Really, what do weight loss pills do? Do they actually destroy fat but I heard they have consequences too. What happens when one of these are digested?
Weight loss pills
- Thread starter Silverwing
- Start date
There are a number of different weight loss supplements. The most common:
Stimulants - Caffeine, Ephedra, Bitter Orange Extract (synephrine), etc. These increase energy production, adrenaline (epinephrine) production in the body, and as a result increase metabolic function. The main side effects of these are, obviously, increased blood pressure and a "jittery" feeling if you're sensitive. There are no proven long-term effects.
Pyruvate - This works in a very particular way in the body. By loading the body with Pyruvate, the body increases metabolism in a predictable way to utilize the extra pyruvate. It is non-stimulant (i.e., you won't notice an increase in energy). No known side effects.
CLA - Conjugated Lineolic Acid. Scientists aren't sure how this works in the body, but they have shown it to increase metabolic function. No known side effects.
Appetite Suppressants - Some say stimulants have some appetite suppressing properties (personally, they make me hungrier) but there are products that are classified solely as appetite suppressants. The most popular one right now is Hoodia, which is extracted from a Saharan cactus of the same name. The Sans people (ever see "The Gods Must Be Crazy"?) eat this cactus to stave off hunger for several days during long hunts. No known side effects.
StarCaps - Garlic/Papaya Formula. Actress Nikki Haskell came out with a diet pill a few years ago called StarCaps that would let you lose 14 lbs in 14 days. I've seen it work as advertised, HOWEVER - the results are VERY temporary which leads me to assume that it somehow makes you lose massive amounts of water weight or other tissue. It contains a digestive enzyme which may prevent the absorption of nutrients. There isn't much research to show that it has long-term effects, but I'd be wary of taking this.
Stimulants - Caffeine, Ephedra, Bitter Orange Extract (synephrine), etc. These increase energy production, adrenaline (epinephrine) production in the body, and as a result increase metabolic function. The main side effects of these are, obviously, increased blood pressure and a "jittery" feeling if you're sensitive. There are no proven long-term effects.
Pyruvate - This works in a very particular way in the body. By loading the body with Pyruvate, the body increases metabolism in a predictable way to utilize the extra pyruvate. It is non-stimulant (i.e., you won't notice an increase in energy). No known side effects.
CLA - Conjugated Lineolic Acid. Scientists aren't sure how this works in the body, but they have shown it to increase metabolic function. No known side effects.
Appetite Suppressants - Some say stimulants have some appetite suppressing properties (personally, they make me hungrier) but there are products that are classified solely as appetite suppressants. The most popular one right now is Hoodia, which is extracted from a Saharan cactus of the same name. The Sans people (ever see "The Gods Must Be Crazy"?) eat this cactus to stave off hunger for several days during long hunts. No known side effects.
StarCaps - Garlic/Papaya Formula. Actress Nikki Haskell came out with a diet pill a few years ago called StarCaps that would let you lose 14 lbs in 14 days. I've seen it work as advertised, HOWEVER - the results are VERY temporary which leads me to assume that it somehow makes you lose massive amounts of water weight or other tissue. It contains a digestive enzyme which may prevent the absorption of nutrients. There isn't much research to show that it has long-term effects, but I'd be wary of taking this.
Oh yeah, also:
Chitosan - This is a fiber made from shellfish chitin that is rumored to attach itself to fat preventing it from being absorbed. The idea being that if you're eating fatty foods, your body won't absorb it (since your body can't absorb fiber).
There isn't much research to support this aside from anecdotal evidence.
Chitosan - This is a fiber made from shellfish chitin that is rumored to attach itself to fat preventing it from being absorbed. The idea being that if you're eating fatty foods, your body won't absorb it (since your body can't absorb fiber).
There isn't much research to support this aside from anecdotal evidence.
I tried my sis's chitosan a longtime ago. If it worked i'm sure most people would be using it.The other cool thing about 'trapping fat' like chitosan claims...if that fat doesn't get digested/broken down, and just 'passes thru your system', you'd end up with greasy ass everytime you went to the bathroom to take a dump. And every fart could discharge oil.
Seriously. Don't you guys remember WOW potato chips, made from olestra 'oil'? The body couldn't break down olestra, so it was nearly fat free.
Unfortunately every bag of WOW chips had to carry a warning: "May cause anal leakage and loose stool."
Not sure if Trans fats are worse than 'anal leakage'.
