Update 8/9/20. “Have you tried that crazy wrap thing?” is the slogan I kept seeing online when I started looking into the company called “It Works!” This is because It Works! started out as a company that sold toning wraps that were said to make people skinnier. Since then, the company has branched out and now sells all kinds of different supplements. In this review, I want to look at the It Works Advanced Formula Fat Fighter (with “carb inhibitors”) and see if it really burns fat or not. I also want to take a look at It Works! the company too, in case you were as curious as I was. Hopefully, by the end of this review, you will have more information to help you do your own research, and have a better idea if the It Works Fat Fighter is right for you.
Who Makes It Works!
The website, MyItWorks.com was first registered in 2002 by a company called It Works Marketing. Over the years the address for the company has changed. This may reflect the company moving to larger headquarters.
Previous addresses for It Works Marketing (better known as It Works Global) include:
-
- 2006 44th Street, Grand Rapids, Michigan 49508
- 5325 E State Road 64, Bradenton, FL 34208-5534
The company is currently located at 908 Riverside Dr Palmetto, FL 34221-5035. Performing a google search for this address reveals a company, which is a very impressive 50,000 square foot building bearing the It Works name and logo.
Contact It Works!
The contact page of the MyItWorks website lists the following “loyal customer” contact numbers for those in the US: 1-800-537-2395 and 952-540-5699. The Better Business Bureau lists an additional contact number of (941) 348-6650. International toll-free customer support is also available in these countries as well:
- Australia: 1-(800) 750-398
- Canada: 1-(855) 560-1020
- United Kingdom: 0-(800) 098-8925
- Sweden: +46-770791808
- Netherlands:+31-858880101
- Belgium: +32-78480292
It Works Better Business Bureau Rating
The BBB rating for It Works is “C+.” When I checked the BBB file, they had a consumer alert for It Works Marketing which stated that:
- “BBB has received a pattern of complaints from consumers alleging that after trying to cancel with the business, they continue to receive additional products.
- Consumers also state that they have found additional charges being taken that the business has not informed them would be occurring.
- Complaints also allege that the business continues to bill after cancellation, and consumers are not informed that there is a $50.00 cancellation fee.”
In response to the BBB, It Works Global stated:
- “The underlying cause of the majority of our complaints is the improper enrollment of Loyal Customers by Independent Distributors.
- The business indicated that the majority of complaints are received from Loyal Customers directly enrolled by a Distributor who did not adequately disclose or explain the auto shipment commitment or Membership Fee associated with becoming an It Works! Loyal Customer.
- With regard to billing issues, the business indicated that refunds processed on the same day as an original charge are considered voided transactions, and the pending charge drops off the customer's credit card statement.”
These are just highlights. See the BBB file” for updates and more information
In an article in Forbes Magazine it appears It Works Global started out as a company marketing toning body wraps. The It Works wraps might still be the company’s biggest seller, because when I searched for their website —MyItWorks.com—the tagline for the site was “Have You Tried That Crazy Wrap Thing?”
Dr. Bill Sukala's website has a review of It Works Wraps
It Works Fat Fighter Research
When I searched the National Library of Medicine (which lists millions of studies from around the globe) for “It Works Fat Fighter,” no studies showed up. Likewise, doing a Google search for the product turned up no studies. In addition, MyItWorks.com website shows no research.
Therefore, I'm forced to concluded at this time that the product lacks clinical evidence that it works as claimed. If the Fat Fighter works, it’s because of the research on some of its ingredients. Let’s take a look at the research on those ingredients now and see what we can discover.
Fat Fighter Ingredients
According to the product label, a bottle contains 60 tablets. Two tablets contain the following ingredients:
| % DV | |
| Chromium dinicotinate glycinate 150 mcg | 130% |
| NeOpuntia (cactus leaf) 500 mg | N/A |
| Proprietary blend of the following 510 mg | N/A |
| 1. Garcinia cambogia fruit extract | N/A |
| 2. Green tea leaf extract | N/A |
| 3. Phaseolamin | N/A |
| 4. Bitter melon fruit | N/A |
| 5. Banaba leaf extract | N/A |
| 6. Gymnema Sylvestre leaf extract | N/A |
| 7. Wheat amalyase inhibitor | N/A |
| 8. Vanadium | N/A |
N/A = there is no daily value
Now that we know the ingredients, let's see if we can find any research on the ingredients to see if it really does fight fat.
It Works Fat Fighter Ingredients
Chromium
Chromium has been popular in weight loss supplements for decades which is ironic given that the majority of human studies I've seen show this is not the case. Here is my review of chromium. Notice how many studies show it doesn't help weight loss.
One thing chromium might do is reduce blood sugar levels. Keep this in mind as you review the ingredients below.
NeOpuntia
The name NeOpuntia (neo-pUnch-a) is a trademarked name for the prickly pear cactus called Opuntia ficus-indica. The cactus is said to bind fat, preventing it from being absorbed.
