Tricky Supplements

1) Green Tea Extract

Yes, it’s healthy, and yes, it certainly is the darling of the fat loss supplement world these days. After all, research shows it helps you burn 80 extra calories per day, it doesn’t have any side effects, it might even help prevent cancer, and even Oprah recommends it (or at least that’s what the SPAM in my inbox says).

But the bottom line is that it won’t help you lose fat any faster.

By taking a look at this supplement more closely, we see a couple of dirty little secrets. First, while it helps you burn an extra 80 calories per day (as shown in one research study), that doesn’t add up to much in a week (1/7th of a pound of fat). And do you know how easy it is to eat 80 calories? Why, all it takes are two tablespoons of non-dairy creamer, or a cup of juice, or as little as TWELVE potato chips, and you can say goodbye to the supposed benefits of the expensive daily Green Tea supplement.

And finally, you shouldn’t expect to get that 80-calorie increase in metabolism everyday. It’s more likely that your body gets used to the Green Tea (just like it gets used to everything), and that it doesn’t increase your metabolism by 80 calories everyday. So while it’s important to keep on drinking several cups of Green Tea per day for the health benefits, you can save some money by skipping the expensive supplements.

3) Hoodia

Ah yes, the secret supplement of the African Bushmen and the fat-loss miracle pill that I hear about a dozen times each day thanks to SPAM e-mail. Well, if it were only true.

Hoodia is one of those supplements where no one probably has true access to the real ingredient, and if they do, they’ve added it to the product in such small amounts that it is worthless.

Doubt me? Take a look at your supplements. Why don’t they list the amount of Hoodia (or any other ingredient in there)? Instead, they list proprietary, trademarked laundry lists of ingredients to B.S. you into thinking that there is an effective amount of anything in the product.

The truth? The only thing effective about Hoodia is the marketing!

4 Foods Sabotaging Your Fat Loss Program 1) Rice Cakes (& Other Low-Carb, Processed Snacks)

So many people, including bodybuilders and fitness models, have been fooled by the innocent rice cake. Made popular in the 90’s during the low-fat craze, it required Dr. Atkins to prevent the world domination of these high-glycemic snacks.

But I still talk to clients that insist on afternoon snacking with rice cakes. You see, rice cakes do not fill you up, do not help you control your blood sugar, and are not part of a good fat loss program. So drop the low-fat, high-carbohydrate, processed snacks such as rice cakes and cereal bars and eat only by these three words: Whole, natural, foods.

2) Juice & Energy Drinks (aka Liquid Sugar)

Wake up to a glass of sunshine, or more truthfully, wake up to a cup of sleep-inducing, energy-sucking, fat-loss sabotaging sugar. And those so-called energy drinks? They are nothing but a disastrous cocktail of sugar, artificial flavors, and oftentimes energy- crashing caffeine. Want to see your abs? Stay away from sugar-soaked drinks.

Juices and Energy Drinks are nothing but sugar that will stop your for fat loss. Substitute a fiber-rich, nutrient-dense piece of fruit or a vegetable in place of your juice, and use water or Green Tea in place of Energy Drinks. Whole, natural foods and calorie free beverages reign supreme for controlling your blood sugar and fat burning.

3) Coffee Creamer (& Other Added Calories)

There are many ways to get lots of evil calories in a small package, and coffee creamers are only one of them. Other ways are butter, sour cream, and mayonnaise. The key point to remember is that the benefits of an entire can be wiped out in one or two small mouthfuls of food. Choose wisely when making your food and condiment choices.

4) Foods That “Burn Calories”

Mainstream media (especially magazines like Woman’s World and even Men’s Health) love to champion the miniscule benefits you’ll get from adding lemon to your water, or pepper to your meals. “Burn extra calories”, they claim. “Boost your metabolism with this one secret ingredient”, the headlines shout. Lies! All of it.

None of these little tricks will help you lose one extra fat cell, no matter how much we believe in them. After all, if a powerful drug like caffeine is of no help to your fat loss plan, than how can we expect a slice of lemon to conquer the extra pounds?

Another magic potion exposed for what it truly is...useless.