Diet supplements

[alfredomarron3]

I just started riding earlier this month with my wife, and we've been pretty good at going for rides in the morning together. She's already lost 9 lbs. We've cut back on the bad stuff and started eating more fruits and veggies.

My question is, what is people's opinion on diet supplements?

My wife doesn't want to take pills, but I want to try something that can help boost our wieght loss. We make fruit shakes in the morning before our rides or just eat some type of fruit with yogurt. I wanted something I could mix into our shakes or sprinkle over yogurt.

Also wondering if anyone else here uses supplements?

[mcrow]

"fat burners" or weight loss pills are a complete sham. Most of them are nothing more the caffeine which just makes you piss out a bunch of water and sometimes they just make you feel like crap.

The only supplements I would recommend for weight loss would be a multivitamin and possibly protein powder if you haave difficulty getting enough in your meals.

[TrojanHorse]

Here's the cautionary addendum: weight loss is typically faster right when you start because you're losing water weight. it'll taper off and then you have the mental challenge of fighting through.

My advice would be to find a food tracker (there are plenty, I've used myfatsecret.com because it plays well with my phone) and try to achieve a balanced menu while limiting your caloric intake to something reasonable that will allow you to lose approximately a pound a week. try to ignore those calorie calculators that tell you you burned 4,000 calories on that one hour bike ride you just did. They're typically very inaccurate and can lead to some bad decision making on your part.

I agree with mcrow about supplements, unless you're not getting your vitamins through your normal diet.

Congratulations on doing it together though! That's probably the biggest key to success is having a willing partner.

[goldfinch]

Yup, it is mostly all a crock.

I use protein powder with milk when I am working with weights, partly because I am not much of a meat eater and wanted to make sure I got a fair amount of protein to build muscle. However, it probably is unnecessary. Though I do find it somewhat filling so maybe it helps curb my voracious appetite.

I don't bother with vitamins, except if I am spending a lot of time in the north I will take vitamin D. I do take calcium.

[mcrow]

Personally, I like Spark People.

http://www.sparkpeople.com/

If you join you can friend me:

http://www.sparkpeople.com/mypage.asp?id=MCrow3

[hartphoto]

Having been a clyde too long.....

I've found that the fastest way for me to lose weight is to track what goes in my mouth....as well as the exercise itself.

I use a combination of mynetdiary (iOS app on my iPad) and Strava (iOS on iPhone). Yes....Apple junkie.

I've tried multivitamins and individual vitamins over the years...nothing seems to really make me feel better (don't know if it should...but it would be nice to feel a boost from the extra vitamins/minerals as claimed).

So....early 2011 I started looking into powdered vitamins....ended up going with Vibrant Health's green powder. This one: Vibrant Health Green Vibrance

Placebo effect or not....or maybe the sugar from the cranberry/apple juice (or sometimes carrot/apple juiced in a juicer)....but I do get energetic/feel good after taking it (usually late afternoon)....kind of like after coffee in the morning.

We've also (as a family, have 8 and 9 year olds) started taking the processed food out of our diet (started a few years ago). Recently got a copy of The Feed Zone by Biju Thomas and Allan Lim The Feed Zone Cookbook and even our kiddos really like some of the recipes.

FWIW. HTH.

[Nusince]

The best advice to weight loss is what it sounds like you are already doing. Consume a well balanced meal with as much of the caloric content coming from more natural foods as opposed to highly refined foods as possible and lower your overall caloric intake.

Almost all thermogenic fat burner pills are a crock. If you want to help boost your metabolism you can drink black coffee or tea as caffeine will actually help boost your metabolism temporarily. (You could take caffeine pills if you really want but be very careful as excessive caffeine will raise your blood pressure and it actually is addictive (that's why you get headaches if you consume caffeine on a regular basis and then suddenly stop one day)).

