Whether you have five pounds to lose or 50, your first inclination may be to pop a diet pill. And if so, what should you truly know about diet pills? First: there is no substitute for hard work and dedication. Eat healthy food and exercise more. That's the formula, plain and simple.

If you still want to reach for that fabled pill, listen up: not all pills are created equally. Even among the best diet pills, there is variation. There are calorie burners like Ephedra which was taken off the market because it was too dangerous. Then there's appetite suppressants such as Citrimax which is sold at health food stores. There are also absorption blockers which typically contain white kidney beans or soybeans to block carbohydrates from being absorbed by the intestines.

According to the Mayo Clinic, there are several ingredients that may help with dieting like hoodia which decreases one's appetite or diet pills containing guar gum. The issue is the result: There is no conclusive evidence to support the weight-loss claim with hoodia. Although guar gum blocks the absorption of dietary fat and increases the feeling of fullness, negative side effects may include intestinal obstruction and diarrhea.

In the end, despite the plethora of diet pills on the market -- and companies' claims that they produce the best diet pills -- nothing can be more effective than eating balanced meals and snacks, drinking water and exercising frequently.

If you want to lose weight, That's Fit has healthy and sensible Diet and Weight Loss information for you.

Like a hefty helping of tomatoes with your meal? Then you're in luck. A new study from the UK's Reading University shows that tomatoes may help control hunger.

If you thought BPA was only hiding in your plastic, here's a health update: the December 2009 issue of Consumer Reports tells us BPA is in a variety of name-brand canned food items including Progresso Vegetable Soup and Campbell's Condensed Chicken Soup.

Now for a light-hearted link we love: 10 workout videos to get you LOLing at your desk, if not well, exercising. Hey, laughter burns calories too.

Photo: blissworld.com

Purple Lab has come out with a lip gloss that promises to plump your lips and not your hips, aptly named Huge Lips Skinny Hips ($20). It's a great idea, born when creator Karen Robinovitz ate too many delicious appetizers at a fancy soiree and had to leave before her belly busted out of her Herve Leger bandage dress. Like we haven't all been there, right?

The products contain moisturizing ingredients as well as lemon peel oil, which can act to irritate your lips (thus plumping them) without causing a sting. Moisturizing and irritating are the two main ways most (temporary) lip plumpers work. Additionally, the product contains a small amount of orange peel extract to boost your metabolism as well as Hoodia, which acts as an appetite suppressant.

I tried it out, and received a tube in Lychee Martini (a light, pretty peachy pink), which definitely had me off to a good start! It looked gorgeous on, had a smooth application, and the flavor was pleasant without being overwhelming.

There are several supposed "appetite suppressants" available for purchase, either on the internet or in retail stores such as GNC. The question is, Do they work?

Nine out of ten times, probably not -- and that's without discussing the potential health implications involved with taking some of these pills. In fact, it's quite possible that these pill-related health risks that lead Japanese researchers to study the effects of certain color lenses on appetite, discovering that blue-tinted specs helps keep hunger at bay.

According to researchers, viewing the world through blue lenses helps to calm the brain's appetite center, in addition to blocking red light, which researchers say may stimulates appetite. Needless to say, blue sunglasses are already available for purchase as a weight-loss aid. Now, the question again arises: Do they work? Frankly, I feel it's not even worth wasting your money on them to find out. Instead, use your hard earned dollars to make a guaranteed weight loss investment in a gym membership and a refrigerator full of healthy food.

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One of the most powerful triggers for your appetite is your sense of smell. Therefore, according to Compellis Pharmaceuticals, the best way to curb overeating is to turn off smell receptors in the nose. It seems the company has discovered a drug that does just that.

Because of the Compellis' small size and lack of venture funding, the drug, called Spritz (diltiazem), won't even be considered for FDA approval until years of clinical trials have been completed, but the concept seems to make sense. As a doctor interviewed in the linked article points out, "When you have a cold, it really inhibits your urge to eat."

It seems the drug would be taken similarly to an anti-histamine nose spray, allowing users to "puff before you stuff."

It should be noted, however, that while appetite suppressants can be helpful to the morbidly obese, it's been proven time and again that if you're looking to lose weight, your best bet is to exercise.

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