Fat Loss Supplements

[Majglow]

I've been working out regularly since september and have been seeing good results. My trainer is suggesting that I take fat loss supplements, the Apex ones that they sell at 24 hour fitness. Specifically, he is recommending the Fat Burn 1 and the Fat Burn 2 both of which are really expensive, requiring something like $80 - $120 / month depending on if they are on sale at the gym or not.

I am wondering if these supplements actually work, and if there are equivalents from other manufacturers that are cheaper (sold by third party retailers). However, I am also wondering how good these are for my body as I hear a lot of doctors who criticize certain supplements due to their desctructive nature to the body.

Basically, what should I take to speed up my fat loss while being healthy and spending as little money as possible.

Thanks

[jasoniscool]

i used to be on zantrex-3 and i would just recommend that you just simply start taking ephedrine and caffeine. you can buy it online for super cheap and achieve the same results

[Kessler]

Originally Posted by jasoniscool

i used to be on zantrex-3 and i would just recommend that you just simply start taking ephedrine and caffeine. you can buy it online for super cheap and achieve the same results

Seconded, it keeps your metabolism up and as a huge bonus it's been proven to limit muscle loss while losing weight. Although..! You should definitely read unbiased studies before you use it and if you do, take 2 days off a week. If you have problems with addiction it's probably best to avoid it too.

[mikeg]

I agree with what the others have said. "Fat Burners" that do not contain ephedrine are useless snake oil. The only thing they'll make lighter is your wallet. The ephedrine/caffeine (and aspirin in some studies) combination is the only "supplement" product proven by published, peer-reviewed studies to have any significant effect on fat loss.

That being said, diet and exercise are still responsible for 95% of your success. I like E/C because of the appetite supressent qualities, but you can lose fat just fine without it, and it does have side effects and risks.

[Brian Golden]

You should definately do more research before you consider using a fat burner.

Whether you take zero or a 100 supplements, the success you achieve or do not will be completely dependent on the total work you give when you exercise.

I am 100% positive on one thing about fat burners, they are 100% effective at reducing the weight of your wallet.

[hobowitharolex]

look at the ingredients, those are absolute trash

[Majglow]

Well, first of all, I am not interested in ephedra. Also, I have seen peer review journals indicating the effectivness of pyruvate (Apex fat burn 2) to raise the metabolism rate, but then I've seen the opposite too. Maybe I'll just save the money.

But anyway, I'm not worried about obtaining results without any fat loss supplements really. I do a lot of exercise (weights 3 times / week, cardio 3 times / week, and martial arts about 7 hours / week) and eat healthily. I'm seeing good improvements at a steady rate. I just asked the question because my trainer was trying to push the supplements, probably because has to or because he believes in them himself (he said he took them and he isn't really the sleasy type). I don't know. I don't think I'm going to waste any money on those.

On a side note, what about Hydroxy cut? That seems like it isn't too expensive.

[Gohanssj]

I used a fat burner to help me lose quite alot of weight, I cant remember the name lol, sorry.

What martial arts do you do Majglow? I have studied Wing Chun and 5 Animals Gung Fu for about 4 years now, and the past year I have been reading and learning as much as I can about Jeet Kune Do, since we have moved from my GungFu school now I am going to study JKD as my main art, its great with the way Bruce Lee created it, you can apply all of its philosophies into normal life, "using no way as way, no limitation as limitation"

[Majglow]

I practice Hapkido (Ju Sool Kwan). I love it, it is really fun and the training / instruction is top notch. I live around Portland, OR so I have the advantage of having a school tought by a 9 Dan black belt in the art (as well as many other high level black belts).

It's a great art, I love it because of versitile it is. I'm able to do grabs, throws, joint locks, chokes, as well as punches, kicks, etc... that come from Chung Do Kwan TKD, which as opposed to many current styles of TKD in the US at least, is very... combatitive.

Yeah, the way the art is being tought is very military / formal and is more tought in the spirit to be effictive, although everybody is there to have fun.

Well, I'm done rambling.

