Supplements?

[KatDavid2014]

Does anyone have professional knowledge about thermalgenics, pre-workout stimulants, and fat burners? I've been tracking food and excercise, and i'm SO HAPPY with my results so far. I'm just looking for that extra "oomph" to lose a little faster. I know these supplements can be very harmful and actually counterproductive in the weight loss process. I'm also pretty skeptical about a magic pill that can "melt fat NOW," but I thought if there was something out there to help, I would be willing to give it a try!

Thank you!

[WendyB]

Its better to lose it slow so it stays off.

I myself stay clear of of these types of things. Nothing really helps you lose faster.

[carl669]

they're worthless.  save your money and use it to take a nice trip or something.

[DominicJ]

I "use" Protein Powder, havent had much muscle pain since

I started after a particularly hard class left me hobbling around for nearly a week.

I'm still out of the gym for a couple of days, but I dont notice it day to day

I have used creatine, it just made me want to bounce around the place.

Not sure it would actually help in the gym, feeling supercharged and being supercharged are rather different.

Not used "thermogenics" or fat "binders"

The explanations sound feasible and within the bounds of possibility.

[Swuzz]

Thermogenics make me very sick to my stomach/queasy/nauseated.  Not worth it!

I hear and have tried, though cannot attest to any validity, that warm water with lemon, cinnamon, and honey works well to boost the metabolism.  Also, a cup of black coffee one hour prior to cardio provides a little pep in the step.  This, I can attest to as a fact-at least for me.  My cardio seems less like work and more like an activity since incorporating the coffee an hour prior.

I hope this helps.

[James_R]

If you give a bit more info on your long term goals, I can help you with more detail on good supplementation. 

If the main goal is weight loss, CLA (Conjugated Linoleic Acid) capsules are great for fat loss and maintenance once you plateux. I use them when "cutting" to help shave off fat and redefine muscle after "bulking". 

Protein shakes are great, but you'll want the lowest carb and highest protein possible to keep on track with the fat loss. Bear in mind though, increased protein uptake will aid your muscle growth when combined with a healthy diet, so you will see more gains and plateaux in your bodyweight as opposed to a consistent drop. 

If its pure weight loss you want, rather than muscle growth, avoid creatine as this will cause minor water retention. Your body makes it naturally, so don't bother creatine cycling unless you really want to increase muscle mass. 

If pre-workout is what you want, I'd recommed MyPre from www.MyProtein.com. It will give you a serious boost during training but (I can't stress this enough) read the label before use, NEVER exceed the dose, and NEVER ignore off weeks. Pre workouts tend to contain massive caffeine boosts so you can become dependent if you abuse them, and mis-use can make you quite ill. I use only the preworkout brand I've named, and no others, and although it can boost you into rapid weight loss I would not advise it unless significant muscle gain is your aim. 

For a safer alternative to preworkout I'd strongly recommend BCAA (Branch Chain Amino Acids), you'll always want your aminos but a BCAA pre and post workout is typically enough to keep you pumped and you metabolism running strong without resorting to caffeine or other stimulants. 

If you'd like more advice just ask. There's a lot of myths surrounding supplementation, some positive and some negative, but when used responsibly a good supp regime can help you to meet your goals provided it's combined with a stable and healthy diet and a reasonable exercise regime. 

[josephz2va]

Let me just say this:

• $500 a week stuffing your mouth full of pills you saw on TV or ideas you got from GNC or a sports nutritionist selling products
• $2,000 a month
• $24,000 a year seeing so-so results

Don't believe the as seen on TV claims. It has to do with what you consume. Not just what you consume, but the quality of the foods consumed. Eat To Build Lean Muscle. Look at that, foods that you can consume in a portionalized system. If you need it, type 6-pack fitness bags or like 21-Day Fix which has portion cups.

Skip all the foods you ain't supposed to eat. Cop Donuts, Sugary Snacks, PowerBars that have 30Gs of Protein, Quick Shakes with 30Gs of Protein. Fix the quality of foods.

[James_R]

It all depends on that end goal really. For anyone just looking for fat burning and weight loss the only supp I'd recommend is CLA (one bottle is about £10 and lasts me 2 months). 

My own supp regime is £50 a month when I'm bulking and roughly £50 every 3-4 months when cutting, and most of my costs are in gainer protein to supplement my diet. I'd only recommend something like this for people with a real interest in bodybuilding (ironically, eating for mass can be very hard for some people - myself included). 

