diet pills: do you know anyone who has taken them? Or have you taken them yourself?

Question:

If so what were the results like, any sideeffects? i need feedback please!

Answers:
I've taken diet pills for a long time...
In fact, I accredit a 50-pound weight loss partly to them.
They help "kick-start" any diet if you're like me and lack will power ;)

Off and on, I've used them for everything from keeping alert on those days that I haven't gotten enough sleep to suppressing appetite.

The most common side effect of using them is a feeling of shakiness or increased heart rate....neither one of those are fun!

I've tried several brands, including Metabolife, Stackers, Dexatrim Results, Zantrex 3, Xenedrin EFX, TrimSpa, etc...but my favorite was Metabo-FX Extreme, which can be bought at any Walmart for approximately $14.

If you're interested in starting to take them, I'd highly recommend NOT taking the suggest use...a lot of the pills will suggest taking 2 capsules twice daily.
However, I found it better (and I get much less jittery side effects) if I take 1 capsule every 2-3 hours throughout the day.

They really do help at keeping you not hungry, and waking you up...just make sure you drink a lot of water, and don't abuse them! I never take them longer than a week or two at a time, and then take a week off.

Good luck, hope that helped!

Other Answers:
i have taken them and they make me feel like i am having a heart attack
i dont recomment them they are not safe

it's a bad idea for something that should be a daily thing called proper diet.

you can get rashes, hypertension, liver damage (in some rare cases)

rapid heart rate.... acne, blotches on the skin... dry skin, irregular menstrual cycle... low sperm rate...

transient blindness..

a buncha stuff and it can be additive and that is very hard on the system.

and anemia (i can't spell too lazy to check)

oh and dehydration too.. many other issues with this but this should be enough.

i wouldn't take them if i were you.

They're just caffiene usually. They make you hyper and the stronger ones do make your heart feel like it's working too hard. Some have actually curbed my hunger somewhat, but not enough to make them worthwhile. I usually take them when I need to sound cheerful in an interview or for not falling asleep during a very long exam. I guess that's abuse though... I don't condone that...

I am taking some right now. I just started and so far...no side effects that i notice but it depends on the pill. I am taking Pur-Hoodia Plus. It has no caffeine or effedra so I am not all jittery and anxious. I actually sleep better at night and eat less. I feel more awake during the day too.

I have tried several different diet pills. They made me dizzy and nauseous for the most part. Also, extremely shaky and cotton mouthed, with little to no impact weight wise. One of them, or maybe all three, weakened my heart. I recommend drinking 10-12 glasses of water a day and eating healthy.

BE VERY CAREFUL. Most diet pills are LOADED with caffeine, which can cause light-headedness, anxiety, irritability, hyperactivity, sweating, heart palpitations, trouble concentrating, the list goes on and on. Many diet pills contain ephedra, which can be LETHAL for teenagers and people with heart conditions or high blood pressure. Diet pills are largely unsafe and don't produce lasting results. Virtually everyone who has ever lost weight using diet pills gained it all back -- with interest -- not long after they stopped taking the pills. The best way to lose weight is through diet and exercise. It's a heck of a lot safer and your chances of keeping the weight off by modifying your diet and adding exercise are EXCELLENT.

I have well actually they were metabolism boosters or what you would call fat burners. You can get them at health stores or even walmart. You have to be careful if you are on any medications already and make sure you are eating if you are going to take these. Some can be dangerous - but some are actually herbal. They make your heart race and give you more energy.

They do not work!!! Just diet&Excercise....

