Diet Pills

[Leadsinger777]

So, wondering if anyone here takes diet pills, powders, shakes... stuff that guarantees you fat loss.

...I used to see these diet pill (creams, drinks, exercise machine) ads and believed them, or at least some of them. I would research the ingredients and see what they did for the body and how they worked. Many of them have good ingredients, vitamins, amino acids, anti-oxidants and more, but none I've tried EVER made me lose weight... with the exception of stimulants which cause a loss in water weight, but not fat. Some claim you can eat whatever you want and not need to exercise... right.

I got to thinking about this when I was on the train and there was a very young thin attractive girl putting some sort of powder on her bagel, then on her hot pretzel, and then into her bag of chips. Out of the corner of my eye I saw it said 'Sensa' on it.
So, I looked it up and found it was supposed to help you feel full so you eat less. My first impression was this girl doesn't need to watch her weight... A stupid misconception a lot of people have upon meeting someone who is thin. I mean, she may be thin because she diets. Anyway, I digress...

So, Sensa is supposed to help you feel full so you'll eat less. I can tell you from watching this girl eat she was definitely not eating light. Every bit was gone quickly.

Still, that got me thinking about all the other gimmicks out there. Ripped Fuel, Xenadrine, Hydroxicut, Zantrex, Stacker...1000's more. They all require exercise and healthy diet, and other than giving you a pick me up to possibly help get motivated for the gym don't work. I've tried 'em all...
Just like all the ab machines, ab rocket, ab coaster, ab stretcher... etc. They're no miracle. You can have the strongest most defined abs in the world but no one will see them if they're under 20 pounds of fat. Fat that won't go away by taking a magic pill.

I do take a pre-workout drink which is basically a jolt of caffeine to help me focus and get the heart rate up in the morning for the gym. I feel this motivates me some. I don't attribute any fat loss to the actual drink though. Indirectly I guess I could say the drink helps me get my lagging @$$ to the gym in the morning which in turn has helped me burn fat. Still, that's a stretch.


So, just curious if I'm alone in this... Why do people fall for all this? With the amount of this junk out there on the market why haven't people figured out that none of it really works? Or does some of it?
Have you tried pills?
Have you had actual success (or just placebo effect)?
Do you currently take anything?
Do you have an opinion on this?


...sorry for the long post.

[Sanandlou]

I dont remember all the different products i've taken but i remember giving them all away to a co-worker when it dawned on me that nothing has worked. A WHOLE BAG of pills. Most things wigged me out so bad i would stop after a day or two. The other stuff i stopped after a couple of weeks with no loss.

So I went thru supplements phase, workout phase (this failed because i was in alot of pain for days after workouts and not just muscle soreness, joints and back), then the low fat phase (I ate a smarts one with a yogurt every single day, etc) and then low carb..

One more thing, i remember feeling very desparate before starting low carb and going out on the slimfast website. I was upset because i KNEW i couldnt maintain that plan but the before and after picks were AMAZING.. And that desparate feeling? Its the feeling i had before buying every single one of those diet pills.

Thanks Dr. Atkins!

[chantyl03]

i took diet pills in college once. after i took it my legs went numb and i fell to the floor and laid there for a while. Never tried them again.

I still dream of a magic pill that will allow me to eat donuts and lose weight but, alas, i'm too scared to try ANYTHING!

[oyvey]

Originally Posted by Leadsinger777

Why do people fall for all this? With the amount of this junk out there on the market why haven't people figured out that none of it really works?

Because there are massive cultural forces out there that make people feel horrible if they're fat and make them want to lose weight.

Diets (or ways of eating or whatever else you want to call food manipulation for weight loss) don't work for 95% of people that try them (in 5 years time), and people are desperate to lose weight, because we have a notion in this culture (speaking about the US here) that fat people are:

1. stupid
2. lazy
3. gluttons
4. morally inferior
5. impure
6. sexually undesirable

on and on.

Most people don't want to feel like this, and many people (self included, at times) internalize the above judgments about fat people (even when they are fat, and none of the above applies to them) and are willing to spend a lot of money to try to not feel like this. There is a lot of pain about body weight, and there are always people willing to profit off of pain.

And so, a lot of people get paid.

I've never taken any diet pills, OTC or prescription.

[Madger]

I tried Adipex (prescription diet pill) this past summer because a customer of mine lost alot of weight on it. It made me feel aweful. I felt dizzy and faint. I only lasted on it 2 weeks but it was 2 weeks too long.

I wanted an easy fix after regaining (previously lost 90 lbs on Atkins). There is no easier fix than LC itself; stupid me!

My dh does P90X and has huge results. Literally got a 6 pack within the 90 days. I tried the program and lasted 5 minutes. It is hard!

PS: The customer that lost all that weight on Adipex is now regaining.

