) and I lost 20 lbs.

[Julie B]

ouch ouch ouch............diet pills of any sort are nasty on the bladder! Check the ingredients...........most Rx ones are amphetamines, and the "new" over the counter ones have caffeine (hidden in names like kola nut etc), green tea extract, etc.......now Meridia works as an antidepressant type drug, and might be ok, but in the weight management clinic where I worked we only saw that it helped 30% of the patients.....it stopped working after 6 months.........and if they stopped it after 6 months the weight came back with a vengence. Now, Xenical works by not letting some of the fat get absorbed and that can be fine, but it can also cause severe diarrhea (and, ahem........uncontrolled anal leakage) if you eat too much fat.........so................it is more like reality discipline.......cause you get a nasty reaction. I don't want to sound all doom and gloom, but like Donna said, with all of these you have to follow some sort of diet anyway......... :)

[msfunlady]

I have lost a lot of weight taking pills over the past couple of years...But as soon as I quit taking them I gained it back and more...My doc says the best way to loose weight is to walk or do some type of excercise and cut back on what you eat...He told me you have to burn 3500 calories to loose one pound...that is like 500 calories a day to loose one pound a week... :headbang: So i have started cutting out sweets... and walking even if it is only 5 minutes a day...Good luck

[pottywoman]

I tried one that the doc gave me. (Free samples because it was $200.00 a month otherwise). It was the savest kind out there. It attached the "fat" when you ate and passed it through. Side effects with it were diareha (SP) and my hair started falling out. Had to take a vitamin with it. Did start loosing but along with hair. I tried to get the over counter kind and every pharmacists I asked which was the savest said none. even the all natural ones. I found you just have to eat less (no sweets at all) and move around as much as possible. Weighted myself this morning and I finally lost 1 pound. They say 2 pounds a week is the way to go. If you read the diet pill box you still have to eat less and exercise.

[Specs]

Diet pills do not work. Plain and simple. They may offer temporary reductions due to diuretic effects or metabolism 'boosts', but in the end, you will gain back any weight you lost in the first place.

The 'secret' to weight loss is not really a secret - it's just common sense. You need to have a deficit of calories. In other words, eat less than you burn in a day.. and you'll lose weight. As others have said, you need to burn 3500 calories to lose a pound. You can do this through a reduction in calories or a boost in activity, or ideally, both.

Find out what your BMR (basal metabolic rate) is and adjust your diet & exercise accordingly. You can do this through online calculators or through a visit to a dietician. Say, for instance, your basal metablic rate - the minimum amount of calories you need to sustain your curent weight - is 1800 a day. To lose weight, you'll need to reduce your intake to, say, 1500 calories a day. Be careful though - if you go any lower than approx 400 calories a day less than you need, you will put your body into starvation mode... and any weight you lose could very quickly come back, as your body is very protective of its 'normal' state.

Honestly.. it took you years to gain the weight, it may take you years to lose it. A quick fix is not going to be your solution. If you really want to lose the weight, make the time to exercise, be conscious of what you put in your mouth, and things should eventually come into place.

(And.. you say you don't have time to exercise? I work 55 - 60 hours a week and am completing a degree in my spare time. Somehow, I find time to train for a triathlon - I exercise 6 days a week.. oh, and I have IC too. It's all about priorities, I guess.)

[sweetpea2555]

Diet pills can cause some really bad flares so please be very careful! It is hard to fit exersise in on a busy schedule but once you get started it gets easier and is worth it!

[andcohen]

Ok maybe I shouldn't be asking this, but why is someone who is a first time poster on this board asking us about the use of diet pills???? I don't want to sound rude but just wondering why people come on to these sites with questions like this? I'm not sure if this is an IC patient or not? and if not should they be here. Sorry if I have put my foot in it but just asking.
Andrea

[NonnyJ]

I would try swimming, its one of the best exercise for you. It relaxes your body and your muscles. Diet pills are pretty bad for you and I encourage anyone not to take them. Its not the right way to lose wieght.