Avoid the TV for supps at all costs though. If you can't see the full nutritional info and ingredients list before you buy then it ain't worth the risk of buying. And be **ahem** careful if you ever order anything from mainland Europe, especially after the Jack3d fiasco as regulation of substances can be pretty weak.

[CreativeLauren]

I currently use CLA and love it! I take it with food so it doesnt upset my stomach. My friends who are body builders and trainers recommend it, and creatine. They are better for fat burning and muscle building. I also take a green tea extract in the morning right as i wake up to get my but in gear for the gym. I definitely notice its help, I used to go right back to sleep once my brother is put on the bus at 7:30 but by the time I get back I dont want to go to sleep.

If your looking for something very natural try these spices and herbs, cinnamon, cayenne pepper, ginseng, green tea, ginger and dandelion. They are great boosts in smoothies, teas, and added to water. cinnamon and lemon water, dandelion and green tea boiled. They help boost metabolism.

[Rapha]

On 6\09 I started using FORSKOLIN (twice a day capsules) ...its all over Amazon...I have tried all of Dr. Oz's recommendations....NON WORKED....today is 6/20 and 10.4 lbs down toward my Goal weight. Activity will means this = MORE Calories out and LESS Calories in... PLUS no more comfort foods...the cravings seem to be down also...just Google it and get the skinny 

[LeanMachine]

At first i had very little energy and motivation to push myself. Anytime i tried to do a workout and jog, i just didn't want to because i didn't have the energy.

So i started using C4 pre-workout to boost my energy levels. I have noticed more intense workouts, and have so much energy that i need to use it up. I am cycling it so my body doesn't adapt or depend on it. 1 month on (for now) then use it again in winter when it's harder to push yourself to go to the gym.

Thermogenic and CLA / L-Carnitine:  i bought only 1 bottle of each, for the initial loss, since i need to lose 50 lbs. Once these bottles are done i am not going on it again. I don't feel any different from taking them. I don't take them before my jogs, i noticed my heart spikes faster. Thermogenic is supposed to increase your resting heart rate so you are burning more cal/min but it's minimal. If you have 10 - 15lbs to lose, don't bother taking either of them.

Just make sure you're getting enough protein / nutrients in.

[MRose]

Whether it is for weight loss, a job offer, or a knife you saw on TV, if it's too good to be true, IT IS! 

In short, supplements can be good, if they are helping your body (meaning something like Vitamin D, calcium, etc) but in all likelihood, the weight loss supplements are going to either do nothing but make your heart pound (most of them are very caffeine-heavy) or do more harm than good. And for "supplements," they are almost never FDA approved and can thus make any claim that benefits them.

Remember, always remember, food is a drug! Use it as such! I always thought I ate healthily because I got my 5+ servings of veggies, but something labeled healthy is not always helping you. If you are lagging in energy, start reducing the refined carbs in your diet and add more complex carbs from veggies. It's the peak of summer, everything is cheaper right now and you have a huge selection from most places. It's the perfect time to see what you like! After I had surgeries last year, I did a ton of research on what I could do to maintain/lose weight (under supervision of the doctor I wasn't allowed to do more than walk the stairs for nearly a year), and by just adjusting what I ate, I actually lost weight and healed much faster than the doctors expected.

Write out what your issues are, down to as many details as you feel like adding, and do a little research and see what fits the bill. Chances are, your health insurance has a program for nutrition or coaching calls that is free to you (this is especially true if you have insurance through your employer). Still looking? Contact your local university or clinic and see if you can talk to a nutrition student; that's often either free to you or at least low-cost.

[itsmellon]

It all depends on what you're looking for honestly.

Many proteins you can get at GNC are full of fillers and artificial ingredients; horrible for your body. But most people don't care about that.

Look for the ones that are all-naturally made. They have active enzymes to deliver the nutrients to your body and are full of nutritional goodness.

[I-train-hard]

Buy good proteins, look at sugar inside.

ZMA would become handy at night b4 you go to sleep.

[HeavvyD]

Hi KatDavid2014, I'm new here and I thought I'd share an article with you that goes in-depth about fat burners. 

I hope it answers your question...

[HeavvyD]

Sorry but I sent the wrong link to you but here is the right one >>>click here<<<