Living in these times of uprising technology, we are spending more time seated, in front of our laptops and computers, not as physically active as we should be. Most of us have some extra fat on our bodies that can cause more harm than good in a long-term perspective, so many of us are looking for ways to get rid of it. Exercise and a healthy diet are the right ways to begin with, however, adding fat burning weight lost supplements to the process can be the extra boost needed to achieve your goal.
Fat burning supplements are nutritional supplements that are claimed to acutely increase fat metabolism as well as energy expenditure, impair fat absorption, increase weight loss and fat oxidation during your workout and can cause long-term adaptations that promote fat metabolism. Burning fat is the ideal way to improve your body composition by replacing it with lean mass, which will increase your metabolism and can help prevent chronic health conditions mainly caused by overweight and obesity.
But fat burners are not miracle makers, so it’s important to set reasonable expectations from the beginning of your weight loss journey and set your goal from week to week and month to month. Start at a low dose as fat burners are designed to provide the proper doses of various ingredients to support fat loss. And that doesn’t mean the more ingredients the more results. On the contrary, you should follow manufacturers' guidelines and directions and find the dose that works best for you and increase the results of your healthy diet and fitness plan.
How to Choose an Effective Fat Burner?
If you’ve decided to lose weight and you’re determined to invest your time and energy into it, preparing proper meals, calculating calories and doing regular exercise, then it’s the right time to consider investing in a fat burner as well. Before choosing your fat burner, you’ll need to consider a few factors that can help you make the right decision, starting from your lifestyle and health condition first and the following ones.
Ingredients
Always check the ingredients included as they’re the most important factor you should consider before buying one. Effective fat burning weight loss supplements contain substances that are beneficial in weight loss, in proper amounts that can help you lose stubborn body fat. For a good start, focus on a few essential ingredients like the following.
L-carnitine
This is a stimulant-free amino acid that can help your body convert stored body fat into energy by breaking up fatty acids that the body can use for fuel. Some recent researches suggest that the acetylated form of L-carnitine (ALCAR) is an effective thermogenic that improves metabolic function by stimulating mitochondrial enzyme activity and reducing oxidative stress, and has a range of neuroprotective properties as well.
CLA
Conjugated linoleic acid is an altered form of linoleic acid (LA), an omega 6 fatty acid, important to our health. CLA can’t be produced naturally by our body but can be obtained through foods like whole milk, beef or lamb. It’s a potent antioxidant and a powerful immune system enhancer. The most commonly known benefits it offers are fat burning, building and retention of lean mass. CLA supplementation is often used to decrease fat storage, especially of the abdominal area and enhance muscle growth.
Caffeine
Caffeine is a well-known psychoactive substance used all over the world. It’s a metabolism booster added to many weight loss supplements in order to increase the fat burning process. As it can be naturally found in coffee and green tea, be careful not to take high amounts of caffeine daily because in some people it can cause anxiety, insomnia, nausea, diarrhea and other symptoms.
Green Tea
Found in many weight loss supplements, green tea extract is a popular ingredient that contains antioxidants and fat burning properties. In case you’re sensitive to caffeine and thinking about using green tea extract, keep in mind that it contains some caffeine as well.
Forskolin
Forskolin is an extract from a plant in the mint family, called Coleus forskohlii plant. It raises the levels of compound inside cyclic AMP cells and stimulates lipolysis, which promotes fat burning and weight loss.
Type
Depending on the way they address fat burning in the body, there are a few types of fat burning supplements you can choose from.
Stimulant-Free – They don’t contain stimulants and enhance weight loss through fat burning and appetite suppression, without direct energy boosting.
Appetite Suppressants – They include ingredients that can make you feel fuller for a long time and will from overeating.
Fat Blockers – These fat burners inhibit the absorption of fats into the body and ensure that all excess fats are excreted from your body through bowel movements, keeping them from accumulating as adipose tissue.
Thermogenic – Thermogenic fat burning supplements enhance the production of body heat from metabolic processes, which helps with fat burn and weight loss.
Form
Fat burners can be found in different forms, such as tea, powder, or capsules. Depending on what’s most convenient to your lifestyle and dietary habits, you can choose the one that will work best for you.
How to Use Your Fat Burner?
Here are some tips that can help you make the use of a fat burning supplement more effective and take your weight loss journey to the next level.
Plan Ahead
Planning ahead is always a good idea, whether you choose to make your own plan or consult a fitness professional. A proper, quality plan will have a big impact on your performance and motivation levels.
Set the Right Timing
For best results, take a fat burning in the morning, approximately 30 minutes before breakfast. Couple of hours later you can take and additional serving, somewhere in the mid-afternoon or pre-workout. That will help maximise the number of calories burned during exercise and improve weight loss.
Drink More Water
Including fat burners in your diet can make some changes in your body habits, which can lead to dehydration. To prevent it, drink at least three liters of water per day to ensure your body stays well hydrated. If your training is taking place in a hot and humid environment, you may consider doubling the amount of water intake per day.
Get Proper Sleep
Sleep is often an overlooked factor, however, it’s beneficial and can overweight many other factors. Lack of quality sleep can be an underlying problem, and skipping on sleep often can lead to many different health issues, some of them fatal for achieving lean muscle and fat loss.