When it comes to losing weight, many people spend so much time focusing on diet, exercise and supplements like fat burners that they forget the most essential part of losing weight and staying healthy: water.  Without enough water, the body becomes dehydrated, which will impact your training and ultimately bring your weight loss efforts to a grinding halt.  That’s why it’s essential to stay hydrated at all times, both in and out of the gym, especially if you are on fat burners because they can increase the risk of dehydration. 

Importance of Staying Hydrated

We all know that water is essential to life, but most people don’t understand exactly why.  Almost 75% of our body weight is made up of water, and it is vital to virtually all bodily functions.  Not only is there water in our blood and digestive system, but it also keeps our body lubricated and it even regulates our internal temperature by cooling us down with sweat when we overheat.  Without this vital fluid, the pores in our skin can’t excrete water or carry toxins out of the body, leading to a buildup of those toxins and eventually edema (swelling) and even death. 

What Causes Dehydration?

There are many causes of dehydration like malnutrition, blood loss, diarrhea and vomiting, but the most common reason is simply not drinking enough water to replace the fluids lost when we urinate or sweat.  This problem is exacerbated by the fact that many people don’t rehydrate themselves as they work out, because it might make them feel “heavy” and impact their performance.  Dehydration can also be caused by fat burners, because they typically container ephedra and caffeine, both of which can lead to dehydration.

Symptoms of Dehydration

Most people don’t know that there are actually three different stages of dehydration (initial, serious and severe), and they each have their own symptoms, and while thirst is one of them, there are many other warning signs to look out for.  Here is a list of the stages and symptoms of dehydration, which you should always keep in mind while you train:

Initial – The body has lost 2% of its total fluid

• ·         Head rushes
• ·         Chills
• ·         Fatigue or weakness
• ·         Dry mouth
• ·         Dark colored urine
• ·         Skin flushing
• ·         Dry skin
• ·         Loss of appetite
• ·         Thirst

Serious – The body has lost 5% of its total fluid

• ·         Tingling of the limbs
• ·         Nausea
• ·         Headaches
• ·         Muscle cramps
• ·         Extreme fatigue
• ·         Increased body temperature
• ·         Decreased urination
• ·         Decreased sweating
• ·         Increased respiration
• ·         Increased heart rate

Severe (and possibly fatal) – The body has lost 10% of its total fluid

• ·         Unconsciousness
• ·         Chest and abdominal pain
• ·         Seizures
• ·         Difficulty breathing
• ·         Confusion
• ·         Painful urination
• ·         Dim vision
• ·         Shriveled skin
• ·         Racing pulse
• ·         Vomiting
• ·         Muscle spasms

How to Combat Dehydration

Staying hydrated is vital to your health and wellbeing, especially if you are taking fat burners because, as mentioned earlier, they contain ingredients like ephedra and caffeine that can cause you to become dehydrated much quicker if you aren’t careful.  To effectively combat dehydration, keep in mind that the average person loses around two to three liters of water per day from urinating, sweating and simply breathing.  That means you need to be taking in at least that much fluid each and every day.  And while you’re training, you can lose as much as 2 liters of fluid an hour, so always keep water on hand.  Remember, if you’re thirsty, then you are already dehydrated!

Many people try and fail at losing weight so many times that they simply give up and declare that “nothing works for me.”  They try diets, exercise, pills -- seemingly every possible solution and they always end up regaining any weight they managed to lose and usually some extra just to add insult to injury. 

But the reality is that there is nothing wrong with them, it just takes the right combination of elements to lose weight and this is where most people get it wrong.  And surprisingly, those elements are the very same ones that they were using before.  The key is to use them all together: diet, exercise and supplements like fat burners.  Bodybuilders use these very same techniques to cut weight at will, and average individuals can use them too! Let’s take a look at each element in detail:

Create a Calorie deficit

Creating a calorie deficit is crucial to any weight loss plan.  Without a calorie deficit, you simply won’t lose weight, no matter how much you diet and exercise.  A calorie deficit simply means that you are burning more calories in a day than you are consuming.  Keep in mind that in order to lose 1lb over the course of a week, you need to create a calorie deficit of 3500 calories (because 3500 calories = 1lb).  That means that you should focus on burning 500 calories more than you eat per day if your goal is to lose 1lb per week.