Seriously. Don't you guys remember WOW potato chips, made from olestra 'oil'? The body couldn't break down olestra, so it was nearly fat free.
Unfortunately every bag of WOW chips had to carry a warning: "May cause anal leakage and loose stool."
Not sure if Trans fats are worse than 'anal leakage'.
Pills
Diet pills are very tempting things if you want to lose weight, especially if you have tried several conventional weight loss diets without success.
Maybe one of your diet buddies has decided to buy diet pills, or maybe you've seen or heard a commercial for diet supplements promising easy fast weight loss.
If so, please beware! Even the most natural-sounding diet pills or weight loss supplements can be useless for weight loss, or dangerous, or both.
Diet pills are very tempting things if you want to lose weight, especially if you have tried several conventional weight loss diets without success.
Maybe one of your diet buddies has decided to buy diet pills, or maybe you've seen or heard a commercial for diet supplements promising easy fast weight loss.
If so, please beware! Even the most natural-sounding diet pills or weight loss supplements can be useless for weight loss, or dangerous, or both.
I have a couple of clients that have tried it, lost the weight, but as soon as they stopped using the pills, gained the weight and then some because their body's lost fat too quick. You probably shouldn't use them unless it's the absolute last cause...
As most people said on here and Fil did a great job describing them, you can think of them as an oversized caffeine pill. (Hence why you shouldn't have caffeine when they are in your system) My clients told me things such as they get the gitters, pounding headaches, feels like their throat is closing up, 'hot' feeling, sweating
As most people said on here and Fil did a great job describing them, you can think of them as an oversized caffeine pill. (Hence why you shouldn't have caffeine when they are in your system) My clients told me things such as they get the gitters, pounding headaches, feels like their throat is closing up, 'hot' feeling, sweating
be careful using anything with ephedra - its been banned in canada for good reason. think of it as speed. it stimulates your parasympathic nervous system. so think flight or fight. it increases heart rate etc. not so good when you are exercising and increasing your heart rate even more. potenial to reduce your cardiac output = less blood and oxygen for your muscles especially your brain. so caution okay guys use them very carefully and if you start to feel weird STOP. just concerned, be healthy.
Mmm, I think there's an unfair negative view of these supplements.
Your average caffeine tablet contains 200 mg of caffeine. Your average cup of drip coffee contains 110 mg of caffeine. So taking a caffeine tablet is equivalent to drinking 2 cups of coffee.
Other stimulants may prove more or less potent. Because they are STIMULANT they necessarily temporarily increase heart rate. If you have bloodflow problems, you'll get headaches, if you have a history of heart problems, you'll have heart problems.
Don't forget that I mentioned that there are NON-STIMULANT fat-burners, like CLA and Pyruvate, which to my knowledge have NO reported side effects - anecdotal or otherwise.
Your average caffeine tablet contains 200 mg of caffeine. Your average cup of drip coffee contains 110 mg of caffeine. So taking a caffeine tablet is equivalent to drinking 2 cups of coffee.
Other stimulants may prove more or less potent. Because they are STIMULANT they necessarily temporarily increase heart rate. If you have bloodflow problems, you'll get headaches, if you have a history of heart problems, you'll have heart problems.
Don't forget that I mentioned that there are NON-STIMULANT fat-burners, like CLA and Pyruvate, which to my knowledge have NO reported side effects - anecdotal or otherwise.
Not to be rude (okay, maybe a LITTLE rude) but while I always recommend making an educated choice, this seems like an uneducated post. As with any drug, you can abuse caffeine (millions of Americans drink 3+ cups of coffee a day, for example), but to say you'd feel "like someone else" is more than bordering on hyperbole.jenn said:
Some people like the stimulant, because they are generally low-energy people. We're not talking crack, speed, or PCP here - we're talking about the same caffeine (and similar nutrients) that's in our soda and coffee and chocolate (your average chocolate bar contains 30mg of naturally occurring caffeine).
I understand that we have these irrational psychological/social campaigns to give people prejudice against things that can lead to abuse because most people are too lazy or have too little time or interest to educate themselves -- but don't bring it upon yourself to propogate these prejudices. These kinds of posts remind me of After School Specials I watched when I was younger where a perfect society is infiltrated by something (like dope) and then all hell breaks loose. The moral of the story was "Marijuana turns you into a raging lunatic that makes you throw yourself out of a third story window". Well, that might be a good way to frighten children, but it ain't the way of the world, folks.