Meal replacement pills: Do they actually work?

Sophia Parker4 NewcomerOP

8 messages
joined Aug 2007

#1 · Apr 1, 2006

I can't remember if this came up before, but I don't feel like digging through old threads. So, here's the deal. A friend of mine eats incredibly little. She’s lost a massive amount of weight—clearly has some serious willpower—but when I asked how she stays healthy and keeps her immune system from crashing, she basically just told me she lives on supplements and vitamins.
Does anyone know if it's actually a good idea to try something like that? Like, eating nothing but breakfast and then just relying on pills for lunch and dinner.

Ashley Moore8 Member

20 messages
joined Mar 2005

#2 · Apr 1, 2006

I’m honestly surprised no one from those Herbalife pyramid schemes has slid into your DMs yet 🙄
you really have to wonder about the long-term effects of living solely on supplements—maybe check in with that friend of yours about what happened with her cycle?
if you're actually looking to drop some weight, I'd say just eat a solid breakfast, keep lunch pretty light, and maybe just grab a piece of fruit for dinner... also, cutting out the chips, peanuts, soda, and all that junk might be a game changer—you could probably lose maybe half a pound to a full pound a week if you stay consistent

and hey, if you're into fitness, adding in some cycling, rollerblading, or even just hitting the pool for a swim would definitely help

placidranger Regular

339 messages
joined Sep 2004

#3 · Apr 1, 2006

Sophia Parker4 said:Does anyone actually know if it's smart to just eat breakfast and then rely on... I don't know, those diet pills for lunch and dinner?

In my opinion, skipping breakfast is probably the "healthiest" move—but there’s a catch. If you let yourself get ravenous during the day, you'll end up bingeing at night, which is when most people pack on the weight. Honestly, you're better off grabbing some fruit or veggies instead of reaching for pills. At least they have actual vitamins and minerals, and they might actually take the edge off the hunger.

By the way, the math doesn't lie: the only way to lose weight is to burn more calories than you consume. (<-- keep that in mind 😉). Most of my calorie burn comes from my leg muscles since they're the largest—so running, walking, or cycling is definitely the way to go.

Melissa Price6 Active Member

81 messages
joined Jan 2008

#4 · Apr 1, 2006

Look, I don't touch any of that weight loss crap, honestly, just sticking to my multivitamins.
I mean, those pills can't actually replace a decent, real meal, you know? People really need to wrap their heads around that. 🙂

Larry Lewis2 Active Member

74 messages
joined Apr 2004

#5 · Apr 1, 2006

Ashley Moore8 said:- you'll lose about 1 to 2 pounds a week

If you're into fitness, maybe throw in some cycling, rollerblading, or swimming too.

Losing two pounds a week is actually quite a lot.

If I recall correctly, one pound of body weight equals roughly 3,500 calories—though, honestly, I couldn't tell you exactly where I pulled that number from, my memory is a bit hazy on the specifics today.🤔

Regardless, if you want to lose weight the right way—meaning you're burning fat rather than just shedding water weight—that target of one to two pounds a week is mostly just wishful thinking.🙂

Ashley Moore8 Member

20 messages
joined Mar 2005

#6 · Apr 1, 2006

Larry Lewis2 said:Losing 1 to 2 pounds a week is actually a ton.

If I’m remembering things right—and honestly, who knows where I even pulled this number from my brain mid-sentence—one pound of extra weight is basically equal to about 7,700 calories.🤔

Anyway, regardless of the math, if you're trying to lose weight the "right" way—you know, actually burning fat instead of just dropping water weight—aiming for half a pound to a pound a week feels like a total pipe dream.🙂

But hey, I'm speaking from experience here... 😉
I managed to drop something like 18 pounds in just over two months—just by watching what I ate, but not like, starving myself or anything. I did breakfast, a normal lunch, then just some fruit for dinner... no snacking, no soda, no cocktails or anything like that. 😬
Maybe it was mostly just water weight, I guess? But looking at how much smaller I got in terms of inches, I really don't think I was just flushing out fluids. 😬

placidranger Regular

339 messages
joined Sep 2004

#7 · Apr 1, 2006

Larry Lewis2 said:Losing 1 to 2 pounds a week is way too much.

