Fat burners

[Astra]

I`m 5'3" and weigh 130 pounds. I`m a beginner - I had some sort of anorexia six years ago and though my normal muscle tonus is more-less back my body fat is probably higher than average. Right now I have trainings 3 times a week and cardio 3-4 times a week. I am taking protein shakes because I`m stuck with food in a students restaurant - can`t afford much else. Now I`m looking for something to help me reduce my body fat. I`m watching my diet, but it`s tricky because I have exams virtually every month so I need carbs to be able to concentrate on studying. For the same reason I`m doubtful about ECA stack because I heard it could make me jittery and that`s the last thing I need. Is there an alternative?

[bufchk]

I feel the same way you do............Ephedra does work for most people and did me, but I eventually had to up the dosage and even use it to get up in the morning. I quit taking it cold turkey and was severly sluggish for about a month. I found a product without ephedra to give me energy to do the cardio I need to lose bodyfat. It's from Advocare and it's a drink called Spark. I took it in the morning on an empty stomach and it gave me good energy without the negative side effects. Has about the same amount of caffiene as one cup of coffee which does nothing for me. Look Advocare up on the web.

[K (same)]

Send a PM to DanteBattista. He is the moderator (mostly hanging out at the Supplement section). Dante knows everything about fatburners. He will be able to recommend the right one for your need.

[Dante B.]

Astra, you may wish to look into Green Tea (if you have not already). First of all, as you said, ephedrine could make you anxious and jittery, which is not conducive to studying (this does not happen to everyone t,hough). I would also be concerned with your previous eating disorder, since I would not want to see you using a product that could revert you back to an eating disorder (ephedrine/caffeine work well to suppress the appetite, and thus, may make you accustomed to eating very little, which will not be good).

Green Tea, while not being as profound in it's ability to burn fat like ECA (ephedrine/caffeine), is still a most adequate substitution, for the fact that it can give you energy, help with fat managment, while not overstimulating you. As well, it is relatively inexpensive, and it is best to buy this in tea bags for convenience (you can brew this in the morning, and then put it in a thermos to drink during the day).

Obviously, I do not know much about you (age, medical conditions, medications, etc.), as this can alter a recommendation. So please mention anything else that may alter the recommendations. You may also wish to look into Forskolin, from the herb Coleus Forskohlii. Here is a link to info. regarding Forskolin: www.forslean.com

[Astra]

Thanks for the advice. As for more information...I`m 22, I`m healthy, not on any medication nor I have tried anything since my last diet six years ago. The only consequence of dieting is that I can`t stand an empty stomach for long - however, there is no actual damage, I went on the ultrasound to check - and it`s kind of good because it makes me eat smaller meals 5 times a day. My blood pressure is normal, though it`s on the limit of being low.

I have no great ambitions...the truth is, I`ve been through such torture during my adolescence - going on my own and doing things ass backwards with no one competent to help me - that now when I finally figured out some things I want to take it easy. Lose some fat, gain some muscle, look better...we`ll see what happens next.

[K (same)]

Ok, I can assure you that, Dante Battista is a good man. He is extremely knowledgeable in bodybuilding, with a world class mind and sparkling clear character.

There are other people here , who are experts and also good hearted people. You can listen to most of the moderators (I say MOST, because, some of them at the teen section, whom I don't know them at all. But the rest, are established members of this BB.com site.)

Welcome to this place. You can send these people PM messages, if you want your questions answered quickly. Tell them I send you, as they have promised me that they will take good care of people who need their assistance. :) If they don't treat you well, let me know, so I can go kill them!! :D

[Dante B.]

Originally posted by Astra
Thanks for the advice. As for more information...I`m 22, I`m healthy, not on any medication nor I have tried anything since my last diet six years ago. .

Again, in your case, you may wish to stick with either the Green Tea and/or the Forskolin. Ephedrine may not harm you as such (in moderate amounts), but at the same time, you do not want to take a substance that can alter your eating habits again (it does work very well in most to suppress the appetite, and in that case, it may accustom you to getting by on less food).

Assuming that you did wish to use EC stacks (ephedrine/caffeine), then take a very small amount at first (that means, do not buy a product whose serving size is only one capsule, since you can not divide it). If you can find Diet Fuel by Twinlab, for a good price, then you can use this, for the fact that a serving size is 3 capsules, which allows you to start off using 1/3 of a dose. But again, this is with the assumption that you wish to use ephedrine, and you keep in mind what I said about the eating habits that could be altered by Ephedrine (I do not want to come accross as patronizing; just trying to make sure that you make an informed decision :) .

