With so many crash dieters and pill poppers out there today, what really is the best way to shed off some fat and get ready for the summer? Of course hard work and determination in the gym doing your weight training and cardiovascular work is anyone's best bet.
Along with both of those is a good clean diet, which is definitely necessary for shedding off some extra fat. However, when all of that just isn't enough, supplementation is the next route to go. This article will shed some light on the different ingredients out there to look at in order to help shed off that excess fat you might have put on over the winter.
With so many different products out on the market ranging from Thermogenic Fat Burners, to Stimulant-Free Fat Burners, to Carb Blockers, to Fat Blockers, to Thyroid Hormone Increasers, to Appetite Suppressants, to Cortisol Products... What is the right choice for you? Well I am no doctor unfortunately, so that part I cannot answer for you.
Everyone's body is different and when it comes down to it, you know your body better than anyone. Many people buy and try many different products that fail to give them any results. Hopefully this article will help you narrow down your choices and help you on your hunt for the right supplement for your summer weight loss goals.
Below you will find a list of some great ingredients to look for in your search for the perfect weight loss supplement (all of which are ephedrine-free):
*Before using any of the products listed below, for health reasons consult your doctor to make sure these products are fine for you to be using. Some medications cannot be combined with the products listed below.*
Caffeine:
Caffeine comes from many different sources-some of them being coffees, sodas, supplements, and teas.
- Coffee (8oz) ranges from 90mg to 250mg of caffeine depending on the kind
- Soda (12oz) contains about 35mg of caffeine
- Tea (8oz) ranges from 14mg to 50mg of caffeine depending on the kind
When dieting and getting ready for summer, choosing a caffeine product can be tricky. The choices mentioned above all have calories and some of them depending on what you put in them can significantly increase the amount of calories per serving, which will definitely not help you lose weight.
Therefore, supplementing with caffeine pills might be your best option if you are watching your calories and are trying to stay away from all the sugar found in coffee, tea, and sodas.
Caffeine not only helps you lose weight by giving you more energy but it also helps suppress your appetite at the same time. On top of all that, it is also a diuretic that helps you excrete excess body fluid throughout the day.
Caffeine keeps you alert and mentally focused which is great during workouts. This stimulant helps prevent your muscles from fatiguing during grueling workouts and helps you push harder than normal.
Anyone who is not pregnant and is thinking about supplementing with caffeine can safely take up to 250mg of caffeine a day. Anything over that is not recommended and can be harmful to your health.
Ever since the whole ephedrine ordeal, citrus aurantium has been called the next best thing. For those looking for "citrus aurantium" on the ingredients list on a product might be looking for a long time as the most common name for it is "bitter orange".
This product is basically synephrine (very similar to ephedrine) in a fruit form. This product gives great thermogenic effects that help aid in weight loss.
Synephrine is a stimulant that promotes weight loss. It stimulates the beta-3 receptors that help with the break down of fat (lipolysis). Synephrine helps suppress appetite, increases metabolism, and boosts energy levels.
Those thinking about supplementing with synephrine, the recommended dosage is 20-60mg a day split into three dosages and are to be taken before meals.
Green Tea:
To me, green tea is the best thing since sliced bread. I love the stuff! Not only is it rich in antioxidants that help fight off free radical damage, but it is also a great way to help manage your weight. Green tea can be drank hot or cold and is also available in pill and powder form. I personally enjoy drinking cold tea more than any other form.
Green tea helps increase your metabolism and also fat oxidation. Studies have found that green tea can increase your metabolism by around 4% (primarily because of the catechin polyphenols found in the tea). It is because of the catechin polyphenols that green tea is able to increase thermogenesis and fat oxidation.
Green tea also stabilizes blood sugars especially after eating a meal. This will help slow the insulin spike and fat storage. Another great characteristic of green tea is that it is also an appetite suppressant. Green tea is also a diuretic so your body will be excreting excess fluid.