[flatferenghi]

i wanted to lose 5 lbs fast. i got some "shady doctor" pills from a friend of mine.(speed) i used them for about a week. i lost the 5 lbs. i almost lost some friends as well. u don't want to see this troll on speed. if i am a lazy troll, it is in my genes. u should never tamper with the gods' handiwork. of course, i put the weight back as soon as i stopped taking them, plus more. so, if u are even THINKING about it...DON'T!!! Love & Profits: FLATFERENGHI

[Leadsinger777]

Originally Posted by flatferenghi

i wanted to lose 5 lbs fast. i got some "shady doctor" pills from a friend of mine.(speed) i used them for about a week. i lost the 5 lbs. i almost lost some friends as well. u don't want to see this troll on speed. if i am a lazy troll, it is in my genes. u should never tamper with the gods' handiwork. of course, i put the weight back as soon as i stopped taking them, plus more. so, if u are even THINKING about it...DON'T!!! Love & Profits: FLATFERENGHI

Again, you always have a way of putting things. Love reading your posts.

I think 'Speed' would be a narcotic and probably not on the same level of the infomercial, commercialized, OTC pills...lol.

I hear you can lose a lot of weight smoking crack too...

(got any of that speed left over??? totally kidding)

[flatferenghi]

still have the same end result. when u stop taking them, the weight comes back. Forgive my being brutally blunt, but i would trust a torn condom before i would trust any diet pill, and I don't trust condoms at all. FF

[JSmooth619]

I tried Hydroxycut in '02 and kept hearing my heart racing in my ears, I couldn't sleep at night. I lost some weight but the anxious feeling that I constantly had scared the crap out of me.

On a side note, has anyone else noticed the Jillian Michaels diet pills she has a fat burner and couple other diet pills. I saw them that last time I was at wal-mart. I find that odd cause I own one of her books and and she totally bashes the diet pill industry. She says that a healthy diet and working out are the key to weight loss, a "magic pill" does not exist.

[afuentes]

The only diet pills that worked for me had something in it that is illegal now. Since then, none of the stuff works at all. The only thing that works for me is eating low carb and exercising. People want a magic pill. Who wouldn't? The only thing that works like magic is Atkins and Dr. Simeon's Protocol.

Dr. Simeon's Protocol is hard but nothing else gets the weight off in a more natural, safe, and FAST way. I am forever thankful. It costs a pretty penny. But think about it........if these pills were to really get the fat off of you, they would cost much more in my opinion.

[Leadsinger777]

Originally Posted by afuentes

The only diet pills that worked for me had something in it that is illegal now.

Do you mean Ephedrine? (an ingredient used to make speed)
That stuff really made my heart race.

[afuentes]

Originally Posted by Leadsinger777

Do you mean Ephedrine? (an ingredient used to make speed)
That stuff really made my heart race.

Yes sir! I had the same effect but I was in college, working almost full time, and at the gym all the time too. So because I was so active, I didn't notice it as much as others would report.

Not as active now: I am a teacher, done with school, and I weight train and do some cardio. So I am sure it would have a different effect now.

[LJR]

Originally Posted by Leadsinger777

Do you mean Ephedrine? (an ingredient used to make speed)
That stuff really made my heart race.

I remember going to the doctor and when the assistant took my blood pressure it was highly elevated because at the time I was taking Hydroxycut (when it contained ephedra). She grabbed the bottle when I showed it to her and threw it into the garbage after exclaiming this stuff could kill me!

It wasn't long before the US banned it.

My friends in AZ used to make runs to Nogales to get it! The Border Patrol never stopped them on their way back.

[lexley]

I was on phentermine after I had my child. I lost a good chunk of weight but it's expensive (if you don't get it through your doctor) and you definitely get addicted to it. I started to get nervous when the pills started to run out, so that was definitely not something I wanted.

Before that one of my co-workers used Stackers (with ephedra) and because I had been out all night and was zonked she offered me a dose. I took HER dose (which was 2 pills) and did not sleep for almost 2 full days! I started to hallucinate and was talking to myself. Not a pretty sight at all!

I see the weight loss clinic as I am driving around doing errands and am soo tempted. I lost weight. The pills work, but they are too addictive for me.

I'll just eat my steaks and be done with it!

[rotten]

Originally Posted by afuentes

Yes sir! I had the same effect but I was in college, working almost full time, and at the gym all the time too. So because I was so active, I didn't notice it as much as others would report.

Not as active now: I am a teacher, done with school, and I weight train and do some cardio. So I am sure it would have a different effect now.

I used them in college too, but weight loss was the side effect. I kept them around to keep going. Glad i stopped though.

[Madger]

Originally Posted by lexley

I'll just eat my steaks and be done with it!

My thoughts too...

Eating steak and drinking my coffee is all the buzz I need.

[francine]

Originally Posted by Sanandlou

I dont remember all the different products i've taken but i remember giving them all away to a co-worker when it dawned on me that nothing has worked. A WHOLE BAG of pills. Most things wigged me out so bad i would stop after a day or two. The other stuff i stopped after a couple of weeks with no loss.

So I went thru supplements phase, workout phase (this failed because i was in alot of pain for days after workouts and not just muscle soreness, joints and back), then the low fat phase (I ate a smarts one with a yogurt every single day, etc) and then low carb..