As we absorb less fat, we absorb fewer calories. Theoretically, this might lead to weight loss. This is why some websites call NeOpuntia a “fat-fighting cactus.” NeOpuntia is a product of the French company, Bio Serae Labs SAS.
Two tablets of the It Works Fat Fighter contain 500 mg of NeOpuntia.
In one company-sponsored study 68 women (20–55 years of age) with metabolic syndrome (basically “pre-diabetes”) were given either a placebo or 4.8 grams NeOpuntia 3 times a day with meals. People ate a “well-balanced diet” with “controlled lipid input” (in other words, they ate a low-fat diet). Forty-nine women completed the study.
Results: The women taking NeOpuntia showed significant improvements in pre-diabetes symptoms, such that 39% of the women were no longer diagnosed with metabolic syndrome. These are very impressive results – but there are two things you need to know:
1. This study makes no mention of weight loss.
2. The people in this study used 4.8 grams of NeOpuntia per day. This is FAR MORE than the 500 mg (1/2 gram) that 2 tablets of It Works Fat Fighter provides. Even taking 6 tables per meal, only provides 3000 mg (3 grams). Each person in the study used 1.6 grams of NeOpuntia with each meal, for a total of 4.8 grams per day.
Opuntia ficus-indica is the main ingredient in the popular health drink called TriVita Nopalea Juice, which you may have seen advertised on TV. See that review for additional information.
See my review of Calorase/FBCX, for more information.
Garcinia Cambogia
There are several weight loss studies involving Garcinia cambogia. Its active ingredient is said to be hydroxycitric acid (HCA). The way Garcinia cambogia is said to work is by preventing carbohydrates from being turned into fat.
In my review of Garcinia cambogia, I noted the research showing it worked (helped weight loss) used at least 1,667 mg per day (or 1,000 mg of HCA per day). This is important because the entire proprietary blend in It Works Fat Fighter (2 tablets) only contains a total of 510 mg.
Garcinia cambogia is the first ingredient listed, so it likely comprises most of this blend. But, I see no evidence this amount works. If you read my Garcinia cambogia review, you’ll see studies showing that 500 mg did not work. Based on what I’ve found, I don’t think the Fat Fighter has enough.
Garcinia is controversial. Over the years several reports link it to liver problems.
See the garcinia Cambogia review
Green Tea Leaf Extract
While they don't tell us what extract they are using, the label says that this extract has 20% caffeine. To me that says caffeine might be the active ingredient in this extract—but how much caffeine does the product contain? They don’t tell us.
Caffeine is one of the most most popular ingredients in weight loss supplements. It’s an ingredient in these supplements which you may have heard of before:
Caffeine is so popular that I even once reviewed a caffeine shampoo! That said, I’m not convinced that caffeine―by itself―helps people lose weight. That's because the best weight loss research usually combines caffeine with ephedra, another stimulant. Ephedra is banned from supplements in the US because it was linked to several deaths.
Phaseolamin
As the label indicates, this refers to an extract from white kidney beans. Another name for this ingredient is Phaseolus vulgaris. On some websites, this stuff is also called Bean Pod extract. Another name is Fabenol—as it was called in the supplement Lean and Fab.
Phaseolamin is said to inhibit a carbohydrate-digesting enzyme called alpha-amylase. If you block this enzyme, in theory, carbs would not be digested as well. If we can’t digest carbs, we can’t absorb their calories. In this way, phaseolamin is supposed to promote weight loss.
This is why phaseolamin is called a “carb blocker.” There is some weight loss research on phaseolamin. Let's take a look at some of that research.
Study 1
In one study researchers gave 50 people either a 1,500 mg placebo or a phaseolamin supplement called “Phase 2” twice daily with meals (3,000 mg total) for 8 weeks.
Those receiving the Phase 2 supplement lost an average of 3.7 lbs compared to the placebo group which lost an average of 1.65 pounds. One problem -and it's a big one – was only 27 people completed this study. That’s almost a 50% drop out rate. Why did so many people not complete the study?
Additionally, researchers gave people 3,000 mg of the Phase 2 supplement. We are not told how much is in the Fat Fighter – just that the entire proprietary blend equals 510 mg per 2 tablets. if using 6 tables per day it would be around 6 X510 = about 1530 mg.
Phase 2 is a proprietary phaseolamin supplement that is in many products.
Study 2
In this study, 12 people who ate a normal meal were randomly given either a placebo or Phaseolus vulgaris extract. Those taking the Phaseolus vulgaris extract had
- reduced appetite
- lower ghrelin levels (a hunger hormone)
- reduced insulin levels
- lower blood sugar
This was a very small study and only lasted 3 hours, but it’s interesting and worthy of a follow-up study.
Study 3
In this investigation 60 slightly overweight men and women were randomly given either a placebo or 445 mg of a Phaseolus vulgaris extract for 30 days before their main carbohydrate-containing meal of the day.
Those who received the Phaseolus vulgaris extract showed a significantly greater reduction in body weight, fat mass, BMI, and other parameters, compared to placebo. The product used in this study was also called Phase 2.
