Monday, August 23, 2010

Have I Been Wasting My Time And Energy With Fat Loss Supplements?

We hear this question a lot: quick weight loss supplements, do they really work, or what? The fact is that they SHOULD work, but that not all of them do. Now, not to name names, but some supplements are little more than a placebo, something to make you think that you're burning fat when, in fact, they're not doing much for you.

If you're looking for fat burning supplements, they should contain one of the following ingredients.

Dietary Fiber

Fiber is really only there to do two things: Keep you feeling full and keeping you regular. Doesn't sound like much, right? Well, this is actually incredibly important to losing weight. How are you going to stop over eating if you're always hungry? How will you actually know that you're losing weight when you have a bunch of digested food stuck in your lower intestine? By eating more fiber, you can run farther and weigh less, simple as that.

Electrolytes and Water

Electrolytes help keep you hydrated and energized. Most sports drinks contain enough electrolytes to go around, so using one of those should help you out. They're best used as a supplement to help you recover after a serious workout, so keep some handy after a long run, walk or bike ride so that you don't feel too worn out, and so that you can go again when you need to without passing out from dehydration. You should know, however, that water is still the best sports drink available, even if the added electrolytes do you help you out a bit.

Vitamin B

Good old vitamin B is probably the very best source of extra energy. Many people don't even bother with coffee or energy drinks, they just take a vitamin B and call it a day. Give it a try and see how you feel. The more vitamin B you take, the more energy you'll have, simple as that. And it doesn't weigh you down or make you burpy like most energy supplements.

Creatine and Protein and so Forth

Body builders have it made when it comes to supplements, but people just trying to lose weight should think twice about taking any of these. They can help, sure, but creatine, protein, and so on will only add muscle to your body rather than helping you lose weight specifically. If you have both goals in mind, go for it, otherwise, take with caution, and remember that muscle weighs more than fat, so don't be surprised if you wind up weighing exactly the same by the end despite looking and feeling much better.

The fact is, supplements are only your little helpers. They help, they don't do the workout for you. If you need something that'll do the workout for you, hire an athlete to lift your weights so you don't have to, but don't expect results. There's no such thing as a magic pill that will lend you the perfect body in spite of an unhealthy life style. So put the work in.

Or to sum it all up: Drink lots of water, work out, eat healthy and walk more. Supplements can be a huge help, but don't expect to get quick weight loss with them alone. Without a healthy lifestyle, you may as well just be eating salt tablets and pretending they're helping you to lose weight and get fat burning.

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