Posts Tagged ‘Skinny’
Weight Loss Vitamins
The Skinny On Weight Loss Vitamins
Some weight loss vitamins, like GBG Energy Matrix, are taken in liquid form.
The dirty little secret about weight loss vitamins that many supplement manufacturers and retailers don’t want you to know is that most weight loss supplements aren’t vitamins at all. Nope – in fact, most of them contain stimulants and not natural vitamins and minerals.
So, what does this mean to you? For starters, that it really pays to read labels when buying supplements. Also, it means that some people should avoid weight loss supplements entirely, since certain stimulants can contribute to high blood pressure and may interact with certain medications.
Having said that, there are some weight loss formulas that are not half bad when taken according to the instructions by healthy adults who are only moderately overweight (Kids: Don’t take this stuff, no matter what those ads say). So, if you just need a little boost to help you lose 10 to 15 pounds, the right weight loss supplement could help you do it.
How Weight Loss Supplements Work
Most weight loss supplements work in one of two ways:
1. They suppress your appetite.
2. They work on the theory of increasing your metabolism.
Appetite suppressants have been around for a long time, and there are several prescription medications that are prescribed as appetite suppressants to patients who are very overweight.
Losing Weight Safely
Weight loss of more than 1 to 2 pounds a week can be unsafe. Set reasonable goals and lose weight at a sensible pace. It seems contradictory, but you MUST eat 5-6 small meals a day to keep your metabolism up while losing weight. Simply NOT eating will actually stunt your weight loss efforts.
As long as you’re eating enough calories, you’ll keep your metabolism up and continue to lose weight. One pound of fat equals 3,500 calories, so if you lower your daily caloric intake by 500 calories a day you’ll lose about a pound a week as your body converts fat to energy to make up the difference.
Use this calorie calculator to find out how many calories your body needs to maintain your current weight based on your weight, age, and activities. Then, simply subtract 500 from that amount to get the number of calories you should be eating daily to sustain continued weight loss.
Also, if you intend to lose more than ten percent of your body weight, or if you have any medical conditions that may affect your ability to exercise, or if you are on any prescription medications, you should consult your physician before starting any weight loss program.
Many stimulants that are supposed to help speed up your metabolism (so you burn more calories) are also appetite suppressants. So, when you take them it seems like you have more energy and your appetite may decrease.
The Problem With Stimulants
The problem with taking stimulants to artificially increase your metabolism is that, over time, your body becomes accustomed to the effect they have on your system. That means you have to take more and more to get the same effect. In my experience, I get the best results by taking a weight loss supplement for two weeks, then taking two weeks off from it, then two weeks on again.
In the mean time, I eat a sensible diet, and the whole time I make sure I get at least 30 minutes of exercise every day that gets my heart rate up to 65 – 85 percent of my target heart rate (220 minus your age). But, I never take a diet supplement for longer than two weeks at a time.
Things You Should Be Aware Of…
We already discussed that you shouldn’t take weight loss vitamins if you have a medical condition or if you are on prescription medication. However, there are a few other things you should be aware of when taking weight loss supplements:
- Some weight loss supplements can cause difficulty with going to sleep. So, don’t take them after 3 PM in the afternoon.
- Some weight loss vitamins can have an after-effect that is commonly known as “crashing” – meaning all that energy wears off and you start feeling like you’re dragging. Everything has it’s price, and diet pills are no different. So, plan ahead to make sure you aren’t going to crash at the wrong time.
- You may forget to eat when you’re taking a diet supplement. So, plan ahead and set your watch to remind you to eat a snack or a small meal every 3 hours. So, you’d eat breakfast within 1 hour of waking up, eat a mid-morning snack (make sure it combines protein and carbs), eat a healthy lunch, eat a mid-afternoon snack, eat a healthy dinner, then if you need a snack before bed limit it to protein only (carbs will store more easily as fat, and protein can help you sleep better).
And there you have it… a simple plan for using a weight loss vitamin supplement to assist you in losing a few unwanted pounds.
Click here for a liquid weight loss vitamin that tastes great…