(As a side note, your country did produce a very interesting band, Laibach. Do you listen to them? I do not care for them as such, but they are a very interesting band nonetheless).

[Dante B.]

Originally posted by Astra

I have no great ambitions...the truth is, I`ve been through such torture during my adolescence - going on my own and doing things ass backwards with no one competent to help me - that now when I finally figured out some things I want to take it easy. Lose some fat, gain some muscle, look better...we`ll see what happens next.

Sometimes it is healthy to take a ride in the backseat, to put things into perspective :) Obviously, at 22, you have plenty of years ahead of you to put your newfound knowledge to it's best use.

Dante

[gymgrl]

Well, I'm glad you want to take a cautious approach to shaping up- making a change is a process, and not always quick and easy. From personal experience, I would say to stay away from some of the so called 'fat burners' out there and rely on exercise and learning to eat healthy. Yes, there are many that have had results from supplements like ephedrine/caffeine/asprin, but if it made you jittery your body could have a much worse reaction to this substance. It seems that you have learned that quick fixes and other fast result plans work initially, but do not teach you anything nor produce lasting results.

The small five meals a day are great, are you getting exercise?? I know it is tough when you are in college with exams, but taking breaks to walk or jog around the campus can help you de-stress as well as feel better about yourself during this time. And of course, weight training is always recommended and good for keeping your metabolism up. Hoped this helps a little bit!

[Astra]

Hello again. K (same) : I got an impression that people here are really eager to help and know what they are talking about. I especially appreciate people taking me seriously because so far no one really bothered. It`s funny how a simple problem can become a great one if there`s no one to help. I only wanted to lose some weight, I wasn`t even too overweight - my problems with anorexia started with a diet that eventually became too strict and totally unbalanced. Even now with my amateur interest in nutrition I still know more than most people around.

dantebattista: thanks again for your advice. It will be much easier to look for stuff when I know what I should be looking for. BTW, I`ve heard of Laibach but that`s not exactly my kind of music, lol.

gymgrl: yes, I think I`ve learned my lesson. With years I calmed down and now I eat more-less smart but it didn`t happen overnight. And it seems that I`m on a good way to make exercising a part of my life. I`ve always had a need to workout but something always got in the way - lack of money, space, time - things seem to be getting better now though.

Thanks again! :)

[K (same)]

Hi Astra,

If you are willing to improve yourself, there are many people here who would be glad to help, as people respect you for wanting to improve yourself. :)

I understand how small problems can escalate into a big mess before you know it. However, I know of people who have successfully battled anorexia. The important thing is, you must not hide the situation. If you have friends who you can talk to, who understand your situation, that would greatly assist you in managing the situation. I am no expert here. but I am sure that all of us here, as a group, would do our best for you. (Dante will do as I tell him to! :D ) (Actually, he would step over me to help you out, :D)

Anorexia could be the result of many factors. Most of the time, it really has nothing to do with being fat, as the person who has anorexia is actually NOT fat at all. It is something else, mostly related to interpersonal relationship and how you see yourself in the situation. Don't know anything about your particilar situation and therefore, I am not making any reference to you, but to people who have anorexia in general.

If you want to talk, we are here to do what we can. I have made a lot of good friends here, people I have never met in person. Take Dante, we never met. Had I run into him on the street first, I might have beat the crap out of him. :D But he is one of the nicest guys I have ever known.

If your situation is simply the result of an out of balanced diet, then you may not even have anorexia as clinically defined. Then, don't get too worried over what I have wrote above. Most people who have anorexia, do not recognize they have anorexia and refuse to admit they have an eating problem. Which does not seem to be the case with you at all.


Anyhow, hope all things are well over at your end. Nice to meet someone from Yugoslavia. Sorry about the damn war. The people didn't deserve to suffer the bombing. Hope things are getting better for the people of Yugoslavia.

Take care and keep us posted.

[Astra]

Originally posted by K (same)
If your situation is simply the result of an out of balanced diet, then you may not even have anorexia as clinically defined. Then, don't get too worried over what I have wrote above. Most people who have anorexia, do not recognize they have anorexia and refuse to admit they have an eating problem. Which does not seem to be the case with you at all.


Anyhow, hope all things are well over at your end. Nice to meet someone from Yugoslavia. Sorry about the damn war. The people didn't deserve to suffer the bombing. Hope things are getting better for the people of Yugoslavia.

Take care and keep us posted.

