Weight Loss nutritional supplements to consider - Or, try an exceptional product called Diet Rx that works in many people
Banaba extract, Choline bitartrate, Inositol, Carnitine (Hcl), Pomegranate (standardized to contain 40 % ellagic acid), Bitter Melon extract, Psyllium husk, Fenugreek seed extract 4 to 1 (Trigonella foenum), Guggul herb (standardized to contain 10 % guggulsterones), garcinia cambogia is promoted for weight loss, but other options are available that work better, and inulin fiber. Pyruvate is a three-carbon ketoacid promoted as a weight loss pill. Apple cider vinegar is produced by crushing apples and squeezing out the liquid, some people promote it as an effective product to lose pounds but we cannot find any research to substantiate this claim. Chitosan has been touted for weight loss, but more effective supplements are available. Citrus aurantium herb and other herbs that influence appetite are often found in fat burning products.

Do the type of calories count?
When it comes to quick weigh loss, the number of calories you eat, rather than the type of carbohydrates, may be what matters most.

Eating low calorie foods for rapid weight loss
While most diets focus on foods you shouldn't eat, those that emphasize adding low-calorie foods, like fruits and vegetables, can promote healthy weight loss. Overweight adults who are instructed to focus on lower-calorie foods lose more weight than their peers who are simply told to cut their overall calories. Foods such as fruits and vegetables have low "energy density". Because they have a high water content, they are heavy by weight but low in calories; while such foods do not add many calories to the diet, they are still filling. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 2007.

Causes
Obesity results from consuming more calories than the body uses. Genetic and environmental factors influence body weight, but precisely how they interact to determine a person's weight is still unclear. One proposed explanation is that body weight is regulated around a set point, similar to a thermostat setting. A higher-than-normal set point may explain why some people are obese and why losing weight and maintaining weight loss are difficult for them.
   Socioeconomic factors strongly influence obesity, especially among women. In the United States, obesity is more than twice as common among women in lower socioeconomic groups as among women in higher ones. Why socioeconomic factors have such a strong influence on women's weight is not fully understood, but sanctions against obesity do increase with increasing social status. Women in higher socioeconomic groups have more time and resources for the dieting and exercise that enable them to conform to these social demands.
   Emotional disturbances, once considered an important cause of obesity, are now considered a reaction to the strong prejudice and discrimination against obese people. One type of emotional disturbance, a negative body image, is a serious problem for many young obese women. It leads to extreme self-consciousness and discomfort in social situations.
   Obese people, particularly those who became obese during childhood, may have up to five times more fat cells than people of normal weight. Because the number of cells can't be reduced, weight can be lost only by reducing the amount of fat in each cell.
   Reduced physical activity is probably one of the main reasons for difficulty in weight loss among people in affluent societies.
   Easy access to calorie-dense foods and drinks, along with a sedentary lifestyle in front of the TV tube are major factors. Rarely, hormonal disorders cause obesity.
   A number of commonly used drugs cause weight gain. They include corticosteroids such as prednisone and many antidepressants, as well as many drugs used to treat psychiatric disorders.
   Overweight children and teenagers may eat more when they have a snack with an overweight friend rather than a thinner peer. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 2009.

Diet Tips
You don't have to finish your plate
Reduce the quantity of late night meals and snacks, and this will help with weight loss
Snacking may cause weight gain if snacks are consumed in a non-hungry state.
Reduce calorie dense foods, they are the most likely source of weight gain Substitute stevia, the no calorie natural sweetener, for sugar.
Reduce any sugared drinks, such as iced teas and soft drinks. Dilute fruit juices with water.
Add a teaspoon of sugar-free psyllium powder (found in all grocery stores) to a glass of water and drink it with each meal. Psyllium absorbs a lot of water and gives you a sense of fullness.
Eat more protein during the day and reduce intake of simple carbohydrates.
Find activities, hobbies, sports, games, or work that you enjoy doing, so you won't be thinking about food as a primary source of pleasure.
Exercise is one of the best things you can do for weight loss. Find an activity that you enjoy. It will also help you sleep better. Failure to get a full night's sleep can lead to weight gain or compromise the beneficial effects of a reduced calorie diet on total body fat.

More sleep more weight loss
In a study that followed U.S. women for 16 years, researchers found that those who caught more sleep each night tended to put on less weight during middle-age. What's more, women who typically clocked 5 hours of sleep were one third more likely than those who slept for 7 hours to have a substantial weight gain -- 33 pounds or more -- during the study period. Sleep habits affect a person's weight loss.

