Fat Burning Supplements?

Hi,

I am really curious if there are any supplements that I should be taking to maximize my results. I am looking to lose body fat (and weight of course) but also stay fit and tone.  I lift weights 4 days per week, do cardio 2 days per week, and cardio HIIT 2 days per week. I never do weights and cardio/HIIT during the same visit to the gym.  I also eat healthy and maintain a 400-500 calorie deficit per day.
 
I am seeing good results so far but it is SLOW.  I have lost weight on the scale and visually see more muscle and definition in the mirror.  Everywhere I read there are supplement suggestions to maximize results: Fat burners, caffeine, Thermogenesis, lipotropic substances… it is all confusing to me.  To be clear, I do not want to take diet pills, but do want to get the most bang for my buck.
 
Please, please, does anyone have any suggestions or advice on supplements for fat loss??

 Well, outside of the now-banned ECA stack, there isn't a whole lot of legally available stuff that really has any effect. Caffeine, green tea, CLA, and hot spices all work to a limited extent, but aside from that, there's precious few supplements that have studies that prove them to be both safe and effective.

 There's been some studies showing that synephrin (bitter orange) has a very beneficial effect on brown adipose tissue- the problem is, humans don't have brown fat. There's some preliminary studies that shows that it may actually have the opposite effect of the intended one - in at least one the researchers found a 30% drop in workout intensity and calorie expenditure in the synephrin group.

 Meh. Personally, outside of using CLA I've taken to drinking a few cups of green tea a day and liberally using the spice rack. I think that's about all that's worth the asking price, though your mileage may vary.

Thanks melkor.

So I googled CLA and got this = Conjugated Linoleic Acid (CLA) is research proven to build muscle, reduce body fat, and induce an optimum cellular environment for improved health!  

That sounds great, pending more research on my part.  I am wondering if this is good to take for a woman (I am 26 years old) looking to lose body fat (#1 priority) and maintain/strengthen muscle (#2 priority).  I do not want to bulk up at all, but I would like to be slim/lean and very tone in the end.  What do you think about CLA for a woman and someone with those goals?

Also, I currently take in almost zero caffeine. I do not drink coffee, tea or soda. What do you think about something like this = http://www.bodybuilding.com/store/hns/zoom.ht ml

PS> Thanks so much for your help!!!

Yup, that's the one - though the effect is miniscule (lose 6lbs of fat, add 6lbs of muscle in the course of a year, or about 0.5lbs a month) the main reason I'm using it is because CLA supplementation has been shown to lead to increased mobilization of abdominal fat.

 In other words, when using CLA you're slightly more likely to lose inches in the stomach region. To me, that's worth the asking price, though the effect is very, very small so you'd be hard pressed to notice it if you had significant body fat to lose.

 Meh - if you're not already a habitual caffeine user, getting hopped up on stimulants is probably not real neccesary. It does contribute to adrenal and neural fatigue after a while, and to see continued effect you'd have to cycle on and off - you can give it a shot but honestly, I think you'd be better off with some standardised green tea extract without the caffeine. It's the EPGC in green tea that has been shown to elevate your resting metabolic rate by a small but significant amount - about 4% IIRC.

 Both very small effects, but if you don't have a lot of fat to lose, they may make a noticeable difference.

there is a great new fat burner called DREN from MHP, check it out! also lipo 6, Y3, or mthyl ripped are good

Thanks for your replies! When I see all the products and they all claim to work miracles not only am I skeptical, but I never know what to choose!  I will check out some of the about suggestions before I pick one.  Anyone else have anything they have had a good experience with for fat burning??

I've recently started having Promax diet which is supposed to give you the protein your muscles need after a workout and gives the fat burning a boost. It contains ingredients like Caffeine and green tea which are stimulants so I try not to drink much coffee when I have it as I don't want my body going into overload.

I've started noticing results pretty quickly but don't have it every day. I have a similar workout regime to yourself and always had a problem with my stomach, it seems to be doing the trick there. The only thing I would say is that I had some at 8pm one night after a gym session then had real trouble getting to sleep at midnight. Otherwise I've not had any stomach upsets which I hear you can have on some protein shakes.

Check out http://www.maxiwomen.com/ for more info, I've found it a really good website information wise.

 

What does anyone think of Hydroxycut Hardcore for fat loss?

I recently stopped taking Xyience. I'm looking for something to help me get that cut up muscle look. I've been doing weights on my legs for a long time now and I cannot seem to get the back of my legs toned. I'm doing good mornings, deadlifts, squats, lunges, etc. How long does it take to see that definition that I'm looking for. I want to look like the girls on Muscle & Fitness Hers!!! Please help me. I want to wear booty shorts everywhere and feel confident!!! LOL!! :)

Well, the Muscle and Fitness girls are on anabolic steroids, clenbuterol, and the whole nasty list of pharmaceutical dark magic - Weider publishing doesn't like to highlight the real fitness secret of their models and professionals.

