Diet pills are not recommended in our program. There is serious concern for safety regarding over the counter diet pills and supplements. Even with FDA approved medications, there are often serious side effects. In all cases, proper medical supervision should be used.
Embarking upon a medically supervised diet can be an important tool for some. If your weight has become a problem medically, and you need a more immediate reduction, a medically supervised diet may help. Also, for some who need an initial infusion of a substantial weight loss to give them confidence and encouragement, this approach can also be useful. Of course, one should have a discussion of possible side effects with their health care provider.
But where this process loses steam is the transition from the initial weight loss to lifetime weight maintenance. The actual process of losing weight on a medically supervised diet and / or using diet pills is by definition unsustainable. The foods may be liquid or shakes and do not provide enough calories to sustain a normal weight. The dietary habits are substantially different than those required in the maintenance period. Diet pills obviously are not a lifelong solution. There is little or no training on how to continue after the weight is lost.
To the extent there is no counseling offered with such a plan, the gap in treatment is quite large. Many medical weight loss programs employ dieticians to provide counseling for the transition period. The education they provide on food can be quite important.
However, these programs still do not have a good track record with regard to long term maintenance. The reason is they do not address the problem where it lives, so to speak. The counseling provided by most registered dietitians do not address the psychological underpinnings or mindfulness to maintain the long term changes. However, these programs still do not have a good track record with regard to long term maintenance. The reason is they do not address the problem where it lives, so to speak. The counseling provided by most