Appetite suppressants

[sp1214]

Do they work?

Are there any side effects?

What are the best types to use?

Have you used them yourself or know anybody who has?

Is it a better way of slimming than being on a diet?

[aims1202]

I dont know much about appetite suppressants, cant imagine they are that good for you though.
The best way to loose weight is to change your diet forever and do lots of exercise that you enjoy.
Eat loads of fruit and veg. wholegrain pasta, bread, rice. beans, nuts, seeds, good quality meat and fish.
cook from scratch, no processed food.
no fizzy drinks or squash, just water, milk or pure squeezed juice.
then find a way to exercise that you like, could be cycling, walking, swimming etc

[Poison-Ivy]

I have used them sp1214... they ere not illegal and were prescribed by a private clinic.
They did work and i lost about a stone whilst taking them. However, they only work all the time you take them! As soon as I stopped the weight went straight back on and a bit more!
I didn't actually suffer with any of the common side effects often associated with these but them again was only on them for about 2 months i suppose.
Don't think they are suitable for sustainable / long term dieting only sensible eating and exercise can do that. I took them because I was desperate to lose weight at the time and nothing else seemed to work.

Wouldn't recommend them - like me- you'd be wasting your money as well as risking your health in the long run

[dabees]

Eat less, exercise more. There is no better way, or OTHER way.

[Ice.Maiden]

Lol - you still on Dabees?!!
You're partly right of course, but appetite suppressants DO work in the short term. The only trouble is, that the best ones were amphetamine-based, and not only caused dependency, but heart and other problems, so were taken off the market. I understand these are still available over the internet, or possibly from private clinics, but buying in this way is dangerous, and you don't always get the product you think you're paying for.

[dabees]

I'm not partly right Ice, for once i AM right. The drug companies pry on the weaknesses of those that are considered a little over weight.

Drugs only assist those that are overweight, they make money from them. Why else would they exist?

[Ice.Maiden]

I was just answering you dabees, after you said that there's no other way to lose weight apart from diet & exercise. There is - you can get appetitte suppressantas from a doctor, or by other means. These CAN work, but basically, as I said, only in the short term. Once stopped, the person would gain weight again, and so I agree with you that the only sensible and long-term solution is to diet and exercise, or at least to cut out sugary and fatty foods. Amphetamine-based medication speeded up the metabolism & suppressed appetite, but caused many side effects.

[Scarlett]

You can totally train yourself to suppress your own appetite. I do this everytime I diet, otherwise the hunger is intolerable! I suppose it is the same principle as hypnosis. You simply have to re-train your brain that hunger = good. Normally, when our stomach complains of being hungry, the first thing we do is look for food to feed it. Of course we do- it is the way we are programmed. But often you are not really hungry. You are bored or tired or happy or even eating out of habit. So the first thing you need to do it NOT eat unless you are genuinely hungry. Just because the rest of the family are eating, doesn't mean you have to! Just join them for a drink and say you are not hungry yet.
Then when you are genuinely hungry, think about what your body wants. Is it sugar? Is it carbs? How much does it want? Try to listen to your body each time- the signals are there, they just get easily confused with other emotional signals, and thirst.
Then, eat, but STOP the moment you feel "content". Don't keep eating for the sake of it. One thing to try is to eat blindfolded (!) and stop when you are sated- it is often that we are programmed to eat everything on our plate and THEN stop.

[Scarlett]

Other things I have noticed are: your stomach always rumbles at 11am if you got up at 7.30am. The idea is not to snack, and elevenses are snacks. So I ignore that rumble, and wait for lunch. And it totally goes away! It's like my stomach is just trying it on! And if you say "No! Later!" like to a child, it gives up. It will try again later, at lunchtime! But this time it is genuine. That's why people have coffee at 11- it totally stops you from feeling hungry before lunch.
Then, be sensible about your food choices. Read the labels, cook from scratch if you can, don't eat after 7pm, have a carb-free dinner 3 times a week (like, salmon and veggies, or chicken stir-fry).
After a couple of weeks you will have got back in tune with your body's hunger signals. If, in addition to this, you programme your brain to not over-react to rumbling stomachs; if your stomach is rumbling, then it is empty and chances are it is using up your fat stores for energy- which is the only way to get rid of them! So see being hungry as a GOOD thing, at least in between meals. Eat 3 times a day, small breakfast and lunch, and a proper evening meal with veg. Avoid all deserts and sugar, as it totally throws your signals off. If you crave sugar, have fruit or honey. But honestly, your cravings will disappear!
I have been doing this since Jan 1st, and only missed "bad" food for a week. I now eat "normally". I don't eat takeaways or sweets/chocolate. I just eat 3 normal meals, and stop when I am hungry. I've lost a stone since the start of the year, and don't feel like I am on a diet at all!
Good luck! x

[Scarlett]

*sorry should say "stop when I am full"!!