[don_1987]

Supplements are just that, supplements. They are 'supposed' to help you achieve your goal. But first you should have your diet, cardio and weight-training checked, like let's say 98%... Then use supplements to make them 99%. The point is, supplements for fat loss are usually used by people who are preparing for a contest, and let me mind you that these people usually have sponsors behind them so that they don't lose weight in their wallet! I don't know why you would consider using these fat burner, just because your trainer told you to... If I were you, I'll just save that money, focus on my diet, cardio and weight-training and I believe you'll get the same result as taking them, or even better.
I'm sorry to say this, but most of the supplements company out there are just trying to rob your money. A lot of people here achieve great physiques without using fat loss supplements. I believe you can too. Good luck, hope you make the right decision

[ILoco]

Isnt' ephedra banned now by the FDA? Will pseudoephedrine (Sudafed) work also? I used to take Xenadrine and it worked extremely well. I'm pretty sure the Stackers and other crap is garbage. I have seen studies about some kind of Orange ingredient that is working in supplements. Bitter Orange or something like that.

[AgentX]

Ephedra is banned, but Ephedrine is still legally sold in many states. Your state may ban OTC Ephedrine like in the case of New York. But you can usually goto your pharmacy and look in the cold/flu section and look at the labels for Ephedrine containing products. A popular version is something called Vasporo I believe and it's availible online for pretty cheap.

I haven't had the desire to use Ephedra/ine products myself, I use Lipo6-EF which costs like ~20 dollars a bottle from where I get it in conjunction with 1200mg of Green Tea Extract alongside my Multivtamin's and Omega 3-6-9 combinations. It works for me... mainly for energy booster for workouts.

That product your gym's trainer advised you to take is absolutely overpriced and a waste of money. It doesn't even contain caffeine.

[RTE]

The help provided by "fat burners" are a drop in the bucket.

[Chameleon]

Originally Posted by don_1987

Supplements are just that, supplements. They are 'supposed' to help you achieve your goal. But first you should have your diet, cardio and weight-training checked, like let's say 98%... Then use supplements to make them 99%. The point is, supplements for fat loss are usually used by people who are preparing for a contest, and let me mind you that these people usually have sponsors behind them so that they don't lose weight in their wallet! I don't know why you would consider using these fat burner, just because your trainer told you to... If I were you, I'll just save that money, focus on my diet, cardio and weight-training and I believe you'll get the same result as taking them, or even better.
I'm sorry to say this, but most of the supplements company out there are just trying to rob your money. A lot of people here achieve great physiques without using fat loss supplements. I believe you can too. Good luck, hope you make the right decision

that bolded statement is not necessarily true... the only supplement I took was in the last week and it was Taraxatone and it was only to lose excess water weight... I did not use any 'fat burner', actually my trainer at the time was against all supplements, I didn't use protien powders or anything... just vitamines and whole foods and it worked great.

[don_1987]

Originally Posted by Chameleon

that bolded statement is not necessarily true... the only supplement I took was in the last week and it was Taraxatone and it was only to lose excess water weight... I did not use any 'fat burner', actually my trainer at the time was against all supplements, I didn't use protien powders or anything... just vitamines and whole foods and it worked great.

I mentioned "usually".. What I mean is individuals who are competing may benefit by using fat burners, but more importantly if they need to have the proper knowledge. Now I'm not saying that all who are preparing for a contest are using them, but most of them do. Guess what I'm really pointing out is, a lot of people who lack knowledge of proper nutrition, exercise etc rely on fat burner alone, hoping to see miracles and produce the same results as the bodybuilders who are using them.

[Chadster]

ECA stacks are the ones most talked about with success. I've tried the newer non-ephedra formulas and have had 0 results with them.

Originally Posted by Majglow

Well, first of all, I am not interested in ephedra. Also, I have seen peer review journals indicating the effectivness of pyruvate (Apex fat burn 2) to raise the metabolism rate, but then I've seen the opposite too. Maybe I'll just save the money.

But anyway, I'm not worried about obtaining results without any fat loss supplements really. I do a lot of exercise (weights 3 times / week, cardio 3 times / week, and martial arts about 7 hours / week) and eat healthily. I'm seeing good improvements at a steady rate. I just asked the question because my trainer was trying to push the supplements, probably because has to or because he believes in them himself (he said he took them and he isn't really the sleasy type). I don't know. I don't think I'm going to waste any money on those.

On a side note, what about Hydroxy cut? That seems like it isn't too expensive.