1. I don’t like feeling like I’m on crack. Hard to believe, I know (okay, so I’ve never actually tried crack – but I’ve read enough addict memoirs to get a good idea of how it feels). Most diet pills make you feel jumpy and skittish, and have you folding your laundry at warp speed then getting sudden impulses to run around the neighborhood. I’ve got a sensitive metabolism and those diet pills are just too much for me.

2. If diet pills make me feel like that then what are they doing to my body in the long run? Long-term effects of diet pills can be nasty. Do you really want to end up at 40 in the hospital on kidney dialysis, or shopping for a new liver in India?

3. It’s not a sustainable plan for weight loss. You can’t take them long term, and the best way to stay healthy is to get into the habit of leading a healthy lifestyle. So instead of addressing the root of the problem, diet pills just offer a quick fix, meaning that you most likely won’t keep the weight off.

4. They don’t work. Studies have repeatedly shown that dieting and diet pills don’t work to keep pounds off in the long term (American Psychologist April 2007). So go ahead and waste your money if you want to. Buy some cellulite cream while you’re at it – I’m sure that will just melt your fat right off!

5. Some diet pills are dangerous for your heart. Really, who cares if you die of a heart attack – you look so thin in that coffin!

6. Diet pills can mess with your natural metabolism. What goes up must come down – and the last thing you want is to end up with the metabolism of a hibernating bear. Unless you’re a hibernating bear, that is.

7. Like a diet pill is going to solve all your problems. Let’s face it, we get fat because of lifestyle issues, not because there’s a virus going around. Stress, lack of exercise, unhealthy eating, all those things have an effect, so why do we think a diet pill is going to make it all better. To lose weight, you have to correct all those unhealthy behaviors, and there’s no diet pill that accomplishes that!

8. Taking diet pills makes me feels like I belong in Valley of the Dolls or an afterschool special or something. It feels like one degree of separation from bulimia and anorexia. It makes me feel…desperate.

9. There’s a whole class of diet pills – the kind that stop your body from absorbing fats, that have side effects too disgusting to write about here. Lets just say that if you take them, you’d better invest in some adult diapers, and can forget about wearing white pants. And you might want to set up a home office in your bathroom, cause you’ll be spending a lot of time there. Oh, and did I mention that they can lead to deficiencies of fat soluble vitamins like vitamin E, A, D and K? So you might get a bone disease, but at least you’ll look hot in that hospital robe.

Okay, so I hate diet pills. What do I believe in? Losing weight isn’t about taking a magic pill. It’s a lifestyle issue. If you want to change your weight, you have to be able to take a look at why you gained it in the first place. What are the root causes of your overeating? Here’s a simple psychology textbook exercise you can do to discover why you eat (other than the obvious, hunger) and some lifestyle solutions. This is the clearest, simplest method I’ve come across. Stop searching for the magic bullet and do the work people!

One of the first things you should do when you decide to take on the challenge of losing weight is to speak with your doctor about the diet plan you want to follow. Too many people do not do this ahead of time and a high percentage of those people land in the hospital because they have done something extreme or unhealthy to their bodies. However, this is only ONE of the reasons to check with your doctor BEFORE you begin any diet plan.

You should always consult with your doctor or physician prior to commencing any diet or exercise program.

Many times a person’s health is not the best and needs to be following a special diet. While it may not be one that is helping to lose weight, it is most likely one that is keeping you safe and alive. For example, if someone has a heart condition or is diabetic, they would need to follow some rather rigid eating guidelines. These people cannot SAFELY just suddenly decide that they need to lose weight and will be going on a diet. They MUST speak with their doctor before they jump in with both feet to make sure that all of their dietary needs are being met without adding anything that will be harmful to their conditions.

Involving your doctor in your diet plan is particularly important if you plan to take any supplements, specifically diet pills of some kind. There are several weight loss aids being touted as the best and fastest ones to use in the quest to lose weight. Of course, their advertisements include a blurb on just how effective and SAFE they are. You cannot afford to just assume they are telling you the truth. For these companies, it is all about business and making money. The last thing they will want you to know is if anyone was ever harmed by taking their product. Therefore, you need to speak with your doctor before including any supplements in your diet plan. Most of the time, these are rather useless and contain caffeine to keep up your energy along with some sort of appetite suppressant. Be sure to take a list of the ingredients in when you meet with your physician about the supplement.

Something else you may want to check with your doctor about is just how much weight you need to lose and how many calories you should be eating each day. Remember that it is unhealthy to lose too much weight just as it is dangerous to carry around an excess of weight. Therefore, if there is any question in your mind about what a healthy weight is for you, make it a point to ask when you go in for this consultation.

The thing to remember when deciding whether or not you need to involve your doctor in your diet plan is that it is his or her priority to keep you safe and healthy. You can feel more confident about starting a weight loss plan that has been approved by your physician.