Stuck On the Last 15lbs - Thinking about OTC Weight Loss Drugs

Just to test the opinion water, I am trying to lose the last 15lbs and am really stalled. I have tried eating more calories, I have tried eating less calories, I have tried changing my routine, now I need intervention.

Thinking about hydroxycut or something like it (in conjunction with diet and exercise). I think there is a new one out there as well just approved by FDA.

Tue. Jun 5, 8:28am

From what I've heard, diet pills can totally mess with your metabolism, and many actually do little more than a placebo. I wouldn't go that route.

It took me 2 years to lose my last 15lbs, and honestly, I only ended up losing after I was sick, or something like that, but, I managed to keep it off each time. So I definitely understand your frusteration! And, I don't really have great tips for you... Sometimes your body just really wants to hang on to what it's got... Argh!!!

Tuesday, June 5, 2007, 9:40 AM

the one that was approved by the FDA is only supposed to be used by those who are very obese. As for the Hydroxycut and that stuff personally it's a waste of money for vitamins, but if you want.

Have you been charting your weight loss? 1lb a week doesn't seem like much and may make you feel you've stalled when it's just slowing. When I got to that final few lbs some weeks I would only lose tenths of lbs but it came off. Increase your exercise, longer duration, more cardio for instant calorie burn, more weights for more muscle for more long term burn.

Tuesday, June 5, 2007, 9:41 AM

Drugs mess with your system. What will you do afterwards - take the otc drug for the rest of your life? Bad bad bad decision.

Tuesday, June 5, 2007, 10:06 AM

Just throwing this out there! Have you heard of Alli? I have heard good things about it...seems pretty expensive, but I guess people are getting good results.

Tuesday, June 5, 2007, 10:15 AM

Alli, yes it's new and they're spending loads of ad dollars on trying to get people to use, yet again, another diet drug. I've heard that it makes you completely flatulent, like those wow things did years ago. Be skinny but no one can be in the same room with you!

Tuesday, June 5, 2007, 10:25 AM

Side Effects of Alli

Copied directly from the website....

Does alli have side effects?
In many cases, that’s up to you. alli works by preventing the absorption of some of the fat you eat. The fat passes out of your body, so you may have bowel changes, known as treatment effects.

You may have:

gas with oily spotting
loose stools
more frequent stools that may be hard to control

Eating a low-fat diet lowers the chance of these bowel changes, especially if you limit your fat to 15 grams per meal.

While no one wants to experience treatment effects, you may think of them as a way to become more aware of what you eat. Minimizing treatment effects can be an incentive to keep from eating too much fat.

Link

Tuesday, June 5, 2007, 11:01 AM

One thought- If you use pills to lose the last 15 pounds, what happens when you stop taking the pills? Figure your body is at a plateau right now for a reason. If you can figure out what it is that's keeping you at this point, you'll break through and you'll probably have a better chance of actually keeping the weight off.

Tuesday, June 5, 2007, 11:34 AM

10:15 poster again, Hopefully, in 5 years we wont find out that Alli causes heart attacks, cancer or liver damage. Scary to buy anything that drug companies promote!

Tuesday, June 5, 2007, 11:50 AM

OP here

The only reason why I was considering the OTC pills was because I had heard and read that it jump starts your metabolism to help get rid of the weight. I already have healthy habits (eating and exercise) so I am hard pressed to see how I might put the weight back on.
If I lose the weight and maintain a diet of 1200 - 1400 calories / day with exercise then I feel I would be able to keep it off.

I had heard about Ali on TV and was wondering about it, but some of those side effects are kind of scary.

I am also curious how dexatrim might be different from takin the nutrisystem shakes. I understand meal replacement is the key, but wouldn't it have appetite suppressing ingrediants?

Tuesday, June 5, 2007, 12:50 PM

My recommendation is to either hire a personal trainer for a few sessions to intensity and/or change up your exercise routine or go see a registered dietitian. Good luck.

Tuesday, June 5, 2007, 1:20 PM

Alli wasn't that bad. I wasn't eating a bunch of fat and didn't have any of the side effects. It only blocks the new fat (that you eat) from being absorbed, it doens't do anything with the fat you alrady have.

It was sort of scary though the first time i had a bowel movement...

Thursday, January 3, 2008, 8:31 PM

To the OP- I'm in the exact same situation. I have lost 84 pounds so far and want to lost about 20 more to get to my goal weight of 160. My weight loss has slowed so considerably that it's extremely frustrating. I'm working out intensely almost every day and eating right.

I'm not going to take pills, though. I worked in the pharmaceutical industry for a while, and just because the FDA approves something doesn't mean it is safe, as we've seen with countless drug recalls.

My plan is to keep on going. If I only lose 0.5 or 1 pound per week, that still losing!

Friday, January 4, 2008, 10:50 AM

Another thing to keep in mind, you may need to tweak your caloric target. A lot of times people hit plateaus and get through them by increasing their calories. There's piles of literature backing that up.

Friday, January 4, 2008, 3:07 PM

don't do it

over the years i have tried every diet pill, seriously. it is a huge waste of money and they don't work. they did when ephedra was still in them but they don't now.

Sunday, January 6, 2008, 7:44 PM

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