A Diet Plan or Diet Pills?

It seems everyone is concerned about their 'body image.' We all have issues with the way we look. If you are overweight, a little or a lot, it can affect the way you view yourself and can hurt your self-esteem.

If it's 10-20 pounds, you can adjust your eating habits and exercise routine for a while. Healthy eating can help you lose and keep the weight off. Exercise will tone your body.

Many turn to commercial diet plans or diet pills. These can be expensive and make a lot of empty promises. They don't care about your weight or health, they just want your money.

I want to look at some of the more popular diet plans and diet supplements out there.

NUTRISYSTEM. You can't help seeing their commercials on TV. They have a celebrity spokesperson who talks about how much weight they lost on the program. Then they have several other people who, supposedly, used the program talk about their results and about how good the food is. They heavily promote the shakes that will help you lose weight faster. Nutrisystem will send you the meals, shakes and snacks you need for a week. Their tagline: "Just eat the food and lose the weight."

What the commercials don't tell you is how much it cost. The standard eight week plan costs over $700, or almost $90 a week. You have to supply your own vegetable, fruit, and dairy. That's just for one person. If you have a family to cook for. you still have to shop for them. That becomes a hefty food bill. Since the meals are shipped and frozen, they are processed foods. that means preservatives are added and may contain GMOs.

Meal portions are very small. If you are used to eating meals that fill you up, you will not be satisfied and will cheat on the diet, probably with a high calorie food.

The plan is not good for everyone. It is not for people with allergies to peanuts, soy or latex; any person with an eating disorder, kidney disease, or following a ketogenic diet. It is good for people with heart disease, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and diabetes.

They do not teach healthy eating habits which lead to long-term weight management.

A doctor's approval is needed for women over 400 pounds and men over 450 pounds. It is not recommended for children under 18.

Nutrisystem is ranked #20 in Best Diets Overall.

JENNY CRAIG. This is another highly advertised diet plan. When you sign up you are assigned a consultant who will help you choose a diet and exercise plan. They do teach healthy eating habits.

You can choose your own meals and snacks from a catalog or store that carries them. Portions are small and contain only 200-300 calories. Big eaters will be left unsatisfied with this plan, too. You also have to supply your own fruit, vegetables and dairy along with an extra snack each day. The food is heavily processed and contains refined carbs and oils, artificial sweeteners, and additives.

There is a sign-up fee, a monthly fee and food cost about $150 a week.

Average weight loss is 1-2 pounds per week. Exercise is encouraged but not required.

Their consultants are not professionals. If you have serious health conditions, you should seek medical guidance.

Jenny Craig is ranked #12 in Best Diets Overall.

NOOM. This is an app designed to help you lose weight, get fit, and stay healthy. It is a comprehensive plan for wellness: diet, exercise and mental health designed by psychologists.

Noom provides access to a health coach to help personalize your weight loss plan that involves calorie counting.

They state that no food is forbidden but certain foods should be eaten only on occasion and in small amounts. They advise staying away from processed meats, olive, coconut and avocado oils. most condiments and anything containing sugar.

Plans start at $59 a month for the app. they don't give you a specific food program to follow but teach about calories and carbohydrates. You log in everything you eat each day and the app counts those calories and carbohydrates then subtracts them from your daily goal. They help you make wise choices instead of giving you a menu.

People with certain medical conditions that prevent them from losing weight will not find it helpful. Speak to your doctor before trying any weight loss plan.

If you are not super-motivated to stick with it, it won't help you. This is true for any diet plan.

Noom is ranked #12 in Best Diets Overall.

Of course, you could do some research about healthy foods and make your own diet plan and save the money.

I covered a few diet plans so onto some weight loss drugs.

ORLISTAT, XENICAL, ALLI. These can be obtained by prescription or over the counter. They inhibit the storage of fat in the body.

You must eat a healthy, no-fat diet and do regular exercise while taking Orlistat. You may see results within two weeks.

A prescription is very expensive, over $800 retail. The non-prescription ones cost a lot less but may not be as effective.

There are a lot of possible side effects: abdominal pain, back pain, gas with leaky bowel movements, increased bowel movements, urgent need to have a bowel movement, rectal pain, irregular menstrual periods and anxiety. Orlistat may cause acute kidney failure or liver damage.

Do not take without consulting your doctor.

HYDROXYCUT. You see it advertised everywhere on TV and in magazines for short term fat burning. It is intended for healthy adults Use as directed. No prescription needed.

Contains: C. canesphora robusta, which is made from premium unroasted coffee beans; Lady's mantle ( alchemilla vulgaris), an herb that contains tannins which might help wth diarrhea and stomach problems; Wild olive extract, a good source of anti-oxidents; cumin extract which helps control blood sugar; and Wild mint extract which claims to boost metabolism. There is no scientific evidence to support the claims that Lady's mantle or Wild mint perform as said.

Side effects may include liver related problems, seizures, heart disease, muscle problems and death.

PHENTERMINE, ADIPEX-P, IONAMIN. These are prescription drugs for limited time use to speed weight loss in overweight people. Eating a low-calorie diet and exercising regularly are important.

Take exactly as directed. May be habit forming.

Tell the doctor if you are taking Prozac, Luvox, Zoloft, or MAO inhibitors; if you have or have had heart disease, high blood pressure, arteriosclerosis, hyperthyroidism, diabetes, glaucoma, or a history of drug abuse; if you are pregnant, plan to become pregnant or are breast feeding.

Side effects can be dry mouth, unpleasant taste, diarrhea, constipation, or vomiting. Serious side effects include elevated blood pressure, heart palpitations, restlessness, dizzyness, tremors, insomnia, shortness of breath, chest pains or swelling of legs and ankles.

WARNING: These drugs are similar to amphetamines and are controlled substances. They will show up in drug tests as amphetamine or methamphetamine. There is a strong potential of addiction.

The side effects of all these diet supplement sound scary. Use at your own risk.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: I took Adipex about 10 years ago. Yes, I lost weight fast. I also ended up with blood pressure so high I had to go to the hospital. I lost a kidney over it. Just a head's up if you are thinking about taking it.