However, going on a restrictive diet is not a way to lose weight for good. "Going on a diet is not the way to sustainably lose weight. Instead of drastically cutting calories and dropping a bunch of weight quickly, you want to create a small calorie deficit that you can keep up with over time," shares Younkin.
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The proven ways to lose weight are eating healthful foods, cutting calories, and being physically active. However, making these lifestyle changes isn’t easy, so you might wonder if taking a dietary supplement that’s promoted for weight loss might help.
When picking out a dietary supplement, check that it contains a seal from one of the independent organizations that test these products for quality and safety.
Certain supplements may also have benefits for specific health conditions as a complementary approach, including depression, digestive issues, heart disease, osteoporosis, and type 2 diabetes. Your doctor can help you decide if supplements may be beneficial for you.
Weight-loss products marketed as dietary supplements are sometimes adulterated with prescription drugs or controlled substances. These ingredients won’t be listed on the product label, and they could harm you. FDA puts out public notifications about tainted weight-loss products
Younkin has specific tips for those trying to eat in a way that aligns with their weight loss goals: "Aim to eat every 3 to 4 hours to keep blood sugar balanced, plan healthy snacks and don't feel guilty when you eat something you feel like you shouldn't."
When FDA finds an unsafe dietary supplement, it can remove the supplement from the market or ask the supplement maker to recall it. FDA and the Federal Trade Commission can also take enforcement action against companies that make false weight-loss claims about their supplements; add pharmaceutical healthy weight loss supplements drugs to their supplements; or claim that their supplements can diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent a disease.
Daily exercise allowed people to burn more calories throughout the day and, in turn, eat more without having an excess of calories.
Common ingredients in weight-loss supplements are described below in alphabetical order. You’ll learn what’s known about whether each ingredient works and is safe.
Zinc supplements may also help slow the progression of macular degeneration, an age-related eye disease that causes vision loss, per the Cleveland Clinic and a separate research review.
That isn't necessarily a bad thing, but it does mean you might need to be a little more strategic when trying to lose weight. Let's break down your primary focus for weight loss and weight maintenance, and how they differ.
If you prefer to keep your weight-loss efforts private, take some steps to stay on course. Track your diet and exercise in a journal or an app. Also track your weight. Review your progress and make changes as needed.
And there are risks as well, per a review in which the authors found multiple adverse-event reports showing weight loss and other enhancing supplements leading to increased emergency room visits and hospitalizations in younger adults.