Boost Energy and Fight Hunger with Fat Burners

While creating a calorie deficit is essential to losing weight, it can only do so much for you.  If you really want to ramp things up and shed that extra fat as quickly as possible, then you need the energy boost that fat burners provide.  Fat burners will give you all the energy you need to power through even the most challenging workouts, and best of all, you’ll also be able to work out more often, which ultimately means you’ll see weight loss results much faster.

Fat burners are also an essential part of any weight loss plan because they suppress your appetite and kill those midnight junk food cravings that cause so many people to fail.

Motivation is the Final Ingredient

Calorie deficits and fat burners will definitely give you a great start when it comes to losing weight, but there is still one missing element that trumps everything else: motivation.  Without the motivation to continue, you will soon lose your momentum and your weight loss efforts will come to a grinding halt.  All of that weight will come back, and then some.  To avoid that, you need to stay motivated, and the easiest way to do that is to simply maintain your calorie deficit by dieting and exercising properly, and also by incorporating the fat burners into your daily routine.  If you do, you WILL see results you want even if all of your weight loss efforts have failed in the past, and when you look in the mirror, those results will be all the motivation you need to keep going!

How to Get the Most Out Of Your Fat Burners

Before we begin, let’s get one thing straight. Fat burners work, period. There has been a lot of debate about the effectiveness of fat burners but at the end of the day, study after study has proven that they do produce results. If you need to cut weight for a competition, fat burners can help. If you’re going on vacation next month and want to look better in your bikini or swim trunks, fat burners can help. If you just want to slim down and improve the definition of your body, fat burners can help with that too but only if you use them correctly!

To get the best return on your investment with fat burners, you need to do more than simply pop a few pills and sit on the couch all day. You still need to focus on cycling, dieting, exercising and staying motivated. If you combine fat burners with these four key elements, then you will definitely experience amazing results. Let’s look at each of these key ideas in more detail.

You Can’t Stay On Fat Burners Forever

One thing that many newcomers to fat burner supplements don’t realize is that you can’t take them indefinitely. To get the best results with fat burners, you need to give your body a break at some point. Ideally you want to take a fat burning supplement for four weeks and then take two weeks off. Extended use of fat burners will diminish their effectiveness and could be dangerous, so it’s important to follow this four week on, two week off routine.

You Still Need A Healthy Diet

Another mistake people make is thinking that while they’re on fat burners they can simply eat whatever they want and the supplements will still do their thing. Wrong! While it’s true that fat burners do kick your metabolism into overdrive to facilitate fat burning and weight loss, an unhealthy diet can easily undo the benefits you gain from the fat burner. To maximize your results you must stick to a healthy diet, which will be much easier because fat burners help to control your hunger and cravings.

You Still Need To Get Off Your Butt

Fat burners are very good at what they do, but they can’t do it alone. You still need to develop an effective exercise routine to really get the most out of your fat burner. Combining intense workouts with a fat burner supplement is like a “one two punch” that really destroys excess fat.

Use That Energy To Stay Motivated

The most important benefit of fat burners is that they give you a huge boost in energy and mental focus. If you are really serious about getting the most out of your time on fat burners, then you can’t afford to waste that extra energy. The boost you get from fat burners will allow you to exercise longer and harder, which will accelerate your results and as those results start to show in the mirror, they will keep you motivated to push even harder.

Who Are Fat Burners Suitable For?

Before we answer that question, you need to understand one thing first: fat burners work. If you take a high quality fat burner and stick to a healthy diet and exercise program, you will see results in the form of lost fat and increased definition and energy. Those results will be far beyond what you can achieve with diet and exercise alone. But if you’re expecting to just pop a few pills and lay about on the couch all day, you might as well not bother. Fat burners are for everyone who is serious about losing excess fat, and who is willing to put in the work to accomplish that goal.

Fat Burners for the Average Person

Fat burners are a great solution for anyone that wants to lose extra fat, including the average consumer. If you’re in this category, you probably aren’t really interested in spending all day in the gym. You just want to lose some fat and tone up. Perhaps you just had a baby and want to get rid of the weight you put on during your pregnancy. Or perhaps you’re going on vacation next month and you want to slim down before you hit the beach.

Whatever the case may be, fat burners are perfect for the average consumer because they allow you to achieve amazing results without adding extra gym time to your schedule. Not only do they boost your metabolism so that your body becomes a fat burning machine, but they also control your appetite and kill those annoying junk food cravings. In short, fat burners allow the average consumer to spend more time living life and less time worrying about diet and exercise.

