[dcmom]

I have read some post about it, adnd they say be carefull. Is there a good side to this?

[MrsJim]

A good rule of thumb for all those 'fat burning' pills being marketed:

1) If these REALLY worked, it would be front-page news across the country and we would ALL be thin. Any 'fat-burning' effects that come from these pills (and trust me, they are pretty much made out of the same ingredients - no one has discovered anything new outside of the ephedrine-ephedra-ma huang/caffeine/aspirin stack to market) are minimal and temporary.

2) Basically, ephedra-based formulas are low-grade speed. If you knew of someone who was using meth or crank wouldn't you want them to stop? Well...the main ingredient in crystal meth is ephedrine (cooked down to its highest potency). And your body develops a tolerance to ephedrine/ephedra pretty quickly, where you would have to take more and more of it to get the same effects. Not good for your heart at all!

3) If you *MUST* take these products, be advised that there are lots of brands on the market - may as well shop for the cheapest priced ones. They all come from the same handful of manufacturers anyway. The prices are not indicative of quality; what you are paying for is those infomercials and websites that lure you to believe that their pill is THE SECRET of fat loss.

4) Lastly, the only way to lose weight permanently - is through diet and exercise. Most of the diet-pill/nostrum ads claim that people can lose weight without the hard work it entails. It takes hard work, planning and perseverence to lose bodyfat but trust me, the end result is worth the effort - not to mention how much better you'll feel - mentally AND physically - in succeeding! No pill can do that for you!

[dcmom]

Thank you very much for your input, I just am at a dead end at doing a diet that works. I don't get out much so the only exercise I get is a abdoer and chasing babies every day.

[QuilterInVA]

If you are serious about losing weight, drop the word "diet" from your vocabulary. We all have the mindset that we go on a diet and at some point we go off the diet.

To successful lose weight and keep it off, think of it as a lifestyle change. You must change your eating habits, and probably what you eat, for the rest of your life. Start small and keep working at it. You don't need to starve.

The first three letters of diet spell die...and that's what some people have done who have taken these pills.