One thing I have read about weight loss over the years is to make sure you get your vitamins. Exercise can deplete your vitamin/mineral intake. So with that advice in mind I went to the store and picked up a multivitamin. But in looking at the wall of options available I was a bit overwhelmed at all the options available. Probiotic, vitamins for women/men, over 60's, active lifestyles, and so on and so on.

I went with the store brand, basic multi-vitamin. But it got me to thinking about what is so different about all the others, so I think I will do some research on them and see if it's worth paying extra for the differences. Oh and they had a vitamin for dieters, but it came with a higher price tag.

I will update if I feel differently in using the vitamins. And it definately can't hurt to be taking them. If anyone is interested I will post my vitamin findings down the road sometime soon.

I believe that the general consensus in the medical community (rather than those trying to sell them) is that while there is no harm in taking supplements, for the majority of adults eating a reasonable and balanced diet they should be unnecessary.

Now, when you are losing weight the risk is that you will lose out on fat soluble vitamins, as you are burning fat and restricting your ability to absorb them, and you are probably eating a restricted diet, so your intake will be less. So there is probably some benefit to taking them.

Generally speaking I believe that a simple broad-based multi-vitamin will be fine so long as you are eating reasonably well, and getting your fruit and veg.

The supplement market is huge, highly lucrative, and full of a lot of products that are of scientifically dubious value. I would just stick to a cheap, own-brand multivitamin. That's what I've done in the past, and I've not had any problems. Of course it's always worth checking with your doctor if you think you might have a specific deficiency.

Generally speaking though, you are better off getting you vitamins and minerals through your diet wherever possible.

I agree that getting your vitamins and minerals through food or food sources is best. However, the food today is not what it once was. People used to work outside in the sunshine, eat grass fed beef, unpolluted fish, whole grains and fruit and veggies grown in rich soil. Things have changed in that regard. I have great respect for my doctor and other doctors, but back when they started saying that supplements were a waste of money, they were receiving about 9 hours of nutritional education in their 8+ years of college. Thank goodness that has changed. While it was my naturopath who suggested extra Vit D due to the lack of sunshine, my MD ordered blood tests and then told me I needed more. I can feel the difference when I take extra B's above and beyond my multi. (I use a food source liquid multi and I love it!) The soil in our area is depleted of selenium, and most everywhere it is depleted of magnesium- both are critical to health. And of course, just for the sake of dieters, we need some butter daily and also good oils such as olive oil and grapeseed. Coconut oil is fabulous for health. Grapeseed and coconut oils are best for cooking. And your food does not wind up tasting like coconut. Don't diet by giving up the necessary fatty acids! I'm sure there is plenty more to be said about diet.

I do take various supplements and vitamins but I agree it is best to get them from food if you can.

I get quite annoyed at specific supplements aimed at dieters or a specific age group or whatever, they are always much more expensive, it's a huge rip-off. I read the back of the box then go and find my own combination cheaper ! People like Gillian McKeith and Patrick Holford make a fortune in this way.
As a general rule I don't think more expensive means they're any better. I find supermarket own brands quite reasonable, yet not so cheap you'd worry !
I do think many dieters avoid fats in all forms, this is a mistake ! very low fat diets are not a good idea. I take Omega fish oils in capsule form and Oil of evening primrose caps. Good for your skin, brain, heart. Of course saturated fat is bad.
I take a B complex too, as they seem to help my energy levels and women can be deficient in some of the B vitamins.

Let us know how you get on after taking the vitamins for a while redfroggie.

Ah yes, "Dr" Gillian McKeith. Thankfully she seems to have dropped off the radar.

I think you are right about not buying the expensive ones, or the "special" ones. Vitamin D is vitamin D, however you look at it. There's nothing magic about the "special" ones. You might want to get them in chewable form, or perhaps soluble if you prefer. There is some evidence that the absorption of vitamins from traditional pill form can be very poor.

It does bug me that vitamin companies try to make out that taking them will automatically make you feel fantastic, or that more is automatically better. Many vitamins are actually bad for you if you take them in excessive amounts.

As kescah say, there are a lot of things that you need to make sure you keep in your diet. I think a lot of dieters make the mistake of removing some things entirely from their diet. In reality the old adage "a little of what you fancy does you good" is right. In moderation, most things are just fine.

I do try to look at foods which can provide me with the necessary vitamin or mineral, I'd rather get my vitamin C (for example) from kiwi fruit than ghastly chewable tablets. Some people though, especially vegans can lack in some vitamins.
Women can also require certain B vitamins.
I tend to be very 'good' during the week but I do relax (not going overboard) at weekends. I enjoy a few glasses of wine and a few takeaways, meals out. As long as you stick to the 80-20 rule ( good 80% of the time and not so good 20% !) that goes for exercise and wii-fitting too !

Likewise. I quickly realised that it was much easier for me to control what I eat during the week than at the weekend.

I'm sure if I was as good at the weekend I'd probably lose more weight in each week, but I think I'd have given up a long time ago. The funny thing is that by eating less during the week, my appetite has been reduced and eating isn't such a habit, which means that while I eat more at the weekend I don't go overboard.

There is a lot to be learned from the French. They eat buttery pastries, chocolate and lots of other good things, but are rarely fat or have heart disease. Why? They eat slowly and leisurely, which contributes to feeling satisfied with much less food. Keeping those fats in your diet is satisfying, too, which they do. They generally end their meal with a dessert of sliced cheese! Nuts are a great healthy dessert, too.

And you can, as Paul said, shrink your appetite by eating less. You can start this process by eating lots of veggies if you must eat additional food, and I don't mean white potatoes! Seeing some weight loss from that might help to motivate you to follow the French custom of slowing down and eating less.

A food that really piles the weight on many people is wheat. That is my great weakness; well, also chocolate raisins. But wheat is not fattening if it is 100% sprouted. It actually becomes a vegetable when it is sprouted. I buy Ezekiel bread from Fit for Life (other 100% sprouted is fine) and can eat sandwiches or eggs and toast without paying the price on the body test! And the bread is delicious.

I'm copying this to the diet thread since it really belongs there, but I was motivated to say all this here after reading all yours.