Quite honestly, it depends on what your definition of “work” is. As most of us know, the ONLY way to lose weight is to create a calorie deficit. We have to use more calories than we consume.
That leaves us with two choices: Diet and weight loss products that “work” by helping with creating a calorie deficit- and those that will never work because they don’t do anything. Let’s get started with diet pills, then move on to popular diet plans. So do diet pills work? Again, it all depends. Some are strong stimulants that will artificially boost your metabolism and suppress your appetite. Others are nothing more than a mix of fiber or useless herbs, these are the ones that don't do anything- except lighten you wallet. However, an appetite suppressant can help you create a calorie deficit, if it’s powerful enough.
So bottom line, do diet drugs really work for weight loss? Only if you like the idea of being constantly filled with powerful stimulants for weeks or months. I would encourage you to research some of the side effects of powerful stimulants. Then you have to ask yourself this question: If I couldn’t keep the weight off before I went on that diet pill, why would I be able to keep weight off after I stopped using it? Something to really ponder.
Next, does ANY popular diet or weight loss plan really work- permanently?
For example, does Jenny Craig REALLY work? If it creates a calorie deficit for you, yes it will work. You will loose weight.
However...
Extensive research from UCLA has shown that people on special diets did lose weight, but within two years 83% had gained back more weight than lost. Their research concluded individuals who did not go on a diet, were better off from a health standpoint than those who did.
If you need more proof, just look at the facts: Nearly 7 out of 10 Americans are overweight or obese while spending forty billion dollars every year on weight loss products. Think about that, if any main stream weight loss plan worked permanently- would so many people still be overweight?
So rather than ask yourself: Does Jenny Craig really work? Does the Hollywood Diet work? Does any fad diet work? Or do crash diets work? Ask yourself: How can I permanently lose weight?
If you answered “I need to create a small daily calorie deficit,” you’ve taken the first step towards becoming a weight loss success story. Using more calories than consumed can only happen one way: You have to change your past weight gain habits over to new weight loss habits.
If you can do that on your own, that’s great. Also, there are many free weight loss articles available that can help. I failed at losing weight for thirty years. Over those thirty years, I lost and gained back over 300 pounds. I tried a diet shortcut or two. And yes, I wondered; do weight loss pills or fad diets really work? I was temped to see if there was a shortcut to lose weight.
In the end, the only weight loss "system" that worked for me was the one I put together myself with the help of an e-manual called New Body New Life. It taught me how to recognize my weight gain habits, and most importantly, it taught me how to change them over to weight loss habits.
As I said, if you can recognize and change your habits on your own, that’s all you need to do for safe and natural weight loss. The amount of money and time you’ll save by avoiding fad diets will be huge.
On a very interesting side note, when you change those habits, it will give you the self confidence to do whatever else you put your mind to. So even if some diet shortcut like Alli really did work- it can’t give you what changing your habits does:
A whole new level of self respect, confidence, and discipline. And most important the knowledge of how to keep weight off for the rest of your life.