8 Big Fat Lies About Weight Loss Pills

We’ve all seen them – those eye catching diet control adverts which make big claims and give us hope there’s a simple solution to losing weight.

Their claims are most often unjustified … in fact just straight BIG Fat Lies!

You should be skeptical of what you read in the thousands of weight-loss products advertisements you see in magazines or on television.

Here’s some examples …

Lie #1 Lose 20 pounds in just 7 days!

We’ve all seen the ads which promise that their product will make large amounts of excess fat ‘melt away’ in days, or even disappear as you sleep! The truth is that it is impossible to lose huge amounts of weight that quickly.

Even if you could lose anywhere near that much weight it would be mostly fluid. Losing any more than 3-4lbs a week can cause gallstones and other health complications. The best – and safest – way to lose weight is gradually …that way it’s much more likely to stay off.

Lie #2 Eat as much as you want and still lose weight

Some ads say you can continue to eat whatever you want and you’ll lose weight as long as you’re also taking their product. The truth is it’s impossible to eat unlimited amounts of food – any kind of food – and still lose weight.

The only way to lose weight is for your body to use up more calories than you take in through food. If you don’t make changes to your diet and lifestyle to get that balance right then you won’t lose weight by just popping a pill. Some products may help curb appetite or cravings but you still have to watch what you’re eating.

Lie # 3 Lose weight without exercising

Another BIG FAT lie! Being a couch potato does not burn many calories!

The truth is that exercise boosts your metabolism and makes your body burn more calories. The only way that some weight loss pills boost your metabolism regardless of exercise is because they contain massive amounts of stimulants such as caffeine or ephedra. The unpleasant and possibly dangerous side-effects of such stimulants are well known.

No pill in the world can substitute for the positive effects of exercise, but a quality weight loss supplement (which doesn’t contain high amounts of stimulants) will work with your body and exercise to boost your metabolism and help burn fat faster.

Lie #4 “Natural” means safe

Many advertisements for weight loss pills promise the product is safe just because it contains herbs or other ‘natural’ ingredients.
The truth is that natural does not necessarily mean safe. Some natural substances can have unwelcome side –effects ranging from unpleasant to dangerous, or they may interact with other medications you might be taking.

Caffeine is a common ingredient in many weight loss pills (often disguised in green tea, guarana or kola) but very high doses can cause palpitations and in extreme cases, even heart failure. If you have blood pressure problems you need to be particularly careful about your choice of weight loss product.

Lie #5 “Ephedra-free means no jitters”

We all know that ephedra is a strong stimulant which can cause unpleasant and sometimes dangerous side-effects. That’s why it’s been withdrawn from use in weight-loss products.

The truth is that manufacturers of many weight loss pills have simply substituted one strong stimulant for another! They now include high amounts of substances such as citrus aurantium (also called bitter orange or synephrine) or caffeine (in the form of green tea, kola, guarana or yerba mate). These are all strong stimulants and can cause exactly the same unpleasant side-effects as ephedra.

Lie #6 “Backed up by scientific proof”

Many weight-loss product advertisers shout about scientific research to back up the claims for the key ingredients in their formulas. What isn’t so obvious is that the studies often used different amounts of the key ingredients to the amounts used in the product. Often the products contain such small amounts of the key ingredients that they’re practically useless.

A common trick for disguising the low amounts of key ingredients in a product is to bunch them together under the term “proprietary formula”. The amounts of each ingredient are usually not shown so you can’t see how little you’re actually getting for your money!

The truth is that very few weight-loss ingredients have been clinically proven to work at the levels that can be practically used in a weight-loss pill. So next time you see an ad which shouts about scientific proof take a few minutes to read the fine print!

Lie #7 “Targets trouble spots such as tummy and thighs”

Wouldn’t it be great if you could just take a pill to reduce excess fat in certain areas of your body?

The truth is that it’s just not possible and any advertisement which claims that its product can spot-reduce is lying. Exercise can tone up muscles in specific areas and give the appearance of weight-loss but actual fat-burning is a process which occurs evenly throughout the body.

Lie #8 The more ingredients in a formula the better

Scan the labels of many weight-loss products and you’ll see that many contain a long list of ingredients thrown together for no apparent reason, or under the pretext of some vague claim.

The truth is many of these ingredients are either unproven or they’re included at amounts which are ineffective. There is only a handful of really effective weight-loss aids. Some of the ingredients to look for are forskolin, green tea, hydroxycitric acid, gymnema, chromium, carnitine and hoodia.

So if you’re looking for a magic pill to help you lose weight without diet
or exercise, stop now. There isn’t one!

However a quality supplement can be a valuable tool to help you lose fat and improve body composition when used at the same time as controlling calorie intake and increasing exercise.

Make sure you choose a product that:

• Doesn’t make outrageous promises
• Supports it’s claim with credible, relevant scientific research
• Contains effective amounts of proven weight-loss ingredients

Now you know what to look out for!