Do weight loss supplement work?

[adyboy]

Been procrastinating on losing weight for a long time until a doc mentioned (in a Darth vader like tone) that my depreciating health issues are a result of my ever increasing tummy ( i hate you fast food ! ). So with a comment like that, got started on my weight loss agenda. Joined a gym and huffed and puffed in the hope of shedding that lousy flab. A friend also suggested using this weight loss supplement to speed up the flab killing. I for one am not a believer in these products...However at my state of fitness..Everything looks pretty good. My point is does this work or are they out to fool fat people like me...

[disneysteve]

Originally Posted by adyboy

doc mentioned (in a Darth vader like tone) that my depreciating health issues are a result of my ever increasing tummy ( i hate you fast food ! ).

My point is does this work or are they out to fool fat people like me...

Instead of wasting money on pills and potions that promise weight loss but can't possibly deliver on that promise, I'd suggest focusing on the actual cause of the problem - food.

Billions of dollars are spent in this country on weight loss methods that simply don't work. There is one way and only one way to lose weight - eat less and exercise more. Everything else is just a money-making gimmick marketed to people who don't want to do what is actually necessary to lose weight - change their eating habits.

[Coronet]

I agree with Steve. And a lot of weight loss supplements work like caffeine speeding up your heart rate. Not a good thing. I'd focus on the diet/exercise bit first and if you're still having trouble in a couple of months losing weight you should speak to your doctor.

[kork13]

It's great that you've started to exercise more, but as DS said, the biggest issue with weight problems is typically not having exercise in balance with your eating habits. My personal recommendation would be to ask your doctor (or a friend) to refer you to a nutritionist/dietician. They would be able to go over your lifestyle with you and develop a healthy, balanced diet for yourself that meets your needs while slowly (this is the key) reducing your daily food intake over a matter of weeks/months. By reducing your calories slowly, your body will be less inclined to feel starved and go into 'preservation' mode, slowing down your metabolism and preserving energy stored as fat.

In most cases, weight loss supplements function in a few different ways, none of which are very healthy. Some may be a diuretic (causes you to shed water-weight, a temporary "fix"), others use stimulants (caffeine, etc.) to chemically induce a short-term metabolic boost (with a corresponding drop, starting a pendulum effect), and still more inhibit your body from absorbing nutrients properly, which can lead to vitamin/mineral deficiencies, screwy blood sugar/salt levels, and (ironically) increased appetite/cravings. These are just examples, but demonstrate the problem with supplements.

Bottom line: forget weight loss pills. Do it naturally, which will be MUCH more healthy and longer lasting for you.

ETA: The best thing you can do every day to reduce your food intake and help you slowly lose weight (and be more healthy): DRINK WATER! Always keep a filled water bottle by your side, and drink from it regularly, whether you're necessarily thirsty or not. Drink at least 2 liters of water throughout every day. Being well-hydrated reduces hunger pangs, and helps your body more efficiently process food. Plus, the human brain can't differentiate very well between being hungry or thirsty. So if you're dehydrated, you may feel like you're hungry instead, and start eating...which only dehydrates you further. Staying well-hydrated prevents that sort of "false craving".

[khosta]

I would try joining a weight loss group. When I was in college I wanted to shed 20 lbs so I started with Weight Watchers, which is good - only thing is you are alotted a certain amount of points of food per day and you can to count those points and measure your food, etc. - it does work but ti is also work! I then tried Jenny Craig - which was best for me!! All you have to do is visit a Jenny Craig counselor once a week and weigh in and buy your food. Everything comes prepared and the food is actually good!!! I would up to 5 lbs in a week sometimes - it just depends how dedicated you are to the diet!!! Dieting will help 70% and working out helps the other 30% - so focus on the food first!!!

[shanecurran]

Weight loss supplements are simply stimulants that give you more energy for workouts and reduce your appetite. So if the goal is to lose weight at the cost of your health then, supplements might be a good option. In your case health is the reason for needing to lose weight. I would not recommend supplements. Another thing to realize is that exercise by itself will not solve the problem. When people begin to exercise, their appetite increases as they burn more calories. If you continue to eat fast food and unhealthy food the weight loss process will be very slow.

