Most fitness equipment nowadays has pre-programmed workouts. One of the options on just about every programmable piece of cardio equipment is “fat-burning.” People aspiring to lose weight naturally pick this option, because what do they have too much of? Fat! What do they want to lose? Fat! Seems like “fat-burning” would be the perfect program. Readers of “101 Legit Ways to Lose Weight” know that often times, what seems to be and what are are two different things. Your body burns the most percentage of calories from fat at low intensities. When you pick “fat-burning” as your program, you will, indeed, be in the zone of intensity that burns most calories from fat, but low intensity workouts also only burn but a nominal number of calories. Although most of the calories expended are fat calories at low intensities, the “pie” (total number of calories burned) is small. High intensity workouts, on the other hand, burn a higher percentage of calories from carbohydrates than from fat, but high intensity workouts make for one colossal-sized pie! Even though the percentage of calories expended from fat vs. carbs is lower, the bottom line is what we’re concerned with. If you opt to perform low intensity workouts, which use fat as the primary source of fuel, just know that you’re going to have to sustain exercise for a WHOLE lot longer than high intensity workouts in order to achieve the same or similar total caloric burn.
Don’t fall victim of the “fat burning” program, thinking that it is superior than other, more intense, workouts when losing body fat is your goal. You will lose body fat by creating a daily caloric deficit. In order to achieve that caloric deficit, you need to torch some serious calories. Pick either high intensity workouts or extend the length of your workout exponentially if you choose the “fat burning” (low intensity) program.

Experts agree that certain drugs seem to cause weight gain, but why is not fully understood. Patients often report that, while taking any say drug, they notice weight gain without changing their diets or exercise program at all and having trouble losing it. But then again, people complain of that very problem all the time, regardless of whether or not they are taking meds. The “weight gain without changing anything” phenomenon is a story we all seem to have told at some point in time, and a story we all want to believe. In all honesty, few people are acutely in tune to their regular diet. Most folks do not log their food and exercise. Without doing these things, people frequently eat more than they realize, tipping their net calories above what they need to sustain their current weight. It may seem like a phenomenon that the scale goes up, but really it can be explained by 1st grade arithmetic. Some drugs cause nausea which may cause a person to reach for bread or crackers to ease. Without realizing it, the calories from the extra carbohydrates can add up cause weight gain. That is one explanation for drug-related weight gain, which is really just weight gain from excessive calories. It is a great idea to journal while taking medication so that you can document how the drug makes you feel and if you reach for food to remedy the symptoms. Bring your journal with you when you visit your doctor so that he may understand your reaction to the drug and help find a solution which allows you to get the benefit of the drug without unfavorable weight gain. Here are some common conditions, drugs, and possible weight impact.

DEPRESSION
SSRIs, such as Paxil, Pexeva, and Celexa may cause weight gain. Some researchers believe that SSRI-style drugs increase appetite. Antidepressants that affect dopamine, such as Wellbutrin and Aplenzin, may actually reduce hunger.

INSOMNIA
OTC sleep aids Sominex, Unizom, and Nytol may cause weight gain if taken regularly. Occasionally taking an over-the-counter sleep aid should not affect weight. If insomnia is a chronic problem, you need to see a doctor instead of simply treating yourself with OTC meds, anyway. Your doctor may prescribe some lifestyle changes that may alleviate the need for medication, or he may prescribe a drug, like Ambien, which has not been shown to cause weight gain.

ALLERGIES
Benadryl, Alka-Seltzer, and Plus Allergy may boost appetite. Claritin and Zyrtec contain different and less potent active chemicals and it is unlikely that these will cause a change in appetite.

HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE
Powerful beta-blockers, such as Lopressor and Tenormin may make it harder to lose weight, and doctors believe that this may be because they may reduce metabolic rate. (There are two “mays” in that sentence). Mixed alpha- and beta-blockers, such as Coreg, may be a better alternative if this is experienced.

