There’s thousands of them..
But have you ever wondered if they actually work?
Well, wonder no more because in this post I’m going to tell you everything you need to know about fat burners and how they work.
When it comes to losing weight and getting in shape we all need a little help.
Burning fat can be an uphill struggle.
You go on a diet and you start exercising and it’s great at first but before long you start to feel tired and hungry and the thought of exercising makes you want to cry.
And you’re supposed to do this for months until you’ve reached your goal?!
Doesn’t sound very fun does it.
Well that’s where fat burners come in..
What Are Fat Burners?
Fat burners are substances or food items that are supposed to increase the rate at which you burn fat.
Simple right?
Unlike appetite suppressants that reduce your appetite either physically or mentally fat burners increase your metabolic rate which helps to burn more fat and extract more energy out of what you eat.
You essentially burn calories at a faster rate.
Fat burners are a pretty new concept when it comes to weight loss and have mainly found popularity due to the fitness and bodybuilding industry.
Many people who already workout use fat burners to strip away fat so they can reveal more muscle and improve their physique.
Bodybuilders especially love them because after a bulk they need to burn off some of the fat that has built up.
But fear not because fat burners aren’t just for athletes, fitness and bodybuilders.
Because now there are many very effective ones that the everyday person can use to burn off some fat and look better!
What Are Thermogenic Fat Burners?
Thermogenics is a new term that has come to light in the weight loss industry.
Thermogenics are a class of fat burners that stimulate fat loss by raising your body temperature slightly.
Thermogenic fat burners increase the rate of lipolysis or the breakdown of fats by an extra 10-20%.
Users generally won’t feel the increase in body temperature that much but the fat burning effect will be going on in the background.
Should You Take Fat Burners?
The people who usually take fat burners are generally athletes or people who are already accustomed to vigorous physical exercise.
Many people use them as a kind of energy boosting pre-workout.
The major reason for that is that fat burners tend to work a lot better when you are more active.
This is a sharp contrast with appetite suppressants which don’t require as much physical activity to be effective.
You should be more careful when taking fat burners.
Why is that?
Because fat burners can have far more severe impacts on your health.
These include a significant increase in your basal temperature and jitters as many of them contain stimulants which is why people with heart problems or people who react badly to coffee shouldn’t take fat burners before speaking to a doctor.
But for most of us fat burners can be a fantastic way to reach our weight loss goals.
Fat Burner FAQs
Amy from Central Trak University of Texas at Dallas Artists Residency asks – What is a thermogenic Fat Burner?
Hi my name is Amy from CentralTrak The Artist Residency of the University of Texas at Dallas and I would like to ask what is a thermogenic?
Answer: A thermogenic fat burner is one that raises your body temperature in order to burn calories faster.
Types Of Fat Burners
There are several types of fat burners that are available for sale.
These range from natural to manufactured.
While natural fat burners are not known exclusively for their fat burning prowess they do contain molecules and enzymes that definitely speed up your metabolism and boost lipolysis.
It’s generally advisable to use natural fat burning substances before moving onto prescription ones.
There are 3 main types of fat burners that we’ve outlined below including;
- Naturally available fat burning foods
- Supplements
- and prescription fat burners.
Natural Fat Burning Foods
Here we have outlined some natural foods that burn fat..
Caffeine
Caffeine has so many health benefits when consumed in appropriate doses that it’s hard to say anything bad about it. Caffeine is found in different plants such as coffee, guarana and tea.
The important thing about caffeine is that you can take fairly large doses without feeling its adverse effects.
What it does to the body is quite interesting.
It helps raise the rate of metabolism in the body and also curbs appetite.
So guess what happens?
When you consume caffeine rich food or drinks you lose weight by consuming more energy stored in your body (mostly fat) and by eating less.
The daily recommended maximum amount for caffeine is 400 mg which is about 5 cups of really strong coffee.
What happens when you take too much caffeine?
A whole host of problems such as insomnia, fatigue, and jitters.
So while caffeine should be top consideration when trying to burn fat don’t burn yourself out by consuming too much.
Conjugated Linoleic Acid
Conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) supplements have become very popular as both an isolated compound and a food component.
It belongs to the class of long chained linoleic acids which are found in abundance in meat and dairy products in animals such as cows, impalas and deer.
Scientific studies conducted on the benefits of CLA have found that it has some anti-inflammatory properties and some anti-cancerous properties.
But they were not able to find direct fat burning properties that have been claimed by many people.
Therefore while it is rather popular in the bodybuilding industry and it may have some mild fat burning effects don’t expect to go eating deer meat and lose 50lbs.
Garcinia Cambogia
Garcinia cambogia is a tropical plant whose fruit contains hydrocytric acid (HCA) which is claimed by many to burn fat and reduce appetite.
HCA has been medically tested to stimulate weight loss and was found to have very little impact.
However regarding side effects, Garcinia cambogia has been found to have toxic effects on the liver when used over a long period of time.
So Garcinia Cambogia, although natural, shouldn’t be taken for long periods.
And although it could help you burn fat a bit faster it’s probably not worth buying.