One more thing, i remember feeling very desparate before starting low carb and going out on the slimfast website. I was upset because i KNEW i couldnt maintain that plan but the before and after picks were AMAZING.. And that desparate feeling? Its the feeling i had before buying every single one of those diet pills.

Thanks Dr. Atkins!

sounds exactly like me. I've tried so many things and know the desparation all to well. I always think I can "eat anything in moderation" but I just can't. Need to be really structured. Although, I did lose well on low carb shakes but I can't seem to find them anymore, the ready made ones I mean.

[Houston Heather]

When my husband was in ICU I used to take a sudafed, hydroxycut, and Mountain Dew all at once. A couple times a day. Boy, I could have climbed Everest - I don't think I slept for about a month; until he got out of ICU and on the orthopedic floor.

He had a "Very Severe" head injury with a lousy prognosis. They kept asking me to pull the plug. I felt if I were there 24/7, they'd realize they were treating a family, not just a patient. I'd never advise anyone to do what I did.

I'm lucky I didn't have a stroke! Not luck, but God!

[MsWoods]

I took T-lite (sp?) when I was 16 and lost 60lbs, but i also got braces at the same time and hardly ate, so I don't know which one worked.

[JazzleBug]

I took the original Xenadrine around the time I was into weight lifting. I liked how it helped me crank out a few more reps (each rep felt nice and complete - can't really describe it any better than that). I did not, however, enjoy the anxious feeling I had to live with. I took the recommended dosage or under. One of my best friends used to double the dosage and I'm thankful that she didn't die because of it. I remember getting really upset with her when I found out.

[xo ashley]

I have used the Kardashain endosed QuickTrim 14 day cleanse. I liked it a lot.

[JSmooth619]

I would try anthing product that Kim K. endorses!

[xo ashley]

Originally Posted by JSmooth619

I would try anthing product that Kim K. endorses!

exactly. her body is bangin!

[Joy-FL]

I took Stacker and the like every day for at least a year, both before and after the ephedra ban. I wasn't taking them for weight loss as much as self-medication for depression. It would flog my turtle self into operating at everyone else's normal speed.

I didn't lose any weight. But I did become sensitive to it. I had to take less and less (parts of pills) or I'd get dizzy and nauseous. I finally had to stop taking them altogether. Then I started gaining weight. So it didn't help me lose, but it did help me maintain my weight, apparently. (170s... still overweight.)

I shudder to think of what I did to my body during all of this, though.

[Leadsinger777]

OK, lot of replies about products that had ephedra (ephedrine). So, yeah basically this stimulant in diet/workout pills was like speed (a main ingredient in speed) and not a 'miracle' fat burner. It gave you more energy. More energy kept you more active. It's the activity (mostly) that caused you to burn/lose fat. Stims do tend to suppress the appetite at times too, so can see where one would possibly eat less too.

Yes, it does increase the heart-rate and possibly that in itself could have assisted with some minor weight loss, but if that was the case then people with high blood pressure should be thin...

So, stims may assist in motivation, energy, and focus which indirectly can create the environment to assist in weight loss. Still, I wouldn't say it's a magic diet pill. A magic diet pill would burn the fat all on it's own. I'd eat whatever/whenever (shy of being glutinous) and pop a pill to ensure my body expended it all.

I used ephedrine for a long time, particularly when going out to party. I was very aggressive at times for no reason, and also sensitive to things that probably wouldn't have bothered me otherwise. I did lose weight, but I attribute that to the use of the energy in the gym and smart eating.

Also, about prescription diet pills. I'm not in a position to say if prescription diet pills do or don't work. I haven't had any experience with them, so any of the 'Phen' pills that have psychological effects I can't really speak to.

Thanks for posting your thoughts/experiences... keep 'em coming.

[leisha]

I've taken Adipex before. Of course it works at first....kills your appetite,
can't sleep, buzzing around all full of energy, can't remember stuff, turns you into a mean, grumpy person, all while your heart is racing away! After awhile it didn't really take away my appetite anymore. It just made me eat faster!!

I don't recommend them at all. I don't think I'd ever felt that bad.

[Joy-FL]

Originally Posted by Leadsinger777

Also, about prescription diet pills. I'm not in a position to say if prescription diet pills do or don't work.

If you look really deeply into the clinical FDA studies for the most common Rx drugs, you'll find that they cite an average weight loss of about 4 lbs.

[rotten]

I agree with ya leadsinger
I think the weight loss i experienced wasn't because they are a fat burner, but rather that i didn't eat much, because i either felt full or my stomach felt queasy. The feeling was weird, like my stomach was very tense and being held in a vice. Though after a while i kind of learned how to eat on that stomach, so for me, the effect was a temporary thing.

[Looweewoo]

Never took them, never will. I can't convince myself that they will work enough to spend even the smallest amount of money on them.

However, I was seriously thinking about WLS at one point.

[dartstar1]

I think it was the perscription diet pills I was on for years starting at age 12 that screwed up my metabolism and I stayed on them except when I was pregnant and I took them the first time I did Atkins in73 think I stopped in about 78
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