Here are the families for the drugs listed in this post:
PAROXETINE- Paxil and Pexeva
CITALOPRAM- Celexa
BUPROPION- Wellbutrin and Aplenzin
DIPHENHYDRAMINE- Sominex, Unisom, Nytol
ZOLPIDEM- Ambien
ANTIHISTAMINE DIPHENHYDRAMINE- Benadryl, Alka-Setlzer, Plus Allergy
ANTIHISTAMINE LORATADINE- Claritin
CETIRIZINE- Zyrtec
BETA-BLOCKERS (METOPROLOL)- Lopressor
BETA-BLOCKERS (ATENOLOL)- Tenormin
MIXED ALPHA- BETA-BLOCKERS (CARVEDILOL)- Coreg

It’s with reluctancy that I include herbs and supplements on this countdown at all.  There are no safe herbs/supplements that can solve your weight loss problems, independent of making other lifestyle changes.  The base of your long-term success will be sound food choices, portion sizes, and regular daily physical activity.  The herbs and supplements below may help boost your weight loss results as a compliment to those other (vitally important) commitments.

Not all herbs and supplements are equal.  Quality is very important here.  Herbs may come directly from the best portion of the plant, they may plant-”based,” or they may be completely synthetic.  To put it in a perspective you may understand, let’s look at that same concept from a food standpoint.  Here are two examples.  Cheese can be healthy, like goat cheese that comes directly from the milk of a goat or it can be unhealthy, like Velveeta, which is so processed that it’s closer to plastic than cheese.  Another example is truffle “oil.”  White and black truffles are very expensive and can produce a liquid but not oil; truffle oil is cheap, made synthetically in the same factories that make perfume.  Just like fresh goat cheese costs more than Velveeta and truffles cost $60 an ounce vs. $1 an ounce for truffle oil, quality supplements cost more than synthetic.  By reaching for supplements in the first place, you’re attempting to enhance your health.  You don’t have to take them at all.  If you choose to do so, don’t throw your money away on lab-produced synthetic knock-offs.  Pay the price for high quality whole food supplements.

 Laura Mangum, RD, LD, is a trusted dietitian, based out of Round Rock, TX.  Laura’s mantra is “eat right, be fit, live well.”  She recommends these five herbs/supplements for weight loss:

1.  Rhodiola.  Rhodiola is an adaptogenic herb which helps normalize stress response and inflamation.  Rhodiola can reduce appetite and water retention.  This is an adrenal-related supplement, which can lower cortisol.

2.  Ashwaganda.  Like rhodiola, ashwaganda stimulates and supports adrenals.  It aids in normalizing stress response (cortisol), which indirectly promotes vitality and stamina.

3.  Gymnema.  This is an appetite-suppresant.  It aids in controlling blood sugar and suppressing carbohydrate cravings.  It is especially helpful for diabetes-type situations/insulin sensitivity.

4. Green Tea or Matcha.  ECGC is an elixir in green tea and matcha that can boost metabolism.  ECGC is an abbreviation of the name Epigallocatechin Gallate.  This antioxidant can increase energy expenditure by 4-5% and fat oxidation by 10-16%.   (Never heard of Matcha?  It is a powder made from whole green tea leaves.  Matcha actually contains more EGCG than green tea bags).

5.  Ginger.  Evidence suggests that fresh ginger can boost your body’s thermogenesis.  That means that it may help you burn more calories.

Additional recommendations Laura gave for weight loss are these:

*Be sure you are consuming enough Vitamin D and Calcuim.  Without enough of these, it becomes difficult to burn fat and your body will easily store it.

*For obese individuals with body mass index over 30, add soluble fiber to snacks and meals.  This will help with leptin-resistancy.

Laura also stresses the point of shopping for quality when it comes to buying supplements.  She endorses whole food supplements made by Standard Process and subsidiary Australian-based herb manufacturer, Mediherb.

Learn more about Laura Mangum, RD, LD, at www.lauramangumrd.com.

This post on our countdown addresses herbs and supplements.  For the skinny on “diet pills,” see #87 on our 101 Legit Ways to Lose Weight Countdown.