Protein Rich Foods
Protein is very readily available.
The thing with protein is that it’s contains the basic building blocks of our bodies which are amino acids. Amino acids are required in large amounts to keep the body in a healthy state.
The US Department of Health and other global health agencies recommend that you should eat at least 60% of your body weight (in lbs) as proteins (in grams) on a daily basis.
This means that a 150 lbs man should consume at least 90g of protein to keep his body at an optimal level of performance.
Why is protein so beneficial when it comes to burning fat?
Simply because it aids in body recomposition.
Body recomposition is a phenomenon that was found by scientists during the latter half of the 20th century where they realized that consuming a large amount of protein along with physical exercises melts away fat and replaces that fat with muscle (pure protein).
By doing resistance training and eating plenty of protein you will help to restructure your body composition and build muscle.
People with more muscle have higher metabolic rates because muscle requires more energy.
So eat some more protein and lift some weights because it’s great for burning fat!
Green Tea
Green tea contains a number of antioxidants as well as caffeine that are very beneficial at burning away fat stored in your body.
It contains compounds such as polyphenol epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) which in conjunction with caffeine has been shown to promote thermogenesis in the body which is the holy grail of fat loss these days.
We believe that green tea extract (either in capsule or just plain green tea) is a more potent form of caffeine because it contains other antioxidants that may help you reach your weight loss goals faster.
MCT Oil
Medium-chain tryglycerides (MCTs) are found in oil extracted mainly from coconuts.
They are easily absorbed into your body and have been linked with actually reducing your cholesterol levels.
A recent study conducted on the weight loss benefits of MCTs where 8 adult males were given 15-30 grams of MCTs per day showed an increase in their basal metabolic rate by 5% over a 24 hour period.
This would mean nearly 100 extra calories burned off during a 24 hour period.
However we must warn you against the adverse effects of MCTs as well.
It’s best taken by someone who is engaged in vigorous physical exercise. This is because it’s broken down quite easily in the liver and converted to energy.
If you don’t expend enough energy it will go back to being fat which will then be deposited in your body and then you are back at square one.
Also the side effects of drinking more than 2 tblspoons of MCT can result in an upset stomach.
MCT Oil is a staple among ketogenic dieters for it’s energy boosting and fat burning capabilities.
Eggs
Eggs are nature’s fast food.
It’s an incredibly easy source of delivering good fats and a large amount of protein into your body.
Eggs provide healthy fats that take a long time to digest and they have been found to contain a large number of antioxidants in addition to protein making them an ideal food for weight loss.
Chili Pepper and Spicy Foods
Chili peppers contain a number of molecules and enzymes that help with fat loss.
Capsaicin is an antioxidant that has been shown to reduce the level of inflammation in body cells and has been shown by recent research to help maintain a healthy weight.
Spicy foods in general such as bellpepper, turmeric, and other spices often contain capsaicin.
Research performed on Capsaicin showed that it can help to burn off an extra 50 calories per day.
Olive Oil
Olive oil has been shown to reduce the amount of triglycerides, increase HDL, and aid in the production of GLP-1.
GLP-1 has been shown to simulate the feeling of satiety that would help with lowering your caloric consumption.
Fat Burning Supplements
Fat burning supplements are usually manufactured by extracting natural compounds and isolating them into a pill.
Here are some of the common ingredients in fat burners..
Protein Powder Supplements
Protein powder supplements are generally an isolated or mixture of proteins that can be classed as whey protein or casein protein.
Both of these proteins can be used for muscle recovery and for body recomposition.
You must increase water intake when supplementing with protein.
Whey protein is commonly used after workouts within 30 minutes to help deliver some fast acting protein to rebuild your muscles.
Casein is usually taken before bed to aid in muscle recovery and repair.
Both will help give you energy and help boost fat burning.
L-Carnitine Supplements
L-Carnitine is a popular supplement within bodybuilding and fitness circles.
It has been shown to lower the levels of LDL in the blood.
However its other fat burning claims have not been verified by scientific studies.
If you are planning on using L-Carnitine as a fat loss supplement you should be engaging in physical exercise on a regular basis.
Pure Caffeine Extract
Pure caffeine extract is just what the name says.
It’s basically isolated caffeine that’s dehydrated into a powdered form.
There are hundreds of fat burners for sale and pretty much all of them contain caffeine.
It’s highly potent and is usually used by those who engaged in vigorous physical activity as a pre-workout supplement or those who are non-responsive to normal amounts of caffeine.
The issue with pure caffeine extract is that it delivers all the side effects of normal caffeine at much lower amounts.
Be careful not to take too much of this stuff as it’s pretty potent.
Ephedrine and Pseudoephedrine
Ephedrine is quite a controversial ingredient because of the issues several US health agencies had with it a few years ago.
Ephedrine has been claimed by many to be the ultimate fat burner giving the quickest results.
It’s extracted from the roots of several tropical plants and has been shown in several lab settings to increase the metabolic rate of the body by a lot.
However this comes at a certain cost.
Ephedrine and its close chemical relatives have been shown to have toxic effects on the body.