There are also many mouse studies on this ingredient. Since we are not mice, I won't discuss them.
Bitter Melon Fruit
It’s called bitter melon because it has a bitter taste when eaten. Other names include Momordica charantia bitter gourd and salsamino
There are over 200 different compounds in this plant.
The majority of that research appears to be limited to rats and mice. Much of the research is deals with how bitter melon might help diabetes and blood sugar issues by way of its ability to increase insulin levels.
In one study, researchers treated human fat cells with bitter melon juice. They noted that the juice enhanced fat burning in those fat cells. While intriguing, this was still just a test tube study. The real test would be to give it to people.
See the review of Apple Cider Vinegar. You may be surprised by that research.
Gymnema Sylvestre
The leaves of the Gymnema plant appear to have a blood-sugar-lowering effect, and it might also reduce carb absorption. The majority of the weight loss research, however, involved mice and rats. One human study might provide some insights on why some of the ingredients in the Fat Fighter were chosen.
In this 8 week study, 60 overweight people were randomly given either:
- Placebo
- Garcinia cambogia (4667 mg)
- Garcinia cambogia (4994 mg) + niacin-bounded chromium (4mg) + Gymnema sylvestre (400 mg)
Those getting the combination of all 3 ingredients showed more weight loss than those taking the placebo. But, the amounts of the ingredients used in this study are far MORE than are contained in It Works Fat Fighter.
For more insights see these other reviews:
- Healthe Trim (for weight loss)
- Glucotor V2 (for diabetes)
Wheat Amylase Inhibitor
Amylase is an enzyme that helps us absorb carbs. So if you inhibit this enzyme, it might reduce our ability to absorb carbs. This ingredient just sounds to me like a carb/starch blocker derived from wheat. But, just calling it “wheat amylase inhibitor” is vague, because without knowing the exact name of the inhibitor compound, I can’t say much about it, other than it probably works similarly to phaseolamin, discussed above.
Vanadium
Another name for this compound is vanadyl sulfate. Vanadium appears to have an insulin-like effect and might reduce blood sugar.
Vanadium does seem to lower blood sugar in people with type II diabetes. Vanadium is listed last in the ingredients of the proprietary blend. This means it is likely to present in the least amount. This is good because vanadium might become toxic at high levels. The amount, beyond which side effects might be noticed, is currently thought to be 1.8 mg per day for adults.
For more on vanadium see these reviews:
Blood-Sugar Lowering Ingredients
Here are the ingredients in It Works Fat Fighter that might reduce blood sugar levels:
- Chromium
- Gymnema Sylvestre
- Vanadium
Ingredients That Block Carbs
Here are the ingredients in It Works Fat Fighter that are thought to be carb blockers:
- Garcinia cambogia
- Phaseolamin
- Gymnema Sylvestre (maybe)
- Wheat amylase inhibitor
Note. While I call them carb blockers, the It Works company calls them “carb inhibitors.” these phrases mean the same thing.
Ingredients That Block Fat
Here are the ingredients in It Works Fat Fighter that might block fat:
- NeOpuntia
So, there are more carb blockers in Fat Fighter than fat blockers. Based on this, a better name might be “It Works Carb Fighter.”
Ingredients with the Most Evidence
Based on the studies I could locate, here are the ingredients in It Works Fat Fighter that I feel have the most evidence and are likely the main active ingredients in this product:
I highlight this ingredient because:
1. There are more weight loss studies on this ingredient than any of the others in the product.
2. There aren't as many negative side effects for this as say garcinia Cambogia
It Works Fat Fighter Side Effects
Here are a few things to think about when taking It Works Fat Fighters. This list is not complete:
- Start with less than suggested for the first week to see how you respond
- Stop all supplements at least 2 weeks before surgery
- Pregnant and breastfeeding moms should speak to their doctor first
- If you take any medications, speak to your doctor and pharmacist
- Bitter melon might reduce blood sugar, which may be an issue for some people who take diabetes medications.
- Gymnema Sylvestre might lower blood sugar levels.
- Vanadium might lower blood sugar. At high doses, vanadium might also cause a color change on the tongue (a green color). The amount which might cause side effects is controversial, due to the lack of good research on vanadium.
In the comments below, some have said they developed headaches, fainting and one person mentioned seizures.
If you had any side effects—positive or negative—leave a comment below so others (including me) can benefit from your experiences.
Does The Fat Fighter Work?
It's hard to say at this time if the product helps people lose weight or blocks fat. No clinical studies on the supplement could be located. I admit I could be wrong and the supplement might do exactly what its name says it will do. But, for me, I'd like to see a few studies first to see if it really works.
Hi Joe,
Love your work!
Sarah, I’ve just authored a new review on the It Works wraps. I am usually quite scathing in my reviews when I feel like the company is hoodwinking the public, but amazingly, I found the It Works claims to be, shall we say, reasonably “tame.”
They do not make any overt false statements but I have found on multiple review websites for It Works that consumers complained about not losing weight or fat. In fairness to the company, they do not state their product causes fat loss or weight loss, only that it reduces the “appearance of cellulite.”