In order to get the full benefits from green tea you want to have around 3-5 cups a day. For those who have a hard time getting in 3-5 cups of green tea a day could get a supplement containing green tea or get a green tea extract.
Guggulsterones:
When taking guggulsterones you will find yourself enjoying a nice warm/hot sensation, sweating, and also a rise in body temperature which come into play due to its thyroid stimulating ability. Gugguls stimulate the thyroid to produce thyroid hormones that will help raise your metabolic rate which in turn will help burn more body fat.
When dieting your body tends to lower T3 levels and in turn decreases your metabolism. By using gugguls, you are able to increase the production of T3 to help increase the metabolic rate. Gugguls support cholesterol levels already in the normal range. The great thing about guggulsterones is that they are safe and are believed not to stimulate the nervous system.
If you decide to go this route you want to take in 30-60mg of gugguls three times per day with meals. You will tend to see results from this product after as little as 10-14 days.
L-Carnitine:
Another great product to consider when trying to get great for the summer is L-Carnitine. This supplement can be found from natural sources such as dairy products, avocados, and in red meats. L-Carnitine itself is a nonessential amino acid that provides energy by metabolizing food.
L-Carnitine takes long-chain fatty acids and uses them as energy by throwing them into the mitochondria of the cell. When in the mitochondria of the cell, they are oxidized and turned into energy that can be used by the body.
L-Carnitine supplementation is great for reducing muscle fatigue during workouts, increasing energy, and also for fat burning. Another great characteristic of L-Carnitine is that is helps suppress appetite. When taking the product, your hunger pangs will subside.
The recommended dosage for L-Carnitine is between 2-4g-taken one hour before exercising.
Pyruvate:
Pyruvate is a great product that has many great uses. Not only does pyruvate help with weight loss and fat burning, but it also helps boost your energy levels. Pyruvate helps in boosting energy by transporting glucose and protein into the cells of the muscle.
The body makes pyruvate but not in high dosages; therefore, supplementation is necessary if you want to increase pyruvate levels. The downside to this is that not only would you have to be taking an extremely high amount of pills to increase your levels and fully benefit from the effects, but it is also very costly.
Pyruvate is safe and can be used by anyone. The recommended dosages for the product are still being determined, but the rule of thumb is to take in 1g of pyruvate per 10 pounds of bodyweight.
There is a downside to high dosages however, those taking more than 30 grams of pyruvate a day could suffer from an upset stomach. Those wishing to consume such a high dosage should spread it out throughout the day and if the result is an upset stomach, lower the dosage to an amount you can handle.
Yohimbe:
Yohimbe is a very useful supplement with many uses. Not only is yohimbe great for making sure arteries do not become clogged but it is also an antioxidant and a vasodilator. It is also known to support testosterone levels as well as help with sexual arousal. Yohimbe is also a great fat burner on top of all that by decreasing fat synthesis.
Yohimbe works by blocking alpha(2) adrenoreceptors in the body. This is a good thing because when norepinephrine is released in the body, it stimulates both alpha adrenoreceptors as well as beta adrenoreceptors. When there is stimulation of the beta adrenoreceptors, it causes the breakdown of fat.
The opposite happens when the alpha(2) adrenoreceptors are stimulated. Therefore, by supplementing with yohimbe, it prevents the alpha(2) adrenoreceptors from becoming stimulated and increases the release of norepinephrine.
There is no real standard for dosage recommendations for yohimbe. However, it is known that those taking more than 40mg of yohimbe a day can suffer side effects such as dizziness, headaches, hallucinations, and a loss of coordination. Those thinking about supplementing with yohimbe should look to take anywhere from 10-30mg a day of yohimbe.
With so much on the market these days and with the differences in effects for everyone, I cannot give opinions in what products will work for someone. People can base their choice off of the top sellers or they can simply choose a product that they feel will suit them better than the others and go with that.
Hopefully this article shed a little light on some popular and effective weight loss products. Use the information above during your search for the perfect beach body, add that to exercise and a clean diet and you will be turning heads on the beach in no time!