Are Fat Burners Dangerous?
My energy has been very low lately. I’m getting enough sleep and eating right, but I constantly feel tired. Like I want to take a nap, all day. I don’t know if it’s a low caloric thing or a low vitamin intake thing but I’ll do ANYTHING to fix this. It’s very annoying and a little depressing. I was thinking a fat burner might help. Is there a really good fat burner you can recommend? Both for energy and fat shredding?
—Jeremy, Los Angeles
I personally do not use fat burners, and I don’t recommend the use of fat burners for a few reasons.
Mostly, the problem is that fat burning pills work—for a while. So people start taking them without altering their diet or exercise, and they lose some weight. What happens when they stop taking the pills? If they haven’t really changed their eating or exercise habits, they regain the weight. Then they have to buy the pills again, and they start the same “yo yo” pattern of weight loss & gain.
Also, the effects of fat burners are short lived. Over time, they may deleteriously affect your adrenal system. In people who are sensitive, fat burners can cause a racing pulse, increased blood pressure, nervousness, passing out, short term memory loss—even panic attacks.
Then there’s the “crash” that comes afterwards. Take it from a caffeine junkie: symptoms of fat burner/caffeine withdrawal can include headache, nausea, reduced alertness, and depressed mood.
The real, true way to permanent fat loss and increased energy is through a combination of eating properly and exercising regularly. There are also some non-stimulants that may help your body metabolize fat.
I’d recommend that you eat 1-2 additional servings of complex carbs or fruit each day and see if it makes a difference in your energy levels. Do this for one week. If your energy doesn’t improve, I’d recommend you see your doctor and have him run your blood work. —S. Page
October 8th, 2008 at 7:59 pm
For what it is worth, I’ve tried tons of those “fat burners” with varying degrees of success. In my experience, they initially have great results—increased energy and, sure enough, increased weight loss. I have attributed the weight loss not simply to an increased metabolic rate, but because there is definitely an anorectic effect with a lot of these preparations.
Unfortunately, that sense of appetite suppression always seems to disappear for me after a week or so. If I continue on the pills for increased energy for more than a week, other side effects creep in. My sleep cycle always gets messed up, and I soon find myself using the pills in the morning simply to wake up and get more alert. I’ll get some infrequent headaches as well, and stomach upset is very common.
When I stop the pills, it takes a few days for my sleep cycle to get back on track, and I feel mentally foggy and headachy for a few days. It sucks.
I’ve had the most experience with Hydroxycut, various hoodia preparations, and Lipo-6X. I’ve had the best results with the Lipo-6x. There a are a couple of different formulations, but I like the one with the time-released capsule. You get 5 great hours of increased energy and, initially at least, somewhat decreased appetite. It actually even seems to improve my mood. Be careful, though, because as great as you feel for those first five hours, hour 6 can be rough. I simply crash.
I’ve been restricting calories for the past several months and I now simply use the pills when I know that I need a little “jump start.” If I’ve been cheating on the diet for a few days, I know that the first day of hardcore dieting will be rough—I’ll have no energy, and I’ll fall asleep real early. So, on those days, I’ll pop a couple of Lipo 6x. I’ll probably do it again for a few more days, and then I’ll generally stop taking them until I once again need a little help.
If your energy is that low, before popping the pills, I think I’d trek down to the doctors office and ask for a CBC (complete blood count) and a thryroid screen.
October 10th, 2008 at 12:14 pm
[...] do not recommend fat burners. However, if you’re already doing the above, there are some non-stimulant based supplements [...]