Also a lot of the negative complaints were due to customers being auto shipped products and having their credit cards charged. They do not have a money-back guarantee either. It is very much a case of “if it didn’t work for you, then tough luck, you can’t have your money back.” You can, however, get your money back if the product is unopened/unused. But then how would you try the product? This makes it a catch-22. The owners are billionaires. I’m sure they could find it in their hearts to give a money-back guarantee if they feel “It Works!”
Overall, and in fairness to the It Works company, they are not the worst I’ve seen out there. I think they could be a bit more transparent in their marketing claims, but I think it’s really just a case of consumers not being idiots and buying on emotion without reading the fine print.
Joe, here’s a link to my It Works review that you and your readers might find helpful.
http://www.drbillsukala.com.au/fat-loss/it-works-body-wraps-review/
Keep up the good work Joe!
Cheers
Bill
Bill, thanks for looking into this. I know a LOT of people ask me about the It Works wraps. I appreciate all of the work YOU do to help people also 🙂
Hi Joe thank you for your research. Something that came to mind when reading a large amount of the replies was the long term damage these may or may not do to our bodies.
When I was 17 I went on a diet that caused me to lose weight and keep it off… I was eating then throwing the food up or chewing food then spitting it out. I think we can all agree that this diet was not good for my body and could cause long term damage.
If there is no research on these it works products I would never risk long term damage to my body, they may or may not work but I can 100℅ tell you my new diet of fresh foods as much as possible, meats, carbs!, fruits and veggies and treats on special occasions works for everyone to make them healthier people. I’ve had this diet for 8 years now and weight had not been an issue.
Like any business these people are just trying to make money, if these were that good why aren’t doctors prescribing them?
Hi Tiff and thanks for sharing. I am SO glad you are off that diet and eating better now. I hope you and your family have a great Christmas and Holiday Season 🙂
If there were something that REALLY worked easily (such as popping a pill) and didn’t kill you in the process, Oprah would take her weight off and KEEP it off. LOL
My daughter was seduced into selling this stuff…yes, they wooed her by inviting her to a distributor’s lake house and telling her she could have a nice house also. She roped me into buying the Fat Fighter and then I couldn’t cancel for 3 months without a $50 cancellation fee. We had wraps 30 years ago. Didn’t work then…don’t work now.
There is really nothing that works to reduce weight but boring exercise and watching what you eat. And the real bummer is that in my later years I have had to half the amount of food and double the amount of exercise.
Asking a salesperson that question seems like a conflict of interest to me. It would be similar to asking a salesperson “do the fat fighters really work”……
Hi Joe! I really appreciate your breakdown of this product. A few years ago I tried the “wrap”, and I drank a ton of water, didn’t eat and left it on for 45min-1 hour and you know what difference it made? None. It felt like it might’ve had some sort of mint oil because it had a tingly/cooling effect that didn’t even last long once the wrap was off.
I just recently bought some stuff from ItWorks (in support of a friend), I started with their ‘Greens’ and all those have done for me is cause an unhappy stomach and bloat.
I have a bottle of Fat Fighters sitting on my shelf, and I don’t think I’ll be taking them now, of course I should’ve learned my lesson, so far 2/2 of the products I’ve tried from them flop.
I’m curious about their customer retention rate, how many people do they have that still buy (not including distributors) after the 3 months? I’m also put off by how many distributors come here defending the product without real facts to back it up, just copy and pasting tid bits from the ItWorks site.
I’ve decided to stop taking things based on how awesome people tell me they are, and more so based on how they make me feel! 🙂
Hi Michelle! that is an interesting question and I’m honestly not sure how many customers vs. distributors they have. Do any distributors know?
As a new customer, I am more than a little concerned by the lack of interest distributors seem to have about the effectiveness and possible risk of the ingredients of this product.
As I write this message, I am wearing an ItWorks patch for the very first time. (Thirty minutes, to be exact.)
I’m trying the product for one reason – to tighten loose skin.
When reading the ingredient list, I notice the first ingredient is glucose. Uh oh! I’m diabetic. How is that going to impact my blood sugar levels. That’s the reason I Googled this review page. I should think a distributor would be knowledgeable about that.
I recently suffered a TIA stroke, so I’ve recently taken my health serious and made many lifestyle changes. Since I’m on blood thinners, and my neurologist will not agree to take me off, even for surgery, I doubt i am a candidate for loose skin surgery. Despite all my concerned about MLM marketing, I felt I have to give this a try.
BUT… I’m not easily swayed by sales hype. Distributors have a RESPONSIBILITY to be knowledgeable about the ingredients of the product they sell. If I have an adverse health reaction, I may well hold the distributor as liable as the upline company.
You would do well to take as much interest in the health concerns of your customers as you do in the product and company itself. I’m very concerned about the lack of interest I see in how this product could impact some of your customers.
How SAFE is this product? How would I really know.
Don’t pass the buck on this responsibility. If you sell it, you have to be willing to take responsibility for any adverse effects.
