Weight Loss Pills Explained

Within the pharmaceutical industry, obesity is now seen as the "trillion dollar disease". That's the estimated amount of profit a successful weight loss drug can expect to make. But are companies getting close to delivering a diet pill that really works - meaning, a pill that is both safe and effective at solving obesity? The answer, it seems, is No.

Pills To Reduce Obesity

It's true that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved a tiny number of weight loss pills like Xenical and Meridia for long term use in the treatment of obesity (BMI > 30). But evidence accumulated in clinical trials suggests that the effectiveness of these obesity drugs is less than impressive. Total annual weight reduction tends to be in the range 8-20 pounds. Furthermore, the highest weight loss tends to be achieved by patients who participate in supervised trials involving a combination of drug treatment, diet, exercise and counseling. Which makes it difficult to ascertain the precise effect of the medication itself. By comparison, less well supervised obesity drug trials tend to have a higher drop-out rate and reduced weight loss. And the longer the trial, the lower the compliance and the lower the weight loss. In short, while helpful to some patients, weight loss drugs are not yet the answer to obesity, especially when factors like cost are taken into account.

Should we be surprised? Not really. After all, even bariatric surgery is no guarantee of long term weight loss unless patients comply with the necessary post-operative dietary regimen. Indeed, some obesity experts claim that medical interventions like drugs and surgery are almost by definition doomed to failure, for the simple reason that they take control and responsibility away from patients. According to this view, it is only when patients accept full responsibility for their eating habits and lifestyle, that they have a real chance of achieving a normal weight in the long term.

Unfortunately, this view satisfies no one! It doesn't satisfy the pharmaceutical companies, who need to make money. It doesn't satisfy doctors, who need to give hope to their overweight patients, and it doesn't satisfy consumers who want instant weight loss without having to change their eating habits. In short, there is an overwhelming demand for an obesity pill, but a viable product has yet to emerge.

Pills For Cosmetic Weight Loss

Demand for diet pills is not limited to those suffering from clinical obesity. Millions of consumers with less than 40 pounds to lose take non-prescription pills to burn off body fat or increase their rate of weight loss. According to a study conducted by the University of Michigan, almost 25 percent of girl students turn to anorectic diet pills when they're trying to lose weight, including laxatives and diuretics.

These non-prescription pills are more difficult to evaluate, as they are not subject to the same high level of regulation as prescription-only drugs. Thus not all ingredients need to be tested, dosages and other labeling requirements are less stringent, and reporting of "adverse events" or health problems is not mandatory. Furthermore, few long term clinical trials are conducted on non-prescription pills, so hard evidence as to their safety and efficacy is scarce. Meantime, the huge profits to be made from these weight loss products means they can be supported by expensive advertising campaigns to increase consumer acceptance, making regulation and control even more of an uphill struggle. Indeed, the FDA has found it almost impossible to ban over-the-counter diet pills, even after reports of illness and injury.

Herbal Diet Pills For "Healthy Eating"

The past five years has seen a huge rise in sales of herbal diet pills, which are marketed as a form of "healthy eating". These herbal supplements typically include a variable combination of vitamins and other active ingredients which supposedly offer a healthier type of weight loss. Such claims are not generally supported by clinical evidence, and some suppliers are under investigation by both the FDA and FTC. Nevertheless, rising demand for these herbal weight loss pills is yet another confirmation of our huge appetite for what is essentially a non-dietary approach to weight control.

How Do Weight Loss Pills Work?

In simple terms, weight loss pills are designed either to alter body chemistry in order to reduce appetite, or to interfere with digestion in order to reduce calorie absorption. Appetite suppressants include amphetamine-like stimulants such as ephedra, or pills to increase serotonin or norepinephrine levels in the brain. Pills that interfere with the digestive system include fat-blockers (lipase inhibitors) like Xenical and chitosan, carb-blockers, and very high fiber bulking agents such as glucomannan.

Are Weight Loss Pills Safe?

Obesity drugs are generally safe when used correctly and under medical supervision. The trouble starts when users do not follow the manufacturer's instructions. Adverse health events for these pharmaceuticals include heart or blood pressure problems and strokes, as well a range of less serious complaints. The same applies to non-prescription diet pills, whose adverse health effects include high blood pressure, heart palpitations, irregular heartbeats, dizziness, blurred vision, headaches, insomnia, intestinal blockages, anxiety and depression. In extreme cases, both prescription-only and non-prescription pills can cause life-threatening conditions. Even so, safety remains a relative concept. Cigarettes, alcohol, cars and stress kill millions of people every year. By comparison with these things, diet pills cause far fewer "casualties", and if you consult your doctor before taking them, you can reduce the health risk to a minimum.

The Real Problem With Weight Loss Pills

The biggest problem about relying on drugs and supplements to lose weight is not health, it's reliability. In my 20-odd years of dealing with overweight individuals and their families, I have yet to hear of anyone who achieved and maintained any significant weight loss by using pills. But I have met a huge number of people whose weight and emotional state of mind had been significantly worsened through the use of pills. They were afraid of food, they had absolutely no confidence in their ability to make sensible food choices, and tended to rely on purging, laxatives and similar products to control their eating habits. One client - a former annual weight loss winner with one of the major dieting companies - had been fed deliberately with pills in order to achieve the weight reduction that the organization required. When she came to me for help, she had regained 70 pounds of her original weight loss. In short, relying on pills for weight control can mess up your body and your mind.

