Complete guide to fat burners

What do fat burners do?

Think of burning burners, such as a sight on a hunting rifle, only you are trying to hunt fat cells.

In this metaphor, your diet is a pistol, and exercise is ammunition. Fat burners can help you better aim and increase the efficiency of fat. But without the heavy artillery of your diet and some bullets in the chamber, the area is just good for looking at things from afar, and not for bringing home results!

So what is a fat burner? As explained in the journal Obesity, the term “fat burner” is used to describe “food additives that are said to dramatically increase fat metabolism or energy expenditure, impair fat absorption, increase weight loss, increase fat oxidation during exercise or This is the way to bring about long-term adaptations that promote fat metabolism. ”[1] Nevertheless, it is a wide range of functions, especially in the form of tablets, it can mean a lot of things! So let's dig a little deeper.

How do fat burners? Some of the key ingredients used in burning fats are designed to stimulate hormonal reactions in the body and to start the destruction of fat and use it as a fuel source.

The main ingredient of most fat burners is caffeine, which helps you lose weight, increasing your metabolism and helping your body use fat for fuel. It also helps provide energy for exercise and other types of calorie burning. In the body, caffeine increases the breakdown of fatty acids that inhabit the fatty tissue, also known as belly fat. When fatty acids are destroyed, they enter the bloodstream and can be burned by our bodies to create energy.

One thing that burns fat, however, will not fix a broken diet. If you eat for healthy fat loss, then, as Chrissie Kendall, Ph.D., explains in an exhaustive How To Lose Weight guidebook, then a thermogenic fat burner can help in other things: stimulate energy, help curb the appetite that stimulates fat to be used for energy, and even increasing your metabolism and core temperature – what is known as “thermogenesis” – you burn more calories during the day.

Do fat burners work?

Yes, they are … as long as you have reasonable expectations of what “working” fat burner means.

Some people believe that if they use a fat burner, they should be able to melt a huge amount of fat every week. Not gonna happen! But here are some ways to help the fat burner do its job.

Set reasonable expectations: While your fat loss can be increased with supplements, you will not lose 10 pounds a week simply because you are using a thermogenic supplement. Sorry!

Remember this number: the safe fat loss rate is 1-3 pounds a week, for average, healthy people. You can increase this figure to 4 pounds a week in rare cases, but it is not sustainable. In the end, your body will reach a plateau, and fat loss will slow down.

If you are losing weight too fast, burning fat or not, you can lose a lot of muscle mass. If you do not want to look like a shapeless coat hanger and feel healthy and athletic, like one, you should reconsider your fat loss plan.

Set your weight loss goals from week to week and from month to month, not day to day. When you eventually meet incremental goals, you will remain more motivated and see the excellent results of your program. Of course, in a few weeks you will not see any results – this was to be expected. But with the help of fat burning, your fat loss will remain on the way in the long term.

The cycle of your fat burner: Even the best thermogenic fat burner will not continue to produce results forever. Sorry!

“Many people use thermogenics because they can help you achieve weight loss goals in a shorter period of time, and they can also increase energy levels in the gym, but chronic use can increase your tolerance,” explains Chrissie Kendall, Ph.D., in the article What kind of supplements should I ride a bike? ”

"I urge people to the fat burning cycle," explains Kendall. “People usually stay on burning fat for 4-6 weeks. Once your body gets used to it, you will not see the same increase in fat oxidation or an increase in metabolic rate. Stop using your fat burner every time and then you will see that it will still help you lose belly fat. ”

The only problems she says are that, because caffeine is considered a drug, you can experience cancellation effects when you stop taking it.

“The effects of removal are the worst after 1-2 days without it, and they linger for about seven days,” Kendall says, “but most people will say in about a week, your body begins to adapt to life without it.” "

Kendall recommends avoiding burning fat for a couple of weeks, and then restarting recovery — ideally, with a lower dose that you took before you stopped.