Are you?
Hi Vicki, is glucose the first ingredient you see in the patch? I didn’t notice that when I wrote the review. Can you take a picture of the ingredients and email it to me? Really sorry to hear about your past health issues. Have you shown the ingredients to your doctor/pharmacist?
Here is my review of the It Works Patch in case you missed it: http://supplementclarity.com/thrive-patch-review/
I think the fact that weight loss supplements are developed and then marketed without scientific research means that making money from the product was the goal in the first place.
If creating a product that truly worked had been the goal, it stands to reason that research would have been done before the product was marketed (and hyped). I am dismayed at how many people don’t think it is outrageous that these products are manufactured and then go straight to marketing. Consumers are relying on salespeople rather than scientists and health care professionals to tell them what will aid in weight loss.
Manufacturers of weight loss supplements, in my opinion, make the products because they SELL, not because they work and are truly part of a healthy lifestyle. And they SELL because obesity is a huge and complicated problem and we are desperate for an easy fix. Thank you for your review and for valuing science.
Karen, you are very welcome.
Joe,
I was also looking at the active ingredients, while i wasn’t able to get to far with NeOpuntia (but requested clinical trials performed by nexira) i was able to come across an article from “the american journal of clinical nutrition” that talked about; the efficacy of a green tea extract rich in catechin polyphenols and caffeine in increasing 24-h energy expenditure and fat oxidation in humans. Would this account for the high levels of caffeine and as a fat oxidation agent?
Hi John, caffeine does have a fat burning (fat oxidation) effect. Most studies of green tea and metabolism I’ve seen combine it with caffeine. Because of that I dont think green tea – without caffeine – has much effect on metabolism. That said, even if green tea + caffeine raises metabolism and fat breakdown, how many calories extra per day does that equal? My guess is that its pretty modest at best.
Also, how many studies show that green tea + caffeine lead to weight loss? I think looking at weight loss, which I think is the more important thing to look at. While I do see studies showing it works, when taken as a whole the studies generally show its not too effective.
The only thing I want to say about this is these ingredients are natural, botanically based products that actually have herbs in them that provide actual results due to their therapeutic actions.
I am a health conscious person who is actually in school for a Complementary Alternative Medicine degree in herbal medicine which is why I decided to sell these products. I signed up partially because I knew the medicinal qualities/actions of the herbs and because I had used the products.
Yes, the HSN does have an active ingredient of Biotin but they also have other ingredients which have shown action to improve hair, skin and nails such as MSM and not all other OTC products provide these other herbs in one pill.
Sure, you can buy tons of herbs separately and maybe get similar results but why take many pills for what one will do. Also, the ingredients in the wrap that make it work are not chemicals; they are astringent, circulatory and anti-inflammatory herbs.
I have also worked in the health and wellness section of a popular “healthy grocery store” and our supplements are not priced any higher than other quality herbs. In price, the truth is you get what you pay for (if you are even getting what is actually on the bottle in an actual therapeutic dose).
As far as just eating and exercising, yes, that helps. It Works does not claim to replace a healthy lifestyle but enhance it, improve results, and supports things such as healthy blood pressure, digestion and blood sugar levels. Many doctors have said that the supplements we have such as the greens superfood mix and, joint support, etc are very good products.
As far as exercising and diet alone, yes those often work but whenever you go to your doctor for high blood pressure, diabetes, any prescription like that, they always tell you maintain healthy diet and appropriate exercise on top of the medication. So does that mean the medication isn’t working and you should stop it and just eat right and exercise? No, these health products are in addition, as support. I agree that some people are looking for a quick fix pill and they won’t find that but I believe it is incorrect to say that natural, herbal supplementation doesn’t help.
If you are really curious if this can work, you should try drinking half your weight (in ounces) of water a day, eating clean, and exercising first. This would be a much cheaper way to lose weight than buying all these pills/wraps/etc AND putting in the work yourself. Doing these things alone will cause weight loss.
Hair skin and nails – The main active ingredient is Biotin. Buy a hair/skin/nails supplement at the store for a fraction of the price, or just take biotin. ***While the vitamin is necessary to promote healthy growth, too much Biotin can cause acne in some people. If you are taking these pills and experiencing an increase in breakouts you should try an OTC Biotin supplement at a lower level.
Walgreens biotin (twice as strong) $6.99 – ItWorks $33.00
There is no scientific backing for these products. Will they hurt you? Probably not. Will they help you? Maybe? Perhaps if nothing else it will inspire you to live a healthier lifestyle.
Most of the products have a main “active ingredient” that you could easily supplement yourself (MUCH CHEAPER). Before you buy into this, question your lifestyle choices that could be holding you back, and do your research.
The chemicals in the wraps may make your skin feel more taut temporarily. This may be ideal for a buyer looking for a quick fix/short term solution for a vacation or special occasion they want to feel more slender for. This does not “tone” your muscles and it will not cause you to lose weight (besides water weight)/ This is a wrap, not exercise.