[bjl584]

Exercise and eat right. That's all that you really need to do.

[couchrobt]

All supplements can help BUT, that does not mean that when you have them you will lose weight by just sitting. No! It requires hard work of exercise too. It is best to get your body active and sweat it out together with your supplements.

[disneysteve]

Originally Posted by couchrobt

All supplements can help

I disagree. I think there are a lot of completely worthless products out there that really won't do anything at all to help you lose weight, unless you count lightening your wallet by sucking money out of them.

[LIllianRose]

There are numerous approaches to losing wight and everyone needs to find the right one for them. My children and I found that a good quality meal replacement program worked best.

According to livestrong.com, the Lance Armstrong Foundation website, “Meal replacement products such as shakes and bars can be an effective part of a weight management plan…For people looking to lose weight, meal replacements can be used to replace a meal with a lower calorie alternative. This is better than skipping the meal entirely, as your body's metabolism slows down when you go for several hours without eating. Meal replacement bars and shakes can also be used to help people looking to add muscle mass because they can be used as a nutritious supplement to add extra fuel before and after workouts to help prevent fatigue and build muscles.”

When it comes to managing your weight, every calorie counts; however, all calories are not created equal. That’s why you need to find a Nutrition Shake Mix that utilizes smart calories. Those products with nutrient dense calories provide a high return on your caloric intake so you stock up on nutrients, not calories.

So, if you are looking for help losing weight or tips to losing weight, I suggest finding good quality, all natural products that work along with their own interactive website. Studies show that people who use meal replacement to lose weight tend to keep it off. Itis the best kept secret to losing weight.

[bjl584]

Originally Posted by LIllianRose

There are numerous approaches to losing wight and everyone needs to find the right one for them. My children and I found that a good quality meal replacement program worked best.

According to livestrong.com, the Lance Armstrong Foundation website, “Meal replacement products such as shakes and bars can be an effective part of a weight management plan…For people looking to lose weight, meal replacements can be used to replace a meal with a lower calorie alternative. This is better than skipping the meal entirely, as your body's metabolism slows down when you go for several hours without eating. Meal replacement bars and shakes can also be used to help people looking to add muscle mass because they can be used as a nutritious supplement to add extra fuel before and after workouts to help prevent fatigue and build muscles.”

When it comes to managing your weight, every calorie counts; however, all calories are not created equal. That’s why you need to find a Nutrition Shake Mix that utilizes smart calories. Those products with nutrient dense calories provide a high return on your caloric intake so you stock up on nutrients, not calories.

So, if you are looking for help losing weight or tips to losing weight, I suggest finding good quality, all natural products that work along with their own interactive website. Studies show that people who use meal replacement to lose weight tend to keep it off. Itis the best kept secret to losing weight.

I am a very active person and exercise regularily and watch my diet. Meal replacement shakes are not necessary to lose weight, nor can they guarantee that you will keep weight off. The only way to lose weight is to have a caloric deficit in your diet. If your body requires 3000 calories per day to maintain its current weight, then cutting back to 2500 per day will make you lose weight. I agree that skipping meals is bad, as it will slow your metabolism and make it harder to lose weight. You should eat several meals a day (I eat 6 to 7.) The only way to truly see results is to get off the couch and go do something. Run, bike, lift weights, etc. Simply drinking a MR shake while maintaining a sedentary lifestyle is temporary at best, and you will only be fooling yourself into thinking that you are achieving results.

[DebbieL]

I think the only thing those silly products will lighten is your wallet. Just use diet and exercise. These are proven. There is no quick fix.

ETA: I just saw your comment about lightening the wallet Disneysteve. We are thinking alike, lol.

[sylviaB]

Just have a healthy diet and exercise. You'll save money from pills and can work easily.

