Originally Posted by
NYAngel98 Hey Gals,Now that I'm finally back in the gym, I've been on the hunt for a good boost to get rid of this extra baggage I've been carrying around... A few years ago I used Stacker 3 (with ephedra) and although I felt like a jumpy mess on it - I did drop like 40 lbs in like 3 months. Welp, we all know about ephedra - and that its no longer available... (I really didn't like the feeling anyway) but all the supplements out now either don't work, or don't work but are loaded w/ caffeine to make you feel like it's working. LOL I used Lipo 6 before, had some ok results from that (maybe if I was at the gym more then it would've been better) but I ran out of it... and I've been looking for something else to try. I actually just bought some caffiene free Hydroxycut tonight, so we'll see how that works - but does anyone have some good ones they've tried???
Hey Angel...I think we all know the basics of healthy weight loss. Exercise, eat less, make healthy choices, etc. No big mystery there. So, not dissing anyone who talked about these things! That said.......You sound like you are going at this with the right mindset; you are not searching for a magic pill that will make you lose weight while you eat everything in sight and sit on the couch all day. Wouldn't you agree, the problem a lot of us experience is will power...the ability to actually follow through with what we know we should. It's hard! We eat not just to sustain life, but to celebrate, comfort, socialize, even to numb pain. People are even addicted to food. Eating is not something you can just stop doing, like gambling or drugs. So, the temptation is constantly there. Also, if you've yo-yo dieted or gone through hormonal changes, your metabolism is probably slower than slow. Many of us seek something that would give us that "edge", and hopefully speed up a sluggish metabolism.
I have tried a lot of things myself. I had fab sucess with Phen-Fen but we all know what happend with that. Since then I have tried Xenadrine but it didn't work for me, however it had worked wonders for my sister-in-law. Then I stumbled on the Release products. They really worked for me. The SA at GNC tried to tell me there was no ephedra in them but upon closer inspection I learned they did have a form of it, it was just derived from the root instead of the leaf, or something like that. Knowing this I decided to go ahead and try them. I ended up losing 25 lbs in only 2 1/2 months, with no exercise or will power. I feel like they worked for me because: they truly supressed my appetite and eliminated cravings, they sped up my metabolism, and they cleansed my system of toxins. I did experience side effects, tho. I would have awful hot flashes every day at 3 pm; my coworkers actually started making fun of me b/c my sweats would come on like clockwork! 3pm must have been when the herbs or whatever were at their peak in my system? Anyway, I also had "almost" diarrhea every morning, meaning...I HAD to go at a certain time, and if I couldn't get to a bathroom, it was not a good thing. I didn't actually have the runs but it was definetly loose, you know? It was one of the supplements that was taken at night and it was supposed to cleanse the system. Boy did it! Well, I put up with the side effects, because I was really big and the negatives of the supplements were far outnumbered by the negatives of being that overweight. After losing the 25 lbs, I was eating healthier, more whole grains, more fruits and veggies, and drinking lots of water. These things were unheard of for me. I had shifted into a healthier lifestyle, almost without meaning to. The supplements had given me that "edge" I needed, and even tho there were side effects, I don't regret using them. I stopped taking Release b/c my dr. put me on something (for a whole 'nother problem) and I couldn't mix them with anything like Release. I kept the weight off for a year then gained it all back when I went through a really stressfull time and ate to cope with it. *sigh*
Now, if you aren't that overweight, the possible side effects of a diet supplement might not be justafiable. But they were for me...my blood pressure went down and my terrible knee pain disappeared. So like I said, I put up with the side effects.
Ok, I just had to put my 2 cents in! Again, I agree with the basic principles of healthy eating and exercise... just wanna make that clear. Good luck!