Fat Burning Supplements That Actually Work Without Breaking The Bank

What brand of green tea extract do you recommend?

My favorite brand is Life Extensions Mega Green Tea Extract.

It’s #11 on Labdoor, stimulant free, easy to travel with because it’s in a pill as opposed to a powder, and has a high level of EGCG’s (see below).

How much green tea extract should I take?

The amazing fat loss benefits of green tea extract come from EGCG’s. So, when looking at dosage it’s best to focus on the milligrams of EGCG’s instead of the overall milligrams of green tea. See image below:

In this example, Life Extensions Mega Green Tea Extract has approximately 326.25mg of EGCG’s for every 725mg of green tea.

Human studies have shown fat loss benefits with as little as 100 mg of EGCG’s. However, 400mg seems to be the minimal effective dose to maximize the fat burning benefits without any additional risk.

Working with clients, I’ve noticed best results in men when taking 2 – 3 servings per day (roughly 652.5 – 978.75 mg per day). With female clients I’ve notice 2 servings per day (652.5mg per day) seems to be optimal.

There isn’t a consensus on an upper tolerable limit. It’s best not to exceed 1,000mg per day. Anything more can cause problems for anyone with preexisting liver conditions.

Alpha-Lipoic Acid (ALA)

Alpha-Lipoic Acid (ALA) is a fatty acid and potent anti-oxidant that helps your body turn glucose into fuel your body can burn for energy. Meats and vegetables contain low doses of ALA such as spinach and broccoli.

Research shows ALA can protect against heart disease, liver disease, diabetes, and neurological decline when taken in higher doses.

According to Examine.com, “It [Alpha-Lipoic Acid] works with mitochondria and the body’s natural anti-oxidant defenses. It is also seen as an anti-aging compound since it can reverse some of the oxidant damage related effects of aging.”

The journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Science published a study in February 2017 that indicates ALA can actually reverse the damage in aging cells of the brain.

I’ve always joked that I stopped aging at twenty-five, but according to this research – I might actually be telling the truth!

If that’s enough to peak your interest in ALA, you’re about to flip your shit:

In The 4-Hour Body, Tim Ferriss states: “ALA helps you store the carbohydrates you eat in muscle or in your liver as opposed to in fat.”

Tim wasn’t lying; ALA has been proven to prevent your body from storing carbohydrates as fat. Instead ALA helps your body digest and utilize carbohydrates for use as energy.

(Because I love cupcakes so much, I need every advantage I can get in order to burn fat and prevent storing body fat. Hey, can you blame me? Cupcakes are Awe – wait for it – some. Yes, I had my birthday party at a cupcake store. Don’t judge. My mom says I’m cool.)

What brand of Alpha-Lipoic Acid do you recommend?

My favorite ALA supplement is Now Foods Alpha-Lipoic Acid 250mg.

There aren’t any rankings on Labdoor for ALA so I based my selection on several factors including: the solid reputation of the Now Foods brand, the high ranking of many of their other supplements, and the ideal dosage which comes in 250 mg capsules.

How much ALA should I take?

Research demonstrates doses up to 2400 mg/day are safe with no reported adverse effects versus a placebo. I recommend doses of 500 – 750 milligrams for optimal results based on studies I’ve read.

Men should take up to, but no more than 750 mg per day split into three (3) doses taken 20-minutes prior to eating. This is especially important if eating a carbohydrate heavy meal.

Women should take 500 mg per day split into two (2) doses 20-minutes prior to eating, especially with a carb heavy meal.

Keep in mind, if you are on a low carb day, it’s not necessary to keep dosing ALA all day. Simply take it before or during your carb heavy meals even if that means you’re only taking it once or twice per day.

Allicin Garlic

Historical records document the use of garlic as far back as 5,000 years. The Chinese, Egyptians, Babylonians, Greeks, and Romans all used garlic for medical purposes.

Some fun facts I bet you never knew about garlic include:

1. Roman soldiers ate garlic before battle to inspire them and give them courage.
2. The Russian army used garlic during World War 1 to treat wounded soldiers on the front line. In fact, the Russian Army physicians used so much garlic that it became known as the “Russian Penicillin.”

Throughout history garlic has treated an array of conditions including hypertension, infections, and snakebites, and of course – vampires. Modern medicine has proved a number of other benefits including:

1. Elevated immune function preventing colds by as much as 63% and reducing the duration of cold symptoms by as much as 70%.
2. Significantly reducing blood pressure in those individuals suffering from high blood pressure.
3. Reducing total and/or LDL “bad” cholesterol by about 10-15%.
4. Reducing risk of dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, and heart-disease risk.
5. Reducing lead levels found in blood by 19% while also reducing many clinical signs of toxicity including headaches and high blood pressure.

It seems Garlic is kind of like a super-drug capable of almost anything. Not to sound too infomercial salesy… but wait, there’s more!

Garlic can also help you reduce body fat. Yep, you heard right…

According to Tim Ferriss in The 4-Hour Body, “Strangely, test subjects and I have had the best fat-loss results with extracts designed to deliver relatively high doses of allicin. Allicin, if delivered in a stable form, appears to have the ability to inhibit fat regain.”