The Small Print Says It All

Advertisements and infomercials for diet pills are dominated by headlines like: "Effortless Weight Loss" or "Lose Weight While You Sleep!" and so on. But the small print often tells a different story - either that users should follow a calorie-controlled diet, or only eat at certain times of the day, or stop eating certain high-calorie foods, or some combination of all three. There may also be a reference to the need for exercise. In other words, if you want the truth about a weight loss pill, check the small print. Because, as all obesity experts and dietitians will tell you, no long term reduction in weight is possible without controlling energy intake and expenditure.

If You Must Take Pills

Whether you are a diet pill addict, or just an occasional user, here are two ways to make weight loss easier. Look for a healthy, gimmick-free diet, and follow it as carefully as you can. In the process, focus on healthy eating rather than calorie reduction. Aiming to eat healthily is much more positive than calorie control. Secondly, join an online dieting forum and get encouragement and advice from other people. Because all surveys show that losing weight is a lot easier when you have others to lean on. My own forum for instance includes a large number of former diet pill users who are now enjoying their food and losing significant amounts of weight in the process. Which proves that when it comes to weight control, people power is much more effective than popping pills.

Read more »

Top 7 Weight Loss Myths

There are many common weight loss myths that people live by when it comes to their health. It is difficult at times to separate the weight loss myths and fact from what is true. Many sound true while others are just laughable. I once read somewhere that if you drink water at night that you are going to gain weight or that if you scratch your head too often you are going to lose your hair....

Weight Loss Myth # 1
The more weight that I have to lose the more intense my exercise routine should be

Weight Loss Truth: Although having an intense workout routine is great, there are a few things you should consider: the first being that everyone is at a different level when it comes to their fitness and how much intensity they can actually handle. If you have been physically inactive for a number of years, an intense work out for you might be, walking half a mile a day. After you walk that half mile you notice that you are sweating bullets and that you are tired. However, for someone who has been physically active for many years, walking half a mile can be done without a sweat. Everyone has a different definition of what "intense" is.

If intense for you is working out for an hour a day, but due to life's busy schedule you only have time for 20 minutes a day, then those 20 minutes will go an extremely long way. It might not necessarily be classified as "intense", according to your definition, but those little cardio moments will have positive health altering effects.

Fat Loss Myth # 2
Stress and weight gain do not go hand in hand

Weight Loss Fact: This is one of those "laughable" myths. To learn more how stress is adding lbs. to your life please download my free E-Book, "Psychology of Releasing Weight"

Weight Loss Myth # 3
I can lose weight while eating whatever I want

Weight Loss Truth: Sir Isaac Newton once said " What goes up must come down." There are natural principles that govern our lives. If you throw a ball up in the air, it is going to come back down. You can sit on your couch and imagine and visualize that the ball will staying afloat in the air, but natural principles teach us that it will come down. Same goes when it comes to our weight.

This is one of the most common weight loss myths out there. It is illogical to think that your health and weight are going to be in balance if your nutrition consists mainly of twinkies, chips, and donuts. Sure you can burn it off by exercising, but most people whose diet consists of mainly junk food are probably not disciplined enough to stick to a workout routine. I do know a few people who, from the outside, look like they are in good shape, because they are not "fat, but who have high cholesterol.

Just because I feel sorry for crushing the hearts of so many twinkie lovers out there, I would say this. You can eat junk food, cookies, chips, ice cream, pizza, burgers.... All of those "soul satisfying foods", but it should be in moderation. Anything in excess is never good.

Fat Loss Myth # 4
Skipping meals is a good way to lose weight

Weight Loss Fact: There are numerous studies that show that people who skip breakfast and eat fewer times during the day tend to be a lot heavier than who have a healthy nutritional breakfast and then eat 4-6 small meals during the day. The reason to this might be the fact that they get hungrier later on in the day, and might have a tendency to over eat during other meals of the day.

Weight Loss Myth # 5
I will not lose weight while eating at night

Weight Loss Truth: You can over indulge in food during the day and not eat a single thing at night and you WILL gain weight. As is the fact that you can starve yourself during the day and eat all night long and you still will gain weight. The key here is balance. If your body is telling you that it is hungry then perhaps you should listen to it. The truth is, that over eating, while not exercising, will cause you to gain weight; no matter what time of the day that you eat. Whenever I am hungry at night, as is my habit with other meals during the day, I try to select something that is natural in nature. Something like fruits, vegetables, or I might even make myself a fruit smoothie. During those moments that I am craving ice cream or something sweet, I allow myself to get some, and DO NOT feel guilty about it. Many people who are overweight live their life in guilt and shame. I allow myself to get some, however, WITH MODERATION.

