The Use of Supplements for Fat loss - By: Neal Spruce

The goal of incorporating a supplement or drug into a weight loss program is to assist the participant in complying with the necessary eating and moving guidelines that lead to weight reduction. They should never be viewed as the answer but as a viable part of the overall solution. Long term success will always be determined by lifestyle.

There are two ways that nutritional supplements work in attempting to produce weight loss or fat loss:

1) Increase the caloric deficit by helping the body burn calories. What happens is that you don't have to keep trying harder and harder to lose weight. For example, to lose 1 pound per week you need to eat 500 fewer calories per day than you burn. Assume when you're not taking the supplement you burn 2000 calories per day, meaning you can consume 1500 per day to stay on track to your goal. Incorporating a supplement might help you burn 2250 calories per day because of the product's thermogenic (or calorie wasting) properties, and its ability to compel you to move more. As long as you continue to consume 1500 calories per day, you will now lose 1.5 pounds per week.

2) The second function a dietary supplement may accomplish is lessening the participant's drive to eat or absorb calories, making it easier to comply with a reduced calorie diet (e.g. 1500 calories of food per day in the example above). This allows you to make steady progress. Your body naturally tends to try to gain weight rather than lose it; this is what makes it hard for people to lose weight - in fact, the biggest reason people fail with diets is that their bodies try to compensate for the weight they've lost by increasing their appetite. By reducing appetite and increasing satiety along with lowering the amount of unnecessary calories absorbed, dieters can reduce their caloric intake without feeling hungry all the time. Now what happens when you stop taking a dietary supplement?

Most of us can use a little push towards our goals at times; this is when supplements come in handy - when you attain your weight loss goals or feel that you've gotten your appetites or lifestyle to the point where you can do without them, this is when you should cease using them. Fat loss supplements are not intended to be used for continuously or indefinitely to maintain weight loss.

Summary The primary goal of dietary supplements for fat loss is to assist you while you tackle the real problem, which is making adjustments to your lifestyle that will allow you to achieve and maintain fitness. Discontinuing the use of a supplement should not affect your results because maintaining means consuming as many calories as you burn, which means you get to eat more once you reach your goal. If you're burning off as many calories as listed above, this means that your diet can now include over 2,000 calories daily instead of 1,500, since you no longer need to lose more weight. The extra 500 calories is a lot of food and should satisfy your appetite, and your new physique should keep you motivated.

Copyright (c) 2009 Neal Spruce

About the Author

Neal Spruce is chairman of the board for the prestigious National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM) and founder dotFIT, LLC. Neal is a fitness specialist, author, licensed teacher, researcher, bodybuilding champion, personal fitness consultant and speaker. dotFIT is the leading online fitness and weight loss program.

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