Calcium intake and weight loss
Getting enough calcium and vitamin D while reducing calorie intake can increase the beneficial effects of weight loss on cholesterol levels. Overweight or obese women who took calcium and vitamin D supplements while on a 15-week diet showed greater drops in LDL or "bad" cholesterol and increases in HDL ("good") cholesterol, Dr. Angelo Tremblay of Laval University in Ste-Foy, Quebec and colleagues found. All of the women had been getting less than 800 milligrams a day of calcium at the study's outset. Women who are trying to lose weight should be sure to get adequate amounts of every other vitamin and mineral, as well as calcium and vitamin D, because there is evidence that general vitamin and mineral supplementation may have beneficial effects as well. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, January 2007.

Psychological factors
People don't always eat because they’re hungry, but they eat for many other reasons: stress, tension, anxiety, loneliness, depression, anger, boredom. So in order to lose weight you have to focus on diet, but you also have to deal with those emotional factors.

Weight loss benefit for lymphedema
Weight loss is helpful to reduce breast cancer-associated lymphedema of the arm. Lymphedema is common, chronic condition that often develops after breast surgery, in which excess fluid collects in the lymph nodes and vessels in the armpit.

Risk and danger, side effects
Long-term weight loss may release into the blood industrial pollutants linked to illnesses like diabetes, hypertension and rheumatoid arthritis. These compounds are normally stored in fatty tissues, but when fat breaks down, they get into the blood stream. Duk-Hee Lee at the Kyungpook National University in Daegu in South Korea says we are living under the strong dogma that weight loss is always beneficial, but weight gain is always harmful, but we think that increased (pollutant) levels (in the blood) due to fat loss can affect human health in a variety of ways, Duk-Hee Lee and an international team of colleagues studied 1,099 participants in the United States and concentrations of seven such compounds in their blood. Once released into the bloodstream, these pollutants are able to reach vital organs. Those who lost most weight over 10 years had the highest concentrations of the compounds, called persistent organic pollutants (POPs), compared to those who gained or maintained a steady weight. There is emerging evidence that POPs are not safe. Persistent organic pollutants are linked to type 2 diabetes, hypertension, coronary heart disease, rheumatoid arthritis, periodontal disease. International Journal of Obesity, 2010.

Weight loss naturally questions
Does herbal weight loss supplements increase testosterone levels? Also, is the increase the same for male and female?
   There are countless different herbal weight loss supplements, each with a different mix of herbs, so it is not an easy question to answer.

What is your opinion on weight loss patches that claim to work rather quickly.
   See weight loss patch page.

Does tongkat ali help with losing weight? Can you also tell me if fucoxanthin helps with losing body fat?
   We don't think so.

I am post menopausal. I still suffer after more than 13 years. I have also put on weight - 4 stone! I do not eat that much, although I do have cravings for carbohydrates - sweets. I know that this is hormonal and as I live in Australia and you cannot ship DHEA here, I was wondering if there was anything else I could get for my problem of weight gain that would solve these common symptoms / problems of hormone deficiency.

I received a hysterectomy due to my uterus being cover in fatty mass cysts. It was at 800mg in size. Several days after the surgery I was released from the hospital and developed a severe infection inside. This lasted for approximately six months before the infection was completely gone. Consequences of the surgery were I went into immediate menopause and gained 70 pounds. I took hormone replacements and 90 mg Sinthroid for hypothyroidism which also developed after the surgery. In the past year I have weaned myself off the hormones and take supplements instead. I tried reducing my thyroid meds to 50 mgs and I feel fine.
But my problem is still my weight. I am now 90 lbs overweight and when I try to exercise I get extremely out of breath and I can not walk very far before I have to sit down. I have a good diet of vegetables, very little sugars, and low carbohydrates. Is there anything you can recommend that would help me lose this weight and get back my energy and health.
    Thanks for writing but we cannot offer specific treatment advice.

Vespa amino acid is now being marketed with respect to athletic training. Does it have any benefit for weight loss. Are there potential negative effects?
    We are not familiar with Vespa amino acid product.

I went to my doctor and explained that I am trying to loose weight and having difficulty with it, even with eating healthy foods (whole grains, vegetables and fruits), in smaller quantities and exercising regularly I'm having trouble loosing weight. I'm also having trouble with becoming very tired by the early afternoon, I just don’t have the energy that I should to get through the rest of the day. She had some blood drawn and told me that I'm pre-diabetic and insulin resistant. And said that what I needed to do was to "loose weight". Now, if you notice above, that was what I'd come to her to get some help with. Do you have any suggestions for me? I really would like to get this taken care of before it becomes diabetes. I'm sure that there are others that could benefit from knowing this information also.

Please provide an opinion on the HCG weight loss protocol, and benefits / dangers of using HCG (sub-lingually) for 20-30 days as part of the Dr. Simeons protocol.
   HCG treatment as a way to lose pounds is controversial and we do not have enough studies to give an informed comment at this point. Based on limited information we happen to be skeptical of its benefits.