Fat Loss Myth # 6
I'm not acceptable until I lose weight

Weight Loss Fact: The person who doesn't feel acceptable because they are fat is because they are not acceptable to themselves first. The way that you think others view you is based on your view of yourself. I honestly believe that one must become emotionally fit before becoming physically fit. I have gone through these self-limiting emotions before. Once I realized that I was ALREADY ENOUGH in the eyes of God and that I had no need to prove myself to anyone or to receive external validation for my self-worth, that made all the difference for me. Once you accept yourself as who you are RIGHT NOW and realize that you are already enough in the eyes of God, you will not feel like you are not acceptable because of your weight.

Weight Loss Myth # 7
I need to cut calories to lose weight faster

Weight Loss Truth: Cutting your calories down might be a great thing, if you are drastically overeating and stuffing your face. However, if you are eating proportionally then cutting calories might have an aversive affect. If you are cutting calories and are starving your body, then that will lower your metabolism, or in other words slow it down, which may result in you actually not losing any weight at all, even if you are "cutting calories".

I can't do it, I have tried many times and have failed

Weight Loss Truth: The great Henry Ford once said "Whether you think you can, or you think you can't- you're right.'"......It is 90% mindset, and 10% actually getting off your butt and doing something about it. You fall down, you get back up.... you fall down again, you get back up again. If you have tried to lose weight in the past then it is time to keep trying. Discouragment is to losing weight as is a piece of fried chicken to a vegetarian......they DO NOT go hand in hand.

Read more »

Natural Weight Loss - 4 Diet Myths Revealed

When summer or that class reunion comes around, everyone wants to lose those extra pounds in order to look good in that strappy outfit or bikini. Unfortunately, natural weight loss is not an easy task. There are so many myths around losing weight that lead to diet fads that don't actually help you lose weight at all.

Let's take a look at four very popular diet fads and myths that really don't help in the cause of natural weight loss and which can actually make you gain weight. Let's also take a look at what really works in the weight loss process.

Weight Loss Myth #1: In order to lose the weight, you have to seriously cut out all calories in your diet plan. The real truth is that this just leaves you with terrible cravings and lowers your metabolic rate so that it is actually hard to lose the weight. You can't maintain a diet like this and will end up cheating on the diet, resulting in gains in weight that make up for whatever you lost.

Weight Loss Myth #2: You will be able to raise your metabolism if you choose to eat several small meals in a given day. It will raise your metabolism and you will lose weight faster. The truth is that natural weight loss comes from lowering somewhat the caloric content of every day but if you eat 2500 calories in a single meal in one day or spread it out throughout the day, you are still eating too many calories and you will not lose weight. The way you really burn fat is through changing your body composition. If you have a body that has a lot of lean muscle, you will sustain natural weight loss faster than if you have a lot of fat on your body. In other words, you need to work out every day in order to raise your metabolism and change the composition of your body to include excess muscle mass, which burns fat faster.

Weight Loss Myth #3: Fat is bad for you so that you should stick to a fat-free diet. This is a gross overstatement. While fat free foods are still popular at the grocery store, you need to realize that there is such a thing as good fat and your body cannot survive without healthy fat. You need to have a diet high in naturally fat free foods like fruits or vegetables but also consider including in your diet a balance of the fats found in fish and nuts. Avoid trans fats, which are solid at room temperature and make your food-eating focus more on eating healthy rather than on cutting out fat.

Weight Loss Myth #4: Milk and dairy products help a person lose weight. This is a marketing ploy set up by the dairy industry and is completely untrue. Milk has many impurities and is full of unhealthy fats. The calcium in the dairy products might help with natural weight loss, it can also be found in soy milk or in leafy green vegetables.

Read more »

Fast Weight Loss

Obesity is a growing concern for many people. This is why a lot of people try to find the most effective and fast weight loss methods to avoid the health risks that go with this condition. However, fast weight loss does not necessarily mean that you will lose weight overnight. This process happens gradually. But if you consider fast weight loss as losing about ½ to 1 pound a week, then you can rely on three effective strategies to achieve this.

Fast Weight Loss Strategies

One effective strategy is a fast weight loss diet. Although there are lots of diet plans that are being advertised on the Internet that promise quick weight loss, it is still best to talk to your doctor regarding this. Your personal physician can provide you with the facts on weight loss and help you decide which weight loss supplement may be right for your personal situation. If possible, you should also eat foods in moderation and be more aware of your serving sizes.

Aside from diet, weight loss pills and supplements can also be effective. However, with the increasing supplement scams in the market these days, it can be very risky to try these products since a few of these are proven ineffective. This is why it is important that you consult your physician before you take any weight loss pills or supplements.

The last strategy for weight loss is increased exercise. Exercise is considered the most important component of overall health and fitness. This is one weight loss method that has never been banned, never been investigated, and never been included in a "weight loss scam" report. This is safe, effective, and brings many benefits to the body aside from weight loss. Though exercise may not actually give you fast results, it is a sure and proven method of weight loss.

