The Truth About Diet Sprays

Diet sprays are mouth sprays that contain active ingredients meant to help people lose weight. Also known as weight loss sprays, these sprays are typically made of ingredients that are believed to aid weight loss, like caffeine, green tea, and tamarind (via Women's Health). The ingredients are supposedly more quickly absorbed through your capillaries and directly into your bloodstream, which means that the spray is never metabolized by the liver.

If you're wondering how this leads to weight loss, however, the answer is it doesn't. Green tea, caffeine, and tamarind are not proven weight loss aids and there is no scientific evidence to suggest that diets sprays can actually help you lose weight. "Weight loss sprays are, what I would call, a short-term fad," Dr. Aria, a psychologist and creator of the F.I.T. Method, told Women's Health. "They promise to hold the solution to weight loss and to keeping weight off, but it is such claims that fuel the diet industry. Surveys show that around two-thirds of people who diet end up regaining the lost weight — and more."

Although diet sprays are ineffective, there are plenty of safe and more sustainable ways to lose weight. In fact, making some subtle changes to your overall diet and lifestyle can go a long way (via Good Housekeeping). When it really comes down to it, you can only lose weight if you burn more calories than you eat.

For many people, this can be achieved by eliminating or cutting back on sugary desserts and snack foods. And the same goes for beverages. Soda, juices, and lattes can also contain quite a bit of sugar and calories. Swapping them out with healthier choices, like fruits, vegetables, water, and unsweetened coffee can help keep you full and satisfied without the extra calories.

You also need to stay active to lose weight. This doesn't mean you have to run a marathon or start doing CrossFit — although you can if you want to. You can stay fit just by going on walks. In fact, 30 minutes of aerobic activity, especially in the afternoon and early evening, can increase your metabolic rate for a few hours, making it easier for you to burn more calories even after you're done exercising.