Are Weight Loss Medications Right For You

There are a number of new weight loss medications available on the market today.  However, these drugs are not intended for the average person who has an extra 10 pounds to lose before their wedding.  Prescription weight loss medications are designed for people who are significantly obese or have weight-related medical problems that must be corrected quickly to prevent further complications.  Here is a basic guide to determining if weight loss drugs may be right for you.  Of course, you must always consult your doctor for a thorough evaluation and prescription.

There are certain guidelines concerning who may be prescribed weight loss medications.  A patient must have a body mass index that is over 30, unless they have other obesity-related health conditions such as heart problems, diabetes, or high blood pressure.  These severe medical conditions lower the body mass index requirement to 27.  Whether or not a medical condition is obesity-related and grounds for prescribing medication can depend on the doctor, so get a second opinion if you disagree with your doctor's assessment.  These health problems can become severe if left unchecked and prescription weight loss medications may be the answer you have been looking for.

The most common weight loss medications work by suppressing the appetite.  These types of diet aids have been around for decades, with amphetamines and Dexedrine being used even back in the 1950s.  A new type of appetite suppressant drugs use a slightly different mechanism to achieve the same result, reducing their appeal for abuse.  For example, the popular drug Meridia inhibits the release of a certain type of brain chemical that is responsible for signaling hunger.  This way, the patient never even gets hungry, so there is no feeling of depriving themselves of something they want.  Unfortunately, Meridia is known to increase blood pressure and heart rate, making it unsafe for many people with cardiovascular issues.

Besides the weight loss medications that suppress appetite, there is another class of drugs designed to interfere with the body's ability to absorb fat from food.  Xenical was the first of these lipase inhibitor medications to be approved, hitting the market in 1999.  These drugs work by inhibiting the body's production of lipase, which is a necessary part of the fat absoprtion process.  Without this enzyme, fat molecules cannot be broken down and will pass harmlessly through the digestive system.  The side effects of Xenical show the drawback to letting fat leave the body in its unprocessed state, with cramps, flatulence, diarrhea, and anal leakage being the most common.

Testing is always being performed on new drugs for the commercial markets, so it is only a matter of time before there are better options for people wishing to lose weight.  Some developmental medicines have received short-term FDA approval, but they have shown too many side effects to be approved for mainstream use at this time.  With some more refining by the pharmaceutical companies' research and development departments, they should be available as part of the next wave of prescription weight loss medications.

If weight loss medications are not right for you, go to How To Lose Weight Calories for good diet ideas.

For a really good diet that will help you lose weight fast go to: Fat Loss 4 Idiots

How To Succeed With Your Healthy Eating Weight Loss Plan

If you need to lose weight, you’ve probably looked at some healthy eating weight loss diets and groaned in disappointment each time.  Most of them were probably fad diet plans. You’ve looked at diets that are supposed to be good for you while letting you lose weight. 

Some claim you can eat things like fatty cheeseburgers and even fatty milkshakes (made with sugar substitutes).  While other diets claim that you can eat whatever you want as long as you keep your fat intake low. But chances are that they all restrict or forbid something you really enjoy, and you’re not looking forward to going without that favorite food.

What some people overlook is that you don’t necessarily have to follow a healthy eating weight loss diet that someone else claims is the best.  You can figure out how to eat on your own. The first step is to look at how you’ve been eating.  Obviously, if you need to lose weight you’ve been following a diet that provides you with too many calories.  If your diet is healthy overall but you’ve been eating too many calories, then you might not even need to change the way you eat much at all.  Increasing your daily exercise could be enough to help you lose weight.

If your diet needs an adjustment to become a healthy eating weight loss plan, though, you should look at the parts of your diet that seem unhealthy and adjust them. If you make too big a change from the way you like to eat, you’re setting yourself up to be unhappy with your new diet plan.  Instead, try to incorporate the things you enjoy into your new plan.

Your healthy eating weight loss plan might not be able to include doughnuts 3 or 4 times a week like you’ve been eating.  But the occasional doughnut as a treat might be acceptable if it fits within your allotted calories for that day.  You might be able to have a substitution for a doughnut a couple of times a week, though.  A whole grain bagel with fruit-flavored low-fat cream cheese, for instance, is a sweet treat that you could enjoy instead of a doughnut.  It might give you the same satisfaction while remaining healthier and truer to your healthy eating weight loss plan.

If you eat a lot of sweets like chocolate, you can still enjoy them in moderation.  Dark chocolate can be part of a healthy eating weight loss plan.  Dark chocolate contains more antioxidants that many fruits and vegetables.  So try dipping some of your favorite fruits like bananas, pineapple or strawberries in some high-quality melted dark chocolate for a powerful anti-oxidant punch that should satisfy your sweet tooth and keep you on your diet.

Almost any unhealthy treats you’re use to having can be substituted with a healthier food that gives you at least some of the satisfaction of the unhealthy treat.  Mashed cauliflower instead of buttery mashed potatoes, thin-crust vegetable pizza instead of take-out and other tricks can make your healthy eating weight loss plan more enjoyable.

Go to: How To Lose Weight Calories for many more tips on healthy eating plans.