I went to Dischem this morning and just out of interest counted the number of weight loss miracle pills that were on offer in the two very well merchandised "slimming aisles" (yep, there are two full double-sided aisles of the stuff!). There were 347 brands of pills, drops, creams and some combinations thereof. That does not include the slimming teas, slimming water and the few other utterly crazy inventions on offer. With this variety in mind, I shouldn't be surprised that the question "what can I take to lose the fat faster?" (or the variations such as "does this brand work?") comes up with amazing regularity in session.
So, here are my feelings on the matter. You are welcome to agree, disagree, comment or challenge anything you read.
Well, my opinion on the question "do weight loss supplements really work" is both yes and no. Here is the low down.
Most slimming supplements available in South Africa are based on the traditional CEA formula. CEA stands for caffeine, ephedrine and aspirin. I can already hear the USN and Evox guys disagreeing! But the point is, whether the fat burner you choose has ephedra, garcina cambogia, pyruvate, HCA or any of the other "miracle" ingredients marketed this particular season, they are all thermogenic. Same thing, different season... that's how marketing goes!
Anyway, let's look at how thermogenics work.
In most simple terms, they raise the body's core temperature. In order to keep up with this increased temperature, your body needs to work a bit harder and thus, it burns more energy. The more energy you burn, the more fat you lose, right? Well, the principle is very sound, but it all falls apart when you look beyond the principle and add up the numbers. The increase of 0.1 degrees in body temperature (which is what you will get if you take the pills as directed) will result is a whole 80kcal expenditure in 24hrs for the average person. Wow! This is a total of 2,400kcal a month! A whole 270gr! Isn't that fantastic! And you paid R400-R500 for a month's supply, you lucky fish!
The other thing that thermogenics do for you, generally due to the high concentration of caffeine in them (natural or otherwise) is that they perc you up! Now, of you use that extra energy boost to go to the gym and kick butt, then you have a chance. But if the added energy is used to fuel routine trips to the fridge to pick up cold beer... well, you might be somewhat disappointed with the overall results.
The only "real" slimming result most people experience when taking weight loss supplements is the diuretic effect, again coming from caffeine or some more serious substances, depending on the brand of fat burner. Again, it is all very good to dehydrate yourself, but how long do you think you can last before you drink some water and put the "weight" back on?
So let's look at the history of fat burners and I will give you my answer right there!
The original CEA fat burner was designed for bodybuilders who are preparing for competition. To those who have no interest in bodybuilding, let me briefly explain the "pre-contest" phase.
The bodybuilders you see in magazines and on the web don't look like this all year round. In fact, they only look as ripped as that for a few days (weeks at most) and again, the light when the shots are taken plays a big role! So, what happens is 12-16 weeks prior to contest these guys start "cutting" for the show. This process involves hectic exercise (between 3 and 7 hours a day, mostly intense cardio) and even more hectic dieting (read protein shake, protein shake, chicken breast with plain lettuce leaves, more protein shake, more chicken breast). Needless to say, this is not a regime for the weak at heart (or body) and exhaustion sets in. For these guys, fat burners are absolutely invaluable. They give them the extra energy kick to keep pushing on the stationary bike after 2 hours have gone by and its time for posing practice. They also affect their appetite, so they can survive the grueling 3 months on protein shakes. (Sadly, for the rest of us this appetite-suppressing effect is not particularly useful, cause if we only ate when we were hungry, we wouldn't have picked up weight in the first place!)
So, bottom line, unless you are a body building competitor preparing for a show... you are really wasting your cash on these potions.
To make matters worst, the stuff can be down right dangerous to you too. The key here comes in the bodybuilding cycle (again!). Those dudes prepare for contest for 3 months but then have 4-6 months of what they call off-season which basically means no pills, more relaxed diet and ONLY 2 hours of exercise a day. During this phase they would put on about 10-20 pounds of fat (yep, that's right!) that they will have to get rid of in the next pre-contest... Sad, hey...
Ordinary folk, on the other hand, simply live on Phedra Cut. All year round! And when the slimming is not happening satisfactory fast, they just up the dosage. Which is OK, if you don't mind having cardiac arrest or heart attack...
If you are serious about weight loss, there is only one right way to do it. And I am sorry to break it to you, people, but XenaLean is not essential to it. Exercise and correct nutrition, on the other hand, are!
Have fun!
Jeni
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Monday, May 26, 2008
Why Do You Need a Weight Loss Coach?
It always amazes me when people come to me for coaching, yet they can't wait to pop the question... "Why Do I Need a Coach To Lose Weight?"
I wonder what would happen if the same person woke up one morning thinking he wanted to be a tennis player. Do you think he (or she, no sexism intended) would have just gone to TotalSports, picked up a racket and a set of 3 balls and taken off to the court on his own?
Anyway. For some reason everyone seems to think that one should know how to lose weight. I mean, there surely are enough diet books out there. The web is full of advise. And the skinny chicks at the Point with their matching socks and sports bras can easily fool you that eating nothing but steamed chicken breast for 3 weeks at the time is easy. Or at least tolerable.
So off you are, to Fruit & Veg City to stock up on organic carrots and lemon juice ready for the Monday morning kick-start! You secretly hope that the lemon juice diet can turn you into Giselle Bundschen in a fortnight although you know better. And you pray that drinking green tea (yep, with lemon juice) is nowhere near as disgusting as a week on the Cabbage Soup.
