Hotnfit.com - Supplements for fat loss

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Diet

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Supplements

A note about supplementation

Supplements for general health such as vitamins can augment a good diet, and fill in gaps in nutrition. They offer short and long term health benefits.

Weightlifting supplements can improve performance in the gym by increasing endurance, focus and energy.

Fat burners can increase the rate of fat loss by increasing the calories you burn at rest. Some reduce appetite, and some increase energy levels.

Just remember that there are no miracle supplements. Supplements enhance the effects of diet and exercise, they do not replace them.

If you would like personalized supplement recommendations, send me an outlining your goals and situation. If you would like to see my full supplement guide, including that for general health and weight training, click here.

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Nutritional Supplement Recommendations

Calcium and dairy can accelerate fat loss (see article here) and so it is helpful to make sure you are getting enough calcium. You require at least 1000mg of calcium per day. I highly recommend NOW bone strength for its highly absorbable formula. It is important that you do not take your calcium supplements with oxalate containing foods (see whf: oxalates) as these decrease absorption. Also, take them several hours apart from any iron supplements, as calcium inhibits iron absorption from non meat sources.

While iron intake itself does not accelerate fat loss, having low iron will make you feel fatigued and more tired on your diet. So ensure that you are getting enough. Recommended iron intake is 15mg daily for females/males and 23mg daily for menstruating women. If you need an iron supplement, I recommend ferrochel iron (such as Country Life Easy Iron) which is a special type of iron that has high absorption and reduces the risk of gastro-intestinal upset. If you do not need as much iron as the pills contain, it is fine to take it every other day.

Fish oils have also been shown to help with weight loss (see article here), and so I recommend taking them (unless you eat lots of salmon or other oily fish). NOW Ultra Omega 3 is an excellent fish oil which is enteric coated so you don't get any fishy aftertaste. You'd want to take 2-3 caps per day of the concentrated fish oils (or 4-6 of the non-concentrated).

To feel your best while dieting, you want to have a good multivitamin to supplement your diet so you aren't missing key nutrients. It can help you have more energy and be more motivated. I recommend a comprehensive multivitamin that contains well absorbed vitamins and minerals. An excellent vitamin is NOW Special Two.

Pre/During/Post Workout Supplementation

In addition to eating a balanced meal preworkout (yes, this IS important), there are pre-workout supplements that can give you that extra push in the gym to keep going, which can be quite helpful when on a caloric deficit. I highly recommend Amphetalean (which also doubles as a fat burner) - only take 1 cap at a time. Be sure to start with the LOWEST suggested dose on the bottle as this may be all you'll need. Do not mix this with any fat burners or caffeinated products!

If you work out in the AM, even with a preworkout meal, you do not necessarily have the nutrients available to you during the workout (digestion takes time). So, in this case, I would highly suggest taking a branch chain amino acid product (BCAAs - these are free form amino acids which your body can use readily). Beware of unflavoured powders as BCAAs do NOT taste good. I highly recommend Scivation Xtend which comes in many great tasting flavors.

Post workout, I suggest having a quick digesting carb source along with protein powder and milk (if you drink milk). You can make this in the form of a yummy shake (think chocolate protein powder, milk, and a banana). I highly recommend Optimum Nutrition Whey Powder because it tastes great (most flavors) and mixes well. Some great flavors are the Extreme Milk Chocolate, French Vanilla Creme, Chocolate Mint, Caramel Toffee Fudge, and Mocha Cappuccino. Or you can try out all the flavours by purchasing a variety pack.

Stimulant Fat Burners

These should only be used in conjunction with a solid diet and a weightlifting routine. I recommend 1 month of consistently good diet and training before considering fat burners.

If you are over 20% bodyfat (15% if male) with low muscle mass, but not overweight per say, you should first go on a muscle gain protocol. Read my article here.

Do NOT take fat loss supplements if you are under 18 years of age.

Two fat burners which I had good success with were Prolab Thermo Fire and MAN Scorch. MAN Scorch may be too strong for some women. If you get headaches from it, I suggest dropping to 2 doses of 2 pills. You should not get jitters with either of these fat burners provided you are ok with drinking coffee.