Are Diet Pills Worth It?

     The thought that there is a magic pill out there that will melt the weight off, is very appealing. Anyone who has struggled with weight loss has at some time tried a magic pill hoping to get the body they want. It's particularly tempting if you've really tried yet not been able to move past a weight loss plateau. If only it were that easy!

Diet pills and weight loss supplements are multi-billion dollar industries that thrive on your hope. You can temporarily lose weight or speed up your metabolism taking pills. But whether you are taking a drug, an herb, a tea, or a supplement, they all are a temporary fix that doesn't address the underlying reasons you are overweight, misguided food choices, lack of physical activity, or often a metabolism that has been slowed down by, ironically, dieting.

Diet pills, worst case can be dangerous, and can have terrible side effects. Some will cause cramps, gas, diarrhea, or the dreaded, embarrassing "Alli - oops". You know that unmentionable leakage problem. Some can increase your blood pressure, cause irregular heart beat and insomnia. Some can cause dehydration, liver problems and worst case, they can kill you.

Herbal supplements are not adequately tested for safety or whether or not they actually work, or whether they even contain what they say they contain. Most are useless at helping you lose fat. One popular herbal supplement I know you've heard of has been under fire for unscrupulous billing practices. The only thing that got thinner for people who bought this herb was their wallet.

Some weight loss teas contain high amounts of caffeine, which cause water loss, which looks like you've lost a few pounds. As soon as you drink the water you need, that weight comes right back on.

And if you found a pill that did help you lose weight, when you stop taking any pills or herbs the weight can come right back. And remember that the diet industry really doesn't want you to lose the weight and keep it off - if you did, they would lose you as a valuable customer.

The best way to lose weight and keep it off is to find a good weight loss program. Here are a five things to look for when choosing a fat loss or fitness program:

- Is there an unconditional guarantee? You've probably already wasted enough money, right? I'd say a 60 day money back guarantee would be sufficient time for you to implement a program and see whether it works for you.

- Is this program based in science or just some fad diet? Get a program that is SCIENCE based. That will increase the chances that the program will give you the results you want.

- Does the program mention that it will speed up metabolism, raise your metabolism or teach you how to increase fat burning hormones? It should because boosting metabolism the key to permanent weight loss.

- Do you need to buy prepackaged food? If so, RUN the other way. They are expensive and unhealthy to live off of. They lacking in fresh fruits and vegetables, are high in sodium, But the worse thing is they teach you nothing about proper eating or lowering your metabolism. Weight lost this way won't stay off.

- Is there ongoing support? You want a program that will offer ongoing support of some kind - through regular emails, or blogs or forums where you can interact with the author and other people on the same plan. I like online programs for this reason - they often offer some sort of interaction. I don't like a program where you have to go to meetings to weigh in. Who has the time to do that?

So don't depend on any magic bullet to take the weight off and keep it off and stay healthy.

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