I take phentermine, minimal side effects, dry mouth, a little constipation, but that can be overcome by drinking lots of water, and at first you might feel like you are on speed, but that goes away. And sometimes I dont sleep good. Its used to control hunger. and it works. I have lost 85lbs but I have been doing that along with a diet and exercise. you can get them on line.

ameripills.com Phentermine 37.5 mg. they are time release and if taken really early in the morning, (like 6 or so) they wear off by the end of the day. Then you can at least GO to sleep, but you may wake up some during the night....

diet pills doesnt work as well as they advertise, if you closely on the bottom of the screen ofa diet pill commercial it would say something like 'all participants lost an average of 14.5 pounds with proper diet and exercise , and all participants given plecebo with proper diet and exercis lost 12.3 pounds' so the diet pills really just made a 2.2 pound different and those people you see that lost like 50 to 100 pounds those results are not typical and they probably had stomach staples and other things at work because it sure isnt over night magic

Do you notice that it is almost all women who answered your question.If not all.You shouldn't take the easy way out because I have all my life and I ended up gaining it back.Once I learned how to eat the right foods and excerzie I lost 30 pds and it didn't come back. Good luck

pyruvate works good as a fat burner.

Diet pills and fad diets are a waste of money, may be harmful to your body, and are a waste of time also. People want to look for an easy way to lose weight, but losing weight is NOT nor will it ever be easy. It is a slow and patient process that takes time. But when it is done properly, the weight will get off and not come back like it does with these pills.

Consider the following article:

Experts say roughly the same top five diet scams seem to keep resurfacing every few years, each time with a shiny new marketing gimmick. But they're all based on the same bad science.

Those top five diet scams include:

* Metabolism-boosting pills based on herbal ingredients
* Fat- and carb-blocking pills
* Herbal weight loss teas
* Diet patches, jewelry, or other products worn on the body
* Body wraps or "slim suits"

"There have always been quack weight loss schemes out there because nobody ever believes that you can't lose weight faster than you gained it," says registered dietician Althea Zanecosky.

"It maybe took two years for them to gain those 15 pounds, but they want to lose it in two weeks."

A more realistic timetable for lasting weight loss is to lose about a pound or two a week, says Zanecosky.

Nonetheless, researchers say diet scams continue to flourish, thanks in part to the law of supply and demand as a growing number of Americans find themselves overweight and looking for an easier way to lose it.

In addition, many of the most popular diet scams are based on herbal ingredients, which are not regulated as drugs by the FDA. Therefore, the weight loss claims are not evaluated for accuracy by the FDA.

In fact, a recent Federal Trade Commission (FTC) report found that more than half of the weight-loss ads that ran in 2001 made at least one false or unsubstantiated claim.

"Now, more and more people seem to feel that there is some magic compound or practice, and there really isn't," Zanecosky tells WebMD. "Nobody gets the whistle blown on them unless someone dies or has something really awful happen to them."

Even when diet scams don't prove dangerous, experts say relying on pills, patches, creams, and other gadgets to lose weight keeps millions of people from seeking weight loss programs that could really help them lose weight and reduce their risk of disease.

"Most people need something more than a pill or diet aid to get them past the behaviors that got them into trouble in the first place. These products lead people to believe that there is a product that can fix the problem, and 100% of the time there isn't a product that can fix the problem," says Zanecosky.

1. Metabolism-boosting/calorie-bu... pills

At the top of the list of diet scams are pills based on herbal ingredients that promise to boost your metabolism and help you burn calories or fat faster.

"New herbs always seem to percolate to the top as potential diet aids, as one leaves another shows up because the FDA doesn't monitor herbs," says Zanecosky. "Most of time they are just ineffective; once in a while they are dangerous."

Two recent examples of herbal diet pills that caught the attention of the FDA as dangerous are ephedra and kava (Piper methysticum, also known as kava kava).

Until recently, ephedra was found in many herbal dietary supplements for weight loss, but in February 2004, the FDA banned the sale of ephedra in any dietary supplement in the U.S. due to the risk of illness or injury. The herb is a close chemical cousin of methamphetamine or speed and can cause high blood pressure, irregular heartbeat, insomnia, nervousness, tremors, seizures, heart attacks, strokes, and even death.

Kava is a plant found in the islands of the South Pacific. Supplements containing the herbal ingredient are often promoted for relaxation as well as weight loss. But the FDA issued a warning in 2002 that use of supplements containing kava has been linked to severe liver injury.

2. Fat- and carb-blocking pills

Pills that claim to block your body's absorption of fat and more recently carbohydrates are also commonly-sold diet scams.

