Today, there are millions of people struggling with excess weight. Unfortunately, this problem comes to us from many angles. We may gain weight simply because of hormonal changes, drug side effects, pregnancy, illness, shifts in daily routine, and many other things that seem arbitrary, but are quite common. The stereotypical advice to someone with excess weight is to “eat less, move around more”, but this offhand advice is shallow and often counterproductive. Over time, many practical solutions for weight loss have been invented, and among them is the weight loss pill. Weight loss supplements and medication have proved successful in helping millions of people lose weight, and this success has certainly propelled them into the spotlight. Although the effectiveness and compatibility of these drugs is still being debated, we can be sure that many people benefit from them. If you have begun taking weight loss pills or plan to take them, you should know how they work and how to make the most of your treatment.
When someone unfamiliar with the term “weight loss pill” hears it, they probably imagine a small tablet that you gulp down overnight, and wake up with a much smaller number on your scales. Naturally, this is the stuff of fantasy, and weight loss is hardly so simple or fast. To better understand how it works, we should look at the different types of weight loss pills. One of the most popular drugs of this type is Orlistat. Orlistat works by changing the way your body absorbs fat. Since the biggest part of excess weight comes in the form of fat, a big improvement can be made when we change how much of it is absorbed. Orlistat blocks nearly a third of fat from food being absorbed, thus slowing your weight gain. The effects of this drug are not wholly positive: patients who want to avoid unpleasant side effects should stick to a low-fat diet, and multivitamins should be taken several hours before Orlistat, since it affects the body’s absorbance of these substances.
Belviq is another popular weight loss pill. It is different from Orlistat in its mechanism of action. Belviq works by numbing down your feelings of hunger, making you much less likely to eat too much. Belviq has much milder side effects than Orlistat, but can lead to more serious reactions in diabetics and people taking antidepressants. In cases when the drug is effective, people can expect to lose at least 5% of their body weight within three months. Contrave is a drug with a similar prognosis. This is a combination of the drugs naltrexone and bupropion. These two drugs are used to treat dependence and addiction, so Contrave may be helpful to those who feel habitual urges and cravings for unhealthy food. Saxenda is a drug that works in a wholly different way. Instead of blocking fat or suppressing hunger, it makes you feel like you’ve already eaten. By mimicking an intestinal hormone that produces this feeling, Saxenda stops patients from overeating.
All of the weight loss drugs mentioned above are intended for long-term use, which means that patients may have to wait months for visible results. However, not all drugs of this category are like that. Phentermine is a drug meant to be taken for a short period of time (several weeks). This can be attributed to the fact that it is an amphetamine, and may cause addiction when administered too long. Phentermine works by curbing your appetite. The last popular weight loss pill we should mention is Qsymia. It facilitates weight loss via a number of methods – changing how certain foods taste, creating a feeling of being full, and helping calories burn more easily. Qsymia is approved for long-term use and can lead to a 3% weight drop over three months.
All of these weight loss drugs work in different ways and have their own peculiarities. If you want to achieve the optimal effect from one or several of them, you should consider how they work and adapt your diet to these considerations. It’s also important to be aware of the drug’s interactions, indications, contraindications, and possible side effects so that you avoid any bad reactions. Another thing to remember about these pills is that they’re usually prescribed as a supplementary tool in a comprehensive weight loss regimen. You may lose some weight simply through taking the pills, but the best weight loss comes from a combination of diet and exercise. There are many recommendations when it comes to diet and sport, so you can choose the options most comfortable for your body, as longs as they produce a positive effect. There are some people who simply cannot reach a good result with diet or exercise, including patients with type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and cholesterol, but everyone else with the time and resources to diet and exercise should do these things.
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