If my math holds up—and I might be pulling this out of thin air here—one pound of excess weight equals about 3,500 calories.🤔

Regardless, if you actually want to lose fat instead of just water weight, aiming for a pound or two a week is a total fantasy.🙂

A lot of it comes down to muscle mass—the more you have, the higher your metabolic burn—and how hard you're hitting the gym. If your training is legit, even losing 4 or 5 pounds a week isn't unreasonable.

Larry Lewis2 Active Member

74 messages
joined Apr 2004

#8 · Apr 1, 2006

I went ahead and assumed we were talking about losing weight by cutting out junk food, just like what Ashley Moore8 mentioned.🙂

Ashley Moore8 Member

20 messages
joined Mar 2005

#9 · Apr 1, 2006

Larry Lewis2 said:So, I was just sitting here thinking—and I guess I'm kind of assuming we’re all talking about losing weight by just cutting out the junk food entirely, kind of like what Ashley Moore8 was saying earlier—but yeah, that's where my head is at!🙂

I didn't just mean I was snacking—it was more like a total overhaul of my entire eating routine. I basically flipped the script on when I eat—like, I started actually sitting down for breakfast every morning, and then kept dinner super light. Before this, I was kind of a grazer during the day, and my first actual, massive meal wouldn't happen until way after 8 PM... which, looking back, probably wasn't the best move!
So, I was just thinking about that whole thing with everyone getting kicked out for eating ice cream—you know, the kind where they were basically inhaling half-pound servings right in the middle of their meals? It’s honestly kinda wild if you think about it—I mean, maybe it wasn't actually a huge deal, but it definitely caused a bit of a stir, I guess. Like, I don't know, people get so defensive about their food choices, right? But yeah, those massive scoops during lunch... it felt like a little much for some folks, maybe? Just my two cents! 😬Man, I don't even know where to start—just thinking about a cold beer and those big 8-ounce bags of Lay's potato chips... honestly, it’s probably better if I just don't go there. I could talk about it for hours, I guess! 😁
I honestly decided to cut out all that processed junk—you know, the really nasty stuff—mainly because my health was starting to take a bit of a hit, but I have to say, I wasn't exactly complaining when the pounds started melting off! 😉

Just throw in some occasional bike rides here and there—and honestly, I guess that’s pretty much all you need!

feralbadger8 Newcomer

3 messages
joined Apr 2004

#10 · Apr 1, 2006

Larry Lewis2 said:If I'm remembering right, an extra kilo of weight means you've burned through about 7,700 calories (actually, now that I think about it, I have zero clue where that number even came from in my head🤔)

Nah, man, one pound of fat is closer to 3,500 calories... so if we're talking a full kilogram, you're looking at roughly 7,700 to 9,000 depending on who you ask. 🙂

Sophia Parker4 NewcomerOP

8 messages
joined Aug 2007

#11 · Apr 26, 2006

Could someone tell me if eating just a tiny breakfast and nothing else all day—maybe just some cocoa or coffee in the evening without any exercise—how much weight could I realistically lose in a week?

placidfalcon Member

42 messages
joined Dec 2012

#12 · Apr 26, 2006

Also, gotta mention that all that junk vitamin pill crap puts way too much strain on your kidneys and liver.

crimsonpuma48 Member

28 messages
joined Apr 2006

#13 · Apr 26, 2006

Sophia Parker4 said:Can someone tell me if I just eat a tiny breakfast and then nothing else all day—just some cocoa or coffee at night, zero exercise—how much weight can I actually drop in a week?

1. Personally, skipping lunch is way easier than eating breakfast and then starving myself until bedtime.
2. Just got back from grabbing a slice of pizza, and now I’m ready for a nap.
3. If you can actually stick to a crazy diet like that for a while, sure, you'll lose weight. But without hitting the gym or moving at all, don't expect any massive changes.
4. Why not swap dinner for a walk, a bike ride, or whatever works for you? People say even doing laundry burns calories.

Good luck. 🙂

Dennis White9 Newcomer

2 messages
joined Apr 2006

#14 · Apr 26, 2006

placidfalcon said:We also need to consider how all that junk vitamin supplement crap puts an unnecessary strain on your kidneys and liver.

Cut the nonsense...

