[Karen753]

I'm having the worst time trying to lose weight and gain muscle in place of the fat! My sister in law recently started taking a dietary supplement to help suppress her appetite and lose weight which has been working great for her. I'm kind of nervous about starting one so i was wondering if anyone has tried any? I've been researching to find a healthy one without bad side effects so just wanted to see if anyone had any success with one.

 

[CookieLee]

Frankly, the really good weight loss ingredients have been banned by the FDA. I haven't seen anything on the market that is worthwhile in a long time. Seriously.

All I can offer is to look closely at the amount of carbs and sugars you're consuming. Eating sugar instead of protein and fats will drive cravings that make you hungry shortly after eating. Good luck.

 

[nuisance26]

~I don't have any experience with supplements, but a lot of body-builders love Intermittent Fasting, which is a version of calorie cycling. It's natural and free. I know when I tried it, I could lose 2-3lbs a week incredibly easy and still have the energy to exercise. But it really messed with my hormones so I stopped. Men and older women don't seem to have that issue with it though. ~

 

[Giro]

You can take ephedra and chase it with caffeine and it will suppress your appetite and give you energy. To build muscle, you have to exercise. To lose weight, you have to eat less.

Ephedra is available in certain over the counter meds used as bronchodilators. but not in weight loss pills.

Up to you, but usually to lose weight forever, it has to be a lifestyle change and not a diet.

 

[khaski]

The bad news is such things are simply short-term fixes, if at all. No short cuts in losing weight or gaining muscle, trust me as I've struggled with my weight for years! I'm currently doing pretty well- up a bit after the holidays and quitting smoking, but remaining optimistic and still down quite a bit from where I was 1.5 years ago or so.

The good news is you can both lose weight and build muscle (which boosts you metabolism and helps you to look fabulous) by simply putting in some work. You don't have to live at the gym to get it done, either.

I suggest you check out FitnessBlender (dot) com. Kelli and Daniel are a husband and wife team that put out high quality fitness videos for all levels that you can use for FREE. I have found them to be very sensible, down-to-earth, and trustworthy in their fitness advice. They have lots of cardio videos to help you lose the weight, and tons of strength training videos to build muscle. I use their videos all the time and highly recommend them. I have learned a TON from them and it is only because of them that I began weight training at all. I have definitely seen results using their videos and incorporating strength training into my routine (instead of all cardio).

I do have hand weights of various types, from the little ones to the adjustable ones like they use in the videos. Hubby even made me a plyometric jump box for Xmas for cardio/lower body strength exercises. But don't feel like you can't do their videos without all that equipment. Starting off, even a pair of equally weighted canned goods (one in each hand) will do just fine.

So I'd say you're on the right track, wanting to add muscle to aid in weight loss, but drugs and supplements won't do the trick. Unless you really want to get seriously bulked up, supplements are unnecessary and a generally balanced diet with lots of fruits, veggies, and lean proteins will do the trick.

 

[Karen753]

Frankly, the really good weight loss ingredients have been banned by the FDA. I haven't seen anything on the market that is worthwhile in a long time. Seriously.

All I can offer is to look closely at the amount of carbs and sugars you're consuming. Eating sugar instead of protein and fats will drive cravings that make you hungry shortly after eating. Good luck.

I know there used to be some really good ones that's why i've been searching online for healthy ones that actually work and show results. Thank you for your advice. I will definitely look closely at the amount of carbs and sugars i'm consuming. I still hope to find something on the market that is a really good weight loss supplement and will help me lose the weight and help build that muscle on my body. Until I find something with good ingredients i'll just watch what I eat.

 

[Spirit Deer]

There is no magic bullet. If you want to lose weight and build muscle, you're going to have to work at it.

 

[Karen753]

~I don't have any experience with supplements, but a lot of body-builders love Intermittent Fasting, which is a version of calorie cycling. It's natural and free. I know when I tried it, I could lose 2-3lbs a week incredibly easy and still have the energy to exercise. But it really messed with my hormones so I stopped. Men and older women don't seem to have that issue with it though. ~

Yeah I've heard a lot about different fasting techniques to help lose weight. My aunt tried one and could only eat certain food each week but it was hardly any food so her body wasn't used to it and she got really sick. Yes she lost a lot of weight during that but ended up sick for a week which I definitely don't want to put my body through that. So ever since then i've been researching healthy ingredients that are put into dietary supplements so that I could try one and hope it has some great weight loss results for my body. Thank you for your advice

 

[Karen753]

There is no magic bullet. If you want to lose weight and build muscle, you're going to have to work at it.

