It should come as no surprise to you that there are A LOT of junk products in this category. While this has always been the case we noticed that the number of bogus diet products increased substantially after the FDA's "on again / off again" ephedra ban.
The bottom line? Take the advice given by the US Federal Trade Commission (responsible for prosecuting those making false claims about products): Do not believe any claim that a diet pill will help you quickly lose dramatic amounts of unwanted fat without diet and/or exercise. Sure, some products with strong diuretic ingredients cause a decent amount of 'weight loss' without diet or exercise (at first) but it's only water loss - VERY temporary and NOT fat loss, which is kind of the KEY objective here, right? Don't waste your money or time on these products.
Here's what you need to know - yes, certain products contain ingredients that are very effective in helping with fat loss. But, some dieting and/or exercise is needed if you want the best results - as quickly as possible - and most permanently.
So, where do diet pills come in - how do they even help? Well, certain products contain active ingredients that will help you lose fat in three distinct ways:
Certain products contain ingredients that will increase your metabolic rate - help you burn more calories - even at rest - to a meaningful degree. We estimate this to be up to 1/4-1/2 pound per week;
Certain products contain ingredients that will give you more energy - making it easier to get that exercise done AND causing more calories to be burned during exercise;
And certain products contain ingredients that will reduce/help control your appetite - a factor 70% of dieters cite as the #1 reason they failed in their dieting efforts.
BUT, keep in mind that a pound of fat has about 3,500 calories in it - no diet pill on earth (ephedrine, prescription, or otherwise) can increase your metabolic rate enough to cause you to lose even a pound of fat per week. So, while it's possible to lose a bit of fat with the right diet pills alone, the best results - the fastest and most permanent results - happen when you combine diet, exercise and certain supplements. There's a very real synergistic effect which can produce results that are significantly greater than the sum of each individual part.
In general, we estimate the results will be about double the results achieved with diet and/or exercise alone. In more specific terms, with the right diet product added to your nutrition and exercise plan, you should expect to consistently see about 1.5 lbs to 3 lbs/loss per week.
How much diet or exercise? Not much is required to see real results. You can cut back on your food intake (moderate dieting) or do some exercise (weights or cardio 2-3 times per week) - ideally both! By the way, both exercise and a bit of calorie restriction are much easier with the right diet product! So, wherever you're starting from, and assuming you're maintaining your current weight, shoot to create a calorie deficit of about 500/calories per day - again, not much. This is a comfortable reduction for most people. Keep in mind that one medium order of fries contains about 400 calories and 30 minutes of jogging will burn about 250 calories. You can find more information on calories in food here and more information on calories burned during exercise here.
Now, on to our recommendations!
► 1. Thermolean: Made by Pro-Rx Labs, Thermolean is, hands down, our #1 recommendation in this category. Why? Because it hits all the key points for fat loss - boosts your metabolic rate, provides you with ample amounts of energy and helps with appetite control - it's little wonder why users keep reporting great results and reordering - it really works well! Also, for those who are sensitive to strong stimulants you'll find that Thermolean really helps with fat loss but without causing any 'jitters' you might experience with other products. Finally, Thermolean secures its #1 spot because it's one of the most cost effective/affordable products in this category.
Find out more about ThermoLean...
► 2. Suppress NT Diet Pills- Ranked #2 - this is an absolutely GREAT option! Made by NAI, this product could probably be in the #1 spot for many people - you won't notice the same energy boost as with Thermolean - but when it comes to absolutely CRUSHING appetite - this product delivers! It's not the best known product - but please don't let that sway you since the 'big names' - such as Hydroxycut, etc. - are nothing more than that and produce mediocre results at best. But Suppress NT is different. As with Thermolean, it hits all the key points for fat loss - boosts metabolic rate, helps with appetite suppression (BIG TIME!) and provides you with more energy - not surprisingly it consistently produces great results too!
Find out more about Suppress NT...
► 3. 7-Keto DHEA: Made by SupplementIQ, 7-Keto warrants your consideration if you're 30 years of age or older. Numerous studies have shown that as we age our levels of DHEA decline - as much as 40% between age 20 and 40. 7-Keto is unique in that it's a non-hormonal, non-stimulatory DHEA derivative and it's been extensively studied and clinically proven effective in boosting metabolic rate and thus fat loss. We like this product in particular because one bottle provides a full month of 7-Keto DHEA at 200mg/day - the exact amount used in the studies that demonstrated its effectiveness. Many other 7-Keto DHEA products are significantly under dosed - several others out there provide just 25% of the effective dose and cost more!
7-Keto DHEA can also be added to/taken along with ThermoLean or Hyperdrive 3.0+ for significantly improved results.
Find out more about 7-Keto DHEA...
► 4. Hoodia Pure: Made by SupplementIQ, Hoodia Pure further down on our list for this category since it only helps with appetite control. However, it is definitely worth consideration as its appetite suppressing effects (believed to be induced by the p-57 molecule found in the hoodia plant) are quite powerful, but again, it does NOTHING for increased energy or boosting metabolic rate. For those who wish to avoid stimulants of any kind (including caffeine - present in most diet formulas) and struggle primarily with appetite control, hoodia can certainly be a good choice.
While the Hoodia Pure product consistently receives strong feedback, as a stand-alone supplement/ingredient we've found 'hoodia' receive somewhat mixed reviews. We believe this is due to the fact that it's not currently possible for hoodia extracts to be standardized for the p-57 molecule - the 'active constituent' in hoodia causing appetite suppression. Consequently, many 'hoodia' products are very likely under dosed OR lack the p-57 molecule entirely since they are not comprised of the entire hoodia plant (some products only use hoodia root, for instance).
Keep in mind that the research done on hoodia where the p-57 molecule was discovered an extract of the WHOLE PLANT was used. We recommend Hoodia Pure over other hoodia products - and believe it works - because it's sufficiently dosed and properly prepared - a single capsule contains the equivalent of 5,000mg of the WHOLE HOODIA PLANT.
Hoodia Pure can also be added to/taken along with ThermoLean, Venom or 7-Keto DHEA for improved appetite control.
Find out more about Hoodia Pure...
► 5. Slim Quick Diet Pills : Slim Quick is a VERY popular diet product, designed just for women. Overall, Slim Quick continues to receive good reviews from our customers but some feedback has been unfavorable - you'll find it posted on the product pages.
We're still including it on our list, since the scale is still decidedly tilted in the positive direction, but near the bottom because the other products (above) have received higher ratings.
► 6. Stimulant X: Made by Anabolic Xtreme, Stimulant X is best for those looking for an all-day energy booster - but it's still a good choice for fat loss as it does boost metabolic rate and assist with appetite control. If you've tried Stimulant X in the past please note that the manufacturer recently changed this product's formulation - we've gotten mixed feedback from those who have used the old formula and then tried this new version. Some find it less potent than the original (and take higher doses to get the same energy boosting and fat loss effects) while others believe this new formulation is stronger than the original. Because of this, we recommend you err on the side of caution and start with just one capsule per day to see how you respond.
Find out more about Stimulant-X...