Even if these fat and carb blockers worked as they say they do, researchers say the effects can be dangerous if not just plain unpleasant.

It's like making someone lactose intolerant, says Zanecosky. By making the body unable to breakdown nutrients in the body, which leads to gastrointestinal problems like diarrhea, bloating, and gas, these pills also block the absorption of the vitamins that travel with these nutrients.

"Why would someone purposely submit themselves to that?" says Zanecosky. "Some fat blockers might have something in them that can interfere with how people absorb fat, but they've never been shown to help with substantial weight loss."

3. Weight loss teas

Teas based on herbal ingredients are also touted as diet aids, but researchers say the main ingredient in many of these teas is caffeine, which is a diuretic and leads to water loss.

"Losing water isn't losing weight," says Zanecosky. "Caffeine can also increase metabolic rate by a small amount but not enough that you would be able to say that it contributed to weight loss."

Registered dietitian Nelda Mercer agrees and says the only potential weight loss benefit of drinking herbal teas might be using them as a substitute for high-calorie beverages.

Mercer says that with some diet teas, it's the program the comes along with the teas that may sometimes promote weight loss, such as teas that recommend you drink it after dinner and then not eat anything else until morning. That way it could curb late-night eating, but it's not necessarily a result of drinking the tea itself.

4. Diet patches and jewelry

Patches that deliver drugs though the skin have become popular for helping smokers quit and delivering estrogen to relieve menopausal symptoms.

But experts say no effective weight loss drugs have been designed to be delivered through the skin via patches. Most of the time, these patches contain the same ineffective herbs found in dietary supplements or teas.

Also included in this diet scam category is jewelry, such as earrings or bracelets, designed to be worn on the body with the promise to help people shed pounds. According to the FTC, any claim that people can lose even a pound or more a week using these devices is false.

5. Body wraps or "slim suits"

If there were an "oldie but goodie" diet scam prize winner, experts say it would likely go to body wraps.

The thick, layered sweat suits once popular decades ago have morphed into silver "slim suits" and fat-melting body wraps designed to lock body heat in and melt away the pounds.

But researchers say the only type of weight loss caused by wearing these outfits is water loss caused by excessive sweating. As soon as you take a drink, you'll gain all that water weight back.

Experts say the only way to lose weight for the long haul is to burn more calories than you eat, and that process is slow. That means any diet products or program that promises "quick and easy" weight loss without any effort or sacrifice is bound to be bogus.

But if that's not enough to raise your suspicions, here are some frequently used buzz words to watch for, according to the FTC:

No Diet! No Exercise!
Lose 30 Pounds in 30 Days
Eat Your Favorite Foods and Still Lose Weight
Shrinks Inches Off Your Stomach, Waist, and Hips
Scientists Announce Incredible Discovery!
Revolutionary European Method! Ancient Chinese Secret!
Turn On Your Body's Fat-Burning Process
Automatically Convert Fat to Lean Trim Muscle!
Absorbs Fat
Developed After Years of Secret Research
New Scientific/Medical Breakthrough

Not only do diet scam pitchmen tend to use the same words in their advertising, the FTC says they also employ some of the same sales techniques, such as:

* Extravagant claims of dramatic, rapid weight loss.
* Testimonials from "famous" doctors, researchers, or other medical experts.
* Dramatic before-and-after photos depicting substantial weight loss.
* Ads that tout the latest trendy ingredient in the headlines.
* A footnote hidden somewhere in an ad noting "diet and exercise required."

"Any time you are tempted to get a new diet product, my advice would be to look into what the claims are and if they can be substantiated by science," says Mercer. "What people want is a magic bullet and quick fix, and that's never going to work. If it sounds too good to be true, it is."

Originally published March 31, 2005.

Medically updated June 2006.