Many vitamins included in the supplements do help promote a healthy body and metabolism, but a multivitamin would help you just as much.
Lastly, please consider your source. Many non health conscious people are jumping on the ItWorks bandwagon because they are excited about the “easy fix”. This is a pricey investment. Consult an individual you know to have a long history of good dietary and health habits. Consult individuals who you know have used the product for years (not weeks or months)and can show you their results. Better yet, consult a doctor.
Above all, be smart. If your seller started eating right and exercising at the same time they began using ItWorks OF COURSE they lost weight. They developed a healthy lifestyle of diet and exercise!
Joe,
I appreciate your fair and honest review. I have friends and co-workers who are distributors. I was searching for empirical evidence to support the claims ItWorks! distributors make. I was curious enough to try the wraps. The only thing I lost was $100.
I would enjoy reading a research study that considered the variables, and could attribute individual results to a specific product. Beauty, health and wellness possess great income potential, whether a product is effective or not.
I am dismayed by the number of people that blindly lead, and blindly follow, all based on hope and “testimonials” rather than science. Thank you for what you do.
Amy
Amy, you are very welcome. I’m glad you found my review helpful. I’d have to see the ingredients in the wraps but regardless, I’m sorry it didn’t work for you.
I am an it works distributor, and i have used fat fighters and absolutely love them! especially when i used greens and thermofit during the same time period!
Beka, Im curious, what is the thermofit supposed to do?
I tried leaving a comment twice, but I guess they were so drawn-out that the server got tired and my requests timed out. This time I’ll cut it short- I learned a bunch tonight, reading through this review and the entire comment section. Joe, you are a man of integrity and you carry yourself through these discussions with a remarkable amount of dry humour and class. I hope to get my owing money paid off for university so that I can soon once again be surrounded by bright minds like yours. Thank you!
Lynne, thanks for your nice words and sorry it you had a time leaving a comment. I will look into this today and see if anything can be done about it. I’m happy you found my little review helpful 🙂
First, yes, I am an It Works distributor. I am also studying to get a degree in natural/herbal medicine (which is a large part of why I joined IW). I am honest and don’t make crazy claims or tell people they will lose tons of weight with the wraps. However, I do personally use some of the products including the skin care line, the supplements and I have done the wraps.
Part of the reason I try some of the stuff is to make sure it really does work before I suggest it to other people because I won’t like about anything so why would I lie about this stuff? That’s not me. But I know you don’t know me so that’s kinda wasted breath, lol.
Also, as I have said before, there are bad people in any job. And I know internet discussions are not worth arguing about. If people want to know if something works they can try it themselves, *follow the directions for use* and find out. But I was just thinking:
1) Honest distributors of It Works supplements don’t claim the weight loss products (and there are many other lifestyle support products for pain,colon, menopause, omegas, minerals an energy drink, etc.) replace a healthy lifestyle they only claim to boost results and help you maintain results.
2) Why would you give Amazon.com to compare prices when they are higher than the actual site (non-retail)? Wouldn’t you give people the actual site so they can view the ingredients and Q&A themselves?
Tracy
Tracy, thanks for sharing. It is true what you say about their being bad and good people in any business. I did not write my review to slam anyone and I hope that came through in my review. As for amazon, sometimes they do have less expensive products.It depends on when you look. Also, sometimes people who are interested may not know a distributor or want to take the time to find one or they may not want to purchase through a distributor. Also, sometimes amazon gives people the ability to look at the comments from others to help them decide.
i wish you much success with your degree.
Unfortunately, there are no supplements that can ever yield results that daily exercise and healthy eating and drinking can yield for the human body scientifically and physiologically. “NO” supplement does what it claims it can do without daily exercise and healthy eating and drinking (healthy lifestyle).
I would like to know of that one supplement that could keep anyone who lives a sedentary lifestyle (ex. eating unhealthy throughout the day and playing video games while lying on the sofa) slim and/or fit.
Thanks for the break down of ingredients. A friend is trying to get me to start on these and after reading here and this article on gluten sensitivity ( http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/guest-blog/gluten-sensitivity-what-does-it-really-mean/ ) that discusses wheat amylase inhibitors, I will not be doing so.
Sorry if sharing another article is not allowed, but the information there was very helpful to me in making my decision and thought it might be useful to someone else who comes upon your post while looking for information about the ingredients contained within fat fighters.
Denise, thanks for sharing that article 🙂
Good ol fashion exercise is cheaper and more effective and beneficial. Everyone wants the easy way out…
Just wanted to add that drinking water isn’t a valid argument to dehydration point concerning the wraps. As a person that has cut weight for numerous competitions in combat sports water loading is normal thing when cutting weight.
You drink more water than usual which will push it through your system faster meaning your body will not hold onto as much water at any one time. To go a step further you then cut out sodium in your diet until weigh ins which further decreases the amount of water your body will at one time.
Water loading is a completely different idea than a wrap because it is a process of loading carbs, sodium, and water which you then cut down on in a couple days. This is also not a process to lose weight, it is a process to make your skin tight and muscles bulge by pushing the water into your muscles and out of your vascular system. Bodybuilders in particular cut the body mass through other means, not through water loading. If this is not done correctly one of the common side effects is, you guessed it, cramping.
