Fat Burner Supplements – Supplements are a widely discussed topic, with some heavily researched, safe supplements for the average consumer like creatine, protein powders, fish oils, vitamins, and more. But one of the most controversial supplements, but ironically the most profitable, are fat burners or fat loss supplements.

Supplements are a widely discussed topic, with some heavily researched, safe supplements for the average consumer like creatine, protein powders, fish oils, vitamins, and more. There are more alternative or additional supplements people may take depending on their goals and preference, such as BCAAs and preworkout. 

 

But one of the most controversial supplements, but ironically the most profitable, are fat burners or fat loss supplements. These products claim to speed up your metabolism or increase thermogenesis in your body. Although studies may show that these effects do happen, it’s often minimal, temporary, and therefore doesn’t do much in the long-term.

Why are Fat Burners Bad?

Since these fat burners are filled with stimulants like caffeine and synephrine, it gives you the sense of having more energy and a reduced appetite, in reality your body will begin to adapt overtime and render it ineffective. The effectiveness of these supplements will gradually reduce after the first few weeks since your body will gradually learn to function at this new level of normal while on these supplements, which is not a good thing. This means that when you stop taking these products, it can lead to a slower metabolism, lower energy levels, and higher than before appetite because your body got used to having the boosted levels of these 3 aspects due to the fat burner. This can easily reverse or worsen the progress made through the fat burners at the start. 

what are fat burner supplements

Although people can see weight loss progress as a result of these supplements, it has more to do with your activity levels and the calories in versus out, as discussed in our How to Cut blog post. 

So, What’s a Better Way to Lose Weight?

Firstly – stay away from these fat burners. At the end of the day, the key thing to remember for weight loss is that the calories in have to be lower than the calories you’re burning daily, also known as a calorie deficit. This can be achieved through increasing your exercise, reducing your calorie consumption or a combination of both.

reducing caloric intake for weight loss

Reducing Caloric Intake 

Reducing calorie consumption can be as easy as switching out certain foods in your diet with healthier options such as more whole foods, higher protein content in your meals to help keep you satiated for longer, and more. Reduce empty calories in your diet like soda and sugary snacks, and ensure that your diet has lots of fiber rich, low calorie fruits and vegetables.

Increasing Exercise

It’s easy to say that you just need to exercise – but what form of exercise do you actually enjoy and can stay the most consistent with? This will differ from person to person, but the first step isn’t to just do what someone on social media is doing; find a sport or activity that makes you excited to work out, whether that be dancing, playing a sport, weightlifting, running or even bouldering. When it’s something you actually enjoy doing, you’ll find it easier to make time for it in your schedule, and to stay motivated. You can also learn more tips on how to stay motivated in our previous article.

increasing exercise for weight loss

To learn more, visit Train Fitness.