Weight loss supplements: Do they really work?

No

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by Rixta Francis

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Whether these supplement work depends on whether you talk short term or long term. Just like all the fad diets these supplements probably have some positive effect at the short term. But they also have lots of side effects, so they aren't pills you want to take for a lifetime. And these pills don't do anything to change your eating habits and lifestyle in general. And that means that as soon as you stop with the pills the effect is gone and your weight will come back. So don't bother taking these pills, unless you urgently need to lose a lot of weight and it's part of a long-term lifestyle changing plan.

What do I mean with changing your lifestyle? I don't only talk about the well-known stuff: eat healthier and exercise more. Everyone knows those standard advises and still many people are overweight. So obviously it's not that simple. Instead of popping pills or trying any weight loss diet you should take a look at your whole lifestyle. How much junk food do you eat? How many sugary drinks do you consume on an average day (fruit juice, soft drinks, sweetened coffee or tea)? How much fruit and vegetables do you eat? If you write that down exactly during a few weeks you get an idea about your eating habits. And if you do the same for your exercise habits you get a picture of your lifestyle.

And then it's time to make changes. First thing to do is to cut down drastically on the sweet drinks, better completely cut them out. And the best thing to do if you want to lose weight is to completely remove added sugar from your diet. That sounds very difficult, but it's remarkable how easily you get used to lack of sugar and how bad chocolate and cookies taste after you have stopped eating them for a month. Also have a look at your meals. Having a take-away now and then is fine, but don't do it more than a few times a month. Those meals aren't healthy and often contain hidden sugar as well. Instead have a healthy, filling breakfast, make a healthy lunch at home to take to work and for diner eat as many vegetables as you can afford. And though eating too much fat isn't healthy (a diet must be balanced), forget about all the horror stories you have heard about it. Your body needs fat and as fat takes a long time to digest it fills you up for a long time. So don't worry about a greasy dressing on your salad, as long as you eat that salad.

And yes, exercise is also part of a healthy lifestyle. The car can really do without you and your walking muscles probably can be developed much better. Walk to the shops if they aren't any further than 10-20 minutes walking time. Walk to your work or just walk because walking is nice. When you walk you see a lot of things you completely miss out on when you take the car. And while enjoying your walk you burn a lot of calories and will lose weight. But even if you don't lose weight it will make you fit, which is much more important than what the scales tell you.

If you make these lifestyle changes you will definitely lose weight, without any effort or sacrifice and definitely without the nasty side effects diet pills have. And once you have changed your lifestyle you will easily keep it for the rest of your life, so the weight won't come back. And that's what everyone wants, much more than losing weight and having it back a few months later.

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