Weight Loss Supplements...Good or Bad?

How many times have we heard about this new weight loss pill or supplement coming out into our local stores? How many more pills, miracle drugs, or weight loss supplements are they going to come out with before these companies understand what they do to our bodies? We are constantly bombarded with weight loss supplements that promise us certain benefits. The disappointing thing about them is that they don't always accomplish the benefits that they set out to accomplish. So, are weight loss supplements good or are they bad? We will decide whether they are good or bad after I break them down before your very eyes.

1. Broken Promises
Have you ever seen a little kid have a broken heart after a parent has broken a promise that they had promised them? They are literally devastated! How bad would you feel if a weight loss supplement promised to get rid of cellulite, get rid of hip and thigh fat, help you to loose your muffin top, and help you to get a beach body; and then after taking the supplement for the prescribed time and nothing has changed about your body? I would feel like beating up the makers of that supplement and I would feel horrible about myself! Supplements offer broken promises.

2. Great Benefits, Not Enough Progress
This point might tie in with the last one with the difference being that you may get some good effects or progress, but it may not give you a whole lot of the good benefits that the supplement promises. Sometimes you may get good beneficial progress and not enough progress in helping your overall weight loss progress. The point that I'm trying to make is that we can not have our cake and eat it too. You will either get good benefits and no progress, or you will get no benefits and great progress. You will rarely to never get them both at the same time.

3. New Fashioned Supplements Vs. Old Fashioned Weight Loss

New Fashioned Supplements
-Spotty results
-Benefits are outweighed by side effects
-Very costly

Old Fashioned Weight Loss
-Results are sure
-Benefits are shown and known to outweigh side effects
-Simple and cost effective

I think that we can see a pattern in these three points.Weight loss supplements are just not worth messing with. I have tried some weight loss supplements and the side effects plague me every time I use them. I don't get the results and good benefits that the supplement promises. I feel taken advantage of too because the supplement was relatively costly to my wallet! Besides all of the points I made in the above post, there is a factor that we haven't even talked about. The factor is that supplements are bad for your body, even the good ones. They are wrapped in good intentions, but they are all bad for you guys. Stick to the old fashioned weight loss or the ETL Diet that we have given you!

OUR E-BOOK IS COMING!!!

~Obesity Overload

Best Supplemental to Supplements

We are in a day and age when companies and businesses put any and every supplement in everything. Our soda, energy drinks, food and other desperate supplements. Our dilemma that we run into is that we don't know the effects that these supplements will have on our bodies. They are used and have both good and bad effects. We gladly take the next, "miracle pill" without wondering or researching what is inside of it. Have you ever wondered what you're putting into your body? Or do you just delightfully take any and everything that you want? Whatever situation you're faced with, don't just keep taking supplements, look to see what is inside it. Let's get into this supplemental of supplements and look at some tips for supplements.

1. Consult a doctor first!
Always check with a doctor first before you begin taking a supplement. The bind that we find ourselves in with supplements is that they alter our chemistry in our bodies. If you're taking something like chromium, then it helps your insulin to be absorbed quicker and more readily. This changes how your body works, what it feels, and how efficient it is or is not! If you consult your doctor first about a supplement, than he or she can tell you if its a good idea considering your circumstances.

2. Know what you are taking!
The internet is full of unlimited resources when it comes to researching things. Take a few moments to get some information on the supplement and do some research as to what is in it and the side effects of each of the elements of that supplement. Knowledge is power, my readers! So, why not take full advantage of knowing what a supplement will do when it comes to your body? Why not know the risks that you take when you put a foreign supplement into your body? By knowing what is inside and what each of the pieces do to your body, you can dodge a bullet that may be your demise!

3. Fake or Real?
If a pill or supplement tells you that you will lose weight almost magically, or that all you need to do is take this pill and your fat burns off, or that you can take it and forget about your diet than that supplement is a fake. A lot of the garcinia cambogia supplements say that they will help you lose weight just by taking that new miracle pill. This is a fake. Supplements that say that they can help you, along with your diet and exercise are the ones that you want to look at. It your supplement is making promises to you and is telling you to disregard everything else, then you know that it is a fake and should not be played with.

4. Not Toys!Supplements are not toys! They are not to be taken lightly or as if they are harmless. The truth is that they can be so harmful even enough to cause you to be extremely sick or even dead. I don't want to pull the wool over your guys' eyes. Supplements are not toys and they should be given enough respect to be taken extremely seriously. A lot of people drink energy drinks and protein shakes as if there is no tomorrow and they wonder why they are sick. Energy drinks are not like cans of juice that are merely harmless cans of hydration. They are like picking and drinking your poison. People abuse and misuse these avenues of energy and we are doing no good to our bodies, we are letting ourselves slip away into death.

