All right, I admit it. I have taken weight-loss supplements. Well, not any time recently, and not since I started this journey, and certainly not while pregnant. It was actually years and years ago before I ever started having kids. I wanted to believe that there was some magic “pill” out there that would help me take the weight off and keep it off. I can’t even remember the pills I took but I think I remember that we (both The Chick Magnet and I tried them) got them at a kiosk in the mall.
Smart.
The main ingredient I know was caffeine. I did not handle them so well as they made me sick to my stomach and jittery. Let me tell you people, as an EXTREME type-A personality, this girl needs NO help in the jittery department. So, my foray into the weight-loss supplement industry was incredibly brief. I think I lasted less than a week and pretty sure I lost no weight on them.
My plan this time around does not include taking a pill or drinking a shake or going to a meeting or having a surgery. I believe that those things may work for some people, but they just aren’t for me. The reason I have this topic on my mind is because I received a question from a reader a couple of weeks ago. Lisa (not me, the reader) and her husband would like to get pregnant soon and she asked me my thoughts on weight-loss supplements while trying to conceive. Here is what her e-mail said (re-printed with permission):
I am 39 and weigh 233. I had given up on the thought of having a baby but I got married in June and now I have baby fever. I know I am at an unhealthy weight and want to lose weight but I also want to get pregnant. I have recently purchased the YP10 weight-loss system which is similar to the hcg diet. You eat a very low-calorie diet and take these drops 3 times a day. I am torn about whether to do this since I want to get pregnant. What are your thoughts on weightloss supplement while ttc?
TTC = trying to conceive
I thought her question was an excellent one and wanted to share my response with you here, so you guys, too, can know where I stand on the issue. I will preface this by reiterating that this is what works, FOR ME. Weight-loss is highly individual, and what is right for me and my journey may not be right for you and yours. My sister has lost GOBS of weight, at a much faster rate than I have (she is now pretty much at goal-weight), through a medical weight-loss program that included using medication. I am insanely proud of her, she is absolutely beautiful (she was that before though too!) and maybe only slightly jealous. 
So, please don’t misunderstand what I am about to say as me being anti-weight-loss program. I am pro-what-works-for-you. Also, recognize that I am not a dietician, nor am I a trained medical professional. I am simply one woman attempting to share my journey to becoming a healthy and whole person. Please consult your physician if you have any questions about my opinions on this matter.
Here is my response to Lisa:
Hi Lisa-thanks for contacting me.
First of all, I just have to offer a disclaimer that what I am about to say can’t replace the advice of your physician lol. I am sure you know that, but as I am not a trained dietitian, midwife or OB/GYN, I can’t give advice to your specific situation.
What I can say is what I feel has worked for me and what I have been told by my own care providers.
First, I am not a big fan of taking ANY weight-loss supplements, ever lol. This is just my personal opinion. I am not really into fad diets or weight-loss aids. Again, just my personal preference. What I advocate is eating a whole foods diet high in protein, fruits and veggies, severely limiting processed foods and sugar (like almost never-except maybe in certain social situations where it is unavoidable and then in limited quantities), and limiting carb intake to only whole grains (brown rice, 100% whole grain bread, quinoa, barley) and even at that, only 2-3 servings a day.
If you are anything like me, carbs and sugars are not your friend-especially sugar (including artificial sweeteners). I also advocate eating healthy fats (extra virgin olive oil, real butter, coconut oil, avocado etc…) and not getting on the “low-fat” bandwagon (just about everything with that label in the store comes with added sugars and artificial ingredients to take the place of the flavor lost when removing the fat that is supposed to be there).
In addition, I suggest the old standby of adding exercise into your weekly routine-preferably at least 5 times a week-even if it is just a five minute walk-do whatever you can to incorporate more movement into your daily life, and try to steadily increase the time and intensity you spend exercising.
I know many, many people who have achieved pregnancy at your weight and age. I will be 35 next month and I weigh 320 pounds. I have been overweight with every pregnancy and have had 5 healthy pregnancies. So conception is not out of the question for you if you want to ttc.
