1/20/11

Are There Any Fat Burners That Are Effective?

Are There Any Fat Burners That Are Effective?


When I am asked what I think about fat burners my first response immediately is that without the proper diet and training program there is no pill that will give you the results that you are looking for.   If fat loss is your goal you need to create a nutritional program that will feed your muscle tissue while starving the fat.

The way to do this is the following:

  • Eat a slightly caloric deficient diet (a diet where you ingest less calories than what you burn on a given day).  Take your approximate lean body mass and multiply it by 12 to get a good calorie base.
  • Eat frequently: Your diet should consist of multiple small meals a day (5-6) consisting of complex carbohydrates, lean proteins and some essential fats.  A ratio of 40% carbs, 40% proteins and 20% fats will yield great results!
  • Focus on weight training: Your workout program should focus on weight training as this activity will build more muscle which not only serves to give you a pleasing shape but also increases your metabolism permanently, thus making it easier to lose fat.  Four to five sessions a week of 45 minutes will suffice for most people.  Split your body over three workouts performing Chest, Shoulders and Triceps on Workout (A), Back, Biceps and Calves on Workout (B) and Thighs, Hamstrings and Abs on Workout (C).  Perform 3 sets of 3 exercises of 8-12 repetitions for the large body parts and 3 sets of 2 exercises for the small body parts.  Keep the workout fast paced in nature resting only 60-90 seconds in between sets
  • Do some cardio: In order to really accelerate fat loss, supplement your weight training with 30-45 minutes of cardiovascular exercise 3-4 times per week.  For best results, cardiovascular exercise should be performed either first thing in the morning on an empty stomach or right after the weight training.
As you can see, losing fat while toning up requires a multi-faceted approach that no pill in the market can substitute for.

Problems Created by Following a Proper Fat Loss Program

Following the proper fat loss program however is challenging.  As you start to lose body fat your body, wanting always to remain in a state of homeostasis (a state of balance where it does not change), starts to send powerful signals to the brain that initiate food cravings.  In addition, as you get into several weeks of dieting your body starts to feel tired, you start getting mood swings, and at times, you may even encounter some depression.  While some of the fat loss products in the market do offer temporary relief for these symptoms they are way too high in stimulants, which after weeks of use may lead to neurotransmitter burn out as well as adrenal burnout.  Both of these conditions worsen the problems of mood swings, depression and low energy.  Worst of all, these two conditions lead to reduced thyroid function.  Less thyroid activity means that your dieting and training efforts will be sabotaged as you won’t be able to lose body fat or feed your muscles effectively (since thyroid is the hormone that regulates one’s metabolism).

Effective Fat Loss Supplementation

There are certain supplements that can be taken in order to offset the problems that arise when implementing a proper fat loss program and that can help you to increase thyroid function, increase energy, improve your mood, protect you from burnout, maintain mental clarity, reduce cravings, and of course, increase your metabolism and burn fat!

A) Supplements to Increase Thyroid Function and Metabolism

In order for a diet to be effective, one must ensure that thyroid function is at its optimal level.  A slow thyroid will lower your metabolism and make your dieting efforts futile bringing weight loss to a complete halt.  Therefore by using the two supplements below we ensure that our metabolism runs as efficiently as possible.

L-Tyrosine:

This amino acid is a precursor (building block) to thyroid hormones, dopamine and also neurotransmitters like adrenaline.  Reducing caloric levels lowers L-Tyrosine in the body thus contributing to a slower metabolism and also less energy and mood swings.  Therefore, supplementing with this amino acid solves this problem.  In addition, Tyrosine also acts as a mild stimulant, has appetite suppressing properties, helps improve symptoms of depression, helps to fight mental fatigue and has been shown to reduce cortisol (the stress hormone that likes to feed from muscles while protecting body fat stores).  I’ve gotten great results just from this supplement by ingesting it 30 minutes before a workout with some caffeine.

