I’ve taken some time and researched some of the most popular product to try to find the answers for you. The truth is, most products won’t help you lose anything but money. There are a few, however, with some research behind them that prove that they actually work.

What are these supplements that work? It seems that only four products hold the best promise for those of us who want to slim down. They are Conjugated Linoleic Acid (CLA), Hydroxycitic Acid (HCA), phaseolomine, and possibly 5-HTP.

1. Conjugated Linoleic Acid, CLA, has a number of research studies behind it. It is a fatty acid that has been found to reduce cancer risks, body fat and to increase lean muscle tissue. The Journal of Nutrition reported a Scandanavian Research team found CLA to increase the lean body mass of humans and also to decrease the fat mass. Subjects also had lower blodd fat and cholestrol after taking CLA. CLA does occur naturally in meat and dairy products, but the levels are pretty low. Also, if you’re following a healthy low-fat diet, you tend to not get as much meat and dairy, so supplementation may be the answer for getting a healthy dose of CLA.

If you’re like me, you want to see some serious rejuvenation when you look in the mirror. But you’re not interested in Botox, chemical peels, micro-dermabrasion, lypo-suction, jaw and cheek implants and all the other pricey, temporary, somewhat invasive “solutions.”

If you’re like me, I’m sure you spend at least a few minutes everyday making sure you’re getting your protein. Who isn’t focused on protein these days?

There’s a protein revolution going on. It’s happening in the chic restaurants in Santa Monica, California, where diet revolutions take birth. Hollywood stars with the prettiest skin and most slender, taut-muscled bodies are into it. Celebrity chefs are racing to master it. And web commerce businesses that push it are thriving.

It’s the rage in Boston, the buzz in Miami, and it’s spreading like wildfire from San Diego to Wichita to Philadelphia, PA.

You may as well jump on the bandwagon. It’s going to overtake everything else in the diet world in the months and years to come. Why wait?

Why not be the first in your group to look like you just came from one of those $25,000 health spa experiences that took twenty-five pounds and twenty-five years off your life?

If you’re worn out from the struggle to lose those annoying bulges, this is your kind of revolution. If you want to go to the jean size you wore when you know you looked your best, now’s the time.

“If I could only get rid of my big belly”! “Oh, I wish my thighs were slimmer”! Does it sound familiar?

Even skinny people are often unhappy with the excess fat in some areas of their body. We’ve all seen those skinny men with huge bellies!

This common problem is accompanied by a widespread belief that you can lose the fat on a “problem area” by exercising that particular area. Some people do hundreds of crunches in attempts to flatten their stomachs, others buy the “miracle” ab gadgets and bulky “hip slimming” machines from TV.

Were you about to call the 800 number to buy the “latest and greatest” ab roller?

Hold on to your hard-earned money!

The belief that you can lose fat on a specific part of your body by exercising that area is a myth! Targeting the “spots” of your body for fat loss is called “spot reducing”, and it simply does not work.

Exercising certain areas of your body will strengthen the muscles there, but it will not remove the fat from them. Your newly developed muscles will be hidden under the layer of fat.

What about those heavily pitched creams, wraps and rubber belts that supposedly “melt the fat away”? Those are just plainly scams.

For example, when I’m in the dressing room at the pool, I’ll hear discussed all kinds of complicated systems involving a myriad of vitamins and health foods. Well, I guess some do have merit but, from what I hear, you’d need to be walking around with a calculator and a calorie counter; it’s just so time consuming and so fussy, who can sustain that kind of diligence in checking everything they eat? And then I get to the checkout at the supermarket and just about every magazine front page shouts out the answer to all your diet problems. Somebody very good is taking those Oprah cover shots and picking the clothes “oh so carefully”!!

Anyway, that’s my rant over; so what do I have to offer that’s so much better? Well you can “chuck“ the calorie counter and forget the calculator and get back to just applying some common sense. Now let’s be honest here, do you really think you are going to benefit from eating French fries, potato chips, nachos, cakes, cookies, doughnuts, cheese burgers, etc.? (and what does “etc.” mean, well just about any of the processed foods that are fried in their production).

In fact if we avoided pretty much ALL the processed foods, you wouldn’t be far off a very good start to an effective diet plan that would yield lasting results.

What is metabolism?

Although there are many scientific ways for me explain it, and I could make it seem really confusing like most of the so-called experts do, but I won’t. I’m going to give you my extremely simple and easy to understand definition… metabolism is the rate at which your body burns calories to sustain life

I should also note that your body, yes yours, burns calories 24 hours a day, everyday – regardless of whether or not you workout. Remember that your body needs energy all the time, even while you’re asleep and that is why skipping meals is the absolute worst thing you can do if your goal is to lose weight (body fat).

Before we go any further let’s talk about what affects metabolism…

What affects metabolism?

