Can Fat-Burning Supplements Actually Work?

We hear this question a lot: fast weight loss supplements, do they really work, or what? The fact is that they SHOULD work, but that not all of them do. Now, not to name names, but some supplements are little more than a placebo, something to make you think that you’re burning fat when, in fact, they’re not doing much for you.

So if you want to know which ones eill get you fat burning, just look out for the following ingredients on the bottle.

Fiber

Getting rid of fat is all about fiber, really. You don’t actually burn FAT with this stuff, but it does help to keep you feeling full, meaning you don’t have to eat quite as much to feel like you’ve had a good meal. It helps to keep you regular, meaning that you retain less waste and less weight, and it helps you keep your energy up when working out so that you can always run that extra mile or two before calling it a day.

Electrolytes

Electrolytes are great for keeping you energized. They help your body get the water in there and hydrate well. This means that, as with fiber, you can hit the gym for longer hours without getting tired. Most energy and sports drinks have some electrolytes in them. They’re best for restoring yourself after a hard workout, so keep some handy. When you get winded, you can grab a little of your drink and be ready to go again for a full hour extra, or longer. Of course, even so, water is still the best sports drink in existence.

B Vitamins

Any of the vitamin B based supplements should lend you a boost in energy when you’re running the track or doing crunches. Vitamin B is all about energy, and many actually just take vitamin B in pill form rather than drink a cup of coffee or have an energy drink in the morning.

Protein, Creatine, Etc.

Our advice is actually to stay away from these muscle building supplements until you’ve already lost all the extra weight you want to lose. It’s not that you don’t want muscle, you do, in fact. Especially after losing a lot of weight, as you’ll need some new body mass to fill in the skin. But, creatine and protein and so forth are really there to help you add muscle mass, not lose fat, so know that it can throw your numbers off when you stand on the scale.

The fact about supplements is that they’re only going to help you as much as you’re actually willing to help yourself. Fat burning supplements don’t do it on their own, which is why they’re called “supplements” and not “magic wizard pills”. These supplements can keep you energized and speed up your progress when you’re working off the extra weight, but they still have yet to invent a supplement that allows you to just sit on your butt and watch the pounds fall off. So make sure that any supplements you take are complemented by plenty of water, a fierce workout regiment, and a healthy diet, because you can’t lose weight on this stuff alone.

Or to sum it all up: Drink lots of water, work out, eat healthy and walk more. Supplements can be a huge help, but don’t expect to get quick weight loss with them alone. Without a healthy lifestyle, you may as well just be eating salt tablets and pretending they’re helping you to lose weight and get fat loss.

- Ben Pate