5. Monitor
Monitor your body and the results that you are getting from your supplement use. Get a journal and write down what you felt, when you felt it, changing body functions or elements, side effects that you have, WRITE IT ALL DOWN! I would then suggest to make a regular visit twice a month to help your doctor consider whether its good to keep taking that supplement. You could be putting yourself at risk and not even know it.

6. Internal Organ Cookers
This tip might be a little bit horrific sounding or morbid, but it needs to be addressed. You might be cooking your internal organs. What does this mean? It means that some of the first side effects to any supplement is that it may cause damage to kidneys or your liver from excessive use. This means that you might be literally cooking your internal organs with your supplements. We take stuff all the time without thinking that everything we ever put in our mouths goes through our liver and or kidneys. When you put poisonous supplements into your body it goes right to your internal organs to be processed. Don't put yourselves at risk of death because you are cooking your internal organs!

I felt uncomfortable with writing this blog post because it hits home for me because I use supplements. I know about the supplements, what they do, side effects, and it doesn't scare me to use them. It is scary because I pity those people that misuse and abuse these avenues of what could be good effects to improving your body and health. When it comes to supplements and weight loss, we come to a crossroads and we have to ask ourselves, "Do the bad side effects outweigh the good effects and will I better by using this product?" If you answer, "yes" to the first part to this question or, "no" to the second part of that question then do not take that supplement!

I want to give a final warning to you guys. I am not saying, "take this supplement, don't take that one." I'm saying that you need to consult a professional doctor, use some common sense, and monitor your body. If you have done all of the tips above, you might be saying, "It's not even worth taking after all of the trouble I just went through." If you are saying that, then be thankful, because I might be saving your life through warning you. I am looking out for your best interest. Don't take these powerful tools lightly. You can enjoy them, but just know exactly what you are getting into before you sign the dotted line. Once you sign, there is no going back! Give us your comments and please share this with your friends and family!

~Obesity Overload

Protein Shakes, 8 Benefits

A good amount of people have heard of protein shakes and professional athletes endorsing protein shake supplements and bottles and cartons of this muscle building wonder. Did you know that your body needs a good amount of protein to build muscle? We have also heard about a lot of debates on if protein shakes are good for you or not. I'm not even going to write another debate blog post about whether protein shakes are good for you or not. I'm going to give you 8 benefits of protein shakes. You can decide whether you want to use protein shakes to put more muscle on. Here, we, GO!

1. Cut and Paste 

So, when I was really bulking, I was lifting heavy, with less reps, and I was consuming one protein shake a day. I found that I was almost cutting and pasting muscle on the areas that I was working on when I was lifting heavy and drinking protein shakes. I put on twenty pounds of muscle on in about two and a half to three weeks! It was a ridiculous amount of muscle that I was gaining for not working out so much.

2. Bounce Back

This is a HUGE pro to drinking protein shakes! I found that I have incredible bounce back and my body had great resiliency when it came to working out. What happens when you workout is that your muscle breaks down and then it comes back a little bit stronger 3-5 days later. When you drink protein shakes, you come back in 2-3 days instead of 3-5. The time frame was completely different.

3. Fat Loss

In accordance with the second benefit is the third benefit and that is that protein shakes contribute to big fat loss. When you workout and gain muscle, the muscle burns more fat. When you workout your legs, they get to the point where they are fat burning furnaces. More muscle equals more fat burn. This is the exciting part about protein shakes is that they convert to fat burning muscle. 

4. Snack Supplementation

This was very true in my case. I could use protein shakes as a snack. Protein shakes are lower calories and so that contributes to weight loss as well. I would not supplement a meal with a protein shake just for the mere fact that protein shakes don't contain vitamins, minerals, and other supplements that you get from food that is good for your body. The fun part about this is that you can whip up a protein shake rather quickly and you can take it on the go! 

5. Absorbs Quickly

Another benefit for drinking protein shakes is that they absorb into your body very quickly; I mean, wicked fast! Whey protein isolate is the best pound-for-pound protein out there in the world and takes a few short hours to absorb fully. This does not mean that you can supplement it for rest. You still have to rest, but you don't have to rest as often as you would without the protein shake. 

