Many people commence on their fat loss journey to get those ripped abs they’ve always dreamed of, which will improve not only their looks, but their confidence too.
If you’re one of those people, then a good fat burner will allow you to reach your fat loss goals when used in addition to a healthy diet and regular exercise.
You may have been trying to lose fat in unwanted areas for some time, but you just weren’t seeing the results you were hoping for. This is where fat burners come in bros.
Here’s just some of the reasons people choose to take fat burners:
So let’s cut to the chase, as Spot Me Bro explains all you need to know about using fat burners in our dedicated guide.
Proprietary blends sound innocent enough. They are defined as the following: ‘A proprietary blend is a combination or mixture of several herbs, minerals or vitamins within a supplement’.
However, it’s important to avoid these as manufacturers can hide dosages in these blends, which is bad news as it’ll mean you will struggle to know exactly what you’re putting in your body.
Also, if you have a medical condition which means you have a sensitivity to certain ingredients, then you could face potential unwanted side effects.
When choosing a fat burning supplement, then make sure that the ingredients list is completely transparent, which will ensure that you will consume the correct dosages and know that you’re getting value for money.
When looking for the perfect fat burner, then natural ingredients are an absolute must. You wouldn’t want to be filling your body full of s**t you can’t even pronounce now, would you?
Unnatural ingredients will do the body more harm than good, so it’s important to make sure that every listed ingredient is 100% natural.
3-4 capsules spread throughout the day will help you to achieve optimum results as opposed to smaller dosages.
Some fat burners contain only 1-2 capsules per day, and this means that you’re less likely to get the results you were hoping for.
However, we highly suggest that you don’t exceed the recommended dose – you won’t be doing yourself any favors if you do.
Taking more than what you’re supposed to can lead to unwanted side effects, so stick to what it says on the packaging brah.
Green tea has been proven to accelerate fat loss, with its excellent thermogenic fat burning properties.
This means that it will help you to burn more calories than usual, even when in a resting state, as it increases the amount of energy expended.
On it’s own, it won’t help you to become a fat burning machine, but it makes our list of important fat burning ingredients due to its ability to aid fat loss.
How Does It Work?
Green tea extract is packed full of ‘catechins’, which are antioxidants that allow your body to get rid of unwanted body fat.
The dosage of green tea extract within fat burners is ideal as it not only contains less caffeine, but it also removes the need to consume 5-10 cups of green tea per day, which for many isn’t a viable option.
Otherwise known as the ‘konjac root’, Glucomannan has been proven to aid fat loss in that it suppresses your appetite.
If you often find yourself feeling hungry, and eating more food that what you’d planned, then glucomannan will help to reduce your cravings. In turn, this will reduce the likelihood of you falling off track with your diet.
In this day and age, they’ve even created low calorie noodles and pasta from the extract, which is a great option to keep your caloric intake down as opposed to higher calorie options such as regular pasta.
However, konjac based foods aren’t for everyone. The one complaint that many people have is the taste, or lack of it shall we say!
This is why glucomannan is a useful ingredient contained within many fat burners, as it means that those who don’t like the taste of konjac needn’t worry.
How Does It Work?
Glucomannan helps to make you feel fuller in between meals as it delays the emptying of the stomach.
As well as this, glucomannan is a fiber which expands in your stomach, which helps to suppress your appetite.
This means that your cravings will be reduced, which in turn boosts your fat loss potential.
Calcium carbonate is a compound which is often found in limestone, pearls, and even in egg shells.
It is an ingredient which has been proven to have excellent thermogenic fat burning properties, as well as a supplement which can suppress your appetite.
In turn, this can help to improve your fat loss capabilities as your metabolism increases.
How Does It Work?
Calcium carbonate helps to increase calcium levels in the body, which aids the fat loss process.
There are some potential minor side effects though, such as gas and bloating, which we’re not sure your girl will enjoy. But the protein will probably see that happen anyway.
Caffeine can be found in many forms, including the coffee that you consume on a daily basis.
It’s made our list of important ingredients as it can help to suppress your appetite, improving your chances of reaching your fat loss goals.
How Does It Work?
Caffeine is a stimulant which provides an instant boost of energy, which in turn leads to increased alertness.
Caffeine delays fatigue by binding to receptor cells within the brain, which keeps your energy levels stable when you’d otherwise feel tired in a calorie deficit.
However, be sure to use caution when it comes to caffeine consumption, as you will be prone to suffering from jitters or energy crashes, or even a rapid heart rate which you definitely don’t want.
The FDA recommends that healthy adults limit their caffeine consumption to 400 milligrams a day, or 4-5 cups of coffee in other terms.
Cayenne pepper seeds have excellent thermogenic fat burning properties. Meaning that your fat burning potential will be improved massively.
For those that aren’t a fan of spicy foods, cayenne pepper extract spiciness is disguised within fat burners. Essentially, you won’t even know that it’s there.
How Does It Work?
Cayenne pepper seeds raise body temperature, making the body work harder to regulate itself. In turn, this allows the body to burn calories at a faster rate.
Cayenne pepper seeds also decrease your appetite. As a result, you’ll be less likely to fall off track with your diet and give into cravings.
In addition, cayenne pepper seeds are packed full of vitamins. This includes A, C, and B6, all of which contribute to a healthy body.
Bitter orange extract is a herb made from the bitter orange tree. This sounds like it’s natural and safe, but in this section we explain why that isn’t necessarily the case.