Dennis White9 Newcomer

2 messages
joined Apr 2006

#15 · Apr 26, 2006

Sophia Parker4 said:Can someone tell me if I eat a tiny breakfast and then nothing else all day—just maybe some cocoa or coffee in the evening, without any exercise—how many pounds could I realistically lose in a week?

Why would you even ask that? Once you stop this nonsense diet, the weight will just come rushing back...
No exercise??? Just cocoa or coffee at night???
I mean, with all the information out there today—TV, radio shows, and finally the internet—you’re still coming at me with such a STUPID eating plan!???
Have you ever heard of the body's daily requirement for specific amounts of calories from carbs, protein, and fats?
What does "little" mean for breakfast? A single hot dog? Some canned meat? An egg? A piece of toast? A sandwich? Half a bagel?
You need to jumpstart your metabolism!
Eat more often. At least four meals a day!
Go to www.google.com and look up Glycemic Index!
Avoid anything with a high index!
GET ACTIVE!!!! Burn those calories!
Cut out all the greasy junk. Deli meats, hot dogs, pastries, croissants, burgers, kebabs, hard cheeses, spreads, chips, sweets, beer...
In the beginning, you'll probably see the scale drop faster because you're mostly losing water weight. As for actual fat loss, you should aim for about two pounds a month... maybe a little more...

nimbledriver81 Active Member

96 messages
joined Aug 2007

#16 · Apr 26, 2006

Sophia Parker4 said:Can anyone tell me—hypothetically speaking, of course—if someone were to eat, say, just a tiny little snack for breakfast and then essentially nothing else all day, maybe just a cup of coffee or some cocoa in the evening without doing any exercise, how much weight could they realistically lose in a week?

You’ll most likely see zero results—and honestly, you might even end up heavier—because your metabolism will basically go into hibernation mode! It’s like trying to run a car on a single teaspoon of gasoline; eventually, the whole engine just stalls out. You’re going to throw your body's entire internal rhythm completely out of whack.
It is actually a well-documented phenomenon that there are people out there living on a mere 500 calories a day—basically starving themselves—and yet they still can't drop a single pound.

Larry Cruz51 Active Member

120 messages
joined Jun 2008

#17 · Apr 26, 2006

Sophia Parker4 said:I think this might have come up before, but I really can't be bothered to dig through the archives... anyway, here goes. I have this friend who eats incredibly, incredibly little. She’s dropped a massive amount of weight—clearly she has some serious willpower—but when I asked her how she stays healthy and keeps her immune system from crashing, she basically just told me she lives on a mountain of vitamins and supplements... blah, blah, blah...
Does anyone actually know if it's a smart move to try eating nothing but breakfast for the day, and then just... well, having those pills for lunch and dinner?

Go ask a nutritionist😬

There was this guy I knew who dropped 45 pounds in just a few months, and he claimed he survived entirely on liquids and coffee...😁

Lisa Moore7 Member

35 messages
joined Feb 2007

#18 · Jun 27, 2006

My sister’s asking if these are actually worth the money. She’s looking to drop about 20 or 30 pounds and wants to know if there's any point in trying them... and if so, which ones are best. thanks

silverharbor81 Newcomer

2 messages
joined Jun 2006

#19 · Jun 27, 2006

Don't bother just relying on pills.
If you’re hitting the gym, cycling, or swimming at least three times a week, liquid L-carnitine might actually work for you. You need to stick with it for about 20 to 30 days—don't go over 40—and then take a two-month break so your body doesn't get used to it. I’d suggest a dose of 1g per 1000ml; don't skimp on it, and skip the tablets. If that doesn't do the trick, you could try CLA or Tonalin Forte. But honestly, if you aren't working out, you're wasting your time.
Good luck with the weight loss.

steelsailor17 Member

35 messages
joined Jan 2003

#20 · Jun 27, 2006

If you’re looking to support the most dominant industry on the planet, go ahead—buy all the candy bars you want! But let me give you a reality check.
Don't delude yourself into thinking those sweets will somehow help you slim down—instead, they'll just pile on exactly where you don't want it... just imagine what that stuff actually does to your body.
The math doesn't lie.
At the end of the day, the ratio of calories consumed versus calories burned translates directly into pounds...

Meal replacement pills: Do they actually work?

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