SlimDown Pills...do they work?

[Cristina]

Has anyone tried the Jamieson Slim down diet supplements?

I have about 10 pounds to lose that I put on during a bad break up and subsequent depression.

I found this link but seem unable to find more detailed information.



Thanks

clinical study (http://www.npicenter.com/index.asp?action=NBViewDoc&DocumentID=3888)

[Deadbeat]

Um, not to nitpick, but as a professional writer, I know a press release when I see one.

That's about as far from a "clinical study" as you're likely to get, I'm afraid.

Ultra Slim Down ingredients have been clinically proven to reduce weight by burning fat more effectively and helping eliminate carbohydrates efficiently. It is the combination of ingredients and the way they are taken that provides an effective means for weight loss.

Which ingredients, taken how? Where are the methodologies used in the clinical studies?

Sorry, but I get a little apprehensive whenever I see "Naturopath" attached to a miraculous new product.

Have you checked Quackwatch yet?

Edited to add:

Here's an interesting article on the active ingredient in the "Carb targeting" portion of the supplement:

http://www.hcrc.org/contrib/wheeler/hydroxyc.html

[Cristina]

Thanks
You said it much more clearly than I. I can't find the clincial study and so don't know what if anything to make of this product.

Thanks for the link.

[Luke T.]

Ah. A magic pill. To lose a mere ten pounds.

I am totally guessing here, but after this breakup, I assume you were quite depressed. Some people eat more when they are depressed.

Once you get over your depression, you will go back to your normal eating pattern I hope, and the ten pounds will go away naturally. If you are taking a magic pill during this time, you might attribute your weight loss to it instead of the real reasons.

[John Harrison]

According to their website, Slim Down Carb & Fat Burner contains : CitraMax 50% HCA (Hydroxycitric acid) 125mg, Advantra Z Citrus Aurantium 125mg, Kola Nut JKN-10 5mg.

From
PDR health (http://www.gettingwell.com/index.html)

Hydroxycitric acid - A suggestion from animal work that hydroxycitric acid might be an effective antiobesity agent has not been confirmed in human studies. A recent well-controlled trial of hydroxycitric acid failed to produce any significant weight loss compared with placebo. This was a 12-week double-blind study in which overweight subjects were randomized to receive 1500 milligrams of hydroxycitric acid daily or placebo.

In another recent study, also conducted double-blind, placebo-controlled and randomized, researchers sought to see whether hydroxycitric acid supplementation could increase fat oxidation in human subject. The researchers found no significant effect.

Advantra Z Citrus Aurantium - Vitamin C

Kola Nut - Basically caffeine, which does suppress hunger. I suspect this is the main effective ingredient in this product.

[Genghis Pwn]

Don't take pills. Do Atkins.

[Hazelip]

Don't take pills, don't do Atkins. Eat right, moderately, and exercise.

Burn more calories than you take in, and you will lose weight. There is no magic bullet, pill, diet, or fad to make this happen.

[Thumper]

Wait, caffeine supresses hunger? Then why am I hungrier after drinking iced tea than after drinking water?

[Hazelip]

Originally posted by Thumper
Wait, caffeine supresses hunger? Then why am I hungrier after drinking iced tea than after drinking water?

Have you traditionally consumed iced tea with meals, thusly training yourself to associate food with the beverage, perhaps?

[voidx]

Don't take pills, don't do Atkins. Eat right, moderately, and exercise.
Burn more calories than you take in, and you will lose weight. There is no magic bullet, pill, diet, or fad to make this happen.
This is the only LONGTERM solution to healthy weightloss. You'd be wise to heed it. Get out and go for a jog or ride a bike or something to help you lose that 10 pounds. Knowing the average fitness levels of North American's you should probably be out doing it anyway.

[Cristina]

Thank you all for your input.

I appreciate your recommendations to exercise more but am not able to engage in anything high impact due to a health condition. I try to swim on good days.

I think Luke T got it right - let me explain. At pre-breakup baseline, I was 115 lbs.

When he left, I became depressed and so less active (days spent in bed) although I also went days without eating. In the first month or so after he left me, I lost a good twenty pounds.

My diet has returned to normal or a bit less than before but my weight keeps increasing past baseline - 123 lbs now. It seems to be some sort of rebound effect.