What do you think has the biggest impact on your metabolism? Activity levels? Your Thyroid? Age?

Certainly, there are slime in every business who prey on unsuspecting consumers who have not really educated themselves. We as consumers have to understand that there is no “Magic bullet” that will instantly reverse years and years of abuse of our systems.

There is no magic pill that will instantly cure cancer, diabetes, high blood pressure, the common cold, etc. Some companies hype products as miraculous cures. It kind of reminds me of some of the shall we call them less than upstanding martial arts teachers who claim that they were taught a secret style by some hermit monk from the mountains. Yeah. Right.

That being said, it makes no sense to not allow good products on to the market.

The idea is to have supplements that can help you to live a better life. Can keep you healthy, prevent illness. And when you are feeling sick (dis-eased) can help make you feel better. They can be used to regulate your blood pressure, help you to relax, help you to sleep when you have to much on your mind. Something you can take to help fight off the beginnings of a cold, etc. Basically, help keep your body in perfect balance and health so you do not have to worry about ever getting sick.

In order to help clear the air, I’m going to dispel some of the myths that are floating around and give you some facts backed up with real science on how the human body actually metabolizes food.

First, let’s talk about why the low-carb approach is so popular. There are a few reasons, but the most common is that people are finally realizing that the low-fat/high carb approach that has been promoted for decades now just doesn’t work! Not only is it making us fatter, it’s also responsible for dozens of diseases and illnesses.

It’s true…..most Americans eat too many carbs and are deficient in the healthy dietary fats. However, it seems that it has to be one extreme or the other with people in this country. So now many people are cutting carbs and avoiding them like the plague, which is just as bad.

Knowing what stage you are at will help you to create a road map to the subsequent stages and ultimately help you to be successful in your fitness goals. Below are the five major phases.

1. Precontemplation: This is the point where you don’t feel that any change in your lifestyle is necessary. You may be thinking that exercising just takes too much time or that fast food is just too convenient to even consider giving up. Starting a fitness or diet program during this stage would probably result in failure. The best thing you can do during this phase is educate yourself further about health, diseases and risks.
2. Contemplation: During this stage you may start thinking that a change is necessary. So, you think that maybe cutting back to eating fast food only three times a week is not so bad and you might be able to at least take a walk once in awhile. This is a good time to learn more about the benefits of healthy eating and regular exercise.
3. Preparation: At this point you are getting more serious about taking action. You’ve penciled in a walk with your friend for next week and are planning to go grocery shopping to cook a home meal. You may want to research exercise equipment, gyms, personal trainers, and diet programs to learn more about what you can do (with the help of professionals and/or equipment) to get in better shape.
4. Action: Here’s where you actually take the first step. The first step may be as simple as taking a daily walk, reducing your fast food visits to twice a month or just cutting back on daily sodas. Or, you may go as far as hiring a personal trainer or joining a gym. During this stage it is very important to learn coping mechanisms that will help you avoid re-lapse into your old ways. One way to avoid being a part of the high exercise dropout statistics is starting slowly into a new program and making permanent lifestyle changes versus temporary ones.
5. Maintenance: This is, of course, the phase that everyone should strive to be at. This means that you have been doing a regular fitness program consistently for quite some time and that you continue your new lifestyle. It’s important throughout this stage (which should last a lifetime) that you include a variety of workouts that change frequently. You should also seek social support of friends and family.

His plan may include too many calories for some people, mostly small-framed people. I was actually eating a very similar amount of food at one time, watching my fat intake carefully, eating plenty of fiber, and my weight wouldn’t budge. When I joined Weight Watchers, I learned that I was eating too much (for someone my size) to lose weight. After following their suggestions, I eventually lost 40 pounds and have maintained a healthy weight for almost 5 years.

Dr. Phil’s plan also actually provides too few calories for many people to be successful. Sound impossible? Let me explain.

Your body needs a certain number of calories to sustain normal functions like pumping blood, breathing, and digesting food (called your basal metabolic rate, or BMR.) This need actually depends on your current weight. The heavier you are, the more calories your body needs just to function, even at rest. There are several websites to visit for a BMR calculator and more information on this subject. You also burn calories during exercise; your adjusted caloric needs including your activity level is called the AMR (active metabolic rate). Some of the sites you’ll find will calculate both your BMR and AMR, so keep looking if you don’t see AMR on the first one you hit. As you lose weight, your BMR and AMR will drop.

Yes, you read that correctly…

Walking is NOT effective at burning body fat and if your goal is fat loss you might be wasting your time. I am not saying that walking is not beneficial, I am saying that if fat loss is the primary goal, there are far better choices that will deliver far better results.

The primary benefits of walking are increased blood flow and circulation, improved recovery, and a strengthened immune system. There are several reasons why walking in not the best choice when it comes to fat loss.