|
 THE
TRUTH ABOUT ‘FAT BURNERS’
Are they ‘miracle’ fat-loss supplements
or dangerous over-hyped drugs?
continued...
Smart Thermogenic Supplementation
Unfortunately, the reality is that fat-burning supplements will
not miraculously disappear anytime soon. People like "quick
fixes" and there will always be plenty of smart marketers
who will find a way to take your money. Therefore, if you are going
to use these products safely, here are some guidelines:
• Get a medical screening first. If you have any hypertension,
thyroid, prostate or cardiorespiratory conditions, forget about
using thermogenics.
• Use no more than 40 mg to 50 mg of ephedrine in a day.
• Never use ephedrine for more than three to four consecutive days
at a time.
• After three or four weeks, it is highly recommended that you
give your body an 8 to 12 week recovery period; otherwise you will
compromise your body’s natural adrenal production.
• Since ephedrine is a natural appetite suppressant, do not trust
your appetite, have a small meal every three or four hours. Otherwise,
your metabolism will slow down, which is the opposite effect of
what you’re looking for.
• The best time to use thermogenics is before a workout because
it gives you an extra boost.
Maximum Fat Burning without Thermogenics
Let’s be honest with ourselves, supplements do not burn fat.
But the right nutrition program and exercise will. I have won many "drug-free" bodybuilding
competitions without using thermogenics or any other fat burners.
Here are some helpful fat-burning strategies that I use myself
and with my clients:
• Do 30 to 60 minutes of moderate to high-intensity cardiovascular
activity (walking, jogging, biking, aerobics, spinning, etc.) four
to six days a week, first thing in the morning on an empty stomach.
• Do the same in the evening three hours after your mid-afternoon
meal, or prior to dinner.
• Do 45 to 60 minutes of intense weight training at least two to
three days per week followed immediately by 30 to 40 minutes of
light to moderate walking or stationary biking. After that workout,
drink a high-glycemic carbohydrate solution such as fruit juice
with two to three grams of Glutamine and two to three grams of
HMB (Beta-hydroxy beta-methylbutyrate). All this is included in
a product called "Cell-Fit" by Sci-fit. You can find
this in your local nutrition store, or you can mix your own solution.
I’m sure your next question is probably going to be: What
is Glutamine and HMB? Glutamine is an amino acid that your body
can synthesize from other amino acids (glutamic acid, valine and
isoleicine). Studies suggest that it has a very potent, anti-catabolic
effect on the body; that is, it helps to preserve your lean muscle
tissue. The more lean muscle tissue you have the more fat you will
burn daily.
HMB is synthesized in your body from the essential amino acid leucine.
We also get it in small quantities from some plant and animal foods,
such as catfish and alfalfa. Recent studies published in the Journal
of Applied Physiology revealed that athletes who supplemented their
diets with three grams of HMB a day gained three times as much
lean muscle mass than a placebo group. Again, more muscles mean
more fat loss. Neither of these supplements has been shown to produce
any adverse side effects.
Here’s the truth behind all the hype: Themogenic supplements
will help you to lose weight — if you’re willing to
take the risk. Don’t be fooled, however, by clever labels
that use terms like "natural" or "herbal." Cocaine
is "natural," and so is morphine. As a matter of fact,
ephedrine is the raw ingredient used in underground methamphetamine
labs to create illegal drugs.
You should also know that over the past few years there have been
at least 17 reported deaths linked to ephedrine toxicity. Just
a few years ago, a 37-year-old New York woman suffered a stroke
and collapsed during her workout. She later died from "excessive
and uncontrollable bleeding in her brain." Turns out she had
been using an ephedrine based "fat burner" recommended
by her personal trainer — no one bothered to ask if she had
high blood pressure; she did. Even the FDA acknowledged that "the
use of dietary supplements that contain ephedra alkaloids may poise
a health risk to some persons." And that’s putting it
mildly. If you were to ask me if I think you should use ephedrine
supplements to lose weight, boost your metabolism or as an energy
pick me up, my answer would be an emphatic "No!"
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