6. Handles Heavy Lifting

Protein shakes handle heavy lifting like a champ! The protein shake was designed to help bodybuilders and power lifters and even beginner lifters come back quicker than they normally would. To utilize your protein benefits to their fullest, lift heavy, low reps, and watch the muscle jump onto your body. The best way to tell if the muscle is coming is to try on a dress shirt before you begin working out, find your size, and then work out for a few weeks. You won't fit in that same shirt the next time you try it on after working out!

7. Several Flavors

Call me a loser for thinking that this is a benefit, but I think that this is a big benefit. If I get sick of tasting chocolate protein shake, then I can get another flavor instead. They come in so many different flavors. Another hidden benefit is that the higher end protein powders actually taste decent. It doesn't have to cost you dearly for you to get good sources of protein. 

8. Stronger or Lighter

The best benefit besides the fact that protein shakes put on a ton of muscle is that you can put in how ever much protein powder you want. You can put in one scoop or you can put in two. It is completely up to you! If you need more help with your protein intake, then you can add a little more. I drink my protein shake powder in milk, so it makes the protein shake thicker and creamier than it would be in just water. 

I hope that you guys can use these benefits to come to a knowledge of what protein shakes are actually like. A LOT of people would just say, "Don't drink it." The problem is that they don't get give valid arguments for why protein shakes are bad for you. Share these benefits with your friends and tell them how good protein shakes are for you. If you really want to take your lifting to a new level, drink a protein shake...or two...or several!

Cheers!

~Obesity Overload

Supplements: The Pitfalls to Working Out?

Hello, and welcome all of my faithful readers! We talked a little bit about protein shakes in a blog post last year and mentioned once over the past blog posts about how protein shakes are the only supplements I take when I work out. I want to clarify a little bit about protein shakes and some other supplements. There are a lot of different articles about protein shakes and supplements and if they are good for you. I want to give you guys an accurate glimpse into a few of the most popular supplements on the market right now. Are supplements the pitfalls to working out?

1. Protein and Protein Shakes
There has been a lot of heated debate around the topic of protein and protein shakes. Is added protein to your diet good for your body, your weight loss, and your overall diet? I would say that protein shakes are an added supplement for those people that are serious about putting on some mass muscle in a short amount of time. I added a good ten pounds of muscle in a span of two weeks just by adding a protein shake to my diet 3-5 times a week. It is for ADVANCED bodybuilders or for people that know what they are doing. Let's focus for now on how to get rid of the fat, not how to build the muscle. Besides the obvious chance of overdosing from eating or drinking to many protein shakes, the only side effect for those people that take it in moderation is the chance of laxatives and gas.

2. Creatine or Creatine Kinase
Creatine or Creatine Kinase is a powder that you can mix into drinks that will boost muscle growth in a very short amount of time. Creatine is NOT a steroid! It is found in red meats and fish in minute levels. Creatine reduces fatigue. It is a myth that Creatine is a steroid. Creatine allows you to do more reps and more sets which provides you with more lean muscle mass in the months following your beginning to take the supplement. The side effects of Creatine are the same as protein or protein shakes. It CAN in rare cases cause stomach or gastrointestinal issues. The huge problem that bodybuilders and athletes have with Creatine is that it puts H2O into your muscles which allows your muscles to look bigger naturally. That water weight can be and is heavy. Due to having that water in your skin and muscles it makes you look softer instead of more solid. Creatine can be used, but is NOT in any case needed right now in your weight loss journey.

3. Nitric Oxide
Nitric oxide is a newer bodybuilding supplement that has recently been released by supplement companies. Nitric Oxide is a natural gas that allows the body to communicate in between cells. It releases more adrenaline and more hormones. NO allows more blood through the veins and to muscles. The fatigue of the muscles doesn't exist for long because the increased blood flow allows your muscles to heal. The hormones and adrenaline that is released helps you to go longer and harder. If you have high or low blood pressure you should consult your doctor before taking Nitric Oxide.

As with all of these supplements, there is always a chance of overdosing. We are not responsible for your supplemental intake, overdose, how you take it, or death. You should consult your doctor before taking any supplements. Supplements can be good, but you should know how much to take and how often to take it. In the long run, supplements are pitfalls to your working out at this point in time. When you are trying to lose weight, muscle is going to do you no good. You can build a little bit of muscle to help you burn more calories, but you will end up looking fatter because you are growing the muscle under the layer of fat. Stay on the path of just burning the fat off.

Happy weight loss!

~Obesity Overload