Do Fat Burners Work?

As you ladies know, I don’t really believe in quick-fixes when it comes to your health. 

Over the last few years, there have been more and more products released to the market promoting fast weight loss for women.

Then there is another range of products that promote fat loss — fat burners. Fat burners are designed to help increase your energy and your metabolism — but do they actually work? 

Find Out: 

• What Are Fat Burners?
• Do Fat Burners Work?
• Natural Fat Burners
• Should You Use Fat Burners?

Today I’m going to be talking about fat burners, explaining how they work and whether they are worthwhile. 

What are fat burners?

Unlike detoxes and cleanses that tend to promote losing weight fast by cutting your food intake (whether that be by reducing the number of meals or cutting them out altogether), the majority of fat burners are designed to be used alongside your meal plan and workout routine. 

What does that mean, exactly? Basically, fat burners aren’t a magic pill or powder. They can’t replace a well-balanced diet and regular exercise. 

How do fat burners work?

Fat burners are a type of supplement. They can contain a range of different ingredients, depending on the brand and type of fat burner (pill or powder). 

Some of the key ingredients used in fat burners are designed to stimulate hormonal reactions in the body and to begin breaking down fat and using it as a fuel source. One of the most common ingredients in fat burners is caffeine, which increases the hormone epinephrine. 

An increase in this hormone can lead to the breakdown of fatty acids, which are released into the bloodstream as a form of fuel. 

Other ingredients used in fat burners may include: 

• L-Carnitine Tartrate — This is an amino acid which helps transfer fatty acids into cells for energy production. 
• Garcinia Cambogia Extract — Taken from tamarind, a tropical fruit, this ingredient has been associated with some nasty side effects. 
• Green Coffee Bean Extract — Contains Chlorogenic acid, which is thought to inhibit fat accumulation (weight gain). 
• Green Tea Extract — Green tea can help boost your metabolism and contains both antioxidants and fat-burning properties. Often fat-burners will contain green tea extract, which is usually an isolated form of the catechins (antioxidants) found in green tea. This means the tea found in fat burners is usually a higher amount than your standard cup. 

Fat burners may also contain excess B-vitamins and sugars. The blend of ingredients used in fat burners are there to give you a quick energy boost and, in some cases, can also work to suppress your appetite.

Do fat burners work? 

Now you know a little bit more about fat burners, you’ve probably got one question in mind: do fat burners actually work? 

As I’ve mentioned, fat burners are designed to maximise the work of your diet and exercise routine. While they can potentially help to increase the amount of fat you oxidise and turn to fuel, they do this by giving you a big energy boost. Unfortunately, much like a blood sugar spike, you mind find yourself feeling really fatigued after your workout.

On top of this, fat burners often contain ingredients that can potentially impact your results. Many contain stimulants, which impact your nervous system.

As we already know, stimulants like caffeine can have some not-so-great side effects, particularly if you are getting too much of it. If you’re taking fat burners and downing a couple of cups of coffee, you are forcing your body to work harder than it needs to. That means your body may struggle to recover from workouts as quickly as it did pre-fat burner. 

Natural fat burners

While some people swear by fat burners to help with their weight-loss journey, others prefer to stay away from them altogether. 

The good news is you can still promote fat burning within your body by adding some natural fat burners to your diet.

Some of these fat-burning foods include:

• Ginger — As well as helping digestion, ginger has a thermogenic effect. This increases the body’s internal temperature, causing you to use more energy.
• Turmeric — containing curcumin, turmeric can suppress blood vessels that are needed to form fat tissue. Plus, it can provide a thermogenic effect in the body, like ginger. Add it to curry or use it as a seasoning for chicken. 
• Cinnamon — Containing thermogenic properties, cinnamon is a great addition to your cup of coffee or bowl of oats like my Pear and Walnut porridge.
• Garlic — Another thermogenic food, try adding garlic to stir-fry or to steamed vegetables. 

Should you use fat burners?

Now that you know a little more about fat burners, you can make a decision about whether they are right for you. Just remember, fat burners cannot replace a healthy lifestyle, they are meant to be used alongside it. As I’ve also explained, some of the ingredients in fat burners can actually have a negative effect on your body. 

I’m sure this is no surprise to anyone but I don’t believe fat burners are necessary for weight loss. A well-balanced, nutritious diet and regular exercise can help kickstart your body’s natural fat burning ability, which is a much healthier weight loss option.

Remember, losing body fat is a process. Be kind to your body and give it time to do it at your own pace. You’ll get there.