Weight Loss Supplements - Well kind of...
As a personal trainer in Singapore, there are only 2 weight loss supplements that I recommend. And they aren't really weight loss specific. They are just really good for you and you would really be losing out if you don't use them. They are excellent parts of a good diet plan.
I tell the clients doing personal training
in Singapore with me that most other
fat and weight loss pills are close to useless. Some have their uses, but they
just speed up the process a teeny bit at the expense of potential bad side
effects. They don't do anything that an additional week or two of good healthy
eating can't do.
Weight Loss Supplements: Protein supplements
It can be tough to get good quality protein in certain situations. When pressed
for time, protein supplements are a great addition to a diet as a snack. They
also beat any sort of fried, sugar laden “snack” in terms of nutrition. In
addition, protein supplements are affordable (check your protein per unit of
money ratio) and taste pretty good nowadays.
I still remember the good-old-days about 10 years ago when I took my first “egg based” protein supplement. It was horrible. I needed to add flavored milk and bananas into it to make it palatable, it also took a blender to dissolve. Today however, pretty much all the big brands are decent tasting and dissolve pretty well in cold water.
There are 2 general categories of protein supplements. One is whey and the other is micellar casein. Whey is great for pre and post workout nutrition because its easily digested and gets absorbed for use quickly. It’s also cheaper. Casein is a slow digesting kind of protein that’s great for meal replacement and bedtime snacks because they digest slowly and release protein constantly over a longer period of time.
Different tools for different situations. But if cost is a factor, get the whey first, as mentioned earlier, pre and post workout nutrition is extremely important.
When I don’t take care of these, I notice myself recovering slower, getting fatter and performing poorer. Any of the big names are ok. I usually buy the big economy tubs, the powders have a good shelf life as long as you don’t let them get moist.
Weight Loss Supplements: Fish oil
This one is pretty much a “must have”. I don't care if you are in Singapore,
one of my personal training clients, somebody else, or somewhere else.
This supplement is really important. It contains omega-3 fatty acids called DHA and EPA. It has no bad points and an outrageously long list of positives.
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Fish oils are a great weight loss supplement and help fat loss because the omega-3s switch on the fat oxidizing enzymes. This is especially true when combined with exercise. Amazingly, if you combine fish oil and exercise, the increased fat loss (when compared to either fish oil or exercise alone) comes from your abdominal region.
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Increases insulin sensitivity. This means that you store less fat.
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Increases the amount of cell activity making each cell use more energy.
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Reduces inflammation. This means more healthy joints and tendons and faster recovery when you are sore
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Improved health and lifespan. Omega 3s make heat attack causing blood clots less likely. They also have been shown to reduce the chances of heart disease and cancer which are responsible (in some way or another) for about 50% of the deaths in developed countries.
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Omega-3s make you smart and happy. They have the same effect as some anti-depressants without the addictive factors. They elevate mood and reduce stress and tension. There are indications that they also improve memory and indications from recent studies show that they may even improve performance in IQ tests.
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Protection of skin from UV rays.
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Boost immune system. Less sick less often.
I’m sure there are even more benefits but this list should be enough to convince you of the 3 star rating for fish oil. I would give it 4 or 5 stars if I could. It's that good. 5-10 capsules of a good brand fish oil each day should be enough. Fish oil supplements are readily available in Singapore and other countries in health food stores.
In my opinion as personal trainer and fitness professional, that is all for weight loss supplements. Admittedly the supplement industry is advancing and if there is anything new that deserves to be put on this page, I will do so in the future.
Written For www.CoachJon.com Singapore Personal Trainer & Fitness Expert
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