# Fat Burners



## Bigtallfatbloke (18 Oct 2007)

Ok following on from the other thread in this section I did a google search on the words "Fat burner"...it threw up a lot of products all claiming to be the best etc...

...I am seriously looking at using something like this to complenent my diet and exercise. I have lost weight since cycling but I need to get rid of more fat around my belly and upper torso and cycling just isnt shifting it fast enough.

BUT...I dont want to do anything dumb..or get ripped off...
so has anybody got any comments to make or experiences they can share? Which products work etc..

I know some peeps are going to say that i should avoid this stuff...but ...well the reality is that I cant do more exercise than i am and I cant eat any better than i am (no junk at all, no booze,just good food)...so I need a little 'help'


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## Noodley (18 Oct 2007)

Could you do "different" exercise as well as cycling rather than concentrating on the one thing?


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## Bigtallfatbloke (18 Oct 2007)

Yes I could...I had made noises about getting back into th eswimming pool, but it just doesnt 'do it' for me like the bike does. I do do sit ups each day. I need to avoid any impact exercise like running. Some of these products make a point of saying they remove belly fat and upper torso fat which is what interested me...'cos I thought...hmmm...I can do that while on the bike and avoid the need to swim up and down for days on end..


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## psmiffy (18 Oct 2007)

i would check the share price of the manufacturer before buying such products - only quick fix i know about is surgical removal - otherwise its just attrition - good calorie control with sustainable level of excercise

sounds like you are doing exactly whats right already - possibly purchasing patience pills might help


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## Noodley (18 Oct 2007)

I found going to the gym (I did not really enjoy it to begin with, but got into it once I had "switched on" to why I was there) of benefit when I wanted to lose weight. I found the cross trainer ski-machine thingy (maybe not the actual name  was very good as was the rower - neither were impact. Just 20 or 30 minutes total along with some stretching and sit-ups along with cycling seemed to do the trick. I don't know the technical side of things but the combination of exercising different muscles and eating sensibly seemed to do the trick. I also tried swimming, but like you found the up and down up and down a bit boring mind numbingly stupid. And every time I put my head under the water I'd hear "Jaws" music 

And "patience pills" are a good idea  That's the only pill-popping I would recommend.


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## col (18 Oct 2007)

Lecithin is supposed to aid in breaking down fat for easier loss,but im not sure,it rings a bell though.


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## yorkshiregoth (18 Oct 2007)

A couple of guys at work took something called L-Carnatine Q10 or Xenedrine EFX and said it worked for them although one of them is still a somewhat corpulent chap.


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## domtyler (18 Oct 2007)

Why do you NEED to lose fat quickly? Are you appearing on television, does your job demand it or have you entered a competitive event?

If you answer no to all these questions then I suggest you re-evaluate where you are going with this.

Edit: Did you put all your weight on over night? Is this why you expect to be able to lose it all over night?


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## Bigtallfatbloke (18 Oct 2007)

I just want to lose weight asap thats all...aint a crime...


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## domtyler (18 Oct 2007)

Bigtallfatbloke said:


> I just want to lose weight asap thats all...aint a crime...



I want it and I want it now or I'll scream and scream and scream! 

Really BTFB, just learn a little patience, concentrate on changing your lifestyle for the better long term and the weight will go on it's own. How long have you been in this program for?


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## Bigtallfatbloke (18 Oct 2007)

I think you are misunderstanding me...I just want to do what i can to reduce the weight. I am doing 20 miles+ each day and 50miles+ on weekends, eating sensibly and not eating anything 'Bad'. I have lost a reasonable amount (3 stone since Christmas), but like I said it is extremely hard to shift it from the upper body by cycling. I dont see that a little 'alternative' help could do any harm, I mean I'm not going to be taking any chemical stuff or drugs or anything, just a natural product of some kind....what harm can it do? As for how long I have been in this programme for, well let's see...I got my bike in May I think.


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## ColinJ (18 Oct 2007)

You might find it useful to read the free eBook Big Fat Lies by Tom Venuto and if you like that, buy a copy of his eBook Burn The Fat Feed The Muscle. He is a body builder but what he has to say is relevant to anyone who wants to keep fit and control their weight *healthily*.


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## fossyant (18 Oct 2007)

Not all fat loss you'll see - the internal fat is usually the first to go, and the belly is about last especially for blokes - I've lost two stone since June, but could still lose a bit off the tum, but I'm fast falling to 12 stone which is a little under the 12.5 where I was aiming. I'm doing 15-16 miles daily - 

How about upping the effort - and burn more calories. 

Most of my commute is done way above the fat burn pace - pushing anerobic levels, but the additional effort has lost the weight for me and it's still coming off, all be it much more slowly now - if you have any hills, attack them harder.

Just keep at it - some of the suplements aren't good for you at all, natural or not. Three stone is a great loss, but it will come off as you also increase fitness.