Thank you, I know it's a progress and can't happen overnight.

 

[CookieLee]

Have you considered taking a probiotic while doing zero carbs for a week or two? Read up on it first because it can be a tough "detox period" with the probiotics but I think it is worth it in the end. Really, 7 days without any carbs (no sugars, no fake sugars, no fruit, no rice, no breads / no wheat, no corn, no potatoes, no root vegetables, no beans - anything that grows under the ground is out. Limit oats) can be quite startling but the cravings definitely stop.

 

[miss_cas]

I've had weight problem off/on since childhood. Had it under control in 20s but after nervous breakdown and some psych meds in 30s, the weight just piled back up. Then injured back....

I just see smaller weight issues like 30 lbs regain and regain it if they do supplements or fake foods, unless you want to take up regular workouts. One injury and weight comes back if you do aggressive training for any kind of sport, especially as you age. People who lost more weight kept it off if they are regular food.

Men always burn more calories than women because they have higher muscle mass. Women can achieve this 'calorie burning edge' if you start weight training. Two visits to a gym a week to use the weight machines will really increase calorie burn and tone you, nothing Arnold Schwarteneger for ladies unless you are taking steroids or lifting hundreds. I got really nice weight loss results from just lifting one set of 15 reps at heavy weight so I would be fatigued when I finished my workout on the weight machines, is harder to use the free weights easily but up to you. Walked 2 miles a day and lost 90 lbs in 11 months following South Beach diet a little. (Did increase the exercise as I lost weight, gave up sugar soda, mostly meat/veggies or chinese with no rice if out to eat. Added some time on elyptical trainer after weights to increase the burn.)

One little thing to know if you are a former lady athletic or lady weight lifter, you may NEVER easily lose weight again at 1200-1400 calories as your body thinks it is starving and slows metabolism a bunch. A calorie count closer to 1600-1800 will INCREASE your weight loss...STRANGE BUT TRUE. Found this to be HUGE relief so you don't have to starve or eat like a bird.

 

[Karen753]

I've never thought of doing a detox but that doesn't seem very healthy. My aunt did a detox for a month so each week she only ate one type of food but she ended up really sick at the end of that month. She lost a lot of weight but felt horrible at the end. So that's scared me away from doing anything like that.

 

[Karen753]

Tank you for replying, miss_cas. I do work out regularly which has slowly started building muscle but i struggle with not eating the proper foods or eating too much. And giving up soda has been a struggle of mine for awhile, i seem to always need some sort of caffeine to help me get through my long days at work. I agree with you, men do always burn more calories than woman and they gain muscle a lot quicker. I don't want to be a body builder or full of muscle but i just want to have a toned body and get rid of all that excess fat. I've seen great results from some diet supplements but then i read some reviews about the ingredients in them that makes me not want to try it. But i've also heard of healthier diet supplements to help build muscle and give you that extra help/push you need to get to where you want to be and even gives you the motivation to work out. The hard part is just finding a good one that will work and doesn't cost a fortune. I think if I was to try one for a month to "train" my body to eat a certain way and give me that energy to work out, i might not have to take the pills anymore and it'll just be natural to eat healthy and work out that way. That's so amazing that you lost 90lbs in 11 months, great job!!

 

[frugalwarrior2]

Doing a detox w/o a Dr. is dangerous to me. Certain meds you take need time to reach the right level (like 3 months) so I dont think flushing everything out in an unsupervised environment would be safe. HOw do you know what your doing to your potassium and sodium levels?
Lifestyle change is the only way. Not fasting ST or starving yourself,skipping meals,dieting. Just a slow progression w/ excercise hopefully w/ professional advise.
You need it personalized to you not 1 size fits all.

 

[CookieLee]

Karen, your aunt did an elimination diet, not a detox. She seems to be looking for a food allergy. I don't know why she'd be sick unless she re-introduced a food to which she is allergic or stopped a medication without doctor advice. A probiotic is the introduction of good bacteria to your digestive system - bacteria that might have been killed off through the use of antibiotics and unhealthy foods (aspartame, etc.) Many people use a probiotic after doing a "liver cleanse" which would be considered a detox but I don't think that is necessary.