Several side effects have been reported through the use of bitter orange extract, which means that we recommend you stay clear of any fat burner which contains this ingredient.
The side effects include migraines and cluster headaches, high blood pressure, and even irregular heartbeat, which sounds pretty scary to us!
Yohimbe bark extract is from an evergreen tree found in central and west Africa. Which again, sounds natural and safe, but has been reported to cause several unwanted side effects.
Yohimbe bark extract is said to cause breathing problems, high blood pressure, potential irregular heartbeat, meaning it makes our list of ingredients to avoid.
This should already be on your priority list, as keeping up your water intake will not only suppress your appetite, but it will also help to avoid dehydration.
We recommend that you consume at least 2 liters per day. But this can often be reduced if you eat lots of fruits and vegetables, which contain a lot of water.
Here’s a tip for you in case you didn’t already know. Ensure that your urine is clear or light yellow, this ensures that you are adequately hydrated.
Try not to let your urine go too dark, as by that point you will already be rather dehydrated.
You might think that it’s a good idea to consume more of your chosen fat burner in order to further increase your fat burning potential.
Well we’re sorry to say, but you’re wrong bro. You risk negative side effects which can vary from elevated heart rate to increased blood pressure, or perhaps energy crashes.
We highly recommend you take note and stick to the recommended dosage which is listed on the packaging for a reason brah.
Strength training is an important aspect of fat loss, as it can help to speed up your metabolism, while increasing your muscle mass at the same time. More muscle = more fat burning potential.
We suggest that you perform strength training workouts between 3-5 times a week in order to increase your muscle mass and boost fat loss. You can perform less if you like, but you will make slower progress.
It’s important not to forget about cardio though. We recommend HIIT (high intensity interval training) in order to get the best bang for your buck.
HIIT is essentially short bursts of intense exercise followed by a rest/recovery period. You can burn a s**t tonne of calories this way, instead of spending hours on end in the gym.
We recommend anywhere between 10-30 minutes of HIIT cardio 3-4 times a week in order to maximize fat loss.
Choose whichever method works for you best, whether that be the treadmill, rowing machine or otherwise.
In short, no you don’t. But there are some important points which you need to consider if want to boost your fat loss.
In this section, we will look into crucial aspects when it comes to dieting for fat loss:
First and foremost, a calorie deficit is absolutely essential if fat loss is your goal. What this means is that you need to consume less calories than you burn in simple terms.
If you’re eating more calories than you burn, or are eating your base calories then you won’t lose any weight. It’s as simple as that.
This is why before anything else, you need to ensure that you are in a calorie deficit, otherwise known as negative energy balance. For those that aren’t sure how to get into a calorie deficit, then here’s an explanation.
Working Out Your BMR and TDEE
Firstly, you need to calculate your BMR (basal metabolic rate). This is the amount of calories your body needs to maintain your current weight.
Next, you need to calculate your TDEE (total daily energy expenditure). This takes into account the amount of calories you burn daily.
This can vary depending on how often you exercise and how active you are in your job for example. You can calculate your BMR and TDEE using a tool such as this one.
Once you’ve worked them both out, then you will know exactly how many calories your body needs to reach your fat loss goals. This includes your macronutrients, which are fat, protein, and carbohydrates.
The next important aspect of losing fat is tracking your calories. While it’s not absolutely essential, it’ll make it far easier to reach your goals.
This is because you’ll know exactly how many calories you’re eating, and whether or not you’re within your macronutrient goals.
We recommend using an app like MyFitnessPal, which allows you to input all of your information including your caloric intake. It’s easy enough to use, and you’ll be able to make sure you’re consuming less calories than your TDEE.
If you’re looking to give yourself the best chance of reaching your fat loss goals, then it is important to allow yourself flexibility when it comes to your food choices.
We’re not saying go out and treat yourself to a Big Mac every day, quite the opposite in fact. What we mean is you need to allow yourself a treat, or a cheat meal every once in a while.
This will give you an extra incentive to reach your fat loss goals, knowing that you don’t have to just eat a bowl of lettuce a day.
Healthy, Balanced Diet
Fad diets have been proven to lack longevity. So the best chance you have is to allow yourself an occasional break from your diet.
It’s all well and good finding the next best thing in terms of dieting. But many people soon fall off the bandwagon when they heavily restrict their food options.
Soon, you’ll find yourself reaching for the biscuit tin brah. So what we recommend is a healthy, well balanced diet which is full of lean protein, complex carbohydrates, healthy fats, and plenty of fruits and vegetables.
Fat loss is something that definitely won’t happen overnight. You need to be realistic and realize that these things take time. They don’t say patience is a virtue for nothing brah!
Ultimately, it will take hard work, dedication, and consistency. Fat burners will definitely help to increase your fat burning potential, but only in addition to regular exercise and a healthy, well-rounded diet.
To check out what we believe to be the top fat burners on the market click here.
We always aim to keep our awards as up to date as possible – choosing a scientific approach to judging ingredients as our main focus. It’s for this reason you might see rankings change throughout the year as new studies or supplements emerge.
Plus, we also break down a product’s value for money. After all, supplements aren’t free, and it’s important to know whether or not something is worth your hard earned cash. If we don’t think the hype lives up to the price, we’ll say so.
Good luck getting shredded, bro.
This post was last modified on January 29, 2020 3:43 pm
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