Bob Harper of the Biggest Looser, is saying in TV commercials, when it comes to weight loss “it’s as simple as 1,2,3: eat right, be active and try my new Smart Weight Loss formula”. Really? I’ve heard about eating right and exercise but what about Bob Harpers Smart Weight Loss Formula? Does Bob know something about weight loss the rest of us don’t? I was intrigued, especially when Bob uttered my two favorite words (next to Star Trek!) – Clinical research. According to Bob, his Smart Weight Loss Formula is backed up by two clinical studies. I did some digging into this supplement and uncovered some interesting facts. Let’s now take a look at Bob Harpers Smart Weight Loss Formula and see if we can figure out if it’s right for you.
Smart Success Weight Loss products
If you go to BobHarperSmartSuccess.com you see that his weight loss formula is actually 3 different products:
- Smart Weight Loss 7 day starter kit
- Smart Weight Loss Formula
- Smart 7 Day Cleanse (this product contains senna which can be very dangerous. I do not recommend)
I’m going to focus mostly on the Smart Weight Loss Formula first and briefly review the other products at the end of this review.
Smart Weight Loss Formula Ingredients
- Vitamin C 7mg (useless for weight loss)
- Calcium 175 mg (useless for weight loss)
“Invigorate Energy Blend” (455 mg). This contains the following:
- Coffee extract (probably helps weight loss)
- Pomegranate powder (no proof it helps weight loss)
- Goji powder (no proof it helps weight loss)
Trim Smart Blend
- Frauenmantle extract (Alchemilla vulgaris leaf)
- Wild olive extract (Olea europea leaf)
- Cormino extract (Cuminum cyminum seed)
- Horsemint extract (Mentha longifolia leaf)
Smart Weight Loss Clinical Studies
Now let’s look at the two clinical studies Bob Harper says supports his weight loss formula. These clinical studies are summarized on the Smart Weight Loss website. Here is basically what they say:
Study 1
12-week randomized, double-blind, placebo controlled study. Subjects using the “key ingredients” in the Smart Weight Loss Formula lost an average of 20.94 lbs. versus the placebo group, who lost an average of 1.70 lbs. Both groups followed a calorie-reduced diet.
Interesting.
Here is what they don’t say about this study.
- Where is the study published? There is no reference so people can go and read the study themselves. This is a big problem in my opinion.
There is a big difference between “clinical study” and “Published peer reviewed study”. Without letting other researchers look over how the study was done, how do we know the study is not flawed?
- How many people were in this study? 10, 20, 100? They don’t tell us. This is a another big problem because if the study only had a small number of people, it reduces the likelihood that others would see the same results.
- How many calories did people eat? They only say people ate a reduced calorie diet.
- What was the placebo? If the people getting the placebo knew they were not getting the real supplement, they may have cheated more on their diet, thinking “what’s the use?”
- How much of the weight lost was body fat? They only say that people who took the Smart Weight Loss supplement lost 20.94 pounds. My question is 20.94 pounds of what?
Was it 20.94 pounds of fat?
Was it 20.94 pounds of water?
Was it 20.94 pounds of muscle?
They don’t tell us.
I have no proof but I am guessing that the 20.94 pounds is a combination of some fat, carbs and water (carbs store lots of water) and maybe a little protein. That’s basically what you see when people go on a diet.
- How did they measure body fat? If they are saying people lost 20.94 pounds of fat, how did the researchers measure it ? They don’t tell us. Some body fat measurements can be pretty inaccurate.
- Who conducted the study? They say it was a “third party” but that’s vague. It’s implied this means an independent lab did the research but since they don’t specifically say it, we can’t assume this.
Study 2
This study lasted 8 weeks and was backed by the company that makes Bob Harpers Smart Weight Loss supplements. That’s not bad as long as the research is good and the company did not influence the results.
This study was also a randomized, placebo controlled study. That’s good. People using the same key ingredients lost 16.5 pounds (those taking the placebo lost 1.73 lbs).
Again, they don’t tell us a lot about this study either:
- It looks like this is not a published study
- What was the placebo?
- How many people were in the study?
The weight loss study Bob Harper doesn’t tell you about.
According to Bob Harpers website the “key ingredients” in his Smart Weight loss Formula are:
- frauenmantle extract (Alchemilla Vulgaris leaf)
- wild olive extract (Olea europea leaf)
- cormino extract (Cuminum cyminum seed)
- horsemint extract
There is a reason why Bob calls them the “key ingredients” – and here it is.
In 2008 there was a study published in the journal Evidence Based Complimentary and Alternative Medicine. The study was NOT on Bob Harpers weight loss formula.
