I was asked this question since October
– how did you lose this weight without pills?
Today when we watch
shows everyone is advertising to lose weight and keep it off, but there is
always a catch – a magic pill. Now, do not get me wrong I love Dr. Oz, and because
he recommended something I did actually look into some of the pills he
suggested like Green Coffee Beans.
Now before I changed my lifestyle, I did run to the store, rather online, and
purchased a bottle of Green Coffee Beans. I took them almost every day, and did
not see any major results, but then again I did not track my results. The pills
did not make me sick or anything, but I just did not purchase anymore AFTER the
bottle finished.
The problem most people
have with pills is, you have to make sure you have enough in stock, and if you
run out on the week you have low funds, chances are you will not purchase them
again – so where does this leave you? Back on the same road you was on in the
first place – living unhealthy. So before you decide to incorporate these
“magic pills” make sure you are doing what is best for your overall health, not
just to satisfy the number on your scale.
Pills are not the way
to lose weight. There is no such thing as magic pills with no serious health
conditions. In the past, I’ve taken pills such as Stacker 2, Green Coffee
Beans, Green Tea, , Alli, Phentermine, and Slim Quick. The only one prescribed by a doctor was
Phentermine, and I had another doctor who recommended Alli. But, regardless of
what all of these pills came with serious side effects, and when I took them, I
did not feel good about my decisions. For instance, when I took Stacker 2 I was
literally sweating all day even when I was idle and my heart was racing rapidly
all day. Taking Phentermine was an experience because it is an appetite
suppressant. I was not as hungry as I thought, but I suffered emotionally. Even
the doctor warned me about the possibility of me experiencing some emotional
side effects; he did not want me to use this long term; therefore, it was not
going to be a long term solution.
Developing a
healthy lifestyle especially for those looking to lose weight means you have to
find ways to change your outlook on life as it comes to food and exercising.
You cannot want to depend on a pill to help you because chances are, once you
go back to the regular rituals without the pills, you are going to revert back
to your original state. The only pill one needs is pills that are going to work
and make you feel better – like multivitamins. It is difficult to not want to
buy these magic diet pills because we see the awesome before and after pictures
of the models on the packages and the advertisements read you can lose 20
pounds in 20 days, but you have to think about the long term damage it will impact.
Researchers
have looked at the diet pill industry, and have concluded these pills cause
major damage on those who become dependent on diet pills. Prescription diet
pills can assist in your weight loss, but it does come with a long list of
dangerous side effects if taken long term (Dyer, 2009). So, if prescription
pills come with side effects, then imagine the dangers associated with diet
pills people purchase at the drug stores daily. In 2012, a young mother started
to take the popular drug, Hydroxycut, and after only taking it for four days
she had only slept one hour, and stabbed her daughter with scissors (Ritter, 2012). While it is not
fully proven whether the drug had link to the mother’s rage, the fact she was
“high” on this drug could lead one to understand why she was sleep-deprived. In
2009, the makers of Hydroxycut pulled the product from shelves because they
received reports that an ingredient, hydroxycitric acid
(HCA), used in their formula caused
liver damage; presently the company reported they no longer include this
ingredient (Smith, 2013).
As you seek to
enter this long term healthy living journey you have to remember you did not
gain the weight overnight, and you will not lose it overnight. It takes time to
reprogram your mind and body because we do not want to force ourselves into a
dangerous situation. Eating right and making better decisions will lead you
into the direction of healthy. Listening to people and their success on these
diet pills should not be the option you seek because just like they are not
sure of the dangers the pills have on their body, you do not know how it is
going to react to your body. Think before you do!
Resources
Dyer, A. (2009). Facts on Dangers of Diet Pill.
Retrieved from Livestrong.com:
http://www.livestrong.com/article/3175-facts-dangers-diet-pills/
Ritter, K. (2012, March
14). Danielle Yvonne Slaughter Allegedly Used Scissors To Stab, Kill Daughter
Citing 'Evil Presence' . Huff Post .
Smith, D. M. (2013,
February). Hydroxycut. Retrieved from WebMD:
http://www.webmd.com/diet/hydroxycitric-acid-hydroxycut
