A combination of dietary supplements such as hoodia, ginger, cinnamon, green tea extract, spirulina, acetyl-l-carnitine, choline, guggul, and several other herbs and nutrients, as found in Diet Rx, an extremely effective, doctor formulated, herbal diet pill for weight loss. Users of Diet Rx have lost several pounds within a week or two.

Weight Loss nutritional supplements to consider - Or, try an exceptional product called Diet Rx that works in many people
Banaba extract (standardized to contain 1 % corosolic acid), Choline bitartrate, Inositol, Carnitine (Hcl), Pomegranate (standardized to contain 40 % ellagic acid), Bitter-Melon extract (Momordica charantia), Psyllium husk, Fenugreek seed extract 4 to 1 (Trigonella foenum), Guggul herb (standardized to contain 10 % guggulsterones), and inulin fiber.

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, May 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, August 2009.

Diet Tips for Weight Loss
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 more than 68,000 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 in weight loss
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. Following a healthy diet and an exercise program is all motivation and behavior.

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. Cancer, October 15, 2007.

Children and adolescents
Children who are overweight tend to eat a relatively large share of their calories later in the day. Some studies of adults have found connections between body weight and eating late in the day; people who eat late in the day tend to eat more calories overall, while those who prefer a big breakfast tend to eat fewer calories throughout the day. In a study of more than 11,000 U.S. children and teenagers, Dr. Sibylle Kranz, of East Carolina University in Greenville, North Carolina found that compared with their healthy-weight peers, overweight 6- to 11-year-olds generally ate a larger share of their daily calories after 4 p.m. The reverse was true among teenagers, however -- with overweight teens eating a relatively smaller share of their calories after 4 p.m.. Based on the data, it seemed that teenagers who ate a relatively large amount of calories late in the day compensated for it by eating less at other times, explained Dr. Sibylle Kranz. It is not clear whether eating late causes school-age children to become overweight teenagers and adults. Long-term studies are needed to gain a better understanding of how the timing of meals and snacks affects children's weight. Adults who want to shed pounds, or avoid gaining any, often hear advice to avoid eating after 7 or 8 p.m. But overall calorie intake is the main concern. If you eat fewer calories than you burn, you will lose weight, regardless of when those calories are consumed. International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, online May 21, 2009.

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

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

Q. Does tongkat ali help with losing weight?
   A. 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.

In late 2004 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.