If you are trying to lose some extra pounds, chances are that you have heard, or even tried different medication to help you lose weight. Weight loss medication is used to help you lose weight when other lifestyle alterations such as exercise and healthy diet have failed to provide you with positive weight loss results. This article looks into whether the right medication can help you achieve positive weight loss results.
When Should You Use Weight Loss Medication?
Although weight loss medication is supposed to help you lose weight, it is good to note that these medicines are not ideal for all your weight loss problems. In fact, weight loss medication is not preferred for those individuals that have had occasional and unsuccessful attempts at shedding extra weight.
People that should use medication to lose weight are those that have obesity, that is a body mass index of about 30kg/m2 or greater. Overweight individuals with extra weight-related issues should also implement weight loss medication. Weight loss medication is also incredible for maintaining weight loss, starting a weight loss campaign, and preventing weight-related health conditions.
It is good to note that making the right food choices, minimizing your calorie intake, and increasing the physical activity that you do should be incorporate in your weight loss plan, even when you are using medication to achieve weight loss results. If you do not make the right lifestyle changes, you cannot achieve positive weight loss results.
Examples of Common Weight Loss Medication
- Orlistat
Also referred to as Xenical, orlistat is a type of medicine that blocks your body from absorbing a high percentage of the fat you consume. Orlistat is approved for long-term use but has some side effects such as passing gas, bowel movements, abdominal cramping, and leaking oily stool. Despite this, the side effects are usually temporary and mild. However, the symptoms may get worse if you consume high-fat foods.
- Lorcaserin
This medication curbs your appetite so you can take in less food. With less food intake, you will be able to lose more weight, as your calorie intake will be low too. Some side effects of consuming this medication include nausea, fatigue, dizziness, dry mouth, and headache. Although lorcaserin has its own side effects, they are temporary and normal.
- Contrave
Contrive is a combination of bupropion and naltrexone. The latter is meant to treat seasonal affective disorder and depression while the former treats alcohol and opioid dependence. Contrave is approved for long term use but has its own side effects such as insomnia, headache, constipation, nausea, and dry mouth.
Can Medication Replace Diet and Exercise as Ways to Lose Weight?
As aforementioned in this article, medication to lose weight should be used in combination with other weight loss methods such as exercise and diet. Therefore, you should not use medication as a replacement for healthy eating habits and working out. Research shows that you will achieve better results if you decide to live a healthy lifestyle. When getting your medication, be sure to ask your physician on the best ways, in terms of diet and exercise, to lose weight. This way, you will be able to select a good weight loss management system that works best for you.
Benefits of Using Weight Loss Medication
As far as you combine your weight loss medication with proper diet and exercise, you should be able to achieve positive weight results quite fast. Studies show that those people that use medication lose more than 3 to 10 percent of their body weight than those that do not implement the power of medication. Obviously, results vary from person to person, but if these figures are anything to go by, then medication is quite helpful for those that would like to shed some extra pounds.
If you have been trying to lose weight, some medications out there might help you achieve the results you want. However, you have to know that weight loss medication has to be combined with regular exercise and diet to enable you achieve positive weight loss results. In addition to this, you will get in your desired shape and achieve ultimate health and wellness. Therefore, if you are looking for a quicker way to lose weight, weight loss medication can help you with that. While using medication, it is good to note that the market has a wide array of prescription and non-prescription drugs. Therefore, be sure to discuss with your doctor about the benefits and risk of these medicines.
