Question:
Has anyone used any other weight loss products after WLS to speed up the process?

I was wondering if I used another weight loss products like Herbalife or Metabolife it that would speed up my metabolism and help speed up the weight loss    — Dawn H. (posted on June 17, 2001)

June 17, 2001
If those products really worked , there would have been no need for this surgery. I have a thyroid problem and I am not allowed to take any products with ginsing in them , they make my heart race. If you feel you must contribute your money to either of these products , just be sure you know how the "natural"ingredents will affect any other meds or conditions you may have. And please believe me when I say I do believe in certain herbal products and their ability to cure or help certain conditions , obesity is just not one of them.
   — Rose A.

June 17, 2001
I am 9 weeks post-op, Lap/RNY proximal and on occasion I use Slim Fast in place of one or two meals a day. It gives me energy, fills me up for a long time and although it has a rather high sugar content, I have not dumped from drinking it. It's fast and easy and I continue to lose weight on days that I use it. If you have problems with dumping you should probably stay away from it.
   — [Anonymous]

June 17, 2001
Yes, we are taking a lot of vitamin and mineral supplements. However, Herbalife and Metabolife are not just harmless supplements. They contain Ephedra which is a natural form of speed and not something the body needs at all. I can tell you that it had serious psychological effects on me and my surgeon made me swear to never take any form of Ephedra again, even if I didn't have the surgery. These things don't speed up your metabolism, they can curb your hunger slightly. However, if WLS doesn't curb your hunger, I'm sure Ephedra will only make things worse. Please discuss this with your doctor and surgeon before doing it.
   — kcanges

June 17, 2001
PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE don't take anything with ephedra in it! My daughter took this for about three months and one night her supervisor called me at 11pm and said that the paramedics were taking her to the hospital emergency room because she was bleeding through the mouth and nose. Here I live in Vt. and she was three hours away in N.H. The emer. room dr. finally called me at 3am and said they were keeping her overnight for observation and that he felt this was caused by taking ephedra. Needless to say, she stopped taking this and has never had another episode like this. All this happened three years ago, so please reconsider before taking this kind of drug. Lorraine
   — Lorraine L.

June 17, 2001
I think a better way to boost metabolism is by eating lots of protien, drinking lots of water, exercising and eating small meals six times a day. <p> Here's my problem with Metabolife, Dexetrim, etc. - before WLS, when we've lost a substantial amount of weight, what happened? We gained it back plus those bonus pounds. And the next time we tried to lose weight, it was harder to lose, right? Well, that's because yo-yo dieting screws up the metabolism so much, that it just gives up and hibernates...ergo, WLS. <p> Also, the last thing any of us needs is an appetite suppressant. Some of us can barely get in 600 calories a day as it is. We need the food we can get in - lest we go into hibernation. <p> Now, say we start using these products to speed up our metabolism, decide we don't like them for whatever reason. Then what? Even after our $40,000 surgeries, 10-inch scars and 8 weeks of recouperation, giving up our best friend and lover - food, are we really going to compromise our metabolism again and slow it down to a point that our weight loss trickles and we get discouraged? Hey, I'm happy losing 10 pounds a month. It's consistent and the sagging is kept to a minimum. Any faster, then I'm afraid people would think I was sickly.
   — Allie B.