How to Pick the Best Weight Loss Supplements and Products

With summer upon us, more and more people are trying to shed those last few pounds to get ‘beach ready’. Along with that comes the frustration of not seeing results on the scale or constantly feeling hungry. I was obese as a child and can still recall being teased and tormented but family and friends, when I did lose the weight I vowed I would never be in that situation again. My body composition works against me; I am tall and muscular but weight that I do gain is always in my mid-section. After having a heart attack in 2011 I elected to cut out most forms of stimulants and caffeine when using sport supplements and diet products but sometimes it is unavoidable if you want to see results.

If you are thinking about buying a weight loss supplement you are going to want to read the information provided but also take heed of the statement that almost all non-prescription products carry. “This product has not been evaluated by the FDA. It is not intended to treat or cure any disease or illness”. Likewise, double or triple dosing on something is not going to give you faster results and in some cases it can cause paranoia, sweating and dehydration, heart palpitations, restlessness and severe muscle cramping. Simply put, you didn’t get fat in four weeks so you can’t lose the excess weight in that amount of time.

No product is going to work without proper diet and exercise but sleep also plays a big part in it. Your muscles need time to recover so don’t think that all you need is protein and a couple extra glasses of water. If you have any type of medical condition you should check with your doctor before taking any over the counter product; my heart has almost completely recovered from the heart attack and congestive heart failure I experienced and my cardiologist said I could use most of the weight loss products in moderation but I still try to avoid most of the caffeine containing products.

Caffeine: Found in everything from coffee to chocolate, moderation is the key. Some companies use other forms of caffeine in their products so you need to do some reading to learn about products like guarana, yerba mate and kola nut. If a product contains these (individually or in combination) with caffeine you might experience unwanted side effects. Caffeine and caffeine containing herbs can help you lose weight faster by providing increased central nervous system stimulation but over time your body will develop a tolerance to it and that is when things can get dangerous. Switching products every few weeks promotes “product confusion” so your metabolism is never in a state of dormancy and you do not build up a tolerance. Caffeine, in moderation, can be an excellent resource to help you get through the harder phases of a diet but if you abuse it you could have serious medical consequences.

Meal Replacements: These can be in the form of bars or shakes; I do not suggest using these when you are first starting a diet because your hunger urges will be incredibly strong. These are best to add in after three to four weeks but only on an occasional basis. Some are high in calories and carbohydrates to give you energy so please read theto see if it is something that is going to help you or hurt you. Some shakes can make you bloated, if you are lactose intolerant or lactose sensitive you are going to want to make sure you are getting a product that you do not have to mix with milk and that contains no dairy products. Teen athletes are using meal replacements to drop weight, this can be an extremely dangerous way to shed fat or get ripped as their bodies require a different dietary intake for growth, performance and recovery.

Green Tea Extract: This is added to some of the more popular over the counter products to promote stored fat burning. This is the same type of stimulant as caffeine so you are going to want to avoid taking this in the evening or within four hours of going to bed. It is touted as being an antioxidant but most people are going to use it as a metabolic catalyst to purge stored fat from the body. If you are considering taking a product that contains green tea extract you are going to want to read the entire ingredient list to make sure that you aren’t taking in too much caffeine or caffeine mimicking products at one time. This can cause jitters, profuse sweating and dehydration.

Stimulant Free Options: If you are caffeine sensitive or have heart issues going with a stimulant free weight loss supplement is a necessity. I have tried a couple of them and while none were as effective as products that contain green tea extract, guarana or caffeine you can get results from them if you use them as directed. One of the most popular antioxidant and weight loss supplements is guava. While this can give you a little bit of a fruity reflux if you don’t drink enough water when taking it, the results can be amazing.

Fad Diets: I am sure everyone has heard about the quick weight loss diets like the “Cabbage Soup Diet” and the “Stop The Insanity” (consume no fat) diet. There is no short cut to losing weight outside of liposuction. Body wraps, body sculpting, sweat wraps and other forms of body manipulation are not recommended; they can leave you dehydrated and cause severe muscle cramping. They are called a ‘fad diet’ for a reason; people try them and see results but the aftermath and subsequent weight gain are what bring it to a quick death. People still use certain diets to lose weight fast for a wedding or party but in the long run they are only setting themselves up for gaining the weight back and possibly causing their body to go in to crisis mode to store even more fat to preserve it. I went headfirst in to cutting out all carbohydrates from my diet; it did work for a couple of weeks and the weight loss was amazing but I was constantly tired and when I derailed from my diet, the weight came back.

Celebrity Endorsed Products: If you go to any pharmacy or drug store you are going to see a lot of ‘popular’ weight loss products. Everything from Dexatrim to Quick Trim will be on the shelves. The mainstream diet plans like Jenny Craig, Nurti System and Weight Watchers seem like a great idea when you see celebrities endorsing them but the fail-rate is high. When celebrities endorse something they are claiming that they used the product and saw ‘dramatic’ results. What they don’t tell you in the adverts is the amount of body sculpting, fat removal and cosmetic surgery they had during and after the weight loss. If you are thinking about going with a weight loss plan that includes food, you are going to want to look at the bottom line you are going to be paying for it and other items you will need to purchase (most require that you add your own fruits and vegetables to the meals).

Product Series: If you start investing in weight loss products you are going to come across companies that sell a wide spectrum of related products like post work out recovery, vitamins, pre work out supplements, joint health and antioxidants. These are not something for the casual dieter; in fact most hard core body builders don’t even need them. Your food intake should be your main concern; enough carbohydrates to get energy but enough exercise to burn off the calories you are taking in. Do not buy a six hundred dollar ‘all inclusive’ weight loss kit; you will be pumping yourself full of mostly unneeded products and when you don’t see the miraculous results that they claim it can lead to a downward spiral, binge eating and even more weight gain.

Prescription Drugs: Years ago I visited a ‘doctor’ that spent about three minutes in the room with me and wrote several prescriptions for me. They were filled at an in-house pharmacy. While they did work, they were only a temporary weight loss. As soon as I stopped taking them the weight came back and brought a couple extra pounds with it. I am sure these were nothing more than caffeine pills but at the time, it seemed like a good idea and something a lot of my friends recommended. You can find doctors that are going to write prescriptions for drugs like Xenical but you need to be evaluated and screened first. Resist the temptation to order this online from overseas pharmacies; you might not get an authentic product or your delivery might be seized by U.S. Customs. Prescription drugs are a controlled substance; they are not a miracle product. They are an appetite suppressant, not something that is going to melt fat away without exercise and a reduced but solid diet.

 

 

Sources:

http://www.webmd.com/vitamins-and-supplements/lifestyle-guide-11/diet-weight-loss-supplements

http://care.diabetesjournals.org/content/27/8/2047.long