"Do any of the "diet" pills really work??"

If by "diet pills" you mean over-the-counter fat blockers and fat burners, the answer is no, not likely. We’ll never really know if these pills work because they’ve never been scientifically tested by an objective lab, and the resulting reports (if any even exist) was never peer-reviewed. Any supplements (everything except the new Alli) are not required to get FDA approval, and can contain 50% of the ingredients the claim, or 20%...you the consumer has no idea. Sure some of these places get in trouble for false advertising, but by then, they’ve made their millions and disappeared.

 

A weight loss medication that is backed by science is Phentermine, and it’s been prescribed for 50+ years with good success. Not everyone loses weight on it, but it’s an appetite suppressant that helps many. Your body will grow accustomed to it, however, and it won’t work as well...meaning you will have to stop taking it after a certain period to let your body ’rest’. Many people cycle on/off of phentermine when they have lots of weight to lose. I’ve answered questions like this several times here, and below is one such answer:

 

Phentermine is over 50 years old and is approved by the FDA of course, available only by prescription (legally, at least). It is a stimulant that works on the hypothalamus in the brain, and causes you to feel full without the bathroom problems of Alli. Visit www.phentermine.com to read all about it, and even check out the forums.

 

It can increase blood pressure, however, so if one already has high blood pressure, it’s not wise to take. Phentermine is part of the drug used in phen-fen, but it is not damaging to the heart like it was when combined in the previous concoction, and is still on the market and FDA approved. The downside is your body will become tolerant to it, and after several weeks or months it will no longer work. You will need to stop taking it for several weeks to ’rest’, then you can resume, but it may never work as well afterward as it did that first time.

 

I have taken phentermine and lost 50 lbs. I cycled on it for 3 weeks, off 2 weeks, then back on during that time, then eventually stopped taking it altogether. It gave me the quick loss I needed to get more motivation, and to learn better food control. I highly recommend it. Every other ’supplement’ on the market is not FDA approved, and you have no way of knowing if it’s a capsule of sugar or salt. Most of them are not what they claim, and there are no quality standards so you don’t know if the one bottle of capsules worked means the next will have the same % of ingredients.

 

Go with prescription, and something that’s been around for years like Phentermine, if you’re looking for a little help. www.fatnews.com has a lot of articles on phentermine too (this is the generic name).

 

Remember, it isn’t for everyone, and you should seek a medical doctor to get an Rx for this. Insurance does not usually cover this, but an Rx at the grocery pharmacy is less than $25. But don’t believe me, do your own research. Do not waste your money and your potential health to over-the-counter diet pills.

In my experience some do work.  For the time being.

 

I have taken three or four different kinds.

 

First one Thermochrome Select-I took this-lost 45 pounds in say 8-9 months.  Tore my ACL, gained it back.

Took Herballife lost 20 or so in about 2 months-- became expensive so I started taking taking Herballite (discount brand).  Both worked well but raced my heart and sent my blood pressure sky high.

 

Took Meridia - from my doctor - for two years.  First on 10 mg I lost 45 pounds.  He then changed me to 5 mg and I gained back about 20.  Then I stopped taking them and gained about 20 over 4 months.  This medicine also made my blood pressure sore.

 

My friend who is stick skinny-started taking Trimspa when she gained about 25 pounds.  Now she takes it twice a week - she didn't need to take it but she thought she did.  She's really skinny anyway.

 

So what I'm saying is that yes they work but you would have to take them for the rest of your life.  Always be on something.

 

A better way is watch what you eat and add more exercise to your routine.  The more your active the more you will lose.

 

 

I lost 30lbs with the prescription drug Phentermine.  I got the prescription from a doctor who runs a weight loss clinic in Arlington, TX.  It works as an excellent appetite suppressant.  I must warn you though, that as soon as I got off of it I gained a good chunk of it back.  It could have been prevented though if I would have kept the attitude that I have to continually work to keep the pounds off.  I can't ever let my guard down.  Healthy meals and exercise have to be a constant. 

 

I'm not skinny by any means now (158 lbs) but I am exercising and eating healthier.  Now I have a bodybugg http://my.apexfitness.com/index.php that measures how many calories you burn each day.  You can enter in your nutrition for the day on their website and it calculates the difference between calories in and calories out.  I've found it incredibly motivating.  It can be found at local health clubs or on this website.

 

Good luck!

I just answered this a few days ago, on this question, and my views haven't changed.
Quoting myself:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~start quote~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Here is the low-down on diet pills.
The prescription ones all work. They work differently and you might have to try a couple to see which works for you. But you WILL lose weight.
The problem is, unless you permanently change your eating and exercise habits to stay at the level they were during the pill-taking, you'll gain the weight back. (Been there, done that, over and over.) And you can't take any of the pills forever. They are all short-term.
The only FDA approved over the counter (OTC) diet pill is Alli. I am sure that if you follow the diet plan stringently it works great because you have to cut out all fat, and fat is where lots of calories lurk. And then Alli (like its prescription cousin Orlistat) removes even more of the fat from what you ate. However the side effects are horrific. Basically all the fat the pill "removes" from your food leaks from your butt all day. I have never taken it but friends of mine have and they say that it works great but it's so disgusting to have this yellow-orange oil leaking constantly that they stopped taking it.
All the other OTC diet pills are junk. They say right on the label that they are not intended to treat any disease or condition. If they work, it's because you follow the diet plan enclosed, or via the placebo effect. You can read my rant against non-FDA approved supplements in this answer.
I honestly don't know what to tell you. I am very fat and I have dieted, exercised, taken non-prescription diet pills, taken prescription diet pills, lived on foul-tasting diet shakes..and I am still fat. I can starve myself and work out 2 hours a day and lose a couple of pounds, but if I slack off, they come right back.
I wish something worked permanently. Even gastric bypass isn't a fool-proof solution--I know several people who got it years ago and are gaining weight again.
~~~~~~~~~~end quote~~~~~~~~~~~~~
One of your topics was "fat blockers".  The only FDA approved fat blocker is Orlistat/Alli.  If you can stick to their low-fat regime and the side effects of the pills don't bother you, you can increase your weight loss by 50% over just following the low-fat diet.  Alli is sold over the counter; you can get it anywhere, even Walmart.

Even Amazon sells Alli!

We've been looking for a magic pill ever since jack sold the family cow for a handful of magic beans. In my opinion ever since the government banned ephedra there hasn't been a non perscription diet pill that is worth the money. 

 

If you are looking to suppress your appetite try drinking at least a gallon of water a day.  That is one of the best appetitie suppressants there is.

 

Stay away from pills. The only way to get where you want to be is through a combination of diet and exercise. I have more information on my site:

 

The Magnetic Diet Weight Loss Program

 

How to Develop Six Pack Abs

 

I hope you found this information useful.

 

Nick Smith