Iodine:

This is another essential supplement we must take in order to ensure the most optimal thyroid function and proper metabolism.  Low iodine levels stops the metabolism dead on its tracks as iodine is needed to produce thyroid hormones.  Research indicates that the amount of people with low intakes of iodine in the United States has increased dramatically.  Also, a lowered calorie diet that is low in salt can further contribute to low iodine.  Because of these reasons, I like to supplement my diet with some iodine.

B) Supplements to Increase Energy and Boost Metabolism

Lowered calories eventually lead to low energy levels.  Therefore I like to take these two supplements in order to continue to have high energy levels but also to increase the metabolism.

Caffeine:

Caffeine Anhydrous is a central nervous stimulant that helps to increase energy levels, alertness, reduce fatigue and also to increase fat burning.  Caffeine in moderation will help to keep you going through the low energy periods caused by dieting and increase calorie burning by up to 13%.

Green Tea:

Green Tea Extract with 50% EGCG & 98% polyphenols is proven to promote fat oxidation and improve metabolism significantly via sympathetic activation of thermogenesis.  It is also a super anti-oxidant that is many times stronger than antioxidants found in fruits and vegetables and provides more sustained energy and fat burning effects than caffeine.  Research conducted in Switzerland shows that men who consumed caffeine and green tea extract together burned more calories than those given only caffeine or a placebo.  In addition, the EGCG from Green Tea seems to help lower cholesterol, prevent blood clots, prevent heart disease and also fight cancer cells! As if this would not be enough, EGCG has been shown in both animal and human studies to have a profound effect on making the body burn fat for energy and prevent body fat from being stored.  It seems that EGCG helps to suppress the enzymes that promote fat cell replication and the storage of excess calories into fat.  This is great news as what this means is that not only the amount of stored body fat goes down but also the number of fat cells as well!

C) Supplements to Uplift Mood, Memory and Mental Health (Nootropics)

The two supplements below that I am about to discuss are called Nootropics.  Nootropics are super cool nutrients that improve the functions and capacities of your brain, including mood, energy and appetite control.  Considering the fact that any good diet will have adverse effects on all of these factors, I would never consider dieting again without any of these two supplements listed below.
Thiamine Trisulfide Diisobutyrate:
Thiamine Trisulfide Diisobutyrate is a derivative of vitamin B-1 (Thiamine) and is the only supplement known to cross the blood/brain barrier to boost the neurotransmitter acetylcholine, which is responsible for mental clarity and memory, appetite control, energy, mood and stress levels.  Taking this B-1 derivative also increases physical resistance to fatigue and helps to enhance concentration. Bottom line is that even though dieting affects mood, memory, endurance and appetite in an adverse manner, T2D will reverse all of these adverse effects and make you feel happy, energetic and focused all day long while at the same time providing superb appetite control!
Rhodiola Rosea Extract:
Rhodiola Rosea Extract is an adaptogen which has been shown to combat fatigue and the physical effects of stress and help to elevate mood and promote a feeling of well being. It also helps to boost mental function (enhancing memory and associative thinking even when sleep deprived) by increasing blood flow to the brain and helps to release fat from adipose tissue to be burned immediately for energy by activating hormone-sensitive lipase (an enzyme that breaks down stored fat).  On top of this, Rhodiola also helps to support the nervous system and reduce cortisol, a stress hormone that protects body fat from being burned and burns muscle, due to Rhodiola’s positive effect on mood.  As a matter of fact, these mood-enhancing effects are so pronounced that this herb has been shown to be very successful at fighting depression.
Why I Like It:
I also love the fact that this adaptogen is extremely powerful in terms of combating fatigue.  It has been tested extensively and shown to increase one’s ability to perform physical work and maintain focus and concentration over long periods of times.  As a matter of fact, some of the tests showing these positive effects were performed on night shift physicians and other night shift workers.  These are all effects that anyone can benefit from whether dieting or not!

2 comments:

  1. To be reality, I dont really trust fat burners. I have a buddy who used to take them, and he had to have his gal bladder removed. No one knows whether the problem happened because he took these pills, but its really rare for a MALE, of his age, to need to have his gal bladder removed.

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  2. but not too much fat burners tho.. :)
    done$, return favour bro.
    thefitmuscle.blogspot.com

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