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## domtyler (18 Oct 2007)

Okay, now we are getting somewhere. So, in 10 months you have lost 3 stone in weight coupled with probably adding a stone in lean muscle mass (total guestimate for the purposes of this thread.) That would add up to 4 stone loss of fat. 4*14=56. You have lost 56 pounds of fat in 10 months, or 5.6 pounds per month or (5.6*12)/52=1.29, over a pound of fat per week for the past 10 months. And you want to increase this rate of fat loss? I will tell you categorically that you are crazy. Anyone will tell you that this is already a healthy and sustainable rate, if you go on crash diets you WILL make yourself ill. For gods sake man just carry on doing what you are doing.


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## Bigtallfatbloke (18 Oct 2007)

I will try to 'up the pace' on my loops. I suppos eit is true to say that i have reached a point where those loops (which were once almost impossible for me) have become easy as my fitness improoves. I am however just happy that i havent given up as the weather heads towards winter.
Patiance is cool and i understand where you guys are coming from...however I know myself and know that it will be all to easy for me to lapse back intot he old ways if I dont continue to see the benefits/rewards of all this pedalling...some of this is Physco illogical I suppose

My legs are pretty fit and slim these days, but it's just the top half I need to see reducing...especially in these tights I look like a heavyweight version of max wall


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## col (18 Oct 2007)

What has been said is great advice BTFB,you will undoubtedly hit a sticking point,but this is normal in wieght loss,just carry on,and like has been said,put i bit more into the hills and knock a little time off your loops,it wont be long before you start loosing again.


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## psmiffy (18 Oct 2007)

I ditto Noodley - gym particulaly over the winter months - I try to keep it fairly short 30-45mins of CV or resistance on alternative workouts - CV at a level a little above what I can maintain for 1.5 - 2 hours on the bike (sort of level that you would run into something or fall off if you did it on road) plus abs and a twenty minute swim at the end - the swimming I find keeps the upper body in better shape with corresponding improvement in my stamina - tends to be my shoulders & upper back that give out before my legs when i am touring - abs are good if you are going to do any BIG (galiber isere et.al) hills - less likely to have sore abdomen the day after


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## DustBowlRefugee (18 Oct 2007)

To lose weight at the rate you first did will require significantly more effort. You burn many more calories per hour effort when you are unfit compared to when you are fit. Remember how you felt when you did your first loops? You'd have to replicate that feeling by doing more in order to lose the same amount. The only suppliments that I can think of have dubious legality. Amphetamines increase the metabolism and were used for years as a weight loss drug. Ecstasy started out the same way. Testosterone suppliment in the form of TestoGel would have a similar effect. None of these are really recommended though, the best way is as your fitness level increases, increase the effort and you will burn more fat. I have the same problem as you. My legs now look fine, but I'm still a flabbly wreck under the shirt, I've found that by getting a gym programme which focusses entirely on the upper body (in my case chest and stomach) I have noticed results. But it takes a longer than you think.


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## bonj2 (18 Oct 2007)

try going on the crunch machine in the gym and instead of finding the limit of what weight you can do and doing this on small numbers of reps, try doing sets of about 100 reps fairly fast on not too heavy a weight so you're straining at it but heavy enough for it to be mildly strenuous. Drink water then repeat. Maybe rowing machine in between. If you're not in a gym, then sit-ups.


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## Dayvo (18 Oct 2007)

I'd suggest, time permitting, of course, an hour of brisk walking (or two sessions of 30 mins) every day.
Remember that muscle weighs more than fat, so the weight your scales tell you might make you think you're not losing anything/enough.
Have a another look at your diet, and see if you can change things around. Avoid excess sugar/sugary products, and stay focused.
Good luck


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## domtyler (18 Oct 2007)

Dayvo said:


> I'd suggest, time permitting, of course, an hour of brisk walking (or two sessions of 30 mins) every day.
> Remember that muscle weighs more than fat, so the weight your scales tell you might make you think you're not losing anything/enough.
> Have a another look at your diet, and see if you can change things around. Avoid excess sugar/sugary products, and stay focused.
> Good luck



Walking will not burn too many calories, good advice for an old or very out of shape person but BTFB is already burning loads of cals and getting good exercise every day. As long as he can keep his motivation going strong through adding variation and maybe entering an audax or something then he will do just fine in the long term. Absolutely no need to go messing with drugs or snake oil treatments.


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## walker (18 Oct 2007)

I'd suggest not trying to lose fat too quickly, you can be left with permanent physical scars. For example you can be left with rubbery skin that doesn't shift, take it easy, do not what ever you do do anything drastic. as others have said, try and challenge your body in different ways. shock it into some running, rowing, weight lifting (adding more muscle to the body burns fat faster than normal and raises motabolism), or as you said swimming. I can't stress enough to not go down the roads of 'lose fat quick' pills. 


How big are you?


