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While I was stuck in traffic this morning after my workout, I was thinking about what should I write. Suddenly, as I was driving past the supplement shop that I used to work at – it hit me. Do weight loss supplements actually work?
There is a HUGE misunderstanding when it comes to supplements and the real benefits that come from them. Are they worth the money? Can they ACTUALLY help you lose fat? Will protein powder make you look ‘manly’?
In this blog post, I will tell you all about supplements and answer these million dollar questions. Also, I have put together a list of my favorite supplements at the end of this post – so if you’re considering buying any, be sure to check it out!
This is probably the most popular supplement in the world. “Want to lose fat or build muscle? Protein powder is the supplement for you!” We see phrases like this one quite often in ads and supplements shops. So, is this true or false? It’s both!
Protein powder is JUST like chicken, beef, turkey or any other protein source. For lunch, you can have: A – a protein smoothie with oats or B – chicken breast with rice. The main differences between these two meals are cooking time (you can make a smoothie in 1 minute) and the taste (while losing fat you can enjoy a chocolate smoothie instead of chicken sometimes).
So, to conclude about protein powder – there is no miracle, it’s just a tasty and easy-to-prepare protein source (but it’s not better than meat, fish or dairy products).
Oh, and I almost forgot the big question… Does protein powder make you look manly or more muscular? Well, you tell me – does chicken?
All fat burners and ‘magic pills’
If there was an award for “the most ineffective way to lose fat” or “the best way to spend money and not get any result” the winner would definitely be FAT BURNERS and MAGIC PILLS.
Do you know a person who used these “magic pills” and lost at least 15 pounds without gaining them back the same week? Nope. Why? Because it just doesn’t work that way!
If you are dieting properly and working out properly, then maybe these fat burners will help you to lose 1-2% more fat than you normally would, but that’s it. So, are fat burners worth your money?
Nuh-uh! Focus on food and fitness – these components are the ones that will bring you real results!
BCAA
BCAA (branched chain amino acids) is used for helping muscles recover faster after training and preventing muscle loss while losing fat. In our body, protein is split into 20 amino acids, 3 of these amino acids are BCAA (leucine, isoleucine, and valine).
So, basically, BCAA it is a tiny part of protein (yes, you can get BCAA from meat and almost all other protein sources) which is responsible for muscle tissue recovery. Yes, it helps your muscles recover, but you can still achieve stunning results without it.
Basically, BCAA is something people use for extra caution – you get BCAA from food, but ‘just to be safe’ you can have an extra intake to make sure you don’t lose any muscle (which you probably won’t anyway if you’re eating properly). I use BCAA in just one case – when doing morning cardio on an empty stomach – because I want to keep as much muscle as possible while burning fat.
So, BCAA is not necessary and you can achieve amazing results without it, but it’s useful in some cases.
As you probably already know, omega fatty acids are very important for our overall health. Not only do we need them for our bodies to work properly, but they can also reduce the risk of developing cardiovascular disease, depression, and they have an anti-inflammatory effect.
Omega-3 is a fatty acid that our body can’t produce itself, so we have to get it from food or supplements. You can find Omega-3 in foods like salmon, sardines, tuna, walnuts, oysters, mackerel and etc… As you can see, it’s commonly found in fish or seafood.
So, should you use Omega-3 as a supplement? If you are consuming plenty of Omega-3 sources per day – you really don’t need an extra portion of it.
But if you don’t eat fish or other Omega-3 sources every day, I think that is necessary for your body.
Complex vitamins and minerals
The situation here is very similar to Omega-3. If your diet is very nutritious and you are eating plenty of grains, vegetables, fruits, different kinds of meat, fish, and seafood – you probably don’t need any complex vitamins or minerals, because you are getting everything from food.
Otherwise, you should take complex vitamins and minerals not only for successful fat loss, but for your overall health.
All in all, you can achieve amazing fat loss results without ANY supplements.
All you need for successful fat loss is good nutrition, enough physical activity, and persistence. My advice to you – don’t invest in magic pills or fat burning supplements.
It is 100 times better to invest in a meal plan and high-quality foods rich in minerals, vitamins, and other microelements which are necessary for your body to function correctly. If your diet isn’t nutritious enough – grab some complex vitamins, minerals, and Omega-3 – that should be enough.
Also, if you’re a sweet tooth – you might want to consider investing in protein powder – it’s not better than other protein sources like meat or dairy products, but it’s better than candy and can help you stay on track when craving something sweet! And remember – THERE IS NO MAGIC PILL.
If you’re considering buying some supplements, here are my recommendations. I have personally tried these supplements and truly believe in them.
I highly recommend using Bodylogix Natural Grass-Fed Whey Protein Powder
If you’re considering buying a protein powder you should pay attention to 2 main factors – the percentage of protein in one serving of the product (80% and above is good) and sweeteners – Stevia is good, but you should avoid sweeteners like aspartame, acesulfame, and sucralose.
This brand is a best seller on Amazon, so I bought them. When you are considering to buy omega-3 supplements you should pay attention to the amount of fatty acids in one serving.
For example – Dr. Tobias Omega 3 Fish Oil
Also, I use Daily Essentials Multivitamin and Mineral Supplement
In my opinion – there is no big difference which brand you use – it’s all about the vitamins and minerals your supplements contain.
These multivitamins have a really good composition of vitamins & minerals, so you can search for products with a similar composition if for any reason you don’t want to buy these.
In my opinion, these are all supplements what you really need in your fat loss journey. All magic pills and fat burners are basically crap.
Have questions or observations? Feel free to comment below the post. It means a lot to us!
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