Weight Loss Hacks: Facts, Fails, and Future Tea 🍵

The Deets

Okay, so weight loss is a whole vibe, right? Everyone's looking for that cheat code. But some of these "hacks" are straight-up wildin'. Like, remember the Cotton Ball Diet? People were actually eating cotton balls to feel full. Sketchy AF, and could low-key mess you up with the intestinal blockage. Hard pass.

Then there was Plenity, this FDA-approved hydrogel that was supposed to expand in your stomach. It was kinda poppin' for a minute, but then they yeeted it from the U.S. in 2024. RIP.

But wait, it gets weirder. Some peeps were tryna get down with Teflon (PTFE) Particles. Like, the stuff on non-stick pans? Yeah, they wanted to eat that. The FDA was like, "Nah, fam, that ain't it." They didn't approve it as a food thing. And it def bombed out of research phase.

Hold up, there's a plot twist! Scientists actually did some research on Teflon for weight loss (shoutout to the IgNobel Prize for the weird flex). They fed it to rats, and the rats lost weight without getting toxic. They even thought about how to deal with the Teflon trash. But still it's not FDA approved, so don't go eating that non-stick pan, bro.

Now, let's switch gears to something that might actually be a W. Researchers in China are cooking up Microbeads made from tea polyphenols, vitamin E, and seaweed stuff (alginate). These beads are supposed to trap fat in your system. Mice on the high-fat diet? They slimmed down when they got the beads! Human trials are on the way, so this could be a real game-changer. Maybe.

Don't sleep on tea, fam! Certain teas can help get you snatched. The act of sipping tea promotes mindfulness, which can reduce emotional eating. Black tea has caffeine and polyphenols, both which can burn cals. Green tea has caffeine and catechins, both of which can boost your metabolism. Don't forget about oolong tea! It also has catechins and may help prevent obesity and diabetes!

Oat milk is also poppin right now, especially for my besties with the dairy intolerance. It can boost your immunity, is full of antioxidants, and has more fiber than dairy milk! Just make sure the oat milk is free of additives and is organic. But don't get it twisted, oat milk is not a substitute for eating oats!

So, yeah, the weight loss world is wild. Some ideas are straight clownery, while others might actually be legit. Keep your eyes peeled, do your research, and don't go eating anything sus.