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## walker (18 Oct 2007)

Also sit ups for the larger members of our comunuity are not a great start, the muscle under the fat on your stomach gets stronger and more taut, thus pushing the fat you have out further, making you appear bigger than you was before, ab work does,'t generally burn fat at all unless your doing around 500 crunches in 5 minutes.


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## piedwagtail91 (18 Oct 2007)

try doing some upper body weights excercises.,light weight ,high reps.this will tone the muscles under the "fat" you think you have there. when you've been doing it a while and the muscles have good tone you may be suprised to find that you're not carrying as much fat there as you thought.
sit ups are good for toning the muscles but whilst the muscles are covered with fat ,you'll never see them.
theres an ad on the telly now for some electronic tone thing. it shows washboard abs etc. that will not happen unless they lose all the fat covering them. it's a bit of a con (allegedly) really.
i've been reading of your progress since joining the forum and think you're doing great, don't risk spoiling it by looking for a quick fix.they don't exist.good luck


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## Dayvo (18 Oct 2007)

domtyler said:


> Walking will not burn too many calories, good advice for an old or very out of shape person but BTFB is already burning loads of cals and getting good exercise every day.



This is more of what I had in mind:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nordic_walking#Benefits


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## Blue (18 Oct 2007)

B vitamins are supposed to help with fat burning. I used a B complex supplement for a while and it seems to help me.

Having said that, I wouldn't argue with what has already been said in this thread.


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## Twenty Inch (24 Oct 2007)

BTFB, you're doing great as it is, and when you feel impatient, re-read Domtyler's messages.

Those fat-burning products are for people who have more money than sense. No serious dietician or trainer will recommend them. 

You might try cycling more slowly to make sure that you are in the fat-burning zone (this is really difficult but worth it). Have another look at your diet to check its glycemic index - for instance are you eating wholewheat pasta or white pasta?

Get some cross-training in too. No I don't mean angry cycling. Try swimming, using gym machines, anything that can startle the body out of the cycling groove that it's in. It will be more interesting for you and will bring results.

Actually swimming would have a great benefit for you if you are a good enough swimmer to get a good workout i.e. 30 strokes or less (front crawl) per length of pool. If you're not that good, you won't go fast enough to get a training effect. I took lessons which sorted my technique out, and after a few months noticed a huge difference in my upper body and shoulders. All gone now, unfortunately.

Edit for accuracy


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## Bigtallfatbloke (24 Oct 2007)

Thanks for all the comments...I think the answer for me will be found in the swimming pool...much as I dread the endless lengths and filthy changing rooms...perhaps when it gets REALLY cold outside I might find the will to get wet again...


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## Twenty Inch (25 Oct 2007)

That's the spirit. A change of scene, a couple of new objectives, and you can mix the training up to make it more interesting - catch-ups, chicken wings, legs only, sprints, extending your bilateral breathing. Pay the pool's instructor for a few lessons and tips - it will be worth it and you'll be able to tap him for ideas later.


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## Twenty Inch (25 Oct 2007)

Actually, if you want to PM me your address, I can send you all my old Triathlon swimming training material. It'll give you plenty of ideas.


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## davidwalton (27 Oct 2007)

Fat burning tips:-

Burning fat requires continuous smooth movements so learn to develop a rhythmic style when exercising 

Breath slightly deeper and use a little more lung capacity for effective fat burning 

Do not hold breath during exercise!

If an individual increases their effort by performing a more intense exercise they WILL burn more calories however, because oxygen cannot always be delivered to the hard-working cells in sufficient quantities, cells are forced to burn more carbohydrates in order to keep up with increasing demand. If the level of exertion continues to increase then glucose eventually becomes the predominant energy source for muscles as this quick-burning fuel does not require oxygen.

It means to burn fat directly we should exercise at a lower level of effort and for longer duration. However some people just don't have the time to exercise for longer periods. The only way to burn fat quickly is to increase the metabolism through anaerobic exercise so we burn the fat indirectly.

Above taken from http://www.weightlossforall.com/burn fat.htm


David


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## Cycling Naturalist (29 Oct 2007)

I joined a gym to try to get some body fat off. I've found that the body fat has decreased, but I'm actually getting heavier because of the increased muscle mass.


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## andygates (29 Oct 2007)

Can't go wrong with a nice bit of speed.


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## jay clock (30 Oct 2007)

having lost a fair bit of weight (rapidly with weigh watchers about 3 yrs ago) I am currently about 14stone (was 16.5 stone) and only 5'10"

I have a similar problem and have found that swimming helps - I started on my own to improve endurance - could only do 2 lengths crawl non-stop - then after I could do 1000m+ I joined a tri club. My body is noticeabley more shapely but my moobs and tum are still there. I think I just need to cut down on food.

Amazingly I also run now too, and even enjoy it - it helps to be able to do it on business trips (off along the shore of Lake Geneva tonight!)

Just take it easy, and forget supplements. It could be if you are flabby around the middle that liposuction helps?


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