Fat Loss Supplements That ACTUALLY Work
Now, the only way to lose body fat is through a calorie deficit.
This is when you’re burning more than you’re eating.
If you feel like you’ve been duped I apologize but this blog is going to help you not focus so much on quick fixes and magic pills but long-standing supplements that will actually help you lose fat, feel healthier and feel fit long-term.
- Caffeine
Everyone’s favorite supplement! Whether you know it or not I think everyone loves caffeine. It gets you up in the morning. It’s coffee. It’s your pre-workout. It’s amazing.
Caffeine gives you the feeling that you’re not tired which essentially gives you energy so you have more energy to do things throughout the day. Your heart rate is increased so your output is generally going to be higher from a none-exercise perspective already.
If you take caffeine before the gym, whether it’s pre-workout or coffee, espresso or whatever your choice – your training is going to be enhanced. It is a performance-boosting supplement.
It is also an appetite suppressant. Think of it this way – if you’re waking up and instead of eating a bowl of cereal or a few eggs, have a cup of black coffee. It will fill you up for next to 0 calories. Just don’t way but just don’t go having a Stanley Hudson 5×5 (props if you get that one). Aim for 200mg of caffeine if you don’t have any sensitivities or pre-existing heart conditions.
- Whey Protein
The majority of people that I work with are extremely low in protein in their diets. Protein is essential for muscle growth, muscle maintenance, and recovery. Whey protein powder is the most convenient way to get it in.
As for fat loss, it increases the thermic effect of food because it takes more energy for the body to break down. When your diet is 30% protein versus 10% protein your body is working 20% harder. This means your metabolism is that much higher trying to break those foods down and use the protein. Aim for 0.8-1g per pound of bodyweight for your protein intake each day.
- Melatonin
This one is the most farfetched on the list but it’s here for a good reason. Sleep is so important for fat loss. When you don’t sleep well, your hunger hormones will be all out of whack, making it harder to stick to your calories each day.
Ghrelin is the ‘hunger hormone’ because it stimulates appetite, increases food intake and promotes fat storage. When your sleep quality is compromised, this is elevated and your leptin levels are decreased. Leptin helps regulate how many calories you burn and how much you eat, which in turn regulates how much fat tissue your body stores.
The other important hormone affected by sleep and negatively affects fat loss is cortisol. When you don’t sleep, your cortisol is elevated. A chronically elevated cortisol level can lead to bloating, weight gain, sluggish behaviour, and less efficient nutrient distribution.
Most places overdose their melatonin amounts. The most you really need 300 micrograms (mcg) per day. You don’t need 3mg you definitely don’t need 10 mg. Having that much melatonin it’s not gonna help you much more than that minimum effective dose.
- Creatine
Most people will say it’s only for getting bigger and adds to a ton of bloat so there’s no way it helps with fat loss. Creatine is the most-studied performance-enhancing supplement up there with caffeine. It’s going to help you recruit more muscle fibers, it’s gonna give you more energy in the gym. If you have more energy to perform and you perform better, you will consistently progress. What do you think is going to happen? You’re going to create a bigger deficit, and you’re gonna be building/maintaining more muscle. The muscle is going to help with the fat loss and if your nutrition is on point you’re going to lose fat faster.
As for dosing, you only need 5g per day OR 5g on each workout day. The minimum effective dose is ~3g/day. You don’t need to have a loading phase. You don’t need to have it with fruit juice or any of those old strategies that have been debunked for years now. Keep it simple and be consistent.
Don’t make this so complicated and don’t focus on these until you have your diet in check. Make sure you’re hitting your calories consistently. Make sure you’re in the gym consistently and then start to worry about different supplements.
Fat burners, raspberry ketones. and apple cider vinegar are not fat loss supplements. Focus on these four they’re not directly gonna make you lose fat but if you’re creating that healthy sustainable lifestyle and you want to shed fat and keep it off these are great supplements to have in your rotation.
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