Supplements have gotten mixed reviews in the health industry. There are those that feel that you should get absolutely all of your nutrients from your food, and I would agree with them 100%! But at the same time, realistically knowing the world we currently live in and the food that is most convenient and accessible to us is much less than perfect nutrition, I feel like it is necessary to supplement some things in order for our bodies to function at their best.
These supplements become even more important when you are trying to lose weight. I’m sure you’ve heard of tons of people, or even been one of these people yourself, who eat right and exercise and still can’t get anywhere with losing weight. Sometimes, your body is so out of whack and not able to function correctly and it prevents you from burning fat, no matter how hard you work.
These supplements are designed to retrain your body on how to handle the nutrients you are taking in so that you can not only function better overall, but lose the unwanted weight you’ve been carrying around.
As an added bonus, these supplements have amazing benefits for your body beyond just weight loss. You’ll be looking and feeling your best in no time!
1. Protein Powder
One of the easiest supplements to incorporate into your diet is protein powder. For those who don’t like taking pills, protein powder can provide tons of nutrients without swallowing huge pills and you can do it by simply drinking a delicious shake. A lot of people like to drink protein shakes for breakfast and that makes for a great start to your day. But I like to eat my breakfast, so I prefer to have protein shakes as snacks either in the mid-morning or mid-afternoon. Sometimes when I’m craving something sweet, I’ll drink them before bed as a snack and be energized and ready to go in the morning.
Many people do not get enough protein in their diets. When your body is lacking protein, it goes into fat-storing mode instead of fat-burning mode, preventing you from losing weight. Additional protein also helps your body build more muscle, which consequently burns more fat.
My favorite protein powder to use is Vega Protein and Greens. Not only does it provide excellent protein without any added junk, but it also includes a healthy serving of greens for those who may not eat as many vegetables as they should. The vanilla is my favorite flavor to use because you can use it make the most versatile flavors of smoothies. Get your favorite protein powder and try my Pumpkin Pie Smoothie or Green Supreme Smoothie for a delicious treat today!
2. Vitamin D3
According to Scientific American, 3/4 of Americans are deficient in Vitamin D. This has been known to be caused largely by our society’s focus on office jobs, and lack of exercise and fresh air. In other words, our lack of being in the sun. However, even if you spend a ton of time in the sun, you would have to be in direct sunlight for at least 15 minutes between 11am and 1pm, with approximately 70% of your skin showing every day in order to get the right amount of Vitamin D that your body needs. And realistically, who has time for that. Not to mention what you’re supposed to do during the winter. I mean I’m not going out in the dead of winter in a bikini.
Essentially, it’s necessary for just about everyone to supplement with Vitamin D. It works with calcium to help you build strong bones and prevents against tons of deficiency disorders like osteoporosis and has also been thought to help with autoimmune disorders as well. When your body is deficient in Vitamin D, you are also more likely to be overweight or obese. It’s one of those supplements that helps just about every other process in your body.
Why Vitamin D3?
Vitamin D3 is the form that your skin produces when exposed to sunlight, so it is most commonly found in supplements. Although, Vitamin D2 is also used and has the same effect on your body once ingested.
3. Probiotics
As you may already know, I am a huge fan of probiotics. I take them daily and can completely tell a difference if I miss a day. Some people aren’t as sensitive to them, but regardless your typical diet, if you aren’t getting probiotics from your foods, you can benefit from taking a supplement.
The reason probiotics help you lose weight is because they improve gut health. If you’ve ever heard of leaky gut, it basically happens when your digestive tract starts to develop holes in it’s lining from junk food and toxins. Once you develop leaky gut, your body is not able to process nutrients as effectively and even the good diet you strive for is not doing what you think it is. This can also lead to tons of other issues like weight gain, ulcerative colitis, and more.
Probiotics heal your gut by reintroducing good bacteria and help you better breakdown and absorb good nutrients.
4. Apple Cider Vinegar
Apple cider vinegar may not be your first choice when considering supplements that help you lose weight, but it should be! ACV provides tons of benefits for your body, including killing bad bacteria, lowering blood sugar, lowering cholesterol and reducing your risk of heart disease, and may protect against certain kinds of cancer.
In combination with all of these benefits, ACV also helps you feel full, leading to weight loss. Just a little bit will do the trick. Experts recommend 2 Tablespoons a day and you can either take it in one shot (as in drink it all at once), or you can also mix it in water. I think it’s actually really tasty to put 2 Tbs. ACV in about 20 oz. of water and add a few drops of liquid Stevia. It almost tastes like apple juice and is much easier to drink.
5. Vitamin B12
Vitamin B12 is used in tons of weight loss supplements because of it’s effectiveness in converting the nutrients you consume into energy instead of storing them as fat. When your body is deficient in Vitamin B12, most people notice intense fatigue, therefore, it’s also thought to give you energy. Extra energy is especially important when you’re working out and trying to lose weight.
Vitamin B12 is considered one of the greatest deficiencies worldwide, and it has a lot of control over your metabolism. So if you have a deficiency, your metabolism suffers and can actually lead to weight gain.
6. Fish Oil
Fish oil is another supplement that may not be thought to contribute to weight loss, but it absolutely does! Aside from the amazing benefits it provides to your joints, fish oil also helps improve the blood flow to your muscles, especially when you’re working out. This can improve your stamina and endurance, allowing you to get an even better workout.
Fish oil also stimulates enzymes that boosts your body’s ability to burn fat. It does this by transporting fat to where it can be most easily used for energy. The easiest way to make sure you’re getting enough fish oil to be effective is to take it as a supplement, and unfortunately, most of these supplements are big pills. You can buy smaller ones but sometimes it’s better to just suck it up and deal with it to get the benefits.
It’s also important to make sure you’re taking Vitamin D3 with fish oil, because they each help your body digest the other so they can be used for their maximum effectiveness.
7. Glutamine
Glutamine helps you lose weight by counteracting your body’s efforts of storing fat. It helps reduce your cravings for sugar and alcohol, two things that wreck many diets, and it helps you maintain muscle mass, which helps your body burn more fat. It contributes to your energy stores without affecting your insulin level.
Most of the time, you can find this supplement listed as “L-Glutamine,” but this is the same supplement. The “L” simply explains how the supplement is processed and is common for amino acid supplements.
Let’s Wrap This Up
So as you can see, taking supplements for weight loss is not about a quick fix or crash diet. It’s about healing your body and helping it to burn energy instead of storing fat. When you work on this aspect of weight loss, instead of trying to find a quick fix, you not only help your body lose weight, but you also improve your overall health. As always, it’s best to improve your diet and get the nutrients you need that way, but when you can’t, don’t be afraid to supplement. You’ll feel amazing and to look amazing too!