That being said, yes I DO agree that you want to be at optimal health when you get pregnant. I DON’T think you can achieve optimal health on an extremely restricted diet. Will you lose weight that way? Sure-but it is not the healthiest way to do it, in my opinion. The goal shouldn’t just be to lose weight-but rather, HEALTH. When you start eating a whole foods diet, cut out most sugar from your diet and start to exercise, you will see the pounds come off.
They may not come off as fast as when you are taking supplements, but they will come off in a healthy way and as you begin to change your habits you will be making changes to your health that you can sustain. Many, many people who do the hcg diet or something similar gain all the weight back, and then some, as soon as they are off the program, because they really haven’t made lifestyle changes that they can maintain for a long period of time. You’re goal is health, not rapid weight-loss at any cost.
Also, these changes you make now are ones you can continue once you do become pregnant. It is not unsafe for a pregnant woman to lose weight while pregnant, particularly if she is overweight. I have lost weight during most of my pregnancies. BUT, what you don’t want to do is lose the weight initially, get pregnant, and go completely off the band-wagon, eat whatever you want and gain a ton of weight while pregnant-that’s not good for babe either.
If you start now with eating better and caring for yourself (also add in drinking LOTS of water and getting adequate rest) those are things you can continue once pregnant to give your baby the best start possible. Pregnancy adds lots of extra demands on a mama’s body and you want to fuel your body properly to keep up with those demands. I follow a modified
Brewer’s Diet during pregnancy and that works for me and seems to have helped me have very healthy pregnancies and very healthy babies, despite my weight.
Another thing I would recommend for you is making an appointment with your physician and just having a general check-up performed-including blood work testing for diabetes, cholesterol issues, thyroid, anemia, iron levels, Vitamin D levels and a general well-woman exam. Your physician will be able to advise you as to what they would like to see you achieve before getting pregnant.
It’s also a good idea to go ahead and start taking a good quality prenatal vitamin now, or at the very least, a folic acid supplement. I also take a Vitamin D supplement, pro-biotics and an Omega-3 supplement (good quality fish oil). Although there is no guarantee, odds are in your favor that you will have a healthy pregnancy and delivery! It would be great to get your hubby on board as well-the healthier he is, the better your chances at conceiving and maintaining a healthy pregnancy.
I also recommend the book Taking Charge of Your Fertility (you can probably find it at your library)-this is an incredibly valuable resource for those who are trying to conceive. There is also the website,
http://tcoyf.com/, that has some printable charts for tracking your cycles and ovulation-if you do that faithfully for a month or two you can get a general sense for how your body is working and ovulating, which can increase your chances of conceiving more quickly.
We have been practicing natural family planning for over 10 years now and it has never failed us. It doesn’t work for everyone, particularly women with fertility struggles or irregular cycles, but it works for many and it has really helped us with our family planning and avoiding synthetic hormones in the form of birth control.
I don’t want you to think I am criticizing you. Please understand this is just my personal opinion on weight-loss and health. It will look different for everyone and what works for one person may not be right for another. I hope I have answered your question and helped in some way. If you don’t mind, I would love to turn your question, and my answer into a blog post because I think it is a very good one.
(end of e-mail)
This is pretty much the same advice I would give anyone, regardless of whether they are male or female, trying to conceive, trying to lose weight, or just want to be healthier.
So, what do you say? Have you had success with a certain weight-loss supplement or program? I know there are several reputable, effective programs out there. Anything that I missed? Agree or disagree? Share your experiences and advice for Lisa in the comments!
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The Chick
I too have taken diet pills over the years, many different ones. Mostly over the counter, one prescribed by my physician with frequent checks at the office. Some worked, some didn’t and some were just horrible. As soon as you stop taking them, the weight creeps back on and usually with a few extra pounds. I know someone who became addicted to them. Another issue is the effect on blood pressure. I don’t have high blood pressure, never have. On the last few diet pills I tried, my blood pressure went up. I agree with you, Lisa, lifestyle change, eating healthy food and exercise. Weight loss IS individual like you said and I think each person has to find what works for them. Best wishes to your reader Lisa and her husband in this journey of expanding their family!