This worked for me. I was so impressed I became a distributor.
I've lost 8 lbs and I’ve only been taking it a month.
The girl who told me about it lost 24 in two months. It varies from person to person. i haven’t exercised or changed my eating.
30 day 100% money back guaranty!

the side effects were- i only ate niblets in the morning and for dinner like half a sandwich. i wasnt hungry at all!

www.myherbalean.com/lifestyle
#100531
lifestyle.myherbalean@yahoo.co...
Megan

Homeopathic Treatment for Excessive Fat and Weight :-
PHYTOLACCA BERRY's Mother Tincture is perhaps the safest and sure fire way of loosing excessive fat around abdomen. With Phytolacca Berry once you loose the excessive fat and weight you don't get it back because you body takes care of itself after that and keeps you from gathering up excessive fat. It is prescribed after having a baby too, to get the tummy to loose its flab and to make it flatter and tighter. And after loosing weight with this you don't get flabby it tightens up the flab and skin along with helping your body to shed the excessive accumulation of fat around the girth
The dosage is 15 to 20 drops of the tincture in half a cup of hot water thrice a day half hour before or after meals.
Avoid Chocolates, Coffee, Mints, Red Meat and Carbonated and Alcoholic drinks while taking Homeopathic Medicines. You have to take it for at least 30 to 45 days after that you start to feel the results.
To the best of my knowledge its the safest and the most sure fire way of loosing fat and weight and keeping it of for keeps. Excellent remedy for Obese people who cant seem to shed weight despite trying. Loose as much as you want to !
Homeopathic Remedies can be found at all Major Herbal Stores or could be bought on line, In most of the world Homeopathic remedies are quite cheap and easy to find and they do not need a prescription.
Take care and God Bless !

P.S
Regular active exercise is advised with all weight loosing medicines and remedies :-) Take care

I tried 100% Hoodia and......
Hoodia has worked for me...and with no side effects.
Check with your doctor before starting any weight loss program.

For all you doubters, here is the prior feedback for another Answers user who followed my advice:

Asker's Rating: *****
very good comment i lost 2 lbs in a week
i think i can almost get in my leather dress, i can hit the town in no time

**** VERY IMPORTANT NOT TO GET RIPPED OFF ---

#1. Be sure you are buying pure Hoodia...look for the import certificate on the website. No matter the price, if they do not display this, you really do NOT know what you are getting!

#2. Be sure it is 100% Hoodia & not mixed w/other herbs, etc.!!

#3. Keep in mind it stops your hunger pangs…you MUST remember to break your habit to always eat at certain times.

#4. Drink a full 8oz. glass of water with it!

Hoodia (HOOD-ee-uh) gordonii - A genus of 10 to 20 species from southwestern Africa.
Hoodia gordonii is the stoneage wonder plant found throughout the dry arid regions of the South western African continent now on the verge of making history in the fight against obesity. It is a genus belonging to the Asclepiadaceae family which consists of approximately 20 species. Used to stop hunger, quench thirst, and provide energy among other things since prehistoric times, Hoodia gordonii was first discovered by the San tribesmen and women to get through the most difficult of times.

You can read a good article about how it works at:

http://www.hoodia-diets.info/hoodia-diet-capsules.htm
http://www.hoodia-diets.info/hoodia-gordonii-diet-use.htm
http://www.hoodia-diets.info
http://hoodia-research.blogspot.com
http://www.las-vegas-nevada-lawyer-attorney-legal-injury-defense-directory.com

Please do not try diet pills because they are not the long term answer and many can cause negative health effects. Consider a healthy lifestyle change.

The following healthy living recommendations will help you if you’re trying to lose weight, tone up your muscles, have aspirations of building lean muscle mass, are attempting to get a wash board stomach, or just want to feel better:

*1) Burn more calories then you're consuming everyday and measure your results using the following formula: Calories Consumed minus Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) minus Physical Activity minus the Thermic Effect of Food (TEF). A website that explains this formula in more detail and will help you determine how many calories you need to reach or maintain a certain weight is at http://www.primusweb.com/fitnesspartner/library/weight/calsburned.htm

Get an online, desktop, or cell phone diet and fitness calculator. This will allow you to easily calculate the above formula, set goals, log your daily calorie consumption, and register your physical activities.

