Diet pills - do they still deserve a bad rap?


Question:
Nowadays, most diet pills are a combo of herbal supplements. Are they really still addictive? Do you think they can be used effectively to lose weight? Have we just not gotten over Ephedra and the diet pills of the "olden days"? What's so bad about diet pills?

Address all the issues of weight loss - "magic pills", needing to exercise even though you may find success with a diet pill, the psychology of diet pills and dieting and how those factors contribute to the good or bad of diet pills.

I'm asking this out of curiousity of what answers it will solicit, not really for my own personal need or anything.

Answer:
Diet pills are still not the long term answer to good health and many can cause negative side effects.

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. Get a diet and fitness calculator that you can put on your computer or cell phone. This will allow you to easily calculate this formula, set goals, log your daily calorie consumption, and register your physical activities.

*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.

Avoid “High Glycemic Load Carbs” (sugar, pastries, desserts, refined starches such as breads, pasta, refined grains like white rice; high starch vegetables such as white potatoes) and drink lots of water.

Do not try fad diets or diet pills. Here is an excellent food pyramid that anyone can follow: http://www.rayandterry.com/html/images/p...

*3) Exercise on most days by doing cardiovascular training and/or resistance training activities.

Read a book or find a certified trainer to make sure your doing all resistance training exercises correctly. A great book to buy that teaches you the resistance training basics is “Weight Training for Dummies”. A superb magazine to buy with resistance training routines that will not get you bored is "Muscle and Fitness". Signup for the free newsletter. An excellent free online resource is at http://www.exrx.net/

A good book to buy that teaches you the cardiovascular training basics is “Fitness for Dummies”.

*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 superb book to read is “You The Owner’s Manual”. An excellent periodic publication is the “Nutrition Action Health Letter”. 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. Email me if you want a good indoor air purifier recommendation and if you have other questions.

*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.
hon. dont use any pills that sssay ur going to lose weight just by drinking them. it wont work u need to exercise and watch carefully what ur eating. No pills.!!!!!
Medical diet pills are good for people who are obese and need to lose weight for health issues. However, those pills as well as the ones over the counter will tell you the same "In order to lose weight, you will have to eat less and exercise." This I believe is the real reason they lose weight.

Diet pills are a big money maker, so we all need to keep in mind the following when thinking of taking the "magic pill".

Every year Americans invest billions of dollars in weight loss diets and gimmicks, many of which yield few results. However, the lure of quick, easy weight loss is hard to resist. Despite ineffective tools, most hopeful consumers are willing to give the next weight loss fad a chance. If you're planning to start a new diet, it is important to remember the following information.
Food-specific diets: Have you ever tried the cabbage diet or the fruit-only diet? These are just a couple of examples of diets that promote one "specific" food that causes weight loss. No matter how much you think you'll enjoy ice cream at every meal, inevitably you will get bored with eating the same food repeatedly. As a result, you'll eat less food than needed to maintain your weight. This type of diet will not teach you healthier eating habits or provide a balance of nutrients, and consequently is not effective for long-term weight loss.

High-protein, low-carbohydrate diets: One of the most recent trends in dieting, these diets are based on the concept that carbohydrates are "bad" and that everyone has some degree of insulin resistance, resulting in poor carbohydrate metabolism. Many proponents of these diets suggest that including carbohydrates in your diet will cause weight gain. The reality, though, is that eating more calories (whether as carbohydrate, fats, or protein) than you burn will cause weight gain.

High-fiber, low-calorie diets: Fiber-rich foods play an important role in a healthy diet. They are a helpful ingredient of weight loss efforts because they provide bulk to the diet, which helps you feel fuller sooner. Be careful, though: if you plan to increase the fiber in your diet, be sure to increase your fluid intake at the same time or you may experience cramping, bloating, and constipation. High-fiber diets will help with weight loss only if you restrict calories in conjunction with addition of extra grains, fruits and vegetables.

Liquid diets: Consumers face a couple of different liquid diet options. Your local grocery store and pharmacy sell over-the-counter liquid meal replacements, which can be expensive and frequently add extra calories to daily consumption if not managed carefully. On the other hand are liquid diets that require medical supervision. These diets are usually very low in calories and may result in metabolic abnormalities if dieters are not carefully monitored. Neither type of liquid diet should be used for long-term weight loss unless monitored by a health care professional. Radically changing your caloric intake in this way will not result in long-term behavior modification and healthy eating patterns.

Fasting: As a way to cleanse the body or jump-start a weight-loss program, fasting has been recommended for years. However, all that fasting really does is deprive your body of nutrients and decrease your energy, leaving you feeling weak and lightheaded. If the right nutrients are not available for your cells to use as energy, your liver will convert fat stores to ketones for use as energy (ketosis). Long-term ketosis can be harmful to your health.
No fad diet or gimmick will work magic for safe and effective weight loss. The following are some suggestions for ensuring a long-term healthy eating plan and getting your weight loss efforts off to an encouraging start:
Eat a variety of foods. Remember, a balanced diet will ensure that you get all necessary nutrients.

Get some physical activity every day. Calories in must be less than calories out to ensure successful weight loss. To keep "calories out" at a healthful level, make you get at least 30 minutes of physical activity every day.

Include sources of fiber in your diet. They will add bulk and give you a feeling of fullness.

Choose a diet low in fats, saturated fats, and cholesterol. You do need to consume some fat for good health. Aim for no more than 30 percent of your total calories as fat calories, of which no more than 10 percent should be saturated fat calories.

Choose foods moderate in sugars. Foods that are high in simple sugars usually offer little nutritional value and will add unwanted calories.

Choose foods moderate in salt and sodium. Remember that salt has been added to many foods during preparation or processing, so it's not necessary to add extra salt at the table.
Yes as do ALL pills. Poison in any quantity is overall harmful.
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