Read more »

9 Steps To A Healthy Weight Loss Program

So who cares about healthy weight loss? Well, if the information below means anything there is a large portion of society which should care.
Over 65% of adults 20 years or older can be classified as obese. Additionally, 17% of adolescents of ages 12-19 years are overweight and 19% of children age 6-11 years. Obesity is and will continue to be a serious problem in the future. In fact, it is predicted that obesity will reach epidemic levels by the year 2020.
While everyone understands that being overweight, or obese, is "not good for you", many people do not understand the risks they and their loved ones face if they fall into this category.
Obese or overweight people are at increased risk for some or all of the following conditions:
1. Various forms of heart disease
2. Strokes
3. Diabetes
4. Cancer
5. Arthritis
6. Respiratory problems
7. Psychological disorders
6. High blood pressure or hypertension
It is estimated that 300,000 deaths in the U. S. each year are associated with obesity, and the economic cost of obesity in the United States was about $117 billion in 2000. Economic costs include the out-of-pocket expenditures of the individuals involved, the costs of the institutions and organizations which help provide services, and the costs born by every member of society whether they are in this group or not.
A healthy weight loss program could do much to help individuals avoid the personal and financial risks associated with being overweight while helping them achieve longer, happier, more productive lives more years of healthy enjoyment once they leave the work place behind them.
Unfortunately these days, one is more likely to hear of a "fast" weight loss program than a healthy weight loss program, and it is next to impossible to include both terms in the same sentence. The fast weight loss programs which are so prevalent are short term, temporary "fixes" when they fix anything at all. These programs, which commonly involve drinks, supplements, pills, or exotic exercise equipment, simply do not work, at least not for permanent, healthy weight loss.
Worse, many of these fast weight loss programs may actually contribute to further weight gain, decreased enjoyment of life, diminished health, and, in extreme cases, even death.
Fortunately, there are healthy weight loss programs, plans, systems, and options which can provide, or contribute not only to healthy weight loss, but a lifetime of healthy weight management.
While a full program would take a book to explain all the possible actions you can take for healthy weight loss, here are a few tips that can help anyone get started on a lifelong program for health and fitness.
Here are some tips on how you can lose those unwanted pounds the healthy way:
1. Start moving. One of the most effective weight loss strategies around is exercise. Sadly, many people have no idea how much or which exercise they should do. Many do not even realize that simple, enjoyable activities such as gardening, swimming, or playing tag with the kids can be part of an exercise program. Exercise is such a diverse topic that anyone serious about losing weight should do a little research on the types of activities that may possibly be a part of their weight loss program.
2. Eat smart. There is a lot you can do to improve what and how you eat, but some of it takes training and knowledge most people do not have. It also involves all sorts of convoluted decision making, sometimes based on charts and lists, good carbs, bad carbs, high glycemic index foods and low glycemic index foods. If you are able to learn all that great, but just use come common sense in the meantime. Eat lots of veggies and fruits, have some protein, but not a ton, and stay away from stuff with sugar. Teach yourself to use artificial sweeteners instead of sugar, and start looking at labels.
3. Eat small. Eat small, healthy meals and snacks several times a day. One failure mechanism built in to a diet is the denial of food. It is not just the denial of pleasure of food and eating, but your body also reacts one way when food is denied, and another when it is regularly supplied daily with small healthy meals and snacks.
4. Team up. Get together with a friend who has much the same goals as you. Take a walk with them every day. Meet them for lunch. They won't make faces when you order something for your health rather than for the fun of it. In fact, why not get a group together? That way, if one person is not available, maybe someone else will be. Plus the social interaction is good for you. People who "go on diets" tend to start avoiding people, and that often is at least a part of the reason they fall off the diet wagon.
5. Think health. Don't try to lose weight. Instead, try to get healthy. First of all, a positive goal is easier to work towards than a negative one. Second, doing things to make yourself healthy is easier to sell to yourself and to others than "trying to lose weight". Also, there will be setbacks along the way. These are normal. If you fail to lose weight as fast as you think you ought to, or if you gain weight, in your mind you will have "failed". If however you eat a second piece of pie, you have slowed down on your path to health, but you can get back on track within minutes simply by going for a walk or remembering to use sweetener in your drink rather than sugar.
6. Get rest. When your body is tired, certain chemical changes take place and substances are released that contribute to weight gain or slow weight loss. It is easier to get involved in activity when you are rested.
7. Have fun. Two of the reasons you want to lose weight is so that you can feel good, and feel good about yourself. You want to enjoy life. It works both ways. If you lose weight and feel healthy, you will want to enjoy life, and you will feel good about yourself. If you go out of your way to enjoy life, you will probably be more active, and this, combined with other beneficial effects related to weight gain and weight loss will help your healthy weight loss program.
8. Drink water. Many times we interpret the body's signals as hunger when they are actually thirst. Often, a glass of water will satisfy what we believe are hunger pangs. Keeping the body properly hydrated helps it process toxins and perform a myriad of functions more efficiently.
9. Don't quit. When you are on a healthy weight loss program, your weight loss will be slow. Many people are disheartened when they think of only losing one or two pounds a week on average. However, that would be a weight loss of 52 to 104 pounds in a year and 104 to 208 pounds in two years! To put that in proportion, I had a friend who had a gastric bypass. She was told that even with surgery, she would probably only lose about 75 pounds in her first year, and the weight loss would slow down in the second year! Many people could accomplish similar results just by building up to a daily 20 to 30 minute walk and by cutting a few empty calories out of their diet.
By the way, if you have not been exercising and begin exercising as part of a healthy weight loss program, it is highly likely that you will actually GAIN weight at first. Don't let this dishearten you. It is entirely normal and can actually be considered part of the body's preparation to lose weight and live a healthier life!
Be happy with your results. If you are living in a healthy manner, you will lose weight. Certainly, how much weight you lose will depend on a lot of factors, and, if you are walking 20 minutes a day and haven't lost what you would like to lose, you can walk 30 minutes a day, or 15 minutes twice a day. Adapt and move on. However, do not expect to be the man or woman you were in high school or college. You might never fit into your old prom dress or army uniform again. I don't, and I exercise regularly and try to eat right. I feel great and am in excellent health, but my old army uniform is just a memory hanging in my closet now.
Go on. Have some fun. Do what you can. Reward yourself for your gains and forgive yourself for non-gains. I refuse to call them failures. There is no failure until you give up completely.