As a standalone claim, you may or may not believe Tim or his research. This is where it gets interesting, a 2011 study published in the Journal of Nutrition noted the “anti-obesity effect of garlic.” I guess Tim wasn’t lying after all.

Researchers believe the anti-obesity effect of garlic may be attributed to “enhanced fecal mass and frequency.”

Tim Ferriss reported similar findings in his research published in The 4-Hour Body. Maybe they should name it the take bigger and more frequent dumps effect…

Hey, Arnold once said, “I want to be a champion and I will do whatever it takes.”

I’m sure this assumes a few extra trips to the bathroom or a few extra flushes are well worth the reduction in body fat and the resulting six-pack abs.

There is also some research that indicates garlic may reduce exercise induced fatigue. This means you’ll be able to workout for longer durations at a higher intensity. The obvious benefit is that you’ll burn more calories.

What’s the difference between regular Garlic and Allicin Garlic?

I’ll try to do this without getting too scientific and obtuse: the most potent part of garlic is the allicin. Typical garlic supplements contain low amounts of allicin and therefore provide little benefit.

Conversely, Allicin infused garlic supplements have a high degree of allicin that’s absorbed well by the human body.

What brand of Allicin Garlic do you recommend?

My favorite Allicin Garlic supplement is Zhou Nutrition Garlic with Allicin.

Labdoor doesn’t have rankings for garlic so I had to dig a bit deeper on this one and base my decision on other factors.

Zhou Nutrition operates out of a FDA Registered Facility. Keep in mind, this doesn’t mean their supplements are FDA regulated. They are Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) certified. And they manufacture their products in the good old USA. Lastly, I looked at the product reviews on Amazon which were very good.

How much Allicin Garlic should I take?

Both men and women can safely take 800 – 1200 mg of garlic bulb powder per day. If using Zhou Nutrition Garlic with Allicin that would be 2 – 3 servings per day. It’s best to take with food.

I also cook with fresh garlic because it tastes awesome and it provides some extra insurance when it comes to my health and fitness.

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Pro Tip: Cure Your Cold with Raw Garlic

Garlic boosts immune function and prevents colds and the flu. It also significantly reduces the length and severity of the illness helping you still productively function at work or school.

A research study found that a daily garlic supplement reduced the number of colds by 63% compared with placebo.

In the same study, the average length of cold symptoms was reduced by 70%, from 5 days in placebo group to just 1.5 days in the garlic group.

Another study drew similar conclusions and found that garlic supplementation reduced the number of cold and flu symptoms reported by 21%, reduced the number of days spent sick by 61%, and reduced work/school days missed due to illness by 58%.

Whenever I feel like I might be on the verge of a cold, I immediately employ the following strategy:

• Buy organic raw garlic from your local Whole Foods or Trader Joe’s.
• Mince one medium/large clove or put clove through a garlic press.
• Place minced garlic on a spoon. Wait 5-min.
• Fill my mouth with unsweetened almond milk.
• Tip my head back, drop the garlic in the back of my throat, and swallow.
• Repeat every few hours until you are fully healthy again.

Warning: Do not do this on an empty stomach. Be sure to have something in your stomach before swallowing raw garlic. Swallowing raw garlic can be tough on your stomach so I only use this strategy occasionally for a few days at a time to prevent or shorten an illness.

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Saigon Cinnamon

From wars to new worlds, cinnamon has played a significant role in the history of the world.

For example, Christopher Columbus sailed for the New World in order to expand the spice trade, primarily – cinnamon.

Even crazier, Europeans were so obsessed with cinnamon that it caused a war between Portugal and Ceylon (now known as Sri Lanka).

People died over something you can now easily buy in bulk at your local grocery store. Then again, cinnamon has been deemed by many, “the food of the gods” so maybe I shouldn’t be surprised.

Cinnamon is an extremely powerful anti-oxidant that can to kill mosquitos, eradicate bad breath, prevent cancer, reduce LDL (bad) cholesterol, and fight the onset of Alzheimer’s.

Those benefits are sweet (I’m hilarious), but remember – I’m leading you on a voyage to burn body fat and get shredded…

When it comes to fat loss research shows cinnamon can improve insulin sensitivity, and improve blood glucose levels up to 29%.  This means that cinnamon improves your body’s ability to process and more effectively store carbohydrates.

Since your body is less likely to store carbohydrates as fat, you’ll be able to more effectively use those carbohydrates to build muscle. All aboard the Gainz Train.

Why Saigon Cinnamon and not Ceylon or Cassia?

When it comes to cinnamon there are many different types. The reason I prefer Saigon over other types is because it’s the most potent. Therefore, it has performed best when compared to other types in regards to reducing blood glucose levels.

In other words, if you want to get ripped and lose body fat, use Saigon Cinnamon over other types when it’s available.

What brand of cinnamon do you recommend?

Organic Premium Saigon Cinnamon from The Cinnamon Shop. It’s organic, it’s on Amazon, and the reviews were top-notch.

Another option, if you want to buy in bulk, is to purchase Kirkland Saigon Cinnamon although it’s not organic. Oh, the humanity! Talk about first-world problems.