One of the few supplements that I would actually recommend to anyone that is actually trying to loose weight via exercise is conjugated linoleic acid (CLA). Your body uses CLA to help burn body fat as an energy source for the development of lean muscle mass. 3.2g/day is what studies have shown to the be the maximum effective quantity, any more then that and no appreciable gains have been observed.

Make sure you are consuming sufficient protein after exercise as well, as it is an important recovery supplement because your body needs it to rebuild your muscles. If you do purchase protein powder just be careful of what you are getting. A lot of brands include a ton of unnecessary fillers in their protein powders. If you are not lactose intolerant a high quality 100% whey works nicely. A quick and easy way to see how much filler is in a powder mix is to look at the portion size against the quantity of protein provided (for example if a 60g scoop only provides 30g protein then you know there is a lot of fluff in the product). I happen to prefer Optimum Nutrition 100% whey products but honestly, find one that you like the taste of and run with it.

If you are experiencing muscle soreness you can try L-glutamine supplements which your body uses to help repair muscle tissue damaged during exercise (again, one of the few supplements that actually has test data to backup it's effectiveness).

Oh, and a good multi-vitamin is important also.

[Wolfwerx]

Simply put: Quick fixes usually fail quickly, too. If you're determined to lose weight with a magic solution, try Meth, it's just as good for you as most of those other things.

Continue to exercise and eat right. Good luck.

[vesteroid]

I agree with anyone who posted its nothing more than a joke that any supplement market to help you lose weight, will in fact only lighten your wallet.

Howeveron the other hand, I believe certain supplements have a place in the support of a serious, rigorous exercise program.

I personally believe in recovery drinks. They aren't better than food, just easier for me. I am honestly NEVER hungry when I finish my rides. It I know I need to eat within 30 minutes for maximum benefit. I use a drink to do that, and then several hours later I will have real food, but a smaller portion, since I take into account the calories in my recovery drink.

I also take a few different vitamins.

[maidenfan]

Most supplements are useless, especially if you're not getting the nutrients you need through the food you eat. People forget that they "supplement" a sound diet. Spend all that extra money on quality food.

[squirtdad]

If you look at the fine print on supplements. most of the state weight losses are noted as "not typical" and one highly advertised one note "Lost 30 pounds" and if you look at the fine print you find the that time frame for that 30 pounds matches the time frame for losing a pound a week.

buyer beware

[ETilton]

Just to play the devil's advocate here, back in college I took some supplement stack (Animal Cuts, basically a dietary supplement plus vitamins) just before rugby season two years in a row and it definitely got me more cut in less time than I would have otherwise. Granted, I was in good shape with lots of muscle at the time, and working out daily (weights [also lighter weights for 1hr+ for cardio] and sprints only). What they really do is suppress your appetite... other than that, it's mostly caffeine since they took ephedrine (a light weight and harmful amphetamine) off the market for these sort of products.

If you're looking for something to help you lose weight permanently, supplements are the absolute wrong direction. If you're looking to look a bit leaner for that trip to Punta Cana next month or a college wrestler looking to make the weight cut, you might find what you're looking for.

The side effects are horrible - you feel all jacked up, anxious, have trouble sleeping and you will, invariably, gain the weight back.

The same appetite suppressant/energizer can be had by taking a baby asprin and a No-Doz in the morning instead of a cup of coffee. I stay away from caffeinated beverages now, so if I'm having a rough morning or "that 2 o'clock feeling," that's what I'll go for. It is about the same caffeine content as a medium cup of coffee.

tl/dr: Supplements are a band-aid. Just eat less and exercise more.

[Axiom]

I'm not a dietitian, but if I had to recommend anything it would be green tea. Drink it daily and it will help boost your metabolism, among other things.

