Jul 10
6
Weight Loss Diet Pills – Truths and Myths
Written Date July 5, 2010
By Jason ‘The Genie’ Mathews, Edmonton Personal Trainer
“Quick fixes don’t fix.” ~Frank King~
Being tempted by the allure of an easy way to solve your weight loss woes is human nature. Advertisements are everywhere claiming there is some sort of magic pill that will make you lose a staggering 20 pounds in 20 days backed up with proof… amazing before and after pictures! Diet pills tempt us from store shelves, infomercials, glossy magazine pages, or even from someone we know who has experimented with them… perhaps you’ve tried them yourself. But what isn’t advertised are the facts about exactly how diet pills can achieve these claims, and what the after effects are with this approach to weight loss.
Weight Loss pills can be demystified in 3 basic categories:
1. Appetite Suppressor: This system works just like it sounds. These pills works by fooling the appetite-regulating region of your brain. You will feel like you just ate a big meal when you didn’t so you’re less likely to overeat.
2. Fat Blockers: By blocking the action of an enzyme which is in charge of breaking down fat during the digestion process these pills obstruct the natural way the body deals with fat. The idea is to block a portion of the fat you’ve eaten from being stored or utilized by your body. One of the catches with this type of pill is you will probably still have to adopt a healthier diet, exercise program, and lifestyle to see results.
3. Stimulants: Increases energy and boosts metabolism. This type of weight loss diet pills contains a combination of ephedra and caffeine to raise the body’s energy spending (thermogenesis) at the same time reducing appetite. There are cases where taking these pills have been proven to be deadly so ephedra was taken off the market. Even with these issues other stimulant pills are still around with similar substances in them.
The claims “Drop 20 pounds in 20 days”, “fast, easy, weight loss results”, “burn calories and fat 24 hours a day without work”, and “obliterates fat and delivers quick easy weight loss” are just that… claims. If the diet pill industry that makes billions of dollars each year was that effective, after that many pills have been sold everyone would be walking around looking like bikini models.
Manufacturers of diet pills can showcase a few successful strangers, of course none of whom live in your town; the world is full of real people who have lost weight and improved their lives with exercise and healthy eating. Unlike diet pills, exercise and proper nutrition has other benefits aside from healthy weight loss; one can predictably expect better sleep, better heart and lungs, increased strength, increased mobility, improved coordination, better self-esteem, improved confidence, and better mood, to name just a few. A pill may increase your metabolic rate for a time or suppress your appetite, and you may lose a few pounds. Along with some temporary weight lost from pills there may be some serious side effects such as raised blood pressure, increased risk of heart attack, cramping, gas, diarrhea, constipation, headaches, dehydration, bad breath, and insomnia. The bottom line is that permanent and healthy weight loss cannot be achieved by a pill.
Weight gain doesn’t happen overnight and neither does weight loss. If it was an unhealthy lifestyle that got you to where you are, simply adopt a healthy lifestyle instead and your weight will change for the better along with many other aspects of your life. The first step in adopting a healthy lifestyle may be finding some in-person guidance from someone like a personal fitness trainer or a credible nutrition expert who can coach you down the path with a proper predictable and proven plan. With proper healthy nutrition there is no need for pills, potions, products, or gimmicks… weight loss can happen very naturally.
Add some healthy recipes to your menu by sending me an email at freehealthyrecipes@jasonmathews.com and start receiving some tasty ideas to get yourself fit right away!
Have a healthy and happy day!
By Jason ‘The Genie Mathews, Edmonton Personal Trainer
www.jasonmathews.com
