I was sent an Email this morning about a miracle weight loss supplement featured on Dr. Oz. First, let me say I later found out the Email was sent from an Email that was hacked. Second:
Dr. Oz is entertainment. He’s a surgeon, not a scientist; but more than that, he’s an entertainer whose goal is to increase viewership and ratings so that the network may sell advertising space at a premium. He’s been called out by Popular Science, and other organizations for giving non scientific advice. His show is chock full of pseudoscience, and he was even given an award to recognize his “extraordinary contributions to America’s scientific illiteracy and pervasive fear mongering.”
Anytime someone says they saw something on Dr. Oz, I am immediately skeptical.
This post isn’t about Dr. Oz, though. . . It’s about fat burners and what you should consider before buying.
Let’s start with the claims of the supplement– It will “melt fat away.”
Well I want my fat to melt away!
Here’s the thing about any weight loss supplement– It’s meant to supplement an effective weight loss plan. If you eat whatever you want and your Calories are way above maintenance, no legal (or safe) supplement can burn off the amount of Calories necessary for you to burn fat.
But there’s a study about it!
Hah! “Study.” True. . . In the initial article, there was this link:
If only it existed. . .
Unfortunately, when you click to view the study, it takes you to an online order form with no study in site. In fact, there is no way to actually find the study they claim proves it’s effectiveness, but I did keep running into clips from Dr. Oz.
This is why I advise all clients to check with me before buying supplements– There is an entire world of effective supplements out there than will help you toward your goals, but it takes a bit of education when deciding what to buy.
But people lost weight with it!
True, and it’s possible for a supplement to enhance your weight loss– There are a lot of effective fat burners, thermogenic compounds, etc., but let’s look at the numbers for a second to see how these work. Let’s say you want to lose fat:
Option #1: You’re completely sedentary, and you don’t watch what you eat. Without realizing it, you’re currently eating 200 Calories above maintenance, which means you’re steadily gaining 0.4 lbs. per week. You take a fat loss supplement that raises your energy needs by 150 Calories per day, but since you don’t track anything, you don’t realize that you’re still eating above maintenance. While this will slow your fat gain, it doesn’t create a situation where you’re losing, or even maintaining. Instead of gaining 0.4 lbs. per week, you’re now only gaining 0.1 lbs. per week.
Option #2: Through your nutrition and training you’re currently maintaining your weight because you’re struggling with your nutrition plan. So you take a fat loss supplement– This raises your energy needs by 150 Calories per day– That means that now you could lose 0.30 lbs. per week.
Option #3: Through your nutrition and training, you’re currently losing 0.5 lbs. per week because you’re very good at maintaining a deficit of 250 Calories per day. As happy as you are with your fat loss, you want to lose weight faster, but don’t want to consume less food. You take this fat loss supplement, which raises your energy needs by 150 Calories. This means that your daily deficit is actually 400 Calories per day, which leads to 0.8 lbs. of fat loss per week.
The stories you hear about in the testimonial section of these websites are from those in the “Option #3” camp. . . They already have a grasp on their nutrition and exercise, and are using the supplements to enhance their results.
Need more proof? Here’s the fine print from the website: “Actual weight loss will vary and in many cases will not be typical. . . […] Each person’s experience will depend on the reasonableness of their weight loss goal, the time they allow themselves to lose the weight to attain their weight loss goal, their age, state of health, their diet and exercise and any limitations placed on them by their health care professional due to the above or any other factor.”
I added the bold for emphasis.
So what’s the truth about this supplement?
I won’t link to the website from the Email I got for two reasons:
- I don’t want to give them any traffic since they’re not only deceptive, but they’re also promoting through Email hacking.
- They’re not a supplement manufacturer that I trust.
The supplement itself can be an effective tool for fat loss. Looking it up on Examine.com shows that there is evidence to support the claims made (even though more studies are needed). I just recommend buying it from a trustworthy company, consulting someone familiar with the topic (Trainer, Coach, Doctor, etc.), and understanding the role a supplement plays in your plan.
What supplements are in your cupboard?
It’s worth noting that this post may make it seem like I’m on the fence about fat burners and supplements.
I’m not against supplements– In fact, I’m all for them! There are fat burners in my supplement cabinet, and before doing cardiorespiratory training, I take a mild fat burner “stack.” What matters, though, is that my nutrition and training is 100% dialed in, and I use supplements to enhance my results.
The key is to remember what the point of a “supplement” is; it’s to supplement a healthy nutrition and training plan.