Every time you turn around, there’s a weight loss pill that’s marketed to women. Television commercials about how a mother wants to lose weight for her kids, or a radio spot lauding the benefits of the hormonal weight reduction pill they’re selling. But what about weight loss pills for men? Men need to lose weight too, right?
Here’s a list of the best weight loss pills for men, and a few of the worst. Keep in mind that we don’t talk about prescription drugs on You Reviews. Those are up to you and your doctor to discuss.
Garcinia Cambogia Extract
Garcinia cambogia has been on the market for quite some time. It was discovered to have weigh loss enhancing properties in 1960, but wasn’t intensively researched until 1998. At that point, a few manufacturers were including this supplement in weight loss pills for men.
It wasn’t until 2012, though, that “Dr. Oz” made garcinia cambogia the fad that it is today. So does it work? Well, an informal study from 2011 found that the supplement caused an average weight loss of two pounds over several weeks. However, it may help curb cravings, and that could be all that your unique body needs.
Hydroxycut
Hydroxycut is pretty much a household name now. It’s been around for over a decade, and it’s currently one of the best weight loss pills for men. It comes in several different strengths, and overall has garnered a great reputation as a weight loss aid.
Does hydroxycut work? Yes! The pill causes an average of 21 pounds of weight lost over a 90 day period. If that seems slow, it’s really not. That’s an average of 1.75 pounds per week. Doctors recommend that you don’t lose any more than 2 per week for safe results.
Hydroxycut remains one of the best products out there, and it’s affordable as well. You can find it on Amazon and in big box retailers like Walmart for around a quarter per pill.
Alli
Alli is marketed to women, generally speaking. However, it’s not just for the ladies – it’s also for men. Alli supposedly works by inhibiting your body’s breakdown of fat. That, in turn causes your body to digest fewer fat calories.
Does it work? Yeah, it works. But it’s not without its side effects. Studies show that Alli can increase weight loss by about 6 pounds when used in concert with a diet appropriate for weight loss. But unfortunately, Alli reviews still weren’t all that great.
Users complained of diarrhea, flatulence, digestive issues and constipation when the used the supplement. It would seem that Alli is effective in helping to manage weight, but the side effects might be too severe for some.
Glucomannan
Glucomannan is one of the most simplistic weight loss pills for men. All it is is fiber. It’s the fiber which comes from the elephant yam, and it’s said to be an effective addition to a man’s weight loss program.
All this fiber does is absorb water, then sit in your belly. The resulting goo will make you feel full, and you’ll eat fewer calories. Glucomannan will also help promote healthy bacteria in your intestines and may help to lower your blood sugar.
Does glucomannan work? Yep! It sure does! Studies have shown that glucomannan has helped men to lose up to ten pounds in eight weeks. That’s well within the healthy 2 pounds per week range. There are few side effects, and you can buy the supplement for as little as a nickel a pill on sites like Amazon.
Green Tea Extract
We’ve covered green tea more in depth elsewhere on You Reviews. But green tea extract is another supplement which is frequently marketed to women. We wanted to remind you that green tea supplements make great weight loss pills for men, too!
Green tea has been shown to help to burn fat and trim the waist lines of obese patients. It’s very low risk, and there are very few side effects. You can buy green tea extract, or you can find supplements in powder or capsule form. Of course, you can also drink green tea.
Conjugated Linoleic Acid (CLA)
Conjugated linoleic acid is another popular weight loss supplement. It’s actually a fat, known as a “healthy” trans fat, that you deliberately consume. The purpose of CLA is to reduce your appetite and to boost your metabolism.
Does it work? Meh – not really. Conjugated linoleic acid has been studied extensively. The two studies with the best outcomes in favor of CLA reported similar figures. The first showed that users would lose about 0.2 pounds per week. The second showed a total overall weight loss of three pounds. Great for a guinea pig, not for a man.
In our opinion, you’re better off hopping on the BowFlex for a few minutes each day than spending your money on these weight loss pills for men.
Caffeine
There are a number of weight loss pills for men that contain caffeine. But what about the chemical itself. Can taking caffeine by itself help you lose weight?
Caffeine has been shown to help boost metabolism considerably, as much as 11%. And it can actually increase your body’s ability to burn fat by up to 29%. It’s a natural diuretic as well, and it can help flush fluids out of your system.
But coffee has its ill effects as well. It can impair sleep, cause anxiety and increase nervousness. It’s not an addictive chemical, but it can be difficult to cut back on caffeine. The reason for that is because your body can build up a tolerance to the stuff.
Caffeine can help to decrease your appetite and increase your metabolism. But it’s not the most effective of weight loss pills for men. If you want the weight loss benefits of caffeine, just drink a cup of tea.
The Best Weight Loss Pills for Men
So which pills come out on top? Hydroxycut. Hydroxycut, through studies and reviews, comes out as the winner. It’s the most effective we’ve seen, and it’s safe to use with very few side effects.
If you’d like something a little more simple, opt for glucomannan. The sole reason that this supplement didn’t rank first was that it does carry some side effects. But if you can handle the occasional bout of constipation, glucomannan is also a very good bet.