Because of our size-conscious culture, many people are into weight loss programs. Anything from do-it-yourself fitness apps to dietary supplements, they promise you to trim body fat.
One of the common things on the weight loss market is fat burners. They are available as either powders or pills, helping you lose weight faster. Sometimes they come with other benefits, such as antioxidants.
An article written by Mitchelle Morgan, who has spent 10 years producing high-quality health content, said that sustainable weight loss comes from a healthy diet and exercise. However, mixing fat burners can give you an extra edge in changing your body composition.
Before buying into the hype, let’s know first what fat burners are and how they work.
What Are Fat Burners
Fat burners are dietary supplements that contain natural or artificial compounds. These products claim to help you lose weight and get more in shape.
Despite their name, fat burners don’t burn fat cells like a thin smoke; instead, they attempt burning fat in other ways, such as:
- Increase fat metabolism or energy expenditure
- Reduce fat absorption
- Increase fat oxidation during exercise
- Decrease appetite, so you consume fewer calories
Fat burners work more like an enhancer, giving you an extra energy boost and speeding up the metabolism while encouraging the body to use fat stores as energy during an intense workout. We recommend seeking professional advice before taking any fat-burning supplements.
Do Fat Burners Work for Everyone
Yes, they may work, as long as you have reasonable expectations of what a fat burner means. Some people believe that if they use a fat burner, they should eliminate all the excess weight in a week. However, that’s not how fat burners work.
Here are some ways you can promote weight management when using a fat burner for weight gain:
Set reasonable expectations
While supplements can enhance the rate of achieving your ideal body weight, your road to dropping weight might take some time since losing weight doesn’t happen in a day or week.
It will take several months to promote weight loss and weight maintenance. Keep this number in mind; a safe rate of weight loss is 1 to 3 pounds per week. Nevertheless, you can push this rate up to 4 pounds in rare instances, but it’s not sustainable.
Cycle your fat burner
Many believe that using a fat burner instantly burns calories, leading to fat loss. However, that’s not the case; chronic use of fat burner supplements can increase your tolerance. That’s why it’s necessary to cycle using a fat burner.
People usually use a fat burner for 4 to 6 weeks since when their body gets used to the result, you’re not going to get the same result. But using fat burner supplements now and then will still help you lose belly fat.
Start at a low dose
Fat burner supplements are designed to give you the proper dose of various ingredients to promote fat loss. However, it doesn’t mean that the more the ingredients you take, the more you get better results.
Most manufacturers indicate labeling on the proper dose that works best for you. You may also talk to your doctor to give you advice on this.
Common Ingredients of Fat Burners
There are dozens of ingredients in fat burner supplements, including herbal ingredients and other compounds.
Here are the most common ingredients founds in most fat burners. Some target adipose tissue, while others stimulate hormonal reactions to impair fatty acid absorption. Let’s get to learn them below!
Caffeine
Caffeine is a stimulant fat burner that helps burn calories. It contains a lot more caffeine than coffee, tea, chocolate, and other caffeine-containing beverage.
Therefore, when taking a weight-loss dietary supplement, avoid foods rich in caffeine as they can cause high blood pressure, nervousness, jitteriness, insomnia, and palpitations.
Green tea extracts
Many fat burners contain green tea extract. This ingredient supports fat loss by burning calories and impairs fat absorption. However, a medical publishing Health Canal has a point that the weight loss benefits of green tea aren’t that significant. You will burn more calories if you incorporate a low-calorie diet and exercise.
Carnitine
Most supplement manufacturers include this compound as it helps with metabolism. Carnitine can be found in many meats and dairy products, but the human body also makes it naturally. Studies on its fat burn effects are mixed; however, too much carnitine can cause nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea.
Soluble fiber
Some fat burners contain ingredients that are high in soluble fiber. Fiber doesn’t only increase burn fat, but it also helps curb appetite. In addition, soluble fiber helps in body fat reduction by preventing the body from absorbing fatty acids from the food we eat.
Protein powder
Protein is a vital ingredient in most weight loss supplements. Not only do they help in calorie burn, but they boost the metabolism and suppress the appetite by inhibiting the hormone ghrelin.
Moreover, having protein in the diet can help increase muscle mass and promote muscle growth. However, too much protein isn’t healthy. To avoid overdoing it, get protein from natural sources, such as chicken, fish, and eggs, instead of protein powder shakes and smoothies.
On the other hand, some natural fat burners contain other ingredients that promote fat loss, such as:
- Conjugated linoleic acid
- Fucoxanthin
- Garcinia cambogia
- Kelp
- Forskolin
Are Fat Burners Safe
Fat-burning pills have many warnings against them. Since they aren’t regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), they have questionable ingredients that aren’t guaranteed to achieve weight loss plateau and fat loss. Some of the ingredients have adverse effects.
When considering fat-burning supplements, don’t forget to seek professional advice from your doctor or a pharmacist. Patients aren’t cautious with the supplements they are taking, but some ingredients in fat burners can interact with certain medications, leading to serious health problems.
Conclusion
Fat-burning supplements are a supplement to your fitness, not the core aspect of it. You must know their role and how they work, not as a magic pill to melt down all your fats.
Fat burners do work as long as you provide extra something. Most of your progress in your weight loss journey will come from eating a balanced diet, regular exercise, and getting enough sleep each night.
Stick to the principles of a healthy lifestyle, and fat burner supplements will help you achieve your ideal weight.