Fat Burners for Athletes and Bodybuilders

Whether you’re a cyclist, a runner, a swimmer, a football player, a body builder or anything in between, chances are you already have a great diet and exercise plan. But sometimes that isn’t enough to achieve your true potential. Fat burners are the perfect way to supplement the results you’re already getting from your current diet and exercise program and boost them to a whole new level.

With fat burners, you will see an immediate boost in energy, which allows you to power through your current workout plan or athletic activities with renewed determination and intensity. You’ll be able to go longer and harder than you ever have before, whether you’re biking, swimming or lifting, it doesn’t matter. You will have the energy and mental focus to take your athletic performance to new heights, all without making any changes to your current healthy diet and exercise plan.

Fat Burners Are for Everyone

If you could achieve more fat loss, better definition and have more energy to get you through the day, all without changing your current diet and exercise plan, wouldn’t you jump at the chance? You’d be crazy not to.

Look, fat burners aren’t miracle pills, those don’t exist. Fat burners simply amplify what you’re already doing and boost your results above and beyond what you could achieve with diet and exercise alone. If you’re serious about achieving better results than you are currently seeing, then you need to add a high quality fat burner to your routine.

Divided into sections, food, drink, supplements, lifting, running and general tips. We have put together as many tips as we can to help you in your fat burning regime.

 FOOD

1. High protein diet promotes hypertrophy and enhances fat loss. Researchers in New York State found that when a high protein diet, 40% of total calorie intake being protein, was followed for eight weeks and a low fat/ high carb diet was followed for eight weeks the subjects on the high protein diet lost significantly more body fat, particularly around the abdomen.

2. Choose slow digesting carbs such as brown rice, oats, and wholemeal bread. These keep insulin levels steady and low,

3. Eating fat to lose fat seems nonsensical, but it can be true. Omega 3 fats will lead to weight loss not gain. Keeping your fat intake to 30% of your total daily calories and those fats coming from omega 3 rich foods such as, salmon, sardines, trout, olive oil, peanut butter or walnuts you can boost your fat loss without being on a low fat diet.

4. Eggs are full of protein, promote muscle strength and mass, and actually promote body fat loss.

5. Studies show that eating a grapefruit or drinking 225mls of grapefruit juice three times a day whilst eating a normal diet subjects lost up to ten pounds in twelve week, without dieting. Grapefruit has an ability to reduce insulin levels.

6. Add low fat Greek or natural yoghurt, cottage cheese or milk to boost protein intake and aid fat loss.

7. Apples contain polyphenols, which boost fat loss, muscle strength and endurance.

8. Hot peppers such as chillies, contain capsaicin which promotes calorie burning at rest as well as reducing hunger and food intake. Its effects are even greater when taken with caffeine.

9. Lose more body fat by eating nuts such as almonds, walnuts, macadamia nuts and Brazils.

10. Eat organic beef as it contains higher levels of CLA and omega 3 fats.

11. Avocados have good fats that slow insulin release and helps absorb calcium. Keeping insulin low is important for encouraging fat loss.

DRINK

1. Green tea is a fantastic way of staying hydrated during workouts and enhancing calorie burning. Most effective around the abdominal region.

2. Black tea has been found to reduce cortisol levels, cortisol encourages fat storage around the midsection.

3. Drink about 475 mls of cold water and researchers have found it can temporarily boost metabolic rate by 30%.

4. Energy drinks containing caffeine and EGCG have been proven to promote body fat loss.

5. Don’t drink artificially sweetened drinks as the sweet taste can increase the release of insulin which can encourage fat storage.

6. Soya protein is a proven fat burner.

7. Make your protein shake slightly thicker as this will make you feel less hungry.

SUPPLEMENTS

1. Green tea extracts are better than the actual tea. Take 500mg of green tea extract in the morning and afternoon pre meals for best effect.

2. CLA Aids fat loss and enhances hypertrophy.

3. Fish oil supplements containing omega 3 fats promotes fat loss. Take 1-2 grams of fish oil at breakfast, lunch and dinner.

4. ASTAXANTHIN – Scientists have found that astaxanthin protects the system that transports fat into the muscle cells where it is burned as fuel.

5. Regardless of the brand of fat burner, scientists found that when a fat burner containing caffeine, synerphrine and beta- phenylethylamine to name just a few, lifters burned 30% more calories and had a 40% increase in markers of lipolysis (fat release from cells) for the 90 minutes after exercise.

6. CARNITINE – An amino acid like compound, critical for carrying fat around the cells to the muscles to be burnt. Take 1-2 grams of carnitine in the form of L-Carnitine, L-Tartrate or glycine propionyl-L-carnitine.

