Because nothing is as fun as experimenting on myself, except experimenting on my close friends! Remember Allison’s (she of the twisted ankle fame) foray in GNC’s Ultra Mega Active Vitapaks? Aside: Really, GNC, enough with the redundant hyperbole already.
Anyhow, results are in. And they are… not good. Allison returned the rest of her vitapaks today – yay for a generous return policy! According to her, the vitamins only worked the first week (if you recall she lost 9 pounds) and then did nada after that.
My theory, not that you asked, is that the combined effect of the caffeine – it’s a stimulant and an appetite suppressant… at least until your body gets used to it – and the CLA, a known diuretic, worked to produce that near-miraculous first week result. And then, when she had no more water to squeeze out and her body acclimated to the caffeine, it stopped producing weight loss.
Now let me add that Allison in NO way needs to lose weight. She looks fantastic and has a body fat percentage most girls only dream about *cough*12.5%*cough* I have to confess that I’ve fallen victim to these products myself. No pill has ever worked for me either, except perhaps helping me lose a little weight in my wallet;) So I actually think this little experiment was a success. There is no magic pill.
Although it would be really nice if there was. Of course that begs the question: What if it were easy to get what you think you really want? Would you even want it then? Would it really make you happy?
PS> Thanks for sharing your results with us, girl:)
Good to know. I’ve been anxiously waiting to find out if I should rush and and devote my life savings to these magic vitamins! Thanks Allison for being the guinea pig here!
When I was a kid I wanted to be Sabrina, the teenage witch, so I could clean my room with a sweep of my hand. It took many years for me to realize that the things we get easily are not always the things we value most.
But I still wish I could magically clean my house.
“Really, GNC, enough with the redundant hyperbole already.” – Agree, Agree, AGREE !! Everytime I walk into GNC I get a headache. I prefer another supplement retailer with no frills – at least I KNOW or can guess the contents of their products from its name. Anyway, it’s hard to get vegecaps or vege-softgel products from GNC where I live.
Allison, I hope your ankle’s better.
Yeah, they’re not quite the magical pill that I’d hoped for… oh well! Though I do have to say, I thought the constant peeing would dramatically DEcrease but it has not! Incase your wondering (which I know you all are) I am still going 24/7! 😀
Also, thanks everyone for your concerns and suggestions about my sprained ankle, I really appreciate it.
cla is a diuretic? that’s annoying. i’ve been looking into it as a supplement because my abdomen loves to hold onto fat. much more so than my legs, hips, thighs, arms, boobs, etc. i’d heard cla was supposed to be great for the fat around the tummy!
theJulia – It’s hard to say, exactly, whether CLA is beneficial for fat loss. Mice studies showed promising results but human trials have been inconclusive. Conjugated Lineolic Acid is marketed as a miracle drug but I don’t know. I tried it – took 1000 mg/day for 1 month and saw no results. Zero. As far as it being a diuretic, that is one of it’s recognized side effects but it was hard to differentiate between the diuretic properties of the caffeine in the GNC vitamins as well. So I can’t chalk up all the water loss to just the CLA. I don’t really think it is harmful though so if you want to try it – go for it! Just promise you’ll let me know what your results are:)
hi charlotte,
i’ve read that one has to take more than 1000 mg a day. more on the order of 3000-4000! i’m less into guinea pigging myself when it comes to pills but if i do, i’ll let you know the results.
ps, forgot to mention- but the captcha in my first comment on this post read “fatfew” which i thought was a funny coincidence.
My friend bought a GNC Women’s Ultra Mega Active Vitapak at just $4.99 by using GNC Promotional Codes…..!!
A recent research shows that taking vitamins daily may shorten your life. You can read the article here http://www.cbn.com/CBNnews/361643.aspx
I was googling the side effects of the vitapak when I came across your blog. I am currently in bed with a cut lip because I passed out! The only thing different for me was today I started taking the Active Vitapak! They’re going back tomorrow!
Hey girls! These vitamins are not for weight loss! Dietary Supplement does not mean it is a diet pill. It is a vitamin pak made to supplement your daily food intake with the necessary vitamins for those that workout alot. It helps to build muscle, burn fat and provide the energy needed when you are very active.
Kathy, I second your comment. After reading so many complaints about the vitamins not helping with weight loss, I was thinking, "But…they're not for that." Thank you for pointing this out! When I bought them from GNC today, the only thing the clerk told me was that they help raise your metabolism (which will help me since I work out).
Kathy and Katie are completely right. Packs like this one are not meant to be the miracle pill. They are meant to keep your body up to speed with all the wear and tear an "active lifestyle" puts on it. If starting a vigorous workout or diet plan it is essential to your health and very beneficial to the weight loss to ensure that your body is getting the proper vitamin intake and calcium for your muscles and bones.
OK I bought these vitamins two weeks ago and nothing, and PS I work out three times a week (cardio, weights ect). I am a mom of two and the only thing that it has done for me is make me sick. Seriously, the man at GNC was like "take this and you will see DRAMATIC weight loss". I laughed b/c I know that's not so, but I was tempted to lose some. NOTHING. GNC runs these scams all the time. Much like their HcG scam.
I have been taking the vitapack and I’ve noticed I’m not fatigued nearly as much. I have been a little nauseous but the sales clerk at my GNC advised me to drink plenty if water or that is likely to happen. Everyones’ bodies are different and react differently to certain stimulants. With that being said you can’t exactly base you decision on others experiences.
Hi I have been taking these pills for a few months now and went from 128 down to 119 , I workout 2 times a day and eat healthy, I don’t suggest people with anxiety or anything else in that Matte to take these if yur body cannot handle it, I feel very light headed and dizzy and at night it’s hard to sleep , sometimes the thought of food makes me gag.. They are great for working out though.. Makes you very energetic! The feeling Is like a drunk feeling? Or like you are floating.. Scary if ya ask me.. dRINK WATeR on these pills ladies!!!!!!!
So i just started this today and i feel normal. however i did notice that i wasnt hungry all day at work s o im guessing this has to do with the vitamins. the only side effect ive noticed is that my urine is like neon yellow. has anyone else experienced this??
I have been taking ultra mega for about a week now and my urine is also neon yellow. Did this side effect go away after a few weeks or did you simply stop taking them?
I just bought my vitapack today. I been trying to lose weight for over a month with just exercise and eating healthy alone and have seen very little results so I was looking for something that would give me and extra “boost”. I’ve read lots of reviews good and bad. Hopefully I’ll have good results from them.