Read more »

The Ultimate Weight Loss Product Guide

Are you one of the many who may be tempted by advertisements for diet pills and other weight loss products promising easy, quick ways to lose weight? Were you aware that a simple 30 minute infomercial can cost anywhere from $80,000 to 120,000 dollars to make. Pretty crazy don't you think? Yet time and time again you see countless weight loss infomercials selling product after product.

Fad Diets and many diet pills are pitched by persistent advertising and many people, possibly even you will join the parade of followers. Yet 95% of the time, these weight loss products will prove to fail you once again -- leaving you with nothing but charges to your credit card and set-up to regain all those pounds. So why are people constantly and willingly paying their hard earned money for these weight loss products?

"Stop Throwing Your Hopes Into Every Weight Loss Product That Comes By"

We want you to stop being their guinea pigs and understand and realize just how many of these diet pills and other weight loss companies are cashing in at your expense. To help you avoid getting "trapped or suckered" into believing or choosing a weight loss product or service that does nothing but contribute and add to the problems.

Stop Getting Taken! The following factors are exactly what many weight loss products and services use and exploit in order to get you to buy into their utterly false claims...

Factor 1 -- HOPE
Hope is a good thing, you need hope. But the problem is that many times you have such high hopes that you put those hopes into anything, regardless if its legit or not. By putting your hopes of weight loss into products and services that are not providing the necessary means you need, your ultimately setting yourself up for failure and your hopes will get crushed. Have hope, just make sure you put your hope into the right service and don't let your strong sense of hope blind you into not seeing the red-flags and other lies.

Bottom Line -- Don't let your strong sense of hope make you believe things that are not true!

Factor 2 -- Emotion
Lets face it, your weight and appearance can be a touchy, emotional subject. And it should be, its your life! But how many times have you seen a weight loss infomercial where someone breaks down into tears while talking about how miserable they were when overweight and how deeply happy and relieved they are now ... and how they owe it all to that particular weight loss product or "revolutionary system." The product is doing this intentionally!

Weight loss products know you're emotional about how you look ... they also know that when your emotional, it causes you to act on impulse. They have a better chance to "hook- you" when you're emotional and "touched." Products try to stir up your emotion in an effort to get you to act impulsively and buy into their claims. You should be emotional about your health and the way you look, but don't let them use your emotion against you. Don't let your emotion blind you into not seeing the red-flags and real reason that they're really there -- to get the "2 easy payments of $39.99" out of you!

Factor 3 -- Marketing Savvy & Media
Just because you're constantly seeing weight loss ads and commercials for diet pills and the new "xxx diet" does not mean it works and is credible. Just because you see a celebrity hosting the weight loss infomercial or program (who has been generously paid off ... do you really think a movie star is going to do an infomercial for free?) does not mean it's effective. What it does mean is that they have thousands, if not millions of dollars to pay for advertising and marketing so they can get their product in front of you, be it radio, television, internet etc. so they can constantly "pitch you."

How affective is marketing? Recently, a diet pill company was making the bogus claim "take our weight loss pill and you can eat what you want and burn fat as you sleep" and made $152 million in profit over 3 short years by doing radio commercials at over 600 stations across the country! That is until the Government stepped in and cracked down! And all the restaurants that are adding the "new xxx diet approved" menus, all they're doing is trying to make money too! Restaurants know that people are willingly paying, so why wouldn't they add low carb diet dishes (even though the number of calories in these dishes are alarmingly high and will cause you to pack on pounds!)

Realize, that just because you see a weight loss product time and time again on the television or radio does not mean it will be effective in losing permanent weight. All these weight loss companies are trying to do is get their product in front of you over and over so it will be there when you're ready to buy. Many people make the mistake of assuming a product is credible simply because it's constantly on television.

Factor 4 - Repetition
Diet pills and other weight loss products figure they more they can get in front of you, the more likely you're going to buy it when that time comes. Lets face it, if you were interested in building a deck, when that time comes don't you think your going to choose the "smith deck company" that you saw time and time again on TV. Most people will simply use the one that's most convenient and right there. Many times people just pick the first product or service that comes to their head and have high hopes that everything will just work out. Unfortunately, many times it's no different with weight loss products.