 LIFTING

1. Heavier weights for fewer reps give a greater rise in resting metabolic rate that will last longer than lifting with lighter weights.

2. Mix your weight sessions as lighter weights and higher reps . A good way to mix your reps is to perform four sets of most exercises, doing your first two sets with heavy weights and low reps and your last two sets with light weights and high reps.

3. Shorter rests between sets will maximise fat loss.

4. Forced reps, that is a few after failure point, boosts GH three times higher than training just to failure point.

5. Free weight in multijoint moves such as the squat burns more calories.

6. Fast explosive reps burn more calories.

7. Have a spotter help you to perform five negative reps that take you 3-5 seconds each to complete. This will help shed body fat.

8. Listening to your ipod whilst training significantly improves your workout intensity.

 RUNNING

1. Cardio exercise after your weights burns more fat than cardio before your weights.

2. To burn the most fat with cardio exercise is to have high intensity interval training Running, followed by walking fast, running followed by waking fast.HIIT.

3. To improve your post workout calorie burn train in the evening.

4. Fit in a short sprint, just 2-3 minutes of sprinting helps keep insulin down and fat-burning up.

5. Rock climbing is an excellent form of cardio exercise.

6. Kick boxing is an excellent form of cardio exercise.

When you’re working on improving your fat burning regime, it’s easy to become overwhelmed by how to get started. Even if you’re a seasoned fat burner, you may wonder how you can get to the next step or how to make your fat burning part of your lifestyle.

 You need to determine where you are in order to know what you need to do next. Whether you’re thinking about burning fat for the first time in your life or you’re trying to make your new changes something permanent, there are specific things you can do to take your fat burning to the next level.

 I’m Not Ready for a Change

 You may have some health problems or feel a like you’d like to be a smaller clothing size, but you’re not really that interested in fat burning yet. If that’s the case, you’re in the “pre-contemplation” stage of fat burning. That simply means that you’re not interested in making any kind of changes in your eating right now.

 At this point you may be sick of having people in your life talking about burning fat. You may be completely disinterested in changing anything about yourself or your routine. However, you may be having that nagging feeling that even though you’re not interested in a change, it may be something good for you.

Getting to the Next Step of Fat burning

If you’re not doing anything toward starting a new eating plan, there are some steps you can take to get you closer to that goal. Here are a few ideas:

• Make a visit to your healthcare provider and talk about your overall health, including your diet. Ask for suggestions.

• Check out a few books about nutrition from your local library. Skim through them to see if there are any tips that might work well with your lifestyle.

• Take a personal inventory. What choices are you making that seem like they might not be good for your body. What are you doing right?

At this point one of the worst things you can do is jump right in. You need to get your mind used to the idea of making a change. You also don’t want to dive into something for which you aren’t prepared. Instead, a few days or even weeks to educate yourself and find out what you think will work best for you.

I’m Thinking About Making a Change…Later

If you’ve been spending time thinking about fat burning and losing weight, but you haven’t made any real changes yet, you’re in the “contemplation” stage of dieting. That means you’re seriously thinking about it, you know you need to do it, but you haven’t put a plan into action. In fact, you probably don’t have a plan.

When you’re in this stage, you’re really interested in making a change, but you may not know how to do it.

Getting to the Next Step

Here are a few tips for going from thinking about your diet to making a definitive plan.

• Gather as much information as you can about nutrition. If you’re having any type of health problems related to diet, make it a special point to research what you can do.

• Make an appointment with a nutritionist or another health professional to discuss your fat burning plan.

• Talk with a friend who has a fat burning process and ask for suggestions.

• Set a goal for yourself that is measurable. For example, “For the next two weeks I will eat 4 servings of vegetables each day and do basic exercise for 15 minutes a day.”

• Identify some of the barriers to starting your fat burning plan. Write them down and for each obstacle list a solution.

I’m Ready to Get Started

If you’ve been thinking about making a change to your diet and fat burning for a long time, you may be ready to get going! This stage is known as “preparation” for your weight loss and fat burning. You’ve already learned what you need to know to make changes. Now you’re interested and you’re ready to begin.

Getting to the Next Step

 When you’re preparing for dieting, these steps may help you take your plan to the next level.

• Write down a detailed plan for what you’ll do to make your changes.

• Head to the grocery store to make sure you have all the supplies you’ll need before you begin.

• Determine how you’ll reward yourself for making changes.

