Does it Work?Unsure if the latest product or service lives up to it's claims? From popular products to the latest scams, discuss it here before you buy!
I was convinced by a friend at work who heard about this juice diet on the radio. It's called the Hollywood 48 Hour Miracle Diet. The stuff costs $29.00 and it's basically a bottle of juice with vitamins. Supposedly if you mix it with water for two days you will lose a bunch of weight. People on the radio were saying they had lost between 8 and 10 pounds. Of course, I tried it (in fact twice -- thank you very much $60.00), and yes I stayed with it to the tee -- nothing, not even coffee except that dumb juice mixed with water -- I lost 4 pounds the first time, and one pound the second time, and of course by the time I finished it -- I was hungry and had a meal and gained the weight back by the next morning. This diet is a complete rip off and a waste of time and money! And my friend lost 5 pounds and gained hers back also as soon as she ate a meal. (And I mean an average regular meal)!
...ads will tell you that fasting 'cleanses your body of toxins'. That is just rubbish.
Don't think I'm putting you down though, because I would assume that 99.9% of the people on this board (including yours truly) have been taken in more than once by ads such as the Hollywood Miracle Diet.
In fact, one of the favorite ad campaigns for these types of diets (Body Solutions and NutriSystems has done this as well) is to have a radio DJ/personality praise the product over the air, making it sound as though THEY'VE used it and gotten great results. Rest assured that they are being paid well to promote the product - it's not necessarily a personal recommendation (I mean, most of the time you don't SEE these DJ's anyway).
What fasting REALLY does is screw up your metabolism but good, and can make it much more difficult to lose weight again.
Our bodies are really smart - they're programmed to stay alive at whatever cost. So, when you start doing a 400-calorie a day 'juice diet' or decide not to eat anything at all for a day or two, your bod goes "whoa! - gotta conserve our fat reserves!" and BOOM, right into starvation mode in which it hangs on to each little calorie for dear life.
Then of course, when you start eating normally again, your body then says "I'm getting food now - but just in case we starve again, I'm going to start storing away as much reserves as I can!" Thus the vicious cycle.
The best way to lose weight permanently is to take it SLOWLY. Find out your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) and use that as a basis for how many calories you should be eating (and burning off in exercise). IMO, 1000-1200 calories/day is way too low for most women - a minimum of 1400-1500 cal/day along with regular exercise would be far less painful and far more likely to become a permanent lifestyle change!
Hey thanks again for the quick reply. When I was younger I never would even think of trying any type of pill or liquid diet stuff -- but it's weird -- for the first time ever -- I keep getting heavier and heavier to the point that everything aches now -- so I guess I started getting desperate. I wish I had found this site earlier though -- just got in the mail "body solutions" which I bought because (for some reason I don't think you're going to be surprised). . . these two d.j.s on the radio said they were losing weight with it. Another $60.00 spent and I haven't even opened it yet, but it already looks like another gimmick -- It's a 15 oz bottle of liquid and you take a tablespoon before you go to bed at night -- supposedly you burn fat while you sleep -- I'm going to see if I can get my money back, but I doubt it. . Have a great day!!
Check the website - if they offered a money back guarantee, they have to honor it (esp. if you paid with a Visa or MasterCard - you can file a chargeback through your bank or Visa/MC).
Remember that the manufacturers/marketers of this stuff (and most diet stuff) are counting on you NOT to send it back - I really believe that a good percentage of the buyers of these products feel that if the product doesn't work and they don't lose weight, well it's the user's fault. No one ever blames the product or program!
I'd be willing to bet that Body Solutions has DJ's signed up in every state they are operating in. A website, a bunch of flyers and some cheap radio advertising = a lot of $$ to be made (in addition the product probably doesn't cost more than $1-$5 per unit to produce - if that).
Of course, there will be some people who genuinely feel that they lost weight because of the product - I'd say that 100% of the time it was due to staying on a low-calorie diet and exercising - taking a product like Body Solutions has a placebo effect for many.
I remember when NutriSystems began here in the Bay Area in the 80's, one of the well-known local DJ's started promoting it by saying that he was on it and losing incredible amounts of weight. However!!! He was pretty slim to begin with anyway from his promo photos. Anyway, that was the first time I heard of NutriSystem round here. Now, there aren't ANY NutriSystem stores anywhere in the area that I know of, but there IS a Jenny Craig about two blocks away...
Greetings -- just had to say "thanks" -- because of your email last night I called Body Solutions this morning. I checked their website last night and there was nothing listed about a 30 day guarantee. So this morning when I called they told me they have no guarantee, but then they told me since I didn't open the product to mail it back and they will give me a refund. I lose $8.00 (for shipping a very very small bottle) but I get about $50.00 back -- so I have no complaints whatsoever! Thanks for the advice! Also, wanted to let you know your various emails to me have been very motivating. I worked out today, made a smoothie for breakfast, and actually feel pretty good this morning. I hope you are having a great Monday 2!
You are probably one of the 2% of people who have actually returned a scammy diet product!
Folks, if you're buying something over the Net, it is such a great idea to use your Visa card rather than sending a check or using electronic checking. You have a record of the purchase and if the company refuses to reimburse you, there's a host of options including chargeback.
This also includes debit cards - if the Visa or MC logo is there, they basically work the same.
Actually, Mrs. Jim, I have a different understanding of metabolism than you, I guess. In my understanding, it takes more than a day, or even two, of very reduced calories or fasting to slow the metabolism, at least to the point that it doesn't rev right back up. Otherwise you could never get the flu, say, without slowing your metabolism. I fast (no food or water for 24 hours) once a month for religious reasons and have never noticed it affecting my metabolism. (I am quite well-tuned in to my metabolism, too, as much as you can be.) I also have done a juice (fruit and vegetable) fast a couple of times purely for health reasons, rather than weight loss, and haven't had it affect my metabolism at all.
Not trying to get into a debate over this, just wanted to comment on how fasting affects metabolism!
From my understanding there are two Hollywood diet products out there. One where they start with the juice and you take the pills then another that is just pills. All natural,no harmful ingredients. The second one that is. It is sold through Gerovita and has been recommened to me. The web address is Gevi.com and I would like to hear if anyone has had any luck with it.
Sorry that was the wrong web address in the above post. The address is www.gvi.com
The Hollywood diet sold on this site is different then the juice one with the pills sold in the purple labeled bottles. On this site it tells the two main ingredients. Hypericum perforatum and Garicini cambogia. Does anyone know about these? And has anyone tired these pills. They are not the ones in the post that starts this thread.
Hey, Rblackstripes, thanks for bringing another scam to the forefront--there are so many out there. I have seen the ads for the Hollywood Diet and they can be convincing. I'm glad you got your money back on the Body Solutions. I look at some of these diet gurus as vultures--they prey on those who are desperate to lose weight.
I read this quote of your: "I keep getting heavier and heavier to the point that everything aches now -- so I guess I started getting desperate." I thought about myself. Just know that you are not alone. Our metabolism changes every 10 years and you need less food to function. Unfortunately, I didn't realize this till I had gained 20 pounds--I was still trying to eat as I did when I was a teenager.
Juice diets and fasting
Greetings Again MrsJim
) I also have done a juice (fruit and vegetable) fast a couple of times purely for health reasons, rather than weight loss, and haven't had it affect my metabolism at all. 