Vanity of course kicks in with summer. None of my summer clothes fit and so in a panic I was seeking a fast fix. I hesitate to diet because of this odd rebound effect I am experiencing.

Is it possible that the starvation time I went through completely screwed up my metabolism?

Thanks again for your help.

[roger]

Yes, you probably experienced a few things due to not eating for a few months.

First, your baseline metabolism was slowed, so now when you eat normally you need less to maintain weight.

Second, your body goes into "survivial" mode, and it piles the fat back on you when you begin to eat normally.

Third, if you lose more than a lb or two a week (variable depending on body size), you were losing muscle as well as fat. Muscle burns calories, so w/ fewer muscle you need fewer calories now. If you started at 115, you were probably already pretty thin, so if you lost 20 lbs you probably lost a lot of muscle.

Low impact exercise options - find some hills, and wear a backpack with weights. This is very low impact, and it will allow you to elevate your heart rate to anything you want.

If your knees are bad, walking downhill w/ a lot of weight is bad. In this case, the weights should be water filled jugs. When you get to the top and are ready to return, dump out much or all of the water to reduce the extra mass. This requires a big hill of course to get sufficient workout time.

Some weight training will add muscles back, giving you the double benefits of burning more calories by exercising, and then continuing to burn more calories because you have more muscle mass.

Do not seek to lose more than 1 lb a week, or you are 'dieting', and you will rebound again.

[Hazelip]

Originally posted by roger
Some weight training will add muscles back, giving you the double benefits of burning more calories by exercising, and then continuing to burn more calories because you have more muscle mass.
This is true, and yet another reason to toss out your scale.

You see, muscle weighs more than fat. Take one chunk of fat, and an identically-sized chunk of muscle, and the muscle will be more dense and weigh more.

Which is healthier? The muscle.

So, don't pay attention to your weight, that is a false goal. Pay attention to your fitness level. Can you take the stairs without gasping for breath? Can you walk ten miles and feel fine? Can you ben over and touch your toes? Can you notice that you have lost inches in your waistline? Do you jiggle less? ;)

These are your indicators. The scale is only to be used as a rough guide as best, and looking to "lose another ten pounds" is stupid. Get fit, eat right, and you'll be healthier.

Oh, and to get fit, you have to stop making excuses. There are plenty of low-impact options available, and they don't even require a gym membership. Get off your butt and do something about it.

[BillyJoe]

Originally posted by Hazelip
Can you take the stairs without gasping for breath? I used to run up 22 steps to my front door.
I could hold my breath, run up and not feel breathless in the slightest. However, at the end of last year, we moved and there is not even a single step to the front door of our new house.
What do I do now?

[Badger]

With regard to your metabolism, a good way to speed it up again is to eat a bunch of small meals through the day (typically 6). It's akin to snacking all day, but make sure they're healthy meals/snacks high in protien/fibre and low in simple carbohydrates. Don't skip breakfast, whatever you do. If you're going to cut back, do so WRT your evening meals.

Also, do weight training that involves your large muscle groups (squats or deadlifts for legs, benchpress/pushups for chest, chinups/rowing type exercise for back). Working these muscle groups provides the quickest bang for the buck as they're large in size and putting stress on them makes them want to grow. Weights can be as simple as identified above.....a couple of gallon milk jugs filled with water. Or you can go buy dumbells or weights and a bench really cheaply from the classifieds in the paper. And weight training is low impact.

Best of luck!

[Hazelip]

Originally posted by BillyJoe
What do I do now?

Take the stairs at school/work, maybe? Go to your local high school track/stadium and climb the stairs there every morning or evening? Go for nice and long uphill walks?

Why can't you think of these things on your own?

[BillyJoe]

:cool:

(Actually, I run every morning and at the 4 km mark there is a rather steep section which really tries out my quads and calves. I don't think I'll miss those stairs)

[Hazelip]

Sorry, BJ. I guess you were being sarcastic and I just didn't pick up on it. My mistake.

[BillyJoe]

Yeah, I was just foolin' around. :)

[HarryKeogh]

if youre intent on taking a pill have a friend in europe smuggle you in some Clenbuterol. great stuff. it's over the counter there.

but it's only 10 lbs. so if i were you i'd just cut the carbs.