[Scarlett]

Ooh, while I'm on it, you need to ensure you don't eat too fast, or all your good work will be undone. I eat slowly, chew more than normal (to make sure it is easier for my stomach to digest the food) and regularly put down my knife and fork. Sometimes I even get up and do something else (but I am on my own!) and then you truly know if you are still hungry or not. The chances are you have had enough.

[tigwig]

I am taking some tablets at the moment which I am unsure if they are illegal or not. They contain ephedrine and give you a slight buzz and are similar to taking rather weak amphetamines. They are working for me along with eating a whole lot less and exercising alot. I have being taking them for a while and they didn't do much at first because I wasn't changing my eating habits, just exercising but last week I severly cut down on the amount of food I was eating and the tablets help me do this by making me feel full when I have only eaten a child's portion of food. I have also stopped snacking in between meals and have 3 very small meals a day and drink alot of sugar free juice whilst exercising alot. I have lost so far half a stone and 6pounds of that was in 5 days. I don't think they are a very healthy way to lose weight however thay are working for me and when I reach my target weight I will cut down or hopefully stop using them. If you have the willpower to do what I have been doing without them it is better but I don't!

[Scarlett]

tigwig- it sounds like what you are doing is enough to lose weight normally, without the drugs! You will always lose 6lbs in the first few days- and then you will slow down to 1 or 2lbs a week. If you are exercising, eating less and not snacking, you should lose weight naturally. Why not stop taking the drugs? The worst that can happen is that you feel hungry sometimes. So what?! That is natural, and you just have to switch your brain onto "there is nothing wrong with hunger, it means I am using my fat stores!"

[tigwig]

I know but unfortunately I am too weak willed. I have tried and failed before several times thats why I resort to taking these pills. I wish I didn't have to take them but I feel so hungry without them I just can't do it. They do also give me extra energy when exercising and quite often if I am busy doing something because I don't feel hungry in the slightest I would forget to eat if I didn't make myself and this would never happen without them! I do have a slight break over the weekend and managed to have a takeaway last night because I wasn't on them. Like I said I will stop when I reach my target weight and will just keep up the exercise and healthy eating

[Scarlett]

Obviously do what you feel is best, but if you read the other posts on here, they all say that they regained weight once they stopped taking the drugs. And you can't take them forever. I feel it is better to get used to your body's natural signals of hunger. Otherwise, when you reach your target weight, you will be hungry and eat all the time, and regain the weight. You won't have learnt to deal with your hunger signals. Honestly, I think you are probably depriving yourself too much. You shouldn't be starving hungry on a diet! You will be initially, for the first week, but your body soon adjusts and your stomach shrinks. After a few weeks you just feel normal.

[sp1214]

Thanks for all your replies. It seems the general consensus is not to rely on artificial methods but to eat sensibly. You cannot fight your metabolsim which seems to allow unlimited supply of food while you have youth on your side. If we knew the secret of metabolism we could attack it scientifically.

[sandyg2244]

it's true, our supplies of junk food and high carbs in our diet make us more addicted to them.It becomes a vicious circle.The healthy diet, sticking to 1000 calories a day(not including fruit and veg) will help anyone lose and in the long term sustain a healthy weight.Diet pills are for people kidding themselves.Instead of addressing their carb addiction, which passes after a couple of weeks at most, they want an easy way out.As others have said on here, you will put weight back on instantly the minute you stop.It gives quick results with no pain(apart from the awful side effects that include palpitations and panic attacks).Get some willpower, its not easy I know, but if you get rid of the junk food addiction, it will only take a few weeks to get over it, and make your choices long-term, it will be long-lasting.