 They're the female equivalent of Ronnie Coleman and Jay Cutler though - 'roided out to their mutant gills.

 Not a route you'd want to go, I assume?

 Try CLA+green tea - it's been shown to increase the activity of lipase enzymes by 28 times in some preliminary rat studies. The effect in humans is debatable and probably not on that order of magnitude, but both have been shown to work in humans without nasty side effects like spouting a beard, unlike what the M+F models use :)

I started taking CLA about 3 weeks ago. My pharmacy recommended it. I'm glad to see such positive talk about it. I haven't noticed and reduction in my waist area, but I will keep taking it and excercising as much as I can.

Original Post by melkor:


 Try CLA+green tea - it's been shown to increase the activity of lipase enzymes by 28 times in some preliminary rat studies. The effect in humans is debatable and probably not on that order of magnitude, but both have been shown to work in humans without nasty side effects like spouting a beard, unlike what the M+F models use :)

 How much of those two do you recommend? I'm taking a green tea supplement, or rather EGCG (I don't know if there is a real difference lol) 90mg twice a day. As for the CLA, 2000mg twice a day as well. I've only been taking it for about two weeks, but I want to make sure I'm taking the right amount.  Especially as much as the CLA costs...

 In a few studies there was no difference between the group that got 30,60,and 90 mg of EGCG over the course of the day, their resting energy expenditure all increased the same and just a teeny bit. Which would indicate that as long as you get some, it doesn't matter how much.

'course, in the Swiss study that originally documented a 4% increase in RMR from EGCG they gave the subjects 500mg twice daily, the equivalent of about 25-50 cups of tea (one cup of green tea has about 20-40mg of EGCG) - so that study points to mega doses being useful.

 In the original CLA study the effective dose was established at 3,400 mg/day - the group receiving 5.1 and 6.8g/day didn't have any significantly greater loss of fat mass. Though looking at the raw data, the group receiving 6.8 g/day had the greatest increase in fat-free mass but the difference doesn't rise to the level of statistical significance.

 Check your container and figure out how much actual CLA is in each capsule - CLA 80+ would be 800mg per 1g capsule or 3200mg per 4 capsules, which puts you under the maximally effective dosage. It'll still do something, just not as fast as adding en extra capsule will :)

 I don't think there are any human studies on the combination just yet, so I can't really give you any specifics on how to best use the supplements, but I think that as long as you use a dosage that's been proven effective when taken separately, you're at least not under-dosing :)

Thanks for the link to the article. As for the amount, on the front it says one cap is 1000mg. If you read the Supplement Facts on the back, it says  '1000mg per cap of Safflower Oil Containing 78-84% CLA' (FYI it's the Rexell with Tonalin.) So I guess I'm good on that. (I think...lol)

I gotta say though, wow on the EGCG! Equivalent to 25-50 cups? I'm hoping that's caffeine free...

Thanks again, melkor. Your posts on here have been a tremendous help! I lurk more than I post 'cause you've usually already answered my question somewhere!!!

Boots out

you know one of the reasons that green tea and cla, are not used that much, is because they take for ever to work, and the results aren't that noticable. there is never a substitute for a high protein low carb diet, if you want to lose weight and cut up. that should always be you first option, but if are going to use a fat burner at least use one that will work quickly i.e 8-12 weeks. if you follow the directions and don't have a medical condition they are safe to use.

 Also true - CLA does work reasonably quickly but doesn't do dramatic things, unlike the ECA stack wich worked reasonably fast and well.

 Morons who take 10 times the recommended dose, eat nothing, and then go work out in the sun for 7 hours died taking it though, and since it got banned by the FDA I'm not really convinced that there's an adequate replacement out. Though the YCL stack does show a bit of effect I'm not sure that the yohimbine side effects are wort it for most people - it's used medically to induce panic attacs in studies of anxiety disorders.

 Though Dren does look interesting, but I'd like to see a couple human studies on it to see if it's any better than the YCL stack alone.

i tell you what, my wife and i love it! i think we are human, at least most of the time.LOL

 Heh, true - though you do look like a beast when you're in contest shape :)

 Anyway - you prescribing a supplement to your clients is different from people just taking stuff at random: you know what you're doing!

yeah kinda

Ok so all this scientific talk is a little confusing to me, so what do I need to take? Currently I stopped taking any fat burners due to side effects that I thought were coming from them like chest pains. I now only take a prenatal vitamin, B-50 complex and fish oil pills. I've heard about Abs+, but I don't know much about it. I wanted to be off of fat burners for a while and then resume taking something that would help give me the definition I'm looking for. SO Melkor and Bodyscience can you give me a solid recommendation? Please?

once you get to the point, that the weight loss has stopped with a good diet and exercise routine. you should make sure you have no heart problems first. I would start with something mild like LIPO 6, or Y3. The dren is really a more advanced fat burner.