[Fastflyingasian]

ive used so many supplements in my Clyde career from power lifting to fat burners. stay away from all those TV ad supplements. like others say they mostly add so much caffeine you could make the energizer bunny depressed. thermogenics and other non stim packed supps can really help. when i say help i mean help through a plateau or take a "few" extra off during your journey, and of course reduce how much water you retain which is the part you do need to be careful. so the true answer is there is no short cut. just aids. i lost 80 pounds this year using a modified form of a fruit and veg juice diet. modified because of the performance needs i still had to have. but when i plateaued i used a few certain supplements that i feel help break the plateau. granted weight not always being the true measurement of fat loss. my pants and shirts that i need to donate now are.

[Rwebb]

I love the discussions (everywhere) about supplements. I am 5'8" at 225 and a weight lifter. Supplements have their place, but not necessarily to cheat your way through without exercise. Now, with proper diet and exercise, that is a different story. Starting with eating more whole foods (not processed) and lowering simple carbohydrate intake before exercise (to reduce insulin secretion so i here) are your best places to start. And more muscle burns more calories. Good luck.

[DScience]

Here is a genie in a bottle: http://www.amazon.com/Yogi-Blueberry.../dp/B000CMF196

[CliftonGK1]

I'm not big on supplements as a consistent method for loss, because as people mentioned; when you stop taking them, you'll rebound hard if they've been your sole source of weightloss.

That much out of the way, I'll bring up my personal favourite and let the flamewar begin: The ECA Stack.
Yep, the old standby since the earliest days of bodybuilding. Ephedrine, Caffeine, and Aspirin.
It's not a sham, scam, or flim-flam. You're not just losing water weight, and you're not starving yourself and losing lean mass. Read up on the biochemistry of the ECA stack if you're interested in how it actually works to help you burn more calories than you would without it. The added benefit is that it helps fight off the food cravings you might otherwise get.
Now, here's when I use it: To break through a plateau stage of my weightloss, and that's it. I'll go through one typical round of the stack (2 - 3 weeks) and then no more.

I started out at 265-ish and got stuck at 235-ish for a long time. Couldn't break past it no matter how much I rode, no matter how I watched my calories. Hit the stack for a couple weeks to give the ol' metabolism a little kick start, and bang-o, back on the downward trend until I hit 220. When you've got you system operating fairly efficiently, those last few percent can be very difficult to drop. Try as I might, my bodyfat was stuck at 16% so I took another 2 week stint on ECA for a jump-starter. That was all I needed and I managed to bring myself down to a maintainable 14% which is pretty close to where I was aiming for by the start of racing season.

Key things to remember:
1) Start lightly. The suggested stack is 20mg/200mg/325mg at peak, but you should start with half the ephedrine for 3 - 4 days and ramp up from there.
2) Don't exceed 20mg ephedrine per dose. Don't exceed 3 doses/day. Space them 4 hours apart.
3) Don't exceed 3 weeks total.
4) Stay hydrated. Seriously, caffeine and ephedrine are diuretics in addition to stimulants. Drink 1.5x the amount of water you normally would.
5) Eat normally. Again, this is a serious suggestion. The stack quells your hunger, so remind yourself to eat your usual meals and snacks.
6) This is not some magick "lose 20 pounds overnight" solution I'm proposing. I only did this when I hit a plateau.

Local laws may significantly hinder your ability to obtain actual ephedrine. There are legit sources. PM me if interested.
Disclaimer: Not a doctor or dietician, etc. Don't be a dumbass and take things you shouldn't if you have heart conditions, diabetes, sensitivities to aspirin, blah blah words. Likewise, don't be a dumbass and take a handful of something on the "if one is good..." basis; that's how people die.

Let the flamewar commence.

[alfredomarron3]

Thanks so much for the advice.

Like I said in the original post, we're not looking for a pill. Nor, am I looking for a supplement to be our main source of wieght loss, just something that might help us whenever we hit a plataue.

I was curious about peoples thoughts on whey vs soy protien?

Again, thanks for all your advice.

[Rwebb]

Personally, whey protein. If you are doing much at the gym, i would get a mix of fast and slow absorbing proteins. I use gnc's amplified whey, but that is just one brand. Recent research does suggest though, that soy proteins are catching up in effectiveness.