Start with a low dose: Fat burners are designed specifically to give you the right dose of various ingredients to support fat loss. But this does not mean that the more ingredients you take, the more results you will see. Supplement manufacturers provide instructions and instructions for maintenance so that you can measure which dose works best for you.

It is always better to start at the lowest dose indicated in the package and stay at that dose for at least two weeks. You can then determine whether you want to increase the dose to the higher end of the spectrum if it is indicated on the package. If the list of products contains only one size, do not exceed it.

Make muscle a priority: This is a general approach to simply take a thermogen, jump on the nearest cardio machine and dream of being smaller. But your body deserves more than this approach!

Along with your nutrition and nutritional supplements, you should follow a comprehensive training program that maximizes fat loss and also minimizes muscle loss. When sustainable weight loss is the goal, muscle is your friend! It burns calories, gives shape to your body and allows you to stay active and feel good.

The most popular weight loss programs in Bodybuilding.com All Access have a common theme: they make you sweat, but also stimulate a healthy overall body composition and muscle growth. If you want to stay long in the long term, you need more than just “cut!”.

5 most popular Bodybuidling.com loss access programs

Are fat burners safe?

As long as you take a sensible approach to your overall diet and watch your stimulant intake, fat burners can be a safe way to increase your results. Here are the basic rules to keep in mind.

Do not do a diet forever: To be clear, no, you do not need to be on a diet for the rest of your life to lose weight. As nutritionist Paul Salter noted in the article “Your No-BS Guide to Effective Weight Loss,” a short timeframe is the best way to get results.

“If you are serious about losing weight, plan a diet for 10-14 weeks,” writes Salter. “This will give you enough time to fine-tune your diet for your specific preferences and activity level. If you sometimes fool your plan, just go back to it and keep moving forward. ”

After your diet, and as soon as you start the cycle with your fat burning, it is important to raise your calories back to or above what is known as “maintenance,” where your calories and calories are about the same. One of the popular ways to do this is what is called a "reverse diet", where you gradually and systematically raise your calories. Registered nutritionist Katie Coles explains how in her article “The Ultimate Guide to Reverse Dieting”.

Do not go too low on calories: During your target phase of the diet, the key is to remain in a small calorie deficit – this means that you consume fewer calories than you burn. But do not think that less is always better! This is a common myth about fat loss, especially among women, that calorie deficiency is a good way to get more from burning fat.

"A lot of diets cut calories, go down at least seriously, and they get results, but not forever," explains Susan Hyulings, Ph.D., RD, in the Basics of Fitness section of Bodybuilding.com. "Having passed a certain point, calorie restriction does not predictably lead to weight loss, and if so, then it is not so great, and it definitely will not be pleasant or sustainable for you."

Remember that the ultimate goal is to feel good and be healthy, and not just look scant! A good goal to keep in mind is to eat the largest number of calories you can, but at the same time lose weight.

Be careful with stimulants: If you can not start your day without a cup of coffee, and you drink another 3-4 times during the day, be careful when choosing a fat burning stimulant. Most fat burners, unless they specifically say they do not contain stimulants, contain caffeine, yohimbine or other stimulants.

While you definitely enjoy the energetic benefits you get from such a high intake of caffeine, if you mix fat burners with a few cups of coffee or any other drink that contains caffeine, there is an upper limit to the effectiveness of stimulants – and everything is different.

As nutritionist Alan Flanagan explains in the article “Why less sleep equals more fat in the body,” a sharp deterioration in the quality of your rest, which excessive stimulants can certainly make, can lead directly to an increase in fat.

In addition, most people who took fat burners consistently, can tell you at least one story about the time when they received more than they expected for a single dose, and they turned out to be sweaty, nervous and felt a little out of their kind.

Therefore, before you even start working with a greasy burner, do not forget to talk a bit and find the one that best suits your needs and preferences. Read the reviews of the most popular fat burners and do not just jump on the first one you see.

