Dr. Conner,
I’m looking for something effective that I can use to lose weight. What is the best fat burner supplement I can buy?
This is one of the more popular questions I get on a regular basis. People think that because I’m a pharmacist and I weight train, that I somehow know the “secret” to muscle gain and fat loss.
Well, you have to be in a special club to know the REAL secrets of gaining muscle and losing fat. It takes at least five years, usually ten, of hard work in the gym, dedication in the kitchen, and discipline every day of your life to be in this exclusive club. Generally, only professional athletes and figure models are allowed access but sometimes us regular folk can join. Later in this article, I’ll let you in on a couple of the inside secrets since I have been accepted into the ranks of this underground society.
Back to the effective fat burners that you can buy…
The following is a list compiled through research from reputable, medical journals as well as real-life testing. Starting with the most potent (based on scientific research) and working our way down from there. If you decide to use any of the products here, do so at your own risk. I do not endorse or promote any type of “fat burners.”
EAC Stack
EAC stack stands for ephedrine, aspirin, and caffeine taken at the same time. Ephedrine will increase your metabolic rate by about 5% as well as increasing the amount of fat used for fuel. It also increases body heat, meaning it will probably make you sweat. A rare side effect of ephedrine is blood clotting that can be prevented by taking the aspirin. Caffeine works for fat loss but only for about a week before your body gets used to that quality of caffeine. But combined, caffeine and ephedrine have a synergistic effect. Use caution with this combination. Start small and gradually increase dose to 20-25mg ephedrine, 200mg caffeine, and 81mg aspirin three times a day for 6-8 week cycles. This combination has been studied and is safe in normal doses.
EGCG
EGCG is the main catechin isolated in green tea catechins. Taking 500mg of either EGCG or Green Tea Catechins is useful as a fat burning supplement. One cup of steeped green tea contains approximately 50mg of EGCG. It may not work, however, for people who habitually use coffee. Also, the fat burning effect only lasts a short period of time. You would want to take this for just a couple weeks on and a couple weeks off.
Synephrine
Synephrine is also known as “bitter orange.” It exerts effects similar to ephedrine but not as potent. When taken with grapefruit, the effects seem to nearly triple. The dose here is 10-20mg taken three times a day.
Fucoxanthin
Fucoxanthin is a brown seaweed pigment found in seaweed. This compound is unique in that it sits in the fat cells and disrupts its metabolism. It is non-stimulating. The downside here is that it may take 2-4 months before the fat burning effect begins to take place. This is probably due to the fat cell accumulation of the compound before it can have any effect. You will not get immediate results here. You will need only about 5mg a day of fucoxanthin for it to work. If you are buying an extract, you will have to determine the percentage of fucoxanthin and calculate out your dosage.
DHEA
DHEA, dehydroepiandrosterone, is generally considered an anti-aging supplement but it does have some fat burning properties. I recommend everyone over 40 years of age take DHEA daily anyway so the fat burning aspect is simply a bonus. The dose I recommend is 10mg a day for women and 25mg a day for men. DHEA has unique properties in that if a woman takes too much, the DHEA will convert into testosterone. If a male takes to much DHEA, it will convert into estrogen.
Yohimbe
Yohimbe works by blocking the process that inhibits fat cells to be used for energy. So, it blocks the blocker allowing more fat to be used for energy. Taking yohimbe with food seems to negate its fat burning properties. Take it on an empty stomach one hour before or two hours after food. The dose for yohimbe is 0.2mg/kg bodyweight not to exceed 25mg per day.
There you have it. Six of the best fat burning supplements you can buy without a prescription. If you decide to use any of the products in this article, I can’t stress enough to use caution and do some research before you blindly start experimenting with supplements.
So, now you want to know the REAL secret. The REAL way these athletes and models get in such good shape. By telling you this, I am risking banishment from a club that took me 15 years of hard work to be accepted into. Guard this secret; do not let the cat out of the bag. Here goes…
Daily consistent, persistent dedication to proper eating and proper exercise
Yes, you read that right. Every day getting up, suiting up, showing up, and doing the next right thing.