How much cinnamon should I take?

When it comes to dosage, I like to add ¼ Tsp of Saigon Cinnamon to all protein shakes, Greek yogurt, and oatmeal. I’ll also sprinkle Saigon Cinnamon in my coffee.

Cinnamon has a blood thinning effect so do not exceed 1½ Tsp of Saigon Cinnamon per day to stay on the safe side. Due to this effect, if you take blood thinners please consult your physician before supplementing with cinnamon.

Legion Forge

“With great power comes great responsibility.” – Uncle Ben from Spiderman

Legion Forge is the only stimulant on the list of fat burning supplements. As such, it’s the most powerful fat burner on the list but that power comes with responsibility.

Legion Forge is incredibly effective at burning excessive amounts of body fat, improving exercise performance by reducing fatigue, and preserving muscle mass when training in a fasted state.

However, like most things in life, there is a catch…

The catch with Legion Forge is that it works really well when you workout in a fasted state. It’s less effective when you’re in a fed-state. Rack up another win for intermittent fasting.

Yohimbine is the primary ingredient responsible for fat loss. And research suggests that if your insulin levels are too high, Yohimbine will be relatively ineffective for weight loss. However, if you’ve read my article Intermittent Fasting For Rapid Fat Loss, you know:

• Research has proven exercising in a fasted state, when insulin levels are low, burns more fat than exercising when insulin levels are higher (like they are in a fed state).
• Research also shows that blood flow in the abdominal region is increased when you’re in a fasted state, which helps burn stubborn belly fat.

With Legion Forge you’re essentially pouring gas on your fat burning fire. Legion Forge adds a nitrous booster and gives your fat burning a firm kick in the ass.

Lastly, another benefit of Yohimbine is that it’s been used as a sex aid similar to Viagra due to its ability to increase blood flow.

Won’t I burn muscle if I train fasted?

Remember, I mentioned that Legion Forge helps prevent muscle breakdown? Well, that’s because the 2nd ingredient is HMB.

HMB is an amino acid that stimulates protein synthesis preventing your body from breaking down muscle tissue.

Additional research proves HMB acts like a force field protecting your muscles from being used as energy during exercise. Even better, unlike BCAAs, HMB does this while having no effect on insulin levels. Pretty cool, huh?

Why do I recommend Legion Forge instead of taking Yohimbine and HMB separately?

With great power comes great responsibility and as you learned, Yohimbine is a pretty powerful fat burner. The most responsible thing you can do is take the right dose because:

1. At the right dose, Yohimbine can help accelerate your progress and assist you in dramatically reducing your body fat.
2. In too low of a dose, Yohimbine will be nothing more than a waste of money.
3. In excessive doses, research shows Yohimbine can cause agitation, anxiety, hypertension, and heart arrhythmia.

The reason I recommend Legion Forge is because I prioritize health and safety over results. Legion has a track record of being transparent about its ingredients and for being honest and ethical in regard to the accuracy of its labels.

Honesty and label accuracy is a huge problem in the supplement industry. It’s why I rely on 3rd party independent organizations like Examine and Labdoor to help me filter the good from the trash. And it’s why I only take supplements from companies I trust.

How much Yohimbine should I take?

Clinically effective dosages of yohimbine range from 0.1 to 0.2 milligrams per kilogram of body weight.

If you’ve never take Yohimbine before, start conservatively with 0.1kg per kg of body weight or less. I’m always conservative when taking new supplements so I like to target a bit less at first.

Legion Forge contains 2.5mg of yohimbine per capsule so tailor your dosage based on your weight.

For example, a 180 lb. male should start conservatively with three (3) capsules of Legion Forge 20 – 30 minutes prior to his workout. A 120 lb. female should start with one (1) capsule of Legion Forge.

Is Legion Forge safe?

If taken in the right dose, yes – Yohimbine and Legion Forge is a very safe and effective fat burner. I’ve personally taken it and I’ve recommended it to more clients than I can count without any issues.

On the other hand, if taken in excessive doses it can be problematic. Again, that’s why I only take vitamins and supplements from company’s I trust.

Tips For Your Fat Burning Success

1. Green Tea Extract can accelerate exercise-induced fat loss and is particularly good at reducing abdominal fat.
2. Alpha-Lipoic Acid has been proven to prevent carbohydrates from being stored as body fat. ALA is also a potent anti-aging compound that can reverse some of the oxidant damage related effects of aging.
3. Garlic is a super-supplement with an “anti-obesity effect.”
   1. In addition to preventing weight gain, garlic has also been shown to reduce the risk of dementia, Alzheimer’s, and heart-disease while also significantly reducing blood pressure and acting as a cure for the common cold.
4. Saigon Cinnamon is another super-supplement that improves your body’s ability to process and more effectively store carbohydrates.
5. Legion Forge is incredibly effective at burning excessive amounts of body fat and improving exercise performance by reducing fatigue.
   1. Additional research demonstrates HMB, the 2nd ingredient in Legion Forge acts like a force field protecting your muscles from being used as energy during fasted training.