Losing Weight and Slimming
Slimming is one of those goals that everyone has at a certain point in their lives. As both diet and exercise play fundamental roles in succeeding at this, supplementation can be seen as the trump card that, if played at the right time, makes the whole process easier.
Training
High-intensity exercise in short bursts has a longer-lasting effect and provides better results. By increasing strength and muscle mass, you'll allow your body to burn more fat during the day. Training for longer times and with lower intensity is more effective if you strive for an instant fat-burning effect. The best solution would be to combine both training types.Nutrition
Stay away from processed foods, sugars and simple carbohydrates. Instead, take more protein, good fats and complex carbohydrates. Have a meal every 3 hours, with well-balanced proportions of these 3 macronutrients.Supplementation
Don't take any carbohydrate supplements, focus on burning fat instead. Thermogenic Fat Burners, CLA, Green Tea and L-Carnitine are excellent choices.Products to reach my Goals
Fat burners
Thermogenic supplements raise the body temperature. This means they also increase calorie expenditure, or the amount of calories that the body burns within a certain amount of time. The body consequently consumes more energy which can be obtained from fat, including the fat deposits that can be difficult to get rid of.
Converting body fat into energy
In living cells, carnitine has the important function of transporting fatty acids into the mitochondria (where the cells produce energy), thereby contributing to fat combustion. An adequate intake of L-carnitine does not only increase the body's fat burning capacity, but also its production of energy. In supplement form, carnitine can help preserve lean muscle tissue by encouraging the use of fat as fuel, diminishing the use of carbohydrates for that purpose. This can be useful during cardio training, as it increases energy levels and resistance, leading to better performance.
Reducing fat and maintaining muscle mass
CLA is a natural supplement that helps reduce body fat and define muscle mass. It also has antioxidant properties with a positive effect on the immune system. CLA inhibits the body's mechanism to store body fat by blocking certain enzymes that expand adipose cells, and at the same time promotes the conversion of fat reserves into energy. It can be a great help when burning fat in the long term, as it urges the body to burn fat and to not store excess fat as easily.
Stimulant-free fat burners
Because these supplements do not contain any stimulants (e.g.: caffeine, alanine, yohimbine, 7-Keto) they can be used at any time of the day, and can even be stacked with other products with stimulants, such as pre-workouts, thermogenic fatburners or energizers. They are perfect for people striving to lose weight but sensitive to the effects of certain ingredients to the extent that they don't wish to take them frequently. This can be the case with athletes who often take other supplements with stimulants, caffeine-sensitive people or people with cardiovascular or digestive problems. Consuming stimulant-free supplements does not affect the central nervous system and still provides a lasting source of energy from the mobilisation of fatty acids stored in adipose tissue.
Cleansing and Detox
These supplements focus on the elimination of toxins from the body, helping you to get rid of the ones that cannot be eliminated naturally, and to restore energy. This is how they contribute to general health and the proper functioning of the colon, kidneys, liver, stomach, blood, urinary tract, lungs and skin. The antioxidant vitamins A, C and E, as well as other, often plant-based ingredients, are recommended frequently to cleanse the liver. Fibres such as psyllium husk are also popular for the cleansing of the intestinal tract.
Carb blockers
Using carb blockers helps diminish the absorption of these nutrients in the intestines. These supplements can block the effects of digestive enzymes or influence the pancreas so that the release of the enzymes required to digest the carbs is inhibited. Whatever the supplements' action mechanisms may be, they hinder the absorption of a considerable part of the carbohydrates consumed during a meal, and of the associated calories. They can be taken both regularly or sporadically, merely to prevent the absorption of calories at a certain time (such as during the holiday season or other special occasions).
Fat blockers
These supplements have the surprising ability to bind to fat and cholesterol, encapsulating them before they can be absorbed in the body. They generally consist of naturally occurring indigestible fibres which are lipophilic, meaning that they are attracted by fat. They bind to fat which is then excreted by natural means, before it can be absorbed and stored as body fat (adipose tissue).