Researches were actually testing if a another supplement called WeighLevel to see if it helped weight loss.
WeighLevel also has the 4 “key ingredients”– and had those ingredients at least 3 YEARS BEFORE Bob Harpers supplements.
Bob may not know about this study but this is the reason these 4 ingredients were chosen to be in the Smart Weight Loss Formula
As far as I can tell, this is the ONLY study of these 4 ingredients that has been published in a scientific journal (Remember the clinical studies touted in Bob Harper’s Smart Weight Loss Formula seem to be unpublished and not peer reviewed).
Other Smart Weight Loss Products
Bob’s weight loss formula has 3 separate products:
- Smart Weight Loss Starter Kit
- Smart Weight Loss Formula
- Smart Weight Loss 7 day Cleanse supplement
Here is the scoop on the other 2 products
The Smart Weight Loss 7 Day Cleanse. I feel this product should be avoided because it contains senna which is a laxative that can be dangerous if used improperly. You may remember that senna was one of the main active ingredients in the weight loss supplement Zi Xiu Tang Bee Pollen. The 7 Day Cleanse also contains Acai fruit which is useless for weight loss.
For more info on Acai berry see my reviews on the Acai Berry Diet and Fact about Acai Berry.
The Smart Weight Loss Starter Kit. This is basically the same thing as the Smart Weight Loss Formula. It has 2 parts – an AM formula and a PM formula. Both contain the same 4 “key ingredients” except that the AM formula also has caffeine (coffee extract) and some other things that do nothing for weight loss.
While I am taking issue with Bob Harpers supplements, they pale next to the supplements that Jillian Michaels has previously marked.
Jillian Michaels Maximum Fat Burner
and
Jillian Michaels Calorie Control
The Smart Weight Loss TV Commercial
I watched the Bob Harper TV commercial and I noticed something interesting. Here is the commercial on You Tube.
At 11 seconds into the commercial Bob says “its key ingredients have proven in two clinical studies”.
Have proven? Have proven what?
Notice Bob does not say its key ingredients “have been proven to cause weight loss” in two clinical studies.
Bob just says the key ingredients “have proven in”. The way Bob says it, the sentence makes no sense and is vague.
Did Bob make an error in what he was saying? Was it fancy Hollywood editing to get around the law by not actually saying the product causes weight loss? You decide.
Also notice in the TV commercials nobody ever says “the product causes weight loss”.
Instead they say “It really works”.
Saying it really works is vague language that’s used frequently in supplement ads to tap dance around the law and make people think something promotes weight loss.
I know some may think my securitizing Bob’s words are petty, but I need to do this because of who Bob Harper is. He’s on a hit TV show and is famous. People will take his words as gospel because they like bob. Heck, I like Bob too!
But, since I can’t read the clinical studies Bob says support his weight loss supplement, I have to analyze other things to see if I can find out what’s going on.
At 19 seconds into the commercial you meet “Erin” who says “I lost 23 pounds the Smart Way”. Other people are also shown in the TV commercials.
But if you read the words at the bottom of the screen you see that these people also :
- Went on a diet and exercised
- And were PAID for their testimonials!
How much did they exercise? How many calories did they eat per day? How long did it take to lose weight? These are important questions because if you don’t do the same thing, odds are you won’t see the same results.
I have many questions about the clinical studies Bob Harper mentions as proof of for his Smart Weight Loss Formula. As I’ve shown you, the only published study on the “key ingredients” appears to be on a totally different weight loss supplement.
What do you think?
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Amanda, great!I am VERY glad to hear you saw a doctor and that everything seems OK! As for hypothyroidism, I think that’s a smart idea. I discovered last year I was hypothyroid (couldn’t lose weight even on a 1000 calorie diet and got tired a LOT in the afternoon).
I was likewise disappointing in Bob. I often drew the distinction between Bob (who sold oatmeal on TV) vs Jillian (who sold wt loss supplements). I’m sad I cant make that distinction anymore.
I will let you know if I ever find something that works/is safe but dont worry about me “selling out.” That won’t happen
Thanks for letting the world know about this product. I was looking for something to help me get a boost on my weight loss. I was also looking for something to help with energy. Since I started doing Insanity a week ago, I wanted something to help push me through the workouts. So I was wondering what do you think about all the hype about raspberry ketones?
