Fat burners are everywhere and promise you the world when it comes to dieting for fat loss.
But do they live up to their hype and price tag?
Multiple personalities advertise pricey supplements, but will they help you look like them?
Fat Burners: Do They Live Up to The Hype; Can They Help You Lose Fat?
The opening question — do fat burners work? — is fairly open ended.
Of course, they “work” in doing something — marginally boosting your basal metabolic rate and potentially suppressing your appetite — but for what they’re worth, they’re not worth the price tag.
Fitness personalities make millions off fat burners every year as desperate audiences yearn to look like their favorite influencers.
Anything to edge them closer to their dream physique without having to put in the effort year in, year out.
Check out our article on how you can boost your basal metabolic rate (BMR).
What Can a Fat Burner Do For Me?
A fat burner can do something, but I’ll let you be the judge:
- slightly suppress your appetite
- caffeine can boost your BMR by around 3-4%
- give you an energy boost
Slightly Suppressed Appetite
Fat burners can slightly suppress your appetite, encouraging you to consume fewer calories.
This is, of course, on you; if you don’t limit your caloric intake, you will have a bad time losing weight.
However, if you have a voracious appetite, curbing your hunger may help you adhere to a calorie restriction.
But there are cheaper and simpler alternatives that might be more effective to help you suppress your appetite.
Try one or some of the following:
- Sparkling Water
- Tea
- Coffee
- Diet Soda
- Sugar-Free Jello
- Shirataki Noodles
- Fat-Free Dairy Products such as Greek Yogurt and Cottage Cheese
- Hot Sauce
Caffeine Can Boost Your BMR By a Little
Drinking black coffee can boost your BMR by about 3-4% — but this isn’t much of a reason to get excited.
Caffeine has a half-life of 1.5 to 9.5 hours, but is typically out of your system in 5 hours [R].
One study found that coffee at higher doses (400mg) could help burn an additional 10-12 calories per hour.
But this would also mean having to redose on coffee every few hours — given its half life.
And this could interfere with your sleep which is far more valuable to boosting your metabolism than coffee.
An Energy Boost
Being in a caloric deficit can take its toll and make you less inclined to work out or move around to increase your caloric expenditure.
The energy from the stimulant ingredients in a fat burner can help you move around a little bit more.
But, then again, so can cheaper and safer alternatives such as green tea or coffee.
Besides, you will quickly develop a tolerance to stimulants and will abide by a law of diminishing returns.
Fat Burner Ingredients or Replacement
Most fat burners contained marked up ingredients that can be found at home.
Most fat burners usually contain a combination of the following:
- caffeine
- green tea extract
- bitter orange extract
- cayenne pepper extract
- yohimbe
You can actually make a fat burner at home and save a lot of cash — check out our recipe here.
We believe that fat burners aren’t worth their price tag. They do something but it’s often overexaggerated and easily replaceable.
For complete fat loss advice, try our fat loss bundle that contains everything you need to lose fat.
Don’t hesitate to email us at [email protected] for personalized coaching and a client questionnaire if you’d like DEDICATED tailor-made personal training on strength training, building muscle, losing fat, developing athleticism, and more — all to your liking, lifestyle, habits, and taste!
Otherwise, don’t forget to claim your FREE eBook detailing how to lose 20lb of fat while building muscle in 12 weeks! You can claim it here.
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