Ag, it can't be that bad. It is only 2 weeks after all! I can be 6kg's lighter! Finally! It will be all right!
Now the previous paragraph is what is going through the mind at about 16:30 on Sunday afternoon. This is the "mental preparation" that apparently every diet requires, more often than not carried out while watching Desperate Housewives reruns and eating Pringles... cause you are starting a diet tomorrow, right? I mean, every time you are about to wash your hair, you go stick your head in the mud. Just like every time you are about to clean the carpets you make sure the dog pees on them. So, why should you not binge. You have every reason to do so. You are about to go on a diet!
Along comes the coveted Monday and once again the entire office knows that the diet is on. Comments of encouragement pour from "concerned souls" who have simultaneously developed a whole betting system based on your diet's collapse. Yet, they are supportive. They scold you for using sugar in your (green) tea. They lustfully devour double pieces of chocolate cake right in front of your eyes "to help you". And heaven forbid if you hear the Doritos in the vending machine call your name when you walk by (which invariably happens by day 3). Then you are condemned as the weakest link in the office for the next 15-minutes or so. Your best friend quickly speeds off to the bathroom (to collect her winning 50 bucks) and then, suddenly "you are not really that fat... I don't even know why you try this... You look just fine... Let's go buy new shoes at lunch!"
Well, the truth is that not everyone knows how to lose weight. And just because someone had enough money to publish a book doesn't make him a guru (look at Robert Kioyosaki!).
The toughest thing about weight loss is not the beginning. Everyone is very eager to take the first step. But then, as the weeks go by, the enthusiasm wanes. The cold front grips Table Mountain and hot chocolate with marshmallows seems much more appealing than a jog on the Promenade.
This is when you need help. This is when the diet book will fail you. This is where you need the phone call that says "Remember the goals we set? Remember what we are doing this for? Now get off your butt and work it!"
Some people struggle with motivation. Some need information. Some need to be hand-carried and hand-fed. Some need to be pushed. At the end of the day, they all need the personal touch and they are all friends.
Welcome to my blog and welcome to the extended Food & Fitness family. I hope you find it enjoyable, informative and entertaining. I look forward to your comments and posts! Please take this opportunity to share, have fun and show off (if that's what you really feel like!). But remember... there is no competition. It is all about YOU!
To being slim!
Jeni
I wonder what would happen if the same person woke up one morning thinking he wanted to be a tennis player. Do you think he (or she, no sexism intended) would have just gone to TotalSports, picked up a racket and a set of 3 balls and taken off to the court on his own?
Anyway. For some reason everyone seems to think that one should know how to lose weight. I mean, there surely are enough diet books out there. The web is full of advise. And the skinny chicks at the Point with their matching socks and sports bras can easily fool you that eating nothing but steamed chicken breast for 3 weeks at the time is easy. Or at least tolerable.
So off you are, to Fruit & Veg City to stock up on organic carrots and lemon juice ready for the Monday morning kick-start! You secretly hope that the lemon juice diet can turn you into Giselle Bundschen in a fortnight although you know better. And you pray that drinking green tea (yep, with lemon juice) is nowhere near as disgusting as a week on the Cabbage Soup.
Ag, it can't be that bad. It is only 2 weeks after all! I can be 6kg's lighter! Finally! It will be all right!
Now the previous paragraph is what is going through the mind at about 16:30 on Sunday afternoon. This is the "mental preparation" that apparently every diet requires, more often than not carried out while watching Desperate Housewives reruns and eating Pringles... cause you are starting a diet tomorrow, right? I mean, every time you are about to wash your hair, you go stick your head in the mud. Just like every time you are about to clean the carpets you make sure the dog pees on them. So, why should you not binge. You have every reason to do so. You are about to go on a diet!
Along comes the coveted Monday and once again the entire office knows that the diet is on. Comments of encouragement pour from "concerned souls" who have simultaneously developed a whole betting system based on your diet's collapse. Yet, they are supportive. They scold you for using sugar in your (green) tea. They lustfully devour double pieces of chocolate cake right in front of your eyes "to help you". And heaven forbid if you hear the Doritos in the vending machine call your name when you walk by (which invariably happens by day 3). Then you are condemned as the weakest link in the office for the next 15-minutes or so. Your best friend quickly speeds off to the bathroom (to collect her winning 50 bucks) and then, suddenly "you are not really that fat... I don't even know why you try this... You look just fine... Let's go buy new shoes at lunch!"
Well, the truth is that not everyone knows how to lose weight. And just because someone had enough money to publish a book doesn't make him a guru (look at Robert Kioyosaki!).
The toughest thing about weight loss is not the beginning. Everyone is very eager to take the first step. But then, as the weeks go by, the enthusiasm wanes. The cold front grips Table Mountain and hot chocolate with marshmallows seems much more appealing than a jog on the Promenade.
This is when you need help. This is when the diet book will fail you. This is where you need the phone call that says "Remember the goals we set? Remember what we are doing this for? Now get off your butt and work it!"
Some people struggle with motivation. Some need information. Some need to be hand-carried and hand-fed. Some need to be pushed. At the end of the day, they all need the personal touch and they are all friends.
Welcome to my blog and welcome to the extended Food & Fitness family. I hope you find it enjoyable, informative and entertaining. I look forward to your comments and posts! Please take this opportunity to share, have fun and show off (if that's what you really feel like!). But remember... there is no competition. It is all about YOU!
To being slim!
Jeni
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