• Double-check to make sure your goals are measurable and realistic. Don’t try to overhaul everything all at once. Focus on a few small, but powerful changes.

• Enlist the help of important people in your life for support.

I’m Changing My Diet and I’m Committed to Burning Fat

You may have spent months leading up to this moment – the beginning of a change in your fat loss routines. Now you’re taking all the plans you’ve made and turning them into reality. This is the “action” stage of fat burning.

You’re working hard at your plan, but you haven’t been doing it for very long. At this point you may feel really good about your changes, but you’re not ready to say you’ve made permanent changes. Things are a still a little new.

Getting to the Next Step

You may wonder, how can there be a next step when I’m already doing it? But the truth is that in the beginning of your fat burning process there’s still another level. Ultimately you want to make changes that will be lifelong to give you health that will last for years to come.

• Catalogue your successes. Celebrate them!

• Seek the advice of a personal trainer to help you iron out any problems you may be having. Sometimes a little tweaking of your plan is necessary.

• Don’t be too hard on yourself. Many people fail at making long-term changes because they give up after a bad day. Just keep going.

• Pay attention to how you’re feeling. Do you have more energy? Are your clothes a little looser? Are your health problems improving? Make sure you take time to recognize the benefits of the changes you’re making.

• Try new things. If you’re getting bored with what you’re eating, try to incorporate a new dinner meal each week.

• Use your support system. You don’t have to do this alone! Sometimes friends and family can make changing easier.

I’ve Made Changes…And I’m Sticking To Them!

When you’ve changed your diet and exercise successfully for more than 6 months, you’re in the “maintenance” phase of your diet. You’ve already educated yourself, made a plan, prepared for changes, and what’s best – you’ve made them!

After six months of fat burning, you’ve created habits that are likely to last a lifetime. But you need to stand guard. While you have great habits now, there are still times that you’ll feel discouraged. Here are some ideas for building on your success.

• Feel free to make changes. Your plan may work for you, but it’s always a good idea to take a look at your plan every few weeks and see how it’s working for you. Are you still getting the benefits you desire? Are you happy with how things are going?

• Visiting with a nutritionist or healthcare provider from time to time can be a way to see how your health is benefiting from your program and how you can make small, effective improvements. There’s always room to grow.

• Continue to learn more. You can always get some more information about healthful eating and even just adding some new recipes can help to keep you motivated.

• Set goals for yourself. Even if you’re at the ideal weight, you can continue to set goals for your behavior that help you to track and monitor your progress.

I Was Doing So Well…What Happened?

You’ve been plugging along for months making sure that you give your body everything it needs. But suddenly you find that you’re changes are out the window and you feel like you’re back where you started.

There are many things that can trigger a relapse into your unhealthy eating. For example:

• Divorce

• Holidays

• Pregnancy and a new baby

• Death of friend or family member

• Changes in job

• Stress

• Lack of motavation

• Health problems

The above list is just a few of the things that may make it difficult to stay on your plan. For many people, getting off of a diet program can lead to the “what the hell” effect. In other words, “I’ve already messed up a little, so just forget the whole thing.”

But everyone is entitled to stray from time to time. The most important thing you can do is learn from what happened and get back on your program. Here are some tips for getting back on your diet:

• Identify the event or life change that began getting you off-track.

• Come up with some solutions for keeping the problem from happening again.

• Go back to your original goals and renew them.

• Talk with a nutritionist or healthcare provider about getting back on track. They can have invaluable suggestions to help you.

• Don’t dwell on your mistakes. Realize that it’s normal to make them. The only real problem occurs when you don’t recognize them and don’t work to get back to a healthy plan.

• Give yourself some credit for the changes you have made. Change is difficult! If you’ve done it once, you can do it again.

Making Changes That are Permanent

Making changes to your fat burning and exercise routines is difficult. You should congratulate yourself for any little improvement. No matter what stage of your fat burning process you’re in, there’s always a way to get to the next step.

Instead of trying to rush into something that will overwhelm you and set you up for failure, figure out where you are right now. Then make it a goal to get to the next phase. As you gradually make small changes in your day-to-day routine, you’ll find that your lifestyle becomes healthier.

Ultimately you want to be healthier, more fit, and happier. When you allow yourself the time and patience that major changes require, you’ll have more success. You’ll be making changes that last.

Using fat burners with exercise will make this process easier and it will suppress you appetite and increase your energy levels making it easier to exercise for longer periods of time and burn more fat.