Do weight loss supplement work?

[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]

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.

[tulog]

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.

Agree. Eat real food. Clean food.

[Frugal]

In my opinion they do not work (supplements). I think someone is better off simply exercising and resting and eating properly. There is no "quick fix" like those touted on TV that will really work. People make fortunes off of advertising weight loss supplements.

[Scanner]

I'll give you my perspective as an "alternative doc" (chiropractor) who does sell supplements and does council on weight loss.

I am going to go against my kind colleague here (and the ones supporting him) and say it's just not enough to say, "Eat better."

I think America would chime back to people who say that, "Uh yeah, we get it! We're fat. We don't know what to do."

So here's a basic primer from my clinical experience:

A. I recommend the Paleo Diet Lifestyle to my patients. Although I am willing to accept there are genetic differences allowing tolerances to grains, I myself eat a grain-free and dairy-free diet now. Yup - just meats, fishes, fruits and vegetables.

Anthropologically and evolutionary biologically, we are really still hunter/gatherers trying to make our way in an agrarian society. Anthropologists agree that agriculture came with huge health costs and the differences in human skeletons were remarkable.

B. More to supplements. . .there are weight loss formulas but you have to remember, it's a "support" to lifestyle change, not a substitute. It doesn't "fire up the furnance" like those TV commercials.

C. Consider fasting. It's a healthful practice and if there are no contraindications, it's a good complement to the Paleo diet.

I personally recommend in addition to the nutrient dense diet I recommend to get a quality Omega-3 fatty acid supplement, and perhaps a calcium/magnesium supplement if you are menopausal age. You need an Omega-3 fatty acid supplement because our cattle is grain-fed and it's a pain to go find grass-fed meats and wild fish in the amounts you need them for cardiovascular health.

That's a "basic" prescription for supplementation.

If you have sleeping difficulties, metabolic syndrome difficulties, you can get into other more complicated herbs/supplements like melatonin or cinnamin quills but that's impossible to do without knowing your full health history, meds you are on, and so forth.

Good luck.

ANd remember. . .there's no such thing as a "healthy grain."

[Scanner]

Didn't even get into exercise. . .exercise is important. . .very important but nutrition is critical.

[ramsey33183]

sometimes

When I used supplements I always thought they worked and helped me lose weight. But I soon realized they were just a motivation factor for me to work out and I feel like I got the same results when I didn't use them but continued to work out.

[Marto]

I wouldn't rely on supplements to lose weight. There is nothing more reliable than a balanced diet along with exercising regularly.

[Seaman]

Well,thanks for providing useful information...In my point of view supplements are harmful for health...Drinking more water and daily exercise are the best way to reduce weight...!

[Krazykat]

Yes they work if you use them properly, exercise and eat right with them. It's a total diet, not just half =)

[dawnwes]

I don't think starting your post with calling overweight people "fatties" will help anyone trying to lose weight look past the first sentence.

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.

[jasminhatcher]

Look, weight loss supplements might give you dramatic results, but the problem is that once you stop taking them (and you will have to, eventually) you might put on all that weight and more. Eat right, work out, and be patient.