This is exactly why you see the same infomercial every day, every hour of the day for like 1 month straight ... and then all of a sudden it's gone. They get in, make their money on desperate people looking to lose weight, and then they get out! And if you see it again in like 3-4 months down the road, this means they made a lot of money on it previously and are back to make more. They wouldn't be there if they weren't making money - period!

The product is trying to pound it into you head and keep coming at you because they know, the more you see it, the more likely you will be to buy it. Don't get suckered! Just because they are always there, does not mean it will help you.

Factor 5 - Pressure
This is a big one. The bottom line -- when people are pressured they act impulsively. Often times you put way to much pressure on yourself. In today's society so much emphasis is placed on health and appearance. People feel pressured to look a certain way and this is certainly the case with being overweight as people will do anything to lose weight. Weight loss products go out of their way to put additional pressure on you, knowing that it will cause you to act and buy. Many of the weight loss infomercials are very good at the art of getting you to believe that ... "finally this is it, the only product that's going to change your life!" The truth is that all they're doing is adding additional pressure.

Bottom Line -- Don't let the pressure you feel to lose weight allow you to buy into and believe false claims. A sense of urgency to lose weight is good, but don't feel so pressured that it causes you to act impulsively and spend your hard - earned money on the first thing you come across that sounds good. When you feel pressured, it will allow you to start believing and putting your hopes into things that are not true because you feel like "I need to do something about my weight and I need to do it now!" Weight loss products know this and that is what they are wanting you to do. Don't allow it and don't allow yourself to be one of their guinea pigs! It will just cost you in the end!

General Rules To Keep In Mind When
Dealing With Weight Loss Products

Be Realistic -- If there was a way to "lose 30 pounds in 30 days and keep it off" or "eat what you want and still lose weight" don't you think that we would all look like supermodels?

Use Common Sense -- If there were magic diet pills or easy way to lose weight and keep it off, don't you think the top movie stars and celebrities who make millions and millions of dollars would have it.

Allow Yourself To Believe Both Sides -- If you're going to make the mistake of believing the lies and fabrications many weight loss products are telling you, at least allow yourself to believe that they may indeed be "lying and deceiving you" as well. It's only fair that you allow yourself to look at both sides as this will help you to form a better judgment.

Read more »

Using Weight Loss Supplements To Reach Your Weight Loss Goals

Supplement is a word defined by Webster as such: Something added to complete a thing or to make up for a deficiency. Even so; some weight loss supplement companies market their products as magic pills and some consumers think of them as such.

I believe weight loss supplements can be beneficial if we learn to look past the hype and use them in addition to improved eating habits as well as increased physical activity.

Know what you want out of your weight loss supplement:

Are you looking for decreased appetite, carb blocking ability or increased metabolism? What is the manufacturer promising? What are the active ingredients and what studies and dosages were done on them?

Look for reviews and testimonials:

This is something I almost did not want to mention because reviews and testimonials can be very conflicting. Reading weight loss supplement reviews and testimonials is going to require you to think for yourself and determine if the review or testimonial makes a valid point or not. I recently read a review for a weight loss product that said something to this effect: "I did not like this product; I continued to eat the way I always do and actually gained weight on this product." My interpretation of this is that the person probably did not carefully monitor what they were eating. They were gaining weight before "eating what they normally eat" and were expecting this pill to magically cause them to lose weight. On the other hand, a weight loss testimonial that says "I eat anything I want and am still losing weight!" is equally suspicious to me. Weight loss product testimonials and reviews can be helpful in your decision if you weed through the hype and incomplete information. Look for clues such as: Did this product decrease the customers' appetite? Did the customer experience more energy? Was the reviewer jittery?

Is it too good to be true?

We have a tendency to believe what we want to believe. But when it comes to weight loss supplements we have to be honest with our self. Are the claims exaggerated? Is the company telling us we do not need to change our lifestyle? Does it appear the company wants us to lead a healthy lifestyle or does the company want to sell millions of pills? Remember weight loss supplements are going to help you reach your goals, not carry you to the completion of your weight loss goals.

Best seller does not always mean the best product.

I was a distributor for a branch of a very reputable supplement company and attended a convention they sponsored. The speaker was talking about making claims when trying to sell product and how they did not want us making any claims that have not been backed by science. Someone asked the question about other companies and why they could make outlandish weight loss claims and experience such great sales while we could only state scientific fact. The speaker acknowledge the fact that these companies would sell millions of dollars worth of product but they would not earn repeat customers and more than likely would not even exist in the long run. Ask yourself if the product you are interested in is a best seller because of hype or because the company is reputable and has a quality weight loss product.

Has the company been around for a while?

While the fact that a company is new does not mean it is low quality, a company that has been around for years usually has happy customers.

Read the directions and warnings very carefully.

I knew a lady that was taking a Chitosan product and getting sick. She asked me about it and I quickly asked her if she was allergic to shellfish-She was. Fortunately for her it was only a mild allergen and she did not suffer seriously. It was clearly stated on the label; "Do not take if you are allergic to shellfish." Also don't have the mentality that if one pill is good then two must be better. Natural weight loss products can be very powerful and should be treated with respect.

Take a break from time to time.

