I've tried the ephedra diet aids. I thought I was going to have a heart attack. I'd get dizzy and my vision would start to fade and my heart would pound, and I'd be sweaty and jittery. Plus I'd still want to eat because it's more of an emotional urge than physical hunger for me.

Another thing - if you read the super fine print, all of those products say "for best results, exercise and eat sensibly." I think we'd all lost just as much weight if we ate right and exercised and left out the expensive pills.

Rather than spending $40 or more a month on diet aids, I would buy prepackaged meals like Lean Cuisine or South Beach Diet, and protein bars and shakes, to keep my portions in check. Not sure how I'll keep fighting the urges to snack between meals, on unhealthy junk. Hopefully it'll get easier with practice.

I do transcription for a Ph.D. who assesses people prior to undergoing bariatric surgery, and it's always "proper portion size, protein first, sip 64 ounces of water a day." There have been a few people who have done so well just altering their habits that they've decided to opt out of surgery.

The one thing that's been the biggest incentive has been seeing the comparison between how much I normally eat in any given day and the amount I should be eating. If I cut down to 3 scheduled meals and a couple of snacks and up the water, I'll see positive results pretty soon (knock wood).

Good luck Susan.

P.S. We've got a weight loss thread going in health support if you want to join in.