Which Fat Loss Supplements Will Actually Work for Me?

Are you confused as to which supplements actually work for fat loss? We are here to help with a whole series of blogs dedicated to which supplements will actually help you lose fat!

In  part one of our readers blogs, "What fat loss supplements actually work?", we received a great questions regarding Omega 3 for fat loss.

"I keep hearing about good fats and why I should be taking them.  If I took good fats wouldn’t I just become fatter and what are the true benefits?  Also, what are Omega 3 fats? " - Cannon C.

Hey Cannon, the question "Which Fat loss supplements actually work? ", is one that I hear regularly.  First let’s get an understanding of fats.  

Fatty acids can be broken down into two main categories: Saturated and Unsaturated.  These two can be broken down into sub-categories as well, such as monounsaturated and polyunsaturated.  Fatty acids are made up of the number of carbon atoms and hydrogen molecules they can hold.  All fats have a combination of these with one being predominant.  

Fat is necessary for good health. Deficiencies of the so called “Good Fats” can cause health consequences.  Good Fats can be described as Omega 6 or Omega 3.   Omega 6 fats are highly consumed in our diet relative to Omega 3.  The ratio is up to 20:1 whereas it should be more of a 1:1 ratio.

Here at Sports Specific Training, we like to put our athletes on higher dosages of Omega 3 fats.  There are 3 types of Omega 3- ALA (found in flaxseed oil, hemp seed oil and walnuts) Docosahaexaenoic (DHA) and Eicosapentaenoic (EPA) which are found in fish and fish oils.  ALA is essential but does not convert well so I like to recommend fish oils to our athletes. 

Our brains are made up of 60% fat.  DHA is one of the most important fats for the brain and it is sometimes called “brain food”.  All omega 3 fats also help with the anti-inflammatory process of the body as well.  As well, a higher intake of Omega 3 leads to fat loss. 

When losing fat is your priority this is usually the first supplement I add to our athletes’ diets when they come into the Sports Specific Training Centre. 

Fish Oil can have benefits for the body with the following medical problems:

  • Cancer
  • Arthritis
  • Stroke
  • Colitis
  • Chronic fatigue syndrome

As mentioned I prefer a high dose of fish oils for my athletes depending upon their body fat levels – from 9-15 grams per day!  I like to use reputable companies that use higher grade fish oil such as Metagenics, Genestra, Organika, and Life Extension.

I instruct my athletes to take their fish oils with every meal.  A good trick to help avoid burping up fish a taste is to keep them in your freezer.  

Cannon, I hope this helps you understand Which Fat loss supplements actually work.

Good luck with your training and nutrition! 

Talking about good healthy nutrition....

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Body Types and Fat Loss–Part I

Body Types and Fat Loss Part 1

Wow! What a response we received as a result of our last article, Fat Loss without Kardio”. We heard from a few naysayers who insisted that it is impossible to lose significant amounts of body fat without doing lots of cardio work. But, most people were relieved to know that weight loss doesn’t have to include long, boring sessions on the treadmill or stair-climber. Many people told us that they actually hate to do that kind of cardio work, and, that the results they are striving for are, to say the least, not evident.

For the people who have not read Fat Loss without Kardio please visit the link “Fat loss without Kardio” to get caught up. Just a quick note regarding this article: I stated that rhythmical cardio leads to an increase in the hormone cortisol, which research now links to an increase in abdominal fat. Remember, I am a strength coach who gets paid to train athletes to be faster and stronger, so rhythmical cardio would be detrimental to my athletes. For example, one of the professional football players who started at SST weighing 267 lbs and 21% body fat managed in only 8 WEEKS to weigh in at 276 lbs and had 11.3% body fat! Guess what, he did not do any KARDIO – just a proper strength training program and his my blueprint nutrition protocol.

I know what some of you are saying, “Yeah, that’s great for an athlete but what about the regular folks who want to lose 10 or 20 pounds?”

Well, ask the Fit and Lean women who participated in an 8-week class that consisted of a strength-training program with their Biosignature results in hand. Most of them lost 10 to 20lbs and some even lost 25 lbs of body fat! Now what woman wouldn’t want those results? Oh, did I neglect to state that they did NO KARDIO!

The best way to lose body fat is to increase growth hormone and testosterone. The method we like to use at SST is strength training with short rest period in between.

Just some quick notes on building muscle:

· Every additional pound of muscle burns roughly 50 calories extra per day.

· If one extra pound of muscle burns 50 calories a day X 365 days a year that adds up to 18,250 extra calories burnt per year, which would result in the loss of 5 pounds of body fat! And that’s just for one additional pound of muscle.

· Imagine if you gained 5 lbs of lean muscle in one year!! You could burn off 25 lbs of fat in one year!

· This does not take into account the huge caloric expenditure required to put on this muscle.

SST Adult Classes

Butts & Guts

For ladies and gents who desire a fitness program that gives you a firm buttock and a toned mid-section.

Fit & Lean

Helping ladies tackle weight gain and get in shape!

MaxFit

Men over 30? This program was created specifically for you!