Occasionally take a break from your weight loss supplement regimen especially if you are using a weight loss product that contains a stimulant such as caffeine or other powerful herbs. I even do this with my multi-vitamin. I just believe it is a good idea to give your body a break from time to time.

Conclusion:

I believe weight loss supplements can help you reach your weight loss goals, I also believe you can reach your weight loss goals without weight loss supplements, however I have always been the type of person that wanted every edge I can get. So if you are like me, and you decide to use weight loss supplements, think of your weight loss goal as a three legged table. One leg represents healthy eating, one leg represents activity, and the other leg represents your weight loss supplementation. Remove any one leg and the table will fall. Rely on only one leg and you will not reach your weight loss goal. Shop carefully, have realistic expectations, follow safety guidelines and reach your weight loss goal!

I wish for you the best of health!

Bill Herren

Bill Herren is the webmaster for weightloss-articles.com Everything weight loss related! Weight loss success stories, product reviews, exercise articles, weight loss recipes, and diet articles. All Free and all designed to help you lose weight!

Read more »

Top 15 Weight Loss Myths

There are many common weight loss myths that people live by when it comes to their health. It is difficult at times to separate the weight loss myths and fact from what is true. Many sound true while others are just laughable. I once read somewhere that if you drink water at night that you are going to gain weight or that if you scratch your head too often you are going to lose your hair....

Weight Loss Myth # 1 
The more weight that I have to lose the more intense my exercise routine should be

Weight Loss Truth: Although having an intense workout routine is great, there are a few things you should consider: the first being that everyone is at a different level when it comes to their fitness and how much intensity they can actually handle. If you have been physically inactive for a number of years, an intense work out for you might be, walking half a mile a day. After you walk that half mile you notice that you are sweating bullets and that you are tired. However, for someone who has been physically active for many years, walking half a mile can be done without a sweat. Everyone has a different definition of what "intense" is.

If intense for you is working out for an hour a day, but due to life's busy schedule you only have time for 20 minutes a day, then those 20 minutes will go an extremely long way. It might not necessarily be classified as "intense", according to your definition, but those little cardio moments will have positive health altering effects.

Fat Loss Myth # 2 
Stress and weight gain do not go hand in hand 

Weight Loss Fact: This is one of those "laughable" myths. To learn more how stress is adding lbs. to your life please download my free E-Book, "Psychology of Releasing Weight"

Weight Loss Myth # 3 
I can lose weight while eating whatever I want

Weight Loss Truth: Sir Isaac Newton once said " What goes up must come down." There are natural principles that govern our lives. If you throw a ball up in the air, it is going to come back down. You can sit on your couch and imagine and visualize that the ball will staying afloat in the air, but natural principles teach us that it will come down. Same goes when it comes to our weight.

This is one of the most common weight loss myths out there. It is illogical to think that your health and weight are going to be in balance if your nutrition consists mainly of twinkies, chips, and donuts. Sure you can burn it off by exercising, but most people whose diet consists of mainly junk food are probably not disciplined enough to stick to a workout routine. I do know a few people who, from the outside, look like they are in good shape, because they are not "fat, but who have high cholesterol.

Just because I feel sorry for crushing the hearts of so many twinkie lovers out there, I would say this. You can eat junk food, cookies, chips, ice cream, pizza, burgers.... All of those "soul satisfying foods", but it should be in moderation. Anything in excess is never good.

Fat Loss Myth # 4 
Skipping meals is a good way to lose weight

Weight Loss Fact: There are numerous studies that show that people who skip breakfast and eat fewer times during the day tend to be a lot heavier than who have a healthy nutritional breakfast and then eat 4-6 small meals during the day. The reason to this might be the fact that they get hungrier later on in the day, and might have a tendency to over eat during other meals of the day.

Weight Loss Myth # 5 
I will not lose weight while eating at night

Weight Loss Truth: You can over indulge in food during the day and not eat a single thing at night and you WILL gain weight. As is the fact that you can starve yourself during the day and eat all night long and you still will gain weight. The key here is balance. If your body is telling you that it is hungry then perhaps you should listen to it. The truth is, that over eating, while not exercising, will cause you to gain weight; no matter what time of the day that you eat. Whenever I am hungry at night, as is my habit with other meals during the day, I try to select something that is natural in nature. Something like fruits, vegetables, or I might even make myself a fruit smoothie. During those moments that I am craving ice cream or something sweet, I allow myself to get some, and DO NOT feel guilty about it. Many people who are overweight live their life in guilt and shame. I allow myself to get some, however, WITH MODERATION.

Fat Loss Myth # 6 
I'm not acceptable until I lose weight

Weight Loss Fact: The person who doesn't feel acceptable because they are fat is because they are not acceptable to themselves first. The way that you think others view you is based on your view of yourself. I honestly believe that one must become emotionally fit before becoming physically fit. I have gone through these self-limiting emotions before. Once I realized that I was ALREADY ENOUGH in the eyes of God and that I had no need to prove myself to anyone or to receive external validation for my self-worth, that made all the difference for me. Once you accept yourself as who you are RIGHT NOW and realize that you are already enough in the eyes of God, you will not feel like you are not acceptable because of your weight.