Taking probiotic supplements can cause a bit of intestinal distress due to gas and bloating. Some people need to go to the bathroom more often as the good bacterial suddenly moves previously undigested foods. That effect is short lived, however, it is a great kick-off to your weight loss efforts. After a couple of weeks on a probiotic, combined with severely limiting my carbs, I found my food cravings significantly reduced. My coworkers are forever mentioning, "I'm so hungry!" while they are dieting (I work with 4 other women). I'm rarely hungry and I never feel like I'm starving.

As before, I recommend you do some of your own research. Try books like "Sugarbusters" or "Grain Brain" (I'm not a fan of Atkins). After doing a lot of reading, I woke up to how much sugar I was consuming and now that I've cut back significantly, how horrible I was feeling because of it. I can honestly say, I've gotten much more in balance with what I eat now and finally have enough energy to start a real exercise program. I've also been able to wean off two prescriptions and cut back on another. I don't weigh myself but I've gone from wearing a size 16 to size 8 pants.

 

[TDN]

I have been watching this thread and did not respond because your question is about supplements which I know nothing about. But you recently mentioned training your body to eat a certain way and give you energy I will tell you what worked for me. I started gaining weight in my 40's and packed on an extra 20 lbs. it is gone now though and I do have muscle tone for the first time ever.(not a lot but it is a start)

If you are wanting to "train" your body to eat a certain way I would recommend looking into the 21 day fix. For me it was/is just what I need. I did not order it for a long time because it looks kind of gimmicky with the containers and all but it is just a simple way to eat a balanced diet. I am not hungry when I eat this way, I am satisfied and my body is craving the healthy foods now. Also, the exercise DVDs that come with are only 30 min and for the first time in my life I do have muscle definition. They are challenging but worth it.
I did not buy the shakeology they try to sell you on after you buy it. Also, they offer you a free coach online but I wasn't into that either. I got it on eBay for just over $50, brand new.....best $50 I have ever spent! I know it is not for everyone but for me it is just what I need. Oh, just yesterday I found the official 21 day app is free on my iPad.....love that.

 

[TDN]

Cookielee......great job on the weight loss! Do you take probiotics everyday still?

 

[CookieLee]

I still take probiotics and try to switch up brands to give me the best chance of getting a broad variety of bacteria that "sticks". I also still take anti-inflammatories so re-introducing more good bacteria isn't hurting me any.

 

[Karen753]

Karen, your aunt did an elimination diet, not a detox. She seems to be looking for a food allergy. I don't know why she'd be sick unless she re-introduced a food to which she is allergic or stopped a medication without doctor advice. A probiotic is the introduction of good bacteria to your digestive system - bacteria that might have been killed off through the use of antibiotics and unhealthy foods (aspartame, etc.) Many people use a probiotic after doing a "liver cleanse" which would be considered a detox but I don't think that is necessary.

Taking probiotic supplements can cause a bit of intestinal distress due to gas and bloating. Some people need to go to the bathroom more often as the good bacterial suddenly moves previously undigested foods. That effect is short lived, however, it is a great kick-off to your weight loss efforts. After a couple of weeks on a probiotic, combined with severely limiting my carbs, I found my food cravings significantly reduced. My coworkers are forever mentioning, "I'm so hungry!" while they are dieting (I work with 4 other women). I'm rarely hungry and I never feel like I'm starving.

As before, I recommend you do some of your own research. Try books like "Sugarbusters" or "Grain Brain" (I'm not a fan of Atkins). After doing a lot of reading, I woke up to how much sugar I was consuming and now that I've cut back significantly, how horrible I was feeling because of it. I can honestly say, I've gotten much more in balance with what I eat now and finally have enough energy to start a real exercise program. I've also been able to wean off two prescriptions and cut back on another. I don't weigh myself but I've gone from wearing a size 16 to size 8 pants.

Yeah i honestly have no idea why my aunt became so sick but I assumed it was because she was hardly eating and her body wasn't getting the nutrients and protein it needed. But you're right that's why i've been researching all kinds of different things to help lose weight and build muscle. My daily morning workouts have been amazing and now i can't go a day without working out because i just feel so much better after a good workout. I have been watching what i eat a lot better now and have really cut down on caffeine and sugar which i already see a difference in how my body feels. Great job on losing so much and getting down to a size 8! That's so awesome! Keep up the great work!