Another note on sodium. While you eventually drop sodium from your diet, the blood concentration of sodium is almost exactly the same due to the increase in the hormone aldosterone. Essentially you are cutting the amount of sodium that you excrete with this method. This is not decreasing the amount of water within your body. With body wraps you are not reducing or taking in more sodium than normal; you are pushing concentrated solutes against your skin which then draw out water and absorb them.
It Works wraps uses ingredients that have a lot of solutes that are applied to the skin using solvents to dissolve them. Here is an article describing a common solvent mixture: http://pharmlabs.unc.edu/labs/solubility/structure.htm
“Most solvent blends are limited to mixtures containing water, ethanol, glycerin, propylene glycol, polyethylene glycol 400 or sorbitol solution”. The majority of these listed are contained within the It Works! wrap. Glycerin in particular is a humectant, but, it has been known to draw out water from the skin by absorbing it. This can cause your skin to feel soft but the inner layers of your skin are actually drying out.
A little late but just wanted say that water loading is most definitely used to lose weight (while only a temporary solution). You sound fairly knowledgeable so I will not try to speak on the other things you pointed out but water loading and sodium restriction are used very often to lose weight quickly for sports that require weigh ins.
Having cut between 10-15 lbs for competitions and then re-hydrating and jumping back up to my starting weight before the next day is very possible. Again it is only used for very short term weight loss strictly for weigh in purposes and am while if done correctly there shouldn’t be any real side effects I am by no means claiming this is a healthy thing to do.
Sadly had a huge typed out response and it didn’t seem to post…. I will try again (this time copying it into word)!
I began my search for research on the “It Works” products after seeing a couple friends quitting their jobs and becoming walking advertisements as distributors. When I say advertisements, I mean completely turning everything they talk about into a promotion in order for them to make their monthly cut. I have experience in the science field as a microbiologist, so I know how imperative it is to utilize the scientific method in multiple facets of life, especially towards what you put into your body.
I’ve found both this article and the article on the greens product to be ringing true to how little science there is behind the “It Works” product line. It’s the same as looking at alternative medicine and saying that it works because people say it does; the reason it is alternative is because there is no science to back it up.
Joe’s arguments and article is completely true, it’s saddening to see so many people attacking you and deflecting your questions. I will go into what I’ve found out about the products themselves.
“Wraps”: It seems many of the distributors are confused on exactly what they are selling, most of them have completely contradicted themselves within this discussion. It is not a weight loss wrap, it is not a “toning” wrap, and it is most certainly not a “detoxifying wrap”. The idea behind the wrap is to draw out water from the cells in order to tighten the skin and reduce the appearance of cellulite. This has been the same as every single wrap that exists on the market today.
The reason you can find the same result with epsom salt and something to apply it tight across the skin is to do just that; draw out water… also called osmosis.
The reason distributors say to drink water is only to keep you from becoming severely dehydrated. As for the detoxifying claim, it is impossible to “detox” your system; the only type of detox that exists is from recovering drug / alcohol addicts. If toxins actually did build up (in which your liver, kidneys, skin, and lungs naturally get rid of) you would be dead.
“Fat Fighters / Greens”: The idea behind this product is interesting as there is actually prescription medication that can aid in blocking the absorption of carbohydrates through amylase (these are primarily used for diabetics).
However, blocking carbohydrates from absorbing into your cells is actually a BAD thing, especially for weight loss. The main reason why it is bad for weight loss, is because not only can it cause low blood sugar, but it will make you HUNGRY.
Besides this, the reason people bloat and have constipation is because the lack of carbs creates gas when absorbed by the large intestine. The main issue I have with this product is that it doesn’t say what other ingredients are in it by hiding behind saying it is a “proprietary blend”. I’m pretty sure they have an added stimulant into their formula, which is even worse for your digestive system.
My suggestion for those who want to lose weight is to simply exercise and eat healthy. The only way to effectively lose weight is to expend more calories than you take in. Put down the cheeseburger and find a healthy alternative, I promise you that you won’t miss the fat and grease once you reduce it from your diet. If you really want to reduce your bad carb intake, then eat foods with a low GI and have high fiber; complex carbohydrates are GOOD FOR YOU!
Lastly, to comment on the individual who said the products promote lipolysis I don’t think you understand what actually promotes it. The idea behind lipolysis is to breakdown the fat stored within your fat cells. The key to this process are these: HSL (lipase), Insulin, as well as other hormones.
True, limiting the amount of carbohydrates can actually aid in this process BUT the actual supplements that help do this are products that increase the level of hormones within your body.
Travis, thanks for taking the time to write all that esp after having issues posting the first time. 🙂
The only real issue I have with your comment is saying alternative medicine doesn’t have science to back it up. Part of getting my degree in Complementary Alternative Medicine is to read and analyze clinical scientific research on herbal medicine. I know because I do it and I hate it because it is super boring. But, I have found many positive results in studies on herbal remedies for diseases, even some that included doctors returning to herbal treatments because their synthetic ones are no longer effective enough.