Weight Loss Myth # 7 
I need to cut calories to lose weight faster

Weight Loss Truth: Cutting your calories down might be a great thing, if you are drastically overeating and stuffing your face. However, if you are eating proportionally then cutting calories might have an aversive affect. If you are cutting calories and are starving your body, then that will lower your metabolism, or in other words slow it down, which may result in you actually not losing any weight at all, even if you are "cutting calories"

Fat Loss Myth # 8 
Skipping meals will help me lose weight

Weight Loss Fact: Skipping meals may actually cause you to gain weight! You will become too hungry and will eventually have to eat. This will knock your metabolism off track and will eventually slow it down. Think of a car running low on gas (food), if you do not fill it up, it will eventually stop working. Same goes for our body, we need to keep it fueled constantly.

Weight Loss Myth # 9 
I think I have genetic weight gain, it runs in my family!

Weight Loss Truth: Can someone say E-X-C-U-S-E-S? I will not deny that there might be tendencies for heavy parents to raise heavy children who will remain heavy their whole lives, but I don't believe that there is actually a "fat" gene or DNA out there. What we do inherit from our family, primarily those who directly raised us, are our views and beliefs. Your views about food, money, religion, politics, education, etc. are based upon how you were raised. If you were raised in a home where the primary meals cooked where fried foods, then you might have a tendency to continue cooking and eating fried foods throughout your life. If that is the case then you might be a little heavy around the waist. The easy thing to do is to blame it on those who were in charge of your upbringing, however, you ALWAYS have a choice to change.

Fat Loss Myth # 10 
Eating healthy is too hard

Weight Loss Fact: Eating healthy is the simplest thing in the world.....once you have trained yourself to do it. How many times have you placed a goal to lose weight or to "eat better"? The first few days you are doing great, eating all kinds of foods which you normally wouldn't eat. Then something funny started to happen, you went back to your old habits and behaviors. This has happened to you in other areas outside of your health. It could be with making money, looking for a new job, or in your relationships. Creating a new habit takes time because our brain's do not like change. Change to the brain is dangerous. Anyways, if you would like to learn more about how our brain attempts to sabotage us from creating new habits then please download my free E-book, "Psychology of Releasing Weight"

Weight Loss Myth # 11 
You have to give up your favorite foods to lose weight

Weight Loss Truth: What would a world without chocolate and without pepperoni pizza be like??? I think it would be a torturous world to live in!! lol, now on a real note I completely disagree with this myth. You are definitely able to eat your favorite foods. Depriving yourself of this kind of pleasure is not fun, and quite frankly you probably WILL eat it anyways. As has been mentioned before, the real key is moderation. If you are a steak lover, then perhaps it might not be the best things to eat it every single day, but perhaps once or twice a week. Those who know me personally know that I LOOOOOOOOVE chicken wings with pizza. In a perfect world where I wouldn't gain any weight and my arteries were clog-less, I would love to eat it several times per week, well more like every day. However, I know that those aren't the healthiest of food choices so I have it about 2-3 times per month. I am not giving up my favorite foods, I am just eating it in moderation so that it doesn't catch up to me in the form of excess weight.

Fat Loss Myth # 12 
Overeating is caused by hunger

Weight Loss Fact: Nice try there. If only we could blame "hunger" for it. In fact, this person we call hunger has nothing to do with you OVEREATING. It might have something to do your body telling you that it is time to "fuel up" and that it needs food, but that is not an indication that one should overeat. What causes many people to overeat are different reasons. One of the main ones is feeling of stress, depression, loneliness, anxiety, fear, and other down grading emotions of that nature. Many times food can be a means of satisfying your needs. You might be actually getting your needs met through your foods. For example, if you live a lonely life, and aren't very happy, then food could perhaps be a means of you feeling happy and comforted. There are other articles that I have written on this subject but suffice it to say that overeating is NOT cause by being hungry.

Weight Loss Myth # 13 
Only drastic diets work

Weight Loss Truth: There goes that word again...DIEt....those "drastic diets" are only good for quick weight loss and rapid weight gain once you get of it. These drastic diets range from the "cookie diet", lol.... All that way to "the water only diet"..... I am sure you can lose weight while on these DIEts, however the weight will be gained right back and usually with some added weight as a bonus

Fat Loss Myth # 14 
I am too fat and too far down the road to begin

Weight Loss Fact: A long journey begins one step at a time. It is natural to expect instantaneous results and to even fear the road ahead of you; especially if you are extremely overweight. The secret here is to make SMALL incremental changes. Don't expect perfection because that will lead you to disappointment. You are never too far down the road to where you cannot see the sun's light......

Weight Loss Myth # 15 
I can't do it, I have tried many times and have failed

Weight Loss Truth: The great Henry Ford once said "Whether you think you can, or you think you can't- you're right.'"......It is 90% mindset, and 10% actually getting off your butt and doing something about it. You fall down, you get back up.... you fall down again, you get back up again. If you have tried to lose weight in the past then it is time to keep trying. Discouragment is to losing weight as is a piece of fried chicken to a vegetarian......they DO NOT go hand in hand.

Read more »