In the USA, Australia, and New Zealand several deaths were reported that were linked with the use of Ephedrine supplements.
During the mid-2000s the FDA banned supplements containing pure ephedra extracts from being manufactured in the USA.
Since then supplement manufacturers have been looking for similar ingredients that pack the punch of the original ephedrine.
Pseudoephedrine is a similar extract from the same plant root that has the same properties as ephedrine.
However it has not yet being banned in the USA.
Therefore you can definitely find many supplements that contain ephedrine derivatives.
However we would advise you to stay away from them because of the mortal risk that you would be putting yourself in if you don’t use them properly.
Rapberry Ketones and Bitter Orange
Bitter orange is a citrus plant that is native to South East Asia.
It is claimed to have weight loss and appetite suppressant properties.
It contains the stimulant known as synephrine.
Synephrine has been noted to have chemical similarities to the previously mentioned ephedrine.
Synephrine poses some risks for those with cardiac and respiratory problems. Bitter orange has been clinically studied and the results are inconclusive on whether it has measurable weight loss benefits.
Raspberry ketones are extracts from raspberries that are claimed by many to antioxidant properties that help with burning fat.
Chromium
Chromium is an essential element to the proper functioning of the human body.
More and more supplement manufacturers have been focusing on chromium as an essential ingredient in their products.
However scientific evidence supporting the benefits of taking external supplements of chromium are lacking.
The human body usually has enough chromium to perform optimally and does not generally benefit greatly from any extra.
Therefore taking chromium rich supplementation would probably not be of great benefit to your fat loss goals.
Another commonly included ingredient is Garcinia cambogia which has been shown in clinical studies to have little impact on fat loss and to have some negative consequences on your liver health.
Also many new supplements now include some natural products such as green tea extract, coffee, guarana, fish oil, healthy lipids and fats like the ones we mentioned at the start of the article.
Prescription Fat Burners
Unlike anorectics or prescription appetite suppressants which have been around for some time prescription fat burners are still quite new because medical science has been slow to catch up on the benefits of fat burning medications.
Prescription medication is reserved for those with BMIs over 27 (mostly 30+) who have to lose some weight quickly in order to ensure sustainable quality of life.
Losing weight for these people is usually a matter of life and death and a doctor has decided that it’s imperitive they lose weight immedietely.
It’s important to understand that most of the prescription medication available for fat burning aren’t actually fat burners.
They act by suppressing appetite which may lead to reduced caloric intake increasing the usage of stored fat in the body.
Here we’ve outlined some of the popular prescription weight loss medications for your consideration.
Dinitrophenol (2, 4 DNP)
2, 4 DNP is an infamous thermogenic that has been used for its purported weight loss abilities for nearly 30 years.
It raises the basal metabolic rate to such a high degree that your body temperature that you burn through calories a lot faster.
This is quite dangerous and has been linked to a number of deaths.
The popularity of the drug itself exploded during the 1930s when it was used by people to burn fat very quickly.
However the serious number of health consequences such as heart failures, strokes, fatigue, jitters, and simple exhaustion must be considered before even thinking about taking such medication.
There are some factors that you should consider when getting a prescription for these medications.
The first is that you should keep in regular contact with your physician and must be in constant alert for side effects that may arise from your medication.
These drugs have been linked with a number of side effects which can on occasion be life threatening.
It must also be considered that weight loss medication will usually be prescribed with a calorie deficit meal plan as well as a fixed physical exercise schedule that you must stick to in order to see continuous results.
Physicians generally prescribe these medications for an initial period of 12 weeks with the expectations of 5% weight loss during that time span.
How To Use Fat Burners
It is not recommended to use a fat burner long term even if you feel better and more energized while taking it.
It is advised that you don’t take any fat burner for longer than 12 weeks.
Fat burners usually contain quite potent ingredients.
The risk with using fat burners exceeding the normally recommended 12 weeks is the considerable impact the ingredients would have on your cardiac and neurological health.
This is especially true for supplements that contain ephedrine and synephrine.
Supplements such as ‘Scorpion Yellow’ which contains a close cousin of ephedrine known as ephedrine-z warns against the long term use of the supplement.
So what can you do about this?
You can do something known as cycling the product.
This is similar to how bodybuilders and fitness enthusiasts cycle their supplements on a monthly or weekly basis.
This consists of periods where there is constant use of the supplement and also lengthy periods where they lay off it.
I.e. 12 weeks on and 4 weeks off.
This allows the body to adapt to the supplement and to recover quickly.
Should You Buy One Of The Many Fat Burners For Sale?
If you are seriously considering using a fat burner to help burn fat and get in shape then there are pros and cons that you must consider.
Fat burners when used with proper supervision and proper doses can definitely help you burn fat.
Although a fat burner will help you burn calories faster which will help you lose weight you should only take them for a maximum of 12 weeks at a time.
So it’s important to make the most of the effects during the short period that you’re taking it.
This means you should eat healthy, eat less and exercise regularly at 3-7 times per week.
Fat burners can be a great help when it comes to burning fat and reaching your ideal weight but they can be very potent so make sure you use them responsibly!
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