[adstalker]

get p90x. I went through 90 days and lost weight and gained muscle. Of course you have to eat right. I had a disgusting diet of nothing but salad,chicken and tuna. But it really works.
I was also taking a fat burner called oxyelite from usplabs.

but seriously if you can stick with p90x for 90 days you will lose the pounds

[disneysteve]

Originally Posted by adstalker

get p90x. I went through 90 days and lost weight and gained muscle. Of course you have to eat right. I had a disgusting diet of nothing but salad,chicken and tuna. But it really works.
I was also taking a fat burner called oxyelite from usplabs.

but seriously if you can stick with p90x for 90 days you will lose the pounds

Of course, if you just ate salads, chicken and tuna for 90 days, you would also have lost weight without the expense or risks associated with unproven, unregulated supplements.

[wincrasher]

Weight loss is a numbers game pure and simple.

I've been using this program on my iphone called Loseit for about a month. You put in all your food items and it tallies your calorie count and nutritional information.

To reach my goal in October, I get 1553 calories a day. Usually I'm under that, but weekends are tough.

You also put in your exercise - my daily walk is worth 380 calories (4 mile walk in 1 hour). So either I offset that with food, or simply run under my allotment.

So far I feel alot better because of the brisk walking. I feel ready to run, but don't want to push it - in the past I've often quit from injury due to running.

Not seen much on the scale, unfortunately. About 4 lbs is all. Now I'm trying to drink more water to see if that helps.

It's really eye-opening when you record what you eat. A program like this can not only help you track it, but make choices and can help you balance your fat, carbs, proteins, etc.

[Like2Plan]

adyboy,
My DH had some less than desirable blood chemistry readings on his last physical last fall and so he decided to do something about it. Mainly, his sugar levels were high (pre-diabetic) and he wanted to see if he could bring them down by diet and an exercise.
So, he embarked on increasing his walks (we already were doing 1 hour a day) and a high fiber low carb diet (Mainly lots and lots of low carb veggies, some fruit and nuts and a little protein.) He's recently added weight lifting into his exercise regimen. I am amazed at his dedication--He is focused like a laser on this all the time--even when we travel.

The good news is DH's blood chemistry came back into normal range pretty quickly. He has lost over 70 pounds since Sept (I've lost about 15 pounds myself ) with diet and exercise. With all the veggies he eats, he is not hungry.

[juniehyatt]

The Slimfast replacement meals and shakes really worked for me, well, still are working for me...I just have a drink in the morning, a cereal bar mid morning and a nice lunch. I actually love those DiGiorno pizza's that have 200 calories, like a pizza cracker..very delicious!

[disneysteve]

Originally Posted by juniehyatt

The Slimfast replacement meals and shakes really worked for me

Things like that can work but only as long as you continue to use them. They are not the answer to the problem. If you stop them and resume eating the way you ate previously, you will regain the weight. You need to change your diet, using regular food, to lose weight and keep it off permanently.

[tulog]

Food recommendation: eat 40% protein, 40% fat, 20% carbohydrates. Most fatties get 40% or 50% or more of their calories from carbohydrates - no wonder they feel bloated and can never lose weight regardless of calorie intake. Do not eat fast food, fried food, or junk food. Do not eat processed food. Eat clean, fresh not packaged foods: beef, chicken, turkey, fish, almonds, eggs, vegetables. Those carbohydrates you do eat should tend to include fruits and milk, rather than grains, cereal, pasta. In fact, avoid grains, cereal and pasta altogher - they are next to worthless nutritionally, not to mention make people fat.

Don't drink any liquid but water. Just water - not juice, not beer, not coffee or tea. Remember this. Water.

Training recommendation: a strength program with compound multi-joint barbell exercises, such as 'Starting Strength'. Putting more muscle on your body will change your body composition, allowing you to eat more food at the same weight - or lose weight faster. A pound of muscle burns 4 calories per minute at rest, versus 3 calories for a pound of fat.

Don't do LSD (long slow distance) running or cycling. These make people tiny and weak, and cause a catabolic environment where you lose muscle, they gaining an unfavorable body composition. Instead, do high-intensity interval training of shorter duration. For example, push a Prowler 40 yards 6-10 times with a 1-minute rest between each. This will burn more fat, rather than wasting away your muscle.