Fat Loss
Yes. They certainly can help you lose fat. Which ones help you is a different matter.
I couldn’t count on both hands how many times I’ve been asked whether or not someone should take Raspberry Ketones, see HERE or Green Coffee Bean Extract, or the latest Maximuscle rip off Thermogenic fat burner that costs £30 in GNC etc. Truth is, everyone wants a shortcut. They want to lose fat and will happily slam down a pill or two to get it, because it says that it helps burn fat fast!
Course it does mate.
You’re probably wondering; “I bet this arrogant tool has tried them himself”. Well, yeah, you’d be right. I have tried them. Not all of them admittedly, but I have tried some. Thermogenics and Raspberry Ketones and other legal fat burning supplements that are meant to be the next big thing. I have always felt that I should try something to see if it has any positive effect before making any judgement on them and passing on what I know. So a few, but not as many as you might hope.
Do they work Dan For God’s sakes just get on with it?!
Yep, some of them do according to studies. They increase Metabolic rate marginally, some can apparently increase thyroid output, some decrease hunger hormones etc. All in all, the next big things always claim to do something special for you.
In my experience, I’d say that they didn’t really do much different for me. At the time, I felt that I was getting better results than I would normally. However, looking back and reflecting on it, I think they had no real evident effect on body composition.
Why?
Well, I was already in a huge caloric deficit, I was eating extremely “clean”, I was training balls to the wall daily and recovering well, I’d programmed everything almost to a tee and I was ALREADY losing fat at a fast rate.
I really had no reason to add extra fat burning supplements in.
If you are losing fat, then why change what you are doing? If you are achieving your goals, then continue doing whatever it is you are doing (as long as its done in a healthy manner). If it ain’t broke don’t fix it.
My approach to the body building show come June is of the same idea. I am getting leaner on 3300kcals, I was due to drop some kcals, but as I am getting leaner, what’s the point? I am miles out from the show still, bang on target, so why change things now? If you get closer to the point where you want to be, but fat loss stalls, what tools will you have left to attack it with?
Some of the side effects can be pretty shitty too.
Health
I recommend supplements for fat loss and general health. I always will. I will always take standard supplements daily regardless of my current goal, and I’d encourage most people to do so. There are a lot of supplements that can really help you.
That said, if you think that cheat supplements are going to be the main factor in getting yourself lean, think again.
If I could put a number on their overall importance, factoring nutrition and exercise in there as well, I’d put supplementation at perhaps 5% importance.
Whoa! You’re all wondering whether or not I am contradicting myself aren’t you?
It might sound so, but what I am trying to waffle out is that if your nutrition is crap, you can’t paper over the cracks with supps. It won’t work.
Take home message: Eat Good, Train Good and then when you’ve got all that on point, start supplementing after doing your research, and don’t buy in to all these Raspberry Ketones stuff. Do it right!