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    Fat Burners Do they work?

    Posts: 3 Member
    edited February 20 in Health and Weight Loss
    I see so many ads for fat burners and heat that most don’t work. Are there any that actually work? Trying to get rid of some stubborn belly fat but not looking for a magic wand.

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    Replies

    • Posts: 2,577 Member
      No
    • Posts: 2,130 Member
      Adding my voice to the chorus of "no." You can't spot-reduce - your body will burn its fat reserves according to its own filing system that is unique to you.

      The "fat burner" diet pills are usually stimulants that suppress the appetite, which theoretically can create a calorie deficit that will result in fat loss. However, for what I hope are obvious reasons, using pills like that is not safe or sustainable. You don't learn anything about how to eat to maintain your reduced weight - the only way to maintain it is to trade your weight problem for a drug problem, which is not a good prize.
    • Posts: 2,130 Member
      tinkerbellang83 wrote: »
      No there aren't, non-prescription slimming pills generally work 1 of 3 ways and all tend to be short term in efficacy:
      • Appetite suppressant - such as caffeine, once you build up a tolerance, it works less.
      • Laxative - basically dehydrating you, so you lose water not fat, not pleasant or healthy long term.
      • Fat Binders - prevents dietary fat absorption, excess fat absorption leads to very unpleasant side effects - note this affects dietary fat, not body fat.

      None of them will spot-target your stomach fat.

      Would suggest reading through this thread
      https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1161603/so-you-want-a-nice-stomach/p1

      Oh, I forgot about the fat binders! Funny thing about the digestive tract - anything that doesn't get absorbed or digested on its way from point A to point B (not to put too fine a point on it) will just exit through the gift shop exactly as it went in. Jeff Foxworthy had a bit about this kind of side effect some years back. Anal seepage. It's not even fun to say.
    • Posts: 41,865 Member
      plitrico wrote: »
      I see so many ads for fat burners and heat that most don’t work. Are there any that actually work? Trying to get rid of some stubborn belly fat but not looking for a magic wand.

      Not if they're legal. "Fat burners" are mostly caffeine.
    • Posts: 2,516 Member
      70% of the US population is overweight or obese. Would not be the case if fatburners worked.
    • Posts: 38,438 MFP Moderator
      cwolfman13 wrote: »
      show previous quotes

      Not if they're legal. "Fat burners" are mostly caffeine.

      I think there are a few legal ones, but that isn't something I would discuss in this forum since they all have bad side effects.

      But I agree in general.
    • Posts: 2,097 Member
      Liposuction is the only non-deficit guaranteed solution to small fat pocket removal.

      I've heard cool sculpting actually does work for some people as well, though I have not researched it in depth.

      Neither of those are pills though.
    • Posts: 2,187 Member
      tinkerbellang83 wrote: »
      show previous quotes

      This is a good (awful) read about one of the prescription fat binders https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10290083/alli-xenical-does-it-work-please-only-answer-if-you-have-actually-taken-it/p1

      That thread never gets old.
    • Posts: 49,119 Member
      There are no real "fat burners" per se (OTC). The majority are stimulants and appetite suppressants.


      A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
      IDEA Fitness member
      Kickboxing Certified Instructor
      Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
      9285851.png
    • Posts: 49,119 Member
      This dick states you can burn 2lbs of fat in 8 hours just drinking his "water hack".

      https://science.leptitox.com/?hop=bowallg

      A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
      IDEA Fitness member
      Kickboxing Certified Instructor
      Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
      9285851.png
    • Posts: 68 Member
      Not only do they not work, taking unregulated supplements can be actively harmful. Even some innocuous-seeming ones, like green tea extract pills, for example. Green tea, healthy and "natural", right? But they are known to cause liver damage, which can lead to death.

      https://www.consumerreports.org/dieting-weight-loss/truth-about-green-tea-for-weight-loss/
    • Posts: 10,143 Member
      tinkerbellang83 wrote: »
      show previous quotes

      This is a good (awful) read about one of the prescription fat binders https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10290083/alli-xenical-does-it-work-please-only-answer-if-you-have-actually-taken-it/p1

      Oh noooo, I knew it would be a bad idea to open up this thread while having breakfast. This link was bound to be here. I don't even need to click on it and I shudder. Thanks for that.
    • Posts: 171 Member
      I mean the hardcore ones like clenbuterol and bronkaid? Yeah but they aren't healthy, bro.
    • Posts: 3,177 Member
      yirara wrote: »
      show previous quotes

      Oh noooo, I knew it would be a bad idea to open up this thread while having breakfast. This link was bound to be here. I don't even need to click on it and I shudder. Thanks for that.

      I have bad timing, too. I’d sit down to dinner just as “The Walking Dead” came on. 😂
    This discussion has been closed.

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