Well I also don`t think it was really anorexia, there were a few things though...I was taking under 1200 calories a day, I lived on a glass of milk and tea, biscuits, apples, chicken soup and sometimes raw vegetables. I had the same weight as I do now - I lost about 20 pounds. I was hungry all the time but I endured it, it made me happy while I was feeling guilty if I ate. I did stop by myself after three months but it took me years to realize how dangerous it was - I suffered a hormonal disbalance and was forced to take injections to recover. Not to mention that after that diet I gained 40 more pounds - I thought I would never stop being hungry :( - and it took me two years to go back where I was at the beginning.

However, with years I got rid of most wrong eating habits so now I don`t think I`ll ever be in danger of repeating something like that.

And yes, the people didn`t deserve the bombing but what`s done it`s done there`s no use dwelling on it. Forgive but not forget, I`d say...and I myself hope things will get better.

Thanks for the kind words. See you.

[gymgrl]

Astra- I can really relate to your situation- For years I constantly dieted and was extremely obsessive about weight. People would comment on how thin I was getting, yet I never believed them. Finally I hit a point where I was so weak and tired I felt I could not go on, I realized I did not have to be 100lbs. since it was never gratifying.
It takes years to change this state of mind, and is a long slong process. My relationship with food/eating was warped as I feared it, yet needed it to live. Suddenly, I would be starving and eating all the time- my bodies effort to maintain it's set weight. This too takes time to get used to.
Anyway, I now have a completely different mind set when it comes to exercise and food. Food is fuel for your body, while exercise is a means to maintain health and stay conditioned. This simple conlusion took a while to accept.
Well, I just wanted to let you know there are many out there like you, and we're all here to help and support!! Keep up your good work, and love yourself for who you are! Take care.

[K (same)]

Astra, I will answer your post later. I am glad that Gymgrl is offering her valuable insight here.

Thankyou very much, Gymgrl.

[K (same)]

Originally posted by Astra


Well I also don`t think it was really anorexia, there were a few things though...I was taking under 1200 calories a day, I lived on a glass of milk and tea, biscuits, apples, chicken soup and sometimes raw vegetables. I had the same weight as I do now - I lost about 20 pounds. I was hungry all the time but I endured it, it made me happy while I was feeling guilty if I ate. I did stop by myself after three months but it took me years to realize how dangerous it was - I suffered a hormonal disbalance and was forced to take injections to recover. Not to mention that after that diet I gained 40 more pounds - I thought I would never stop being hungry :( - and it took me two years to go back where I was at the beginning.

However, with years I got rid of most wrong eating habits so now I don`t think I`ll ever be in danger of repeating something like that.

And yes, the people didn`t deserve the bombing but what`s done it`s done there`s no use dwelling on it. Forgive but not forget, I`d say...and I myself hope things will get better.

Thanks for the kind words. See you.

Your diet did not look too bad then :). May be you were simply not eating enough then. The important thing is you got over it. Stopping it by yourself is a very important factor. Control is the key. In that regards, you are in control and that is all good. In a clinical anorexia situation, the patient cannot control the situation. They are both hungry and miserable (unlike you, they are not happy about the situation), but they cannot get out of the cage. It is a self-image thing. They would rather starve and be miserable then to jeorpadize their perceived image.


You know, you should keep a journal /diary /record of the food you eat. THen you have a clear idea if you are taking in sufficient carb, protein and fat. Just make sure you take in at least 2.2 gram of protein per kg of your body weigh. Wait, do you use metrics or Imperial system in Yugoslavia? Imperial would be 1 gram per lb of weight. This is necessary to maintain muscle.

5'3" at 130, you do not have high bf. I would estimate at around 15% . Assuming a moderately active day, you would need 2000 Cal a day. The 130 g of protein would provide you with 520 Cal., as each gram of protein yields 4 Cal. You need 40% of your total Cal from carb, that would mean 800 Cal from carb. Again, each gram of carb yields 4 Cal. That means you would need 200 gram of carb. The remaining Cal would come from fat. 680Cal from fat. 1 gram of fat yields 9Cal, so that means you would need about 70 gram of fat. Make sure they are unsaturated fat. LOL Seems like a lot of fat. Nothing say you can't reduce it to 40-50 gram of fat and take in higer carb and protein to make up for the change.

Make sure you take part of your oil intake from Flax seed oil. Flax seed oil has been tested to prevent ovarian cancer in women and prostate cancer in men.

Make sure you take your daily multi-vitamins/ multi-minuerals.

LOL. Sorry to lecture you on things you may already know. If you already know then disregard. :)

Take care. Keep us posted. And let us know if you have any questions. If I don't know the answers, I will get someone who knows to answer you.


