I had someone ask why I don’t just take a pill to boost my metabolism. What’s wrong with someone on Atkins doing this? I didn’t know what to say as I am still new to the diet myself.

Diet pills are very dangerous, what they claim is safe today could easily harm us tommorrow.

It all depends on what kind of pills they were referring to. There are prescription pills and other types of diet pills that contain ephedra...at the end of the day the only healthy way to boost your metabolism is to get up and move!!! (something I wish I could do more of!!!!)

I remember reading someplace that diet pills could actually hinder weight loss, rather than improve it if you are LC-ing.

I'll try to find where I read that.

I'm so sick of seeing the Trim Spa commercials every station I watch. All because Anna Nicole has lost all this weight and its all because of Trim Spa. Who knows, she might have had liposuction, etc and I'm sure she had a personal trainer/nutrition chef to help her out a lil too....we have no idea the 100% truth as to how she lost all that weight. I know the stuff is ephedra-free, but like yall said, who knows what kind of long term, un-documented stuff could come out of this. I was in Wal Mart today and saw a HUGE stand for Trim Spa, they looked like they were rolling off the shelves...

I tried Trimspa... it didn't work. I just felt really jumpy and (oddly enough) more hungry than before I was on it. Plus, it's expensive. Needless to say, I didn't use it for long.

I take green tea extract. it is supposed to help the metabolism and is a main ingredient in many diet pills. I don't know if it's been studied extensively much, but i doubt it's harmful (I hope at least) It doesn't cause any side effects for me. At GNC it's about $8 for a large bottle.

I tried Xenadrine ephedra free and it didn't work at all whatsoever. I know a few people who said the same. Seriously, diet pills don't work and they are not good for you, even if they claim they won't hurt you there is usually something in there that might be harmful later. Doing low carb and exercise works best. I take a multivitamin and flaxseed oil. My mom is taking Atkins Dieter's Advantage as a supplement and she said she likes it.

Probably because most diet pills are a waste of money and don't work. Those that work often have sever side effects and the weight comes back if you stop the pills and appatite come back.

Just tell them you would rather be healthy and that includes a healthy weight instead of becoming a druggie. I know Americans want a quick fix, but there really isn't a pill to solve every problem.

LadyBelle, I was thinking the same thing. The only thing most of those diet pills make lighter is your wallet.
We are definitely a "pharmaceutical nation" with a large portion of the population believing that if there isn't a pill for whatever ails you, there should be. I worked in a doctor's office for a few years and some people got downright angry if the doctor didn't see fit to write them a prescription whether they needed one or not; they felt that if the doctor wasn't going to "give them a pill" for what was wrong with them, then he wasn't "treating" them. Sad....and scary. There is also a prevailing attitude of wanting whatever it is you are after right now without having to work for it; ie "why change my eating habits and excercise when I can just take a pill?".
*sigh*...sometimes the old-fashioned way IS better.

Thanks for the information. Now I know a little better how to answer that question.

............that you love the healthy nutral way.....only........

A couple of years ago I needed to loose ~15 lbs, so I took Natural Trim because some of my friends had lost a lot on them. I lost 25+ very quickly, in less than a month and keept it off for a few months WHILE I was on the pills. As soon as I ran out, I felt exhausted and ravenously hungry. I gained it all back rather quickly and kept gaining.

For two years, I tried to loose and couldn't, didn't have the energy to work out, etc. Found out I had low thyroid and now have to take meds. everyday for the rest of my life. I can't prove it, but I really believe the diet pills effected my thyroid. Granted they had ephedra in them, but thats why they worked. It definitely wasn't worth it in the long run. Anything that makes you loose too quickly with little effort is messing with your body chemistry and your body will try to compensate.

I have recently tried the Atkins Accel and lost 2 pounds in 2 days after a long stall. I don't think I'll use them everyday though. Just when I get to a plateau.

Any kind of diet 'pill' just reinforces the mentality that weight loss is quick, lose 50lbs in 10 minutes! It's doubtful Anna Nicole Smith lost any weight on those pills, she most likely lost it through a combination of diet & exercise, but the pill companies want the not-so-smart consumer to THINK it's because of some miracle pill. Diet pills have been out for a long time, and if one of them actually worked, we'd ALL be taking them. One cannot honestly think that you can eat all you want and take a pill and lose weight, most likely, its' the same people who think that all you lose on Atkins is 'water weight'...............

It's time we stopped living in a fantasy world, and I think that this WOE and WOL is not a fantasy, but something that works for a lot of people.

Does low-fat, low-cal work? Perhaps for some, perhaps if you don't have a lot to lose and are metabolically predisposed to lose weight that way, but for most, you're starving, shaky, and weight loss is so slow and comes back on so quick, most don't bother for the long-term.

What does work in the long term? Exercise, eating right, eliminating the junk, overprocessed, no nutrition crap food that line our grocer shelves. Also moderation, you can indeed have some ice cream once in a while, a quart every other day and taking a pill will not cause anyone to lose any weight in the long run, and isn't long run health and weight loss what we all want?

Do what works...............

LL