What is the best fat burner?

There are two main types of fat burners: those that contain stimulants, and those that do not contain stimulants.

Most (but not all) thermogenic fat burners contain stimulants, usually caffeine. Coffee fat burners are good for people who find it difficult to summon energy for an energetic workout or a long cardio session.

"[Caffeine] helps burn fat and helps athletes work harder for a long time in the gym and in sports, ”explains Robert Wildman, Ph.D., RD, in the article“ Increase your caffeine training. ”

Caffeine is also a powerful appetite suppressant for those who believe that their predatory craving interferes with their results. So yes, there is a very good reason that it is such a popular ingredient in fat supplements!

However, how effective caffeine is, it is far from the only ingredient in popular fat burners. And it becomes even more effective in combination with some others.

But to be clear, simply because the fat burner has more ingredients does not make it better! Especially if you're new to fat burning, focus on a few basic ingredients, such as this is a good place to start.

Green tea: It is shown that green tea and green tea extracts activate the thermogenic fatty activity of the body. A study published in American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that men who took the active ingredient in green tea (catechins) significantly reduced the total fat area, waist circumference, skin thickness, and subcutaneous fat area.[2] As physiologist Physicist Nick Cocker said in the article “Your expert guide to green tea,” using this caffeinated ingredient was even more effective.

L-carnitine: This amino acid-free amino acid has been an athlete’s secret weapon for decades. Taking it once or twice a day with food can also help your body convert stored fat into energy, leaving you leaner and more defined. He does this by breaking down the fatty acids so that the body can use them to produce fuel. As Jim Stoppani, Ph.D., in the “Your Expert Guide to L-Carnitine” explains, he was also shown in studies to support recovery after exercise, reduce muscle damage, and even reduce muscle-induced muscle pain.

CLA: Conjugated linoleic acid or CLA is a natural fatty acid like omega-6 fatty acid. Despite the fact that CLA is fat, studies show that consuming 1.4–3.0 g per day can lead to complete fat loss.[3,4] It can also help you maintain muscle during periods of weight loss, as explained by kinesiologist Ciaran Fairman, Ph.D., in the article “Your Expert Guide to CLA”. Remember that muscle is your ally for long-term success!

Yohimbin: This ingredient, made from the bark of the yohimbe tree, is a popular stimulant in burning fat. A well-known study has shown that fat loss results are significantly better than placebo among well-trained soccer players.[5] However, more research is definitely needed, and yohimbine is not for everyone! If you are prone to anxiety or are very sensitive to stimulants, be careful when it comes to yohimbine. Some people find this to make them very nervous or anxious.

Garcinia cambogia: As a nutritionist Johnny Bowden, Ph.D., explains in the article “Fat-Loss Hope Or Hype: The Truth About Garcinia Cambogia”, this decaffeinated acidic fruit extract has become very popular in recent years. As long as you take it correctly, he explains that he can offer strong benefits with mouth-watering control.

How do I know if my fat burner is working?

Once you find the best fat burner for your goals, give it 2-3 weeks to work before you begin to evaluate progress or results.

But after this time, track your progress definitely to see how your goals evolve! Regardless of whether you are taking photos of progress, measuring body parts, measuring body fat, or simply tracking weight on a scale, you won’t know if the product helps you see results if you don’t know your starting point.

Nevertheless, despite what you think, weighing yourself more often does not lead to better weight loss results, as Paul Salter explains in the article “How often should I weigh myself”? Your weight is only one part of the story, not the whole story, so do not dwell too much on it. How you feel, how you look, and how your workouts progress is also extremely important!

Remember that some people respond better to certain ingredients in burning fats, so it’s best suited for one person may not always be better suited for another. After a few weeks, if you find that you don’t see the results you were hoping for, think about using another product.

Keep track of your progress over time, stick to your nutrition and training, and sometimes use fat burners for the last 5 percent of results, and see if you can surprise yourself with what you have achieved!