Diet Pill Mania

When a persons thoughts torn to losing weight, the first place they turn is to a nutrition store to choose a diet pill.  While the use of a diet pill has its place in an overall weight loss plan, it should not be the first thing on the list.  The first thing to focus on is what you are eating.  Remember that the formula is to eat fewer calories than you burn.  This creates a calorie deficit resulting in weight loss.  The second thing to focus on is exercise.  As tough as it is to get started, it is critical to improve your cardiovascular health as well as build a little strength and muscle.  Muscle is the only thing that can burn fat.  By focusing on these things, you have ultimately decided on what type of diet pill to use

 

There are really only three categories of diet pills that are on the market today.  There are appetite suppressants, metabolism increasers, and fat binders.

 

Appetite Suppressants:

 

This class of diet pill is typically used when someone just doesn’t feel full after eating.  The switch for turning off hunger is not working properly and needs a boost.  These are typically taken one half hour before meals on an empty stomach with 8 to 12 ounces of water.  This does two things.  First it gives your brain time to let the supplement work.  It usually takes 30 minutes to feel hungry after eating to feel full.  Second, the water hydrates you and curbs your thirst, which is sometimes mistaken for hunger pangs. 

 

One watch out with this type of diet pill is that many contain caffeine.  If you take it too late in the day, it may cause insomnia. 

 

Metabolism Increasers:

 

Metabolism is essentially how efficient your body is at creating heat, which is the result of burning calories.  This type of diet pill works by stimulating your system to produce heat.  When taking them, you will probably feel a warm, flushed feeling soon after consuming the supplement.  These are excellent for pre workout boost of energy and for burning a few extra calories throughout the day.

 

The thing to watch out here is your blood pressure.  Along with a boost of energy from caffeine and other proprietary herbal blends, these will increase your blood pressure.  If you have high blood pressure or other heart problems do not take them.

 

Fat Binders and Carb Blockers:

 

In a sense, these are some of the safest types of diet pills on the market.  They work in one of two ways.  The first way is that when taken with a meal, they bind with up to 25 percent of the fat or carbs in your stomach preventing them from being absorbed in the small intestine because they are now too large.  The second way is that the ingredients cause a hormone is excreted preventing the absorption of fats or carbs.

 

Although these may be much safer than the other types, they can have some unpleasant side effects.  When your body doesn’t absorb the fats from what you eat, where will they go?  That is right.  Now if you keep fat to a minimum, you will have no problems.  But if you eat a lot of fat, you will pass a lot of fat.  In between you may have stomach cramps, gas, and bloating.  This is one to take if you are willing to really control your fat intake.

 

 

Lastly, when taking a diet pill that you have never tried before, you should start with one-half of the recommended dosage, for at least a few days.  This will let you know how your body reacts to the pills.  If you are not used to taking caffeine for instance, taking the equivalent of 4 cups of coffee can make you feel very uncomfortable and possibly cause some insomnia.

 

The bottom line is that before taking any diet pill you should read the instructions, take it slowly, and incorporate them as part of an overall plan, and not just rely on them alone.