Set realistic goals for your ideal body weight. Here are two websites that will calculate a suggested body weight:
Adults: http://www.halls.md/ideal-weight/body.htm
Teens/Children: http://www.kidshealth.org/kid/exercise/weight/bmi.html

It is difficult and unhealthy to lose more than one or two pounds per week. There are 3,500 calories in a pound. If you eat 500 fewer calories per day for a week you will lose one pound. If you burn through exercise 500 more calories per day for a week you will lose one pound.

Here are two articles on how to break through a weight loss plateau:
http://www.webmd.com/content/article/86/99147.htm
http://www.webmd.com/content/pages/18/102117.htm

*2) Eat natural and organic foods found on earth versus something created by a corporation to make money. Eat meals in small portions throughout the day and take a good multi-vitamin supplement.

Do not try fad diets or diet pills. Avoid “High Glycemic Load Carbs” (sugar, pastries, desserts, refined starches such as breads, pasta, refined grains like white rice; high starch vegetables such as potatoes) and drink lots of water. Read this article for more information on high GL Carbs:
http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/carbohydrates.html

The following are food pyramids and several articles on what you should eat everyday:
Food Pyramids:
http://www.rayandterry.com/html/images/PyramidLRG.gif?osCsid=26a424be471d1337e7c2f105d5c64d9d
http://www.mypyramid.gov/
Antioxidant Superstars - Vegetables and Beans:
http://www.webmd.com/content/article/104/107638.html
Antioxidant Loaded Fruits:
http://www.webmd.com/content/article/104/107640.html
Good Carbs Mean Better Weight:
http://www.webmd.com/content/article/100/105783.htm
The Benefits of Protein:
http://www.webmd.com/content/article/85/98824.htm
Some Fats Are Good For You:
http://www.webmd.com/content/article/49/40075.htm
Antioxidants in Green and Black Tea:
http://www.webmd.com/content/article/104/107641.html
What You Should Eat Daily:
http://www.oprah.com/health/yourbody/slide/slide_yourbody_healthfood_201.jhtml
Best Foods to Fight off Disease and Keep You Healthy:
http://www.oprah.com/health/yourbody/slide/slide_yourbody_healthfood_101.jhtml

*3) Perform cardiovascular, core, and/or strength training on most days. Read a book or find a certified trainer to make sure you're doing all exercises correctly.

The following is a website and numerous articles on cardiovascular, core, and strength training:
Exercise Prescription on the Net
http://www.exrx.net/
Starting an Exercise Program:
http://www.primusweb.com/fitnesspartner/library/activity/startexercise.htm
Strength Training Basics:
http://www.primusweb.com/fitnesspartner/library/activity/trainbasics.htm
Cardiovascular Machine Workouts:
http://www.primusweb.com/fitnesspartner/library/activity/cardiowork.htm
Balance Your Way to a Stronger Body:
http://www.webmd.com/content/article/64/72314.htm
Understanding Your Training Heart Rate:
http://www.primusweb.com/fitnesspartner/library/activity/thr.htm
Exercise Errors:
http://www.primusweb.com/fitnesspartner/library/activity/errors.htm
Getting a Flat Stomach:
http://www.webmd.com/content/article/71/81365.htm
Weight Lifting - Does Order Matter:
http://www.webmd.com/content/article/80/96440.htm
Encouraging Exercise in Your Kids:
http://www.webmd.com/content/article/95/103524.htm
Strength Training Safe and Effective for Kids:
http://www.webmd.com/content/article/32/1728_81005.htm

*4) Get plenty of sleep. Sleep experts say most adults need between seven and nine hours of sleep each night for optimum performance, health, and safety.

*5) Educate yourself continually on health issues and make a life long commitment to good health. A great free publication is “Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2005”. A reputable test you can take to measure your biological age is at http://realage.com
Look at all areas where you can enhance your health. For example, make improvements in the quality of the air you breathe. Review outdoor air quality forecasts where you live and get an indoor air purifier.

Send me an email or yahoo instant message to "gainbetterhealth" if you have any questions and good luck!

*Click on all the source links below to get the full benefit of the recommendations. The answers presented to your health questions are not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health providers with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.

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diet pills: do you know anyone who has taken them? Or have you taken them yourself?

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