I’ve taken supplements, had foods delivered, tried juicing … some worked, some didn’t but I had health issues along with emotional/stress issues which impeded my attempts to lose weight. It is an individual choice, each person’s body reacts differently to pills or diet plans, just like our bodies react differently to foods and medications. And I agree totally that the goal should be “health” rather than just weight loss. I think the most important thing when seeking to lose weight is to find out what caused us to gain and, if necessary, work on the emotional/mental issues along with whatever weight loss plan the person chooses. I believe the way my WW leader says: for many of us, weight loss is 90% mental and 10% physical and until we address the mental issues, the physical loss will be temporary or not happen at all. I hope Lisa finds a happy & successful path to losing weight and becoming healthy (or healthier) for herself and her future children.
I love this post, it is very thoughtful and well written. I have noticed that almost all diets whether they use pills or not restrict the calories you eat. I believe your advice is right on. I know that the Dr. Donohue advice column in our local newspaper says to just cut out white flour and sugar in order to lose weight. I fully agree that what works for one person may not work for another. Blessings to both you and the lady wanting a baby.
I was never big on taking diet supplements, because of the side effects that comes with it. As you said the goal should be health and not to lose weight. Try to get rid of old habits and exchange them with new habits that you will benefit from in the long run. This is a very well written post, thanks!
I just discovered your blog recently, and I love it! I just started Weight Watchers a week and a half ago, and so far it is working. Everybody and their mother (including my own mother) is recommending various supplements to me. My issue is that I am on a medication that can be very reactive to other meds, etc (even ibuprofen), so I really don’t want to take my chances on any supplements. In any case, I agree that you need to focus on health and something you can maintain long term.
I have done hcg multiple times, and it works beautifully – the fat just drains off, and I feel so incredibly good. All the hcg does is trick your brain into allowing the release of fat that it normally would want to hold on to, in order to keep the (mythical) fetus healthy. In fact, there is no reason a pregnant woman couldn’t follow the hcg diet, since she already has massive amounts of hcg coursing through her system. There are no side effects that I am aware of, and I know men who have used it successfully. You are NOT starving yourself, as so many ‘experts’ want to maintain – you are simply living off of the nutients that your body has so kindly stored for you.
NOW… that being said, weight gain is more than just the physical. It is a tragedy that obese people are stereotyped as lazy and unself-disciplined. They are actually some of the strongest, most disciplined people I know. The weight gain is merely another sympton of the underlying problem that also causes you to overeat. While there are a few physical reasons, (like yeast overgrowth, which I am happy to say I have conquered), I would be willing to bet several years’ salary that most people who struggle with their weight do so because they are using food as a counterfeit source to meet emotional and spiritual needs. If it’s true that food is medicine (and I believe it is) then it’s true that it can be used improperly, just like medicine can. If you don’t address the underlying issues that caused you to gain the weight in the first place, you will just put it back on once you come off the program. And yes, it will pile back on faster than you ever thought possible. Talk about wasted time and mental energy!! What are you weighting for? Answer that question, and seek to understand yourself and address those issues, and your mental energy will be well spent. Does your weight keep you ‘safe’ in some way? Are you afraid you will be tempted to be unfaithful, or gain unwanted attention, if you become slim? Do you feel disconnected from your Creator, from your family, from people in general? Are you insulating yourself from others who have hurt you? Do you fear deprivation? Does the idea of giving up foods you love **gasp** FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE make you feel hopeless and empty? Do you fear the failure of keeping the weight off? Do you keep telling yourself that no matter what you do, things are never going to change? What do you say to yourself when you look in the mirror? ALL of these things I have struggled with. And they can all be addressed. I have discovered energy healing, specifically EFT Emotional Freedom Technique, and I feel like I finally have a tool that helps me focus my mental energy on issues I am struggling with. Things that I have felt guillty praying about because they just don’t seem like they would be important enough to devote prayer time to. But I am coming around to seeing that God does care about this stuff, because it goes to the heart of how we relate to others. How can we love and minister to others if we hate ourselves? Yeah, I’m still working through a lot of stuff, but it’s so worth it. If it wasn’t for the uncomfortable feeling of not being able to fit in most of my clothes right now, I wouldn’t even care about the weight. I have come a long way, baby! At least, with my mental attitude….. I still have few pounds to let go of. But I am no longer desperate to DO IT NOW. I am finding joy and healing in my journey.