P.S. About the war, just you know, the politicians were responsible. The people got nothing to do with it. Hopefully, the international funds will be released to Serbia to fix up the damage and help Serbia rebuild. Your people are a tough and proud people. Yugoslavia will prosper again.

Are things pretty much back to normal now?

P.S.S. There are other people here you can talk to too. If you have questions regarding herbs, you can ask FitForLife. He is a moderator and he knows herbs extremely well. DanteBattista knows about fatburners. str8flexed, also a moderator is a natural competitive bodybuilder. Todd Blue is also an expert. I mention these people, b/c they have agreed to help with anyone I refer to them with questions regarding BodyBuilding etc.
Tell them I send you, and they will take good care of you. Gymgrl is a great help here too.

[Astra]

Originally posted by K (same)
Sorry to lecture you on things you may already know. If you already know then disregard. :)



I don`t mind...It was helpful. I do have one question: I read somewhere that a high-protein diet can put a lot of pressure on the kidneys. How true is that?

P.S. I know the politicians were to blame. Things are back to 'normal' but you should keep in mind that it`s not really 'normal' - things haven`t been 'normal' here for 12 years but hopefully it will get better.

[shaun]

did you know fats make good energy sources. their not the easiest source to get, but they are probably the best.

[K (same)]

Originally posted by Astra


I don`t mind...It was helpful. I do have one question: I read somewhere that a high-protein diet can put a lot of pressure on the kidneys. How true is that?

P.S. I know the politicians were to blame. Things are back to 'normal' but you should keep in mind that it`s not really 'normal' - things haven`t been 'normal' here for 12 years but hopefully it will get better.


That is a commonly quoted issue regarding protein. The only thing they don't tell you is how much protein they are talking about. What happen is, the researchers would feed a bunch of rats so much protein the rats just choke to death on it :D ( hahah ,Just kidding) . So they wrote a report on how a high protein diet (for example 20 g per kg of weight per day with this and that etc) resulted in damage to the kidney and this and that in x numbers of lab rats out of y numbers tested. The news media would just quote the few words they could understand: "Too much protein is bad for the kidneys", leaving out all the details . Hence we read in the newspaper or magazine that this kind of food is bad for you, that kind of food is bad for you. Of course too much of anything is bad for you. The question is, how much is too much.

So, unless they provide you with specific details to back up their claims, it is not helping a lot.

2.2 gram of protein per kilo of body weight is perfectly safe. Most bodybuilders take in 3.3 to 4.4 gram per kilo.

You do need to take in a minimum of 8 cups of water a day. In our obsolete Imperial system, that is 8* 8 oz=64 ounzes, half a gallon. LOL Ok OK. In metrics that is 8* 240 ml= 1920ml , in other words, you need to drink 2 litres of water minimum.

With that you are going to be fine.

If you don't already know this, www.webmd.com is a very useful site and you can type in the key words of the subject of your interest and retrieve good info.


P.S. It is a very unstable time in Serbia and the whole region actually. Yes, it has been nothing but chaos and troubles for the last 12 years. There is so much power struggle and fighting behind the scenes going on. It is particularly unstable at this moment. IS your news media totally free to report eveything now?

Take good care of yourself.

K

[Astra]

Originally posted by K (same)




You do need to take in a minimum of 8 cups of water a day. In our obsolete Imperial system, that is 8* 8 oz=64 ounzes, half a gallon. LOL Ok OK. In metrics that is 8* 240 ml= 1920ml , in other words, you need to drink 2 litres of water minimum.



LOL. We use metric system - though I`m not that bad when it comes to pounds or inches, I`m hopeless with ounces. :D Thanks for the info about proteins, I was kind of worried. You were right, all they said was that a strict diet with a lot of proteins can damage the kidneys but they never specified how much proteins.

P.S. (lol!) hm, I`m not a news media freak, in fact, I try to stay away since it`s excruciating, whatever the results turn out to be I`ll find out eventually, can`t really avoid it. But I think it`s OK now.

[K (same)]

AStra, :) That is all cool then. Keep us posted on how things go.

Here is an interesting site re: Nutrition and Health

http://www.degussa-bioactives.com/degussa/html/e/health/start.htm


Have fun.

If you have any question or any thing you would like to dicuss, we are all here . :) If for some reason I don't catch your posts soon enough (this section is not where I normally hang out at lol), feel free to PM me or Dante or the people I mentioned to you before. :)

Keep us all posted! LOL