As far as your friends quitting their jobs to become IW distributors, you can’t blame the company for that no one with half a mind would quit a job unless they had one of equal or greater value (either monetarily or happiness value) to replace it. An honest person recruiting them would never advise them to do that. I know you didn’t say that’s why you didn’t like the company, I just felt the need to say it that because I don’t like people being silly enough to quit their job to do this unless they already reach the level of making good money so I wanted to make a public statement that that is neither advised nor condoned.
For the wraps, the main therapeutic actions of the herbs involved are astringent, circulatory increasing and moisturizing if that helps anyone understand it at all. And if it is only dehydration, how does it last more than a few days. And please don’t say it doesn’t because I have done it and it is now 3 mos later and I have not returned to how I was before and my diet or exercise (which is none) is no different.
You can think I am lying since I am a distributor but I am not lying so, without saying it didn’t last (because I know I am not lying), how would else would it last if it doesn’t work?
I should’ve rephrased and said that it doesn’t have “enough” science (following the scientific method of course) to back it up. That’s the reason it is called “alternative”, if it did than it would no longer be called that. You may find positive results with alternative medication, that’s great, by no means am I telling people to not go the route they choose to. There is however strict experimentation and requirements that science follows; it could just be a placebo or alternative treatment that is going on at the same time as the use of the herbal/alternative medicine.
One of the things I have noticed, and I am not saying this of all distributors, is that pictures of before and after are highly altered through contrast, lighting, as well as clearly photoshoped. This is just on the basis of people I know that are distributors; I have used photoshop enough times to see a clear facade.
I understand that the wraps have alternative benefits. There are wraps that use lotion, cellulite reducers (which you can’t actually get rid of), ect that involve the same tightening with the formula on the skin. These can easily produce the same results while costing a minimum of $5 that have way more uses than a single It Works wrap.
Every single distributor I have seen strictly recommends to drink a lot of water while using the wraps. In terms of dehydration take someone swimming in the ocean for example. The concentration of solutes is much higher in the ocean than in the skin. Essentially what ends up happening is your body loses water due to osmosis by trying to balance the concentration of solutes. This can cause dehydration. A common side effect of the wraps, as far as I’ve heard, can be cramping (as well as allergic reactions which is a completely different story). This cramping is common for people who become dehydrated.
It’s great to hear that you have lost weight while using the wraps, but that doesn’t mean you can attribute it to the wraps themselves. Were you using other products other than the wraps and are you sure you didn’t change your diet and exercise routines because the only way to lose weight is to take in less calories than you lose and the wraps surely do not aid in that.
Wow, that’s a lot of comments. I had to stop reading after the first dozen or so.
Okay, so I liked this review, and I thought it was good except for a couple things: If you look on the website you can get more info on the FatFighter. And it tells you that it works to block 30% of the fats and 70% of the carbs from your last meal. Which is why you don’t see many ingredients that work for fat blocking.
Ironic, considering the name they chose, but I imagine the name is about marketing. It helps most weight maintenance, but people who do see weight loss are usually those with: A) A fatty, unhealthy diet OR B) They combined it with another supplement. That’s been my experience, with those I know that take it.
I have taken it twice, when my blood sugar spiked, and it seemed to helped bring me back down. With my adrenal problem, when my sugars/adrenaline spikes, coming down is very hard, and can make the rest of the day miserable.
Now, I wasn’t going to say anything about the wraps. I hate debates. Either you want the facts on the wraps before you try one, or you’ve already made up your mind, and you’ve pre-judged it.
You seem to take the facts well, so here is what I know. I am no expert, just an obsessive researcher. Most of the active ingredients in the lotion on the wraps seem to be comprised of two properties: anti-inflammatories or tightening properties.
The research is lacking, but there is some there to suggest these could help with loose skin. Things like seaweed, for instance, depending on the type, have small, limited studies implying that they might restore elasticity to tissue, therefore causing the toning effect.
The anti-inflammatories seem to have a little more backing. I have personal experience with this, as I chose to try the wraps for when my fibro flares and something is hugely swollen and painful; like my shoulder, the first time I wrapped.
I tried everything from Icy Hot patches to essential oils to a peppermint-menthol pain cream, and for 48 hrs, I was in constant, excruciating pain, with no mobility on my upper right side. I finally wrapped, and within hours the swelling was visibly reduced, and I had some limited range of motion. I improved more over the next 24 hrs. This is my knowledge and experience.
As for their marketing, it does need improvement. I don’t like them being called skinny wraps. I get the idea behind it, but I think it’s misleading. I’d also like to see all synthetic preservatives removed from their skin care, at some point. I think the supplements are much higher quality.
Nicole, thanks for sharing. I agree the name likely has to do with marketing. Question, when you said the fat fighter seemed to help bring your blood sugar down, did you test your blood sugar before/after? Just curious.