Glannette, Im actually working on raspberry ketone right now! I’m reviewing the research and hope to have it posted this week or early next week. Since you said you were doing Insanity, please read this which I posted on my personal website http://www.joe-cannon.com/rhabdomyolysis-personal-trainers-exercise-review-symptoms-negatives-eccentric-fitness-bootcamp/
its a must read for everybody who works out intensely. Be sure to read the comments also…
My fiance suggested that I do some research and look at the reviews before going and potentially wasting my money on this product. Needless to say, I’m glad I found your review and avoided inevitably wasting money on a product that isn’t going to do much for me. I think I’ll just stick to a healthy diet and increase my activity/exercise (which is about non-existent at this point)
Thank you very much and I will be looking for your reviews to give me more good insight in the future!
do you have a review for xenadrine results ? Is there anything out there that does help at all. I am already doing reduced calories and exercise. Have lost 20 — need to be patient. I am healthy.
Terri, I looked at xendrine for you. It has caffeine so its a stimulant. They say it also has something called “LipoCore” which is an invented word for another supplement. The xedranine site says this is a combination of frauenmantle, wild olive, cormino, horsemint but when I googled “LipoCore” I found the company that actually makes it – Katalyst Nutraceuticals – and they say it has different stuff like ALA, CLA and GLA. here is the link http://www.katalystnutraceuticals.com/katalyst/products/weightloss/lipocor
since you’ve already lost 20 pounds, Id say keep doing what you are doing. It sounds like you are making tremendous progress.
I want to know the company that makes Bob Harper Smart Weight loss PRoducts. They do not work and you can’t seem to get any information on how to get your money back. If you could provide me with whatever information you have and gEt me to the right company so that I can attempt to get my money back if possible. Thank you,
Sincerely yours,
Kim yates
Kim, this is interesting thanks for bringing this up. I looked at “Bobharperssupplements.com” and you are right there is no “contact us” page. I checked the “privacy” page of that website and saw the name “Iovate” which is short for Iovate Health Sciences International Inc. This is the same company that makes Hydroxycut.
The Iovate website is http://www.iovate.com/ but even there I did not see an address or phone number to contact them. On the hydroxycut webpage I did find this address for Iovate 381 North Service Road West, Oakville, ON CANADA L6M 0H4.
Bob harper and hydroxycut do have facebook pages. You can find bob harpers supplement facebook page by searching for “bob harper’s smart success” and you can post your question there and hopefully somebody will get back to you.
Hydroxycut also has a facebook page so you can post there also and try to find a customer service number.
Where did you get the supplement from? Was it at a Walgreens, supermarket etc? If yes you can also go to the store and speak to the manager and get an address/phone number from them. They should have contact information for all products they sell.
Kim, I wish I could be more help. Would you contact me with an update on how you resolved this? I’d also like to know who to contact if you are looking for a refund.
Okay, Im starting today. Im tired of being poor AND unattractive. To get clients, I need to shape up and loose weight. Tingtong to Male escort..:D
Does this interfere or have a negative effect on individuals with hypothyroidism? Or interact with Levothyroxyne which is a hypothyroid medicine?
Carlos, not that I am aware of. try asking a pharmacist and if they say it will, let me know. Do separate them by at least an hour because I believe synthroid can interact with many supplements.
I’m on week 2 of it and it works. I don’t care if it’s in my head or not, I can tell you that I’ve lost 7 pounds so far without changing my diet or exercise. So there ya go.
Joe- This is the first website that I’ve come across that truly critiques a product with a scientific approach, that can easily be understood. Also, one that shows you haven’t been bought, or represent a company or product. I just clipped out a coupon for Bob Harper’s product, and it’s going in the trash. Just wish I knew what I was doing wrong. Although I’ve just seen my Dr., and take a very low dose for hypothyroidism, he’s young, and I’m in my mid-50s. He just doesn’t get it. I exercise twice as much, eat a sensible diet, and nothing happens. All he can tell me is to drink only water, and cut out everything else, including coffee. Are you freakin serious? I only drink 2 cups in the AM, with a little almond milk. Know of anything that works with Levothyroxyne that helps boost the metabolism? It’s not even about the weight anymore.
Maria, I dont know if I buy the “drink only water” suggestion either because coffee is mostly water anyway. If you have a smart phone, have you ever tried using one of those free apps like My Fitness Pal? that might give you an idea of how many calories you are taking in. Another idea is have you ever spoken with a dietitian? they might be able to see whats going on better than the doctor. The national weight control registry has a list of people who have been successful in losing weigh and keeping it off and they list the things people do here is the link http://www.nwcr.ws/
I think meeting with a dietitian might be a good start. you can find an RD in your area by searching for them on their website – EatRight.org
I hope some of this helps Maria
I too just clipped a coupon for smart weight loss and decided to google it — I will now through coupon in the trash –
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