Hello everyone. Today’s article is a guest post from James Brighton who writes regularly on the topic of supplements.
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So you want to lose weight, or get fit. For most people the first thing that they turn to is the local gym, or more often than not the latest fad diet that all of the celebrities are following. How many of us tried the Atkins Diet after the press went crazy over all the celebrities who started to follow it! Some people will find that either one of these activities works well, or even both in conjunction in a properly guided fitness regime. You might even find results immediately, and never look back, but for others fad diets and gym regimes can lead to a cycle of yo-yoing weight and fitness, whilst never really achieving what you want. This leads to some turning to supplements. But are they really worthwhile? For some of us, and I know I’m the same, that little boost could mean the difference between success or not, as a few weeks in the gym can make you feel brilliant – but it’s worthless it you don’t keep going!
The myth explained?
Can supplements really help? Or is it simply a myth that is perpetuated by the companies who produce them? The commercial supplements that are available throughout the world can be used for a variety of different things, perhaps you want to get bigger muscles, or recover from illnesses quicker. I know plenty of teachers who swear by certain remedies to stop them catching colds from the kids, after all, we all know that working closely with children leads you to the inevitable day off if you’re not careful! Are they a myth though, it’s important to work out both sides of the argument:
A MYTH?
• Without the right guidance they can cause problems for your general health.
• They’re actually a placebo?
• Involved in a fad diet promotion, and they don’t actually benefit anyone.
• Only work with effort that would give you the same results anyway.
REAL HELP?
• Can be a great aid to a regime.
• Can help prevent illnesses – even Doctor’s will advise you to take something like Echinacea to avoid colds.
• Give you a boost in confidence.
• Can give you that extra effort needed to reach your goals.
I know myself that taking those extra supplements down the gym might not make me feel like Hulk Hogan but they give me an extra push to losing weight and getting to the position I want to be in, and surely that’s a help? Without things like that I don’t know I’d have the commitment to my goals, so whilst that may be the placebo affect in action, I’d argue that supplements could help. If you tend to buy supplements online then you can get them extremely cheap, and perhaps that will be a boost to your idea of taking them or not.
Don’t expect instant results
Everyone knows someone who has the aim of getting fit, lean and muscular, but they ended up becoming the complete opposite because of supplements. That’s why the myth continues, so it is important to remember it’s not a quick fix. A supplement might aid your results but they wont give you an immediate result that you can see. You need to put the work in as well. Imagine if you were just eating a huge steak everyday, however nice it is, and not putting in the work – you’d soon see the adverse affects. And that’s what will happen if you start taking supplements but don’t change your lifestyle as well! The same could be said for supplements for your health, without changing your diet you might not see the results that they can offer.
Placebo or not, they can help
Supplements might be a myth, but if you put the effort in, either changing your diet or getting that fitness regime in place, they can be a great addition. It’s easy to take a pill or the various other supplements on offer, what’s harder is changing yourself. If you are determined you can reach your goal, and if supplements are a placebo, they can still give you that little boost you might need to lose weight, get fit, and be happy.
About the Author:
James is trying to understand how supplements can help him, and wrote this article to explain his thoughts on the myth of supplements. He regularly reads supplement reviews to try and find a supplement that will work for him.
About Tom
Yes I agree supplements can definitely work and help you reach your goals whatever they may be.
But there is a lot of garbage being sold as well. The two main things you should get into place are your diet and exercise program.
Then you can choose a good quality supplement or two that will support those. I remember a time when I was taking all kinds of supplements and didn’t even know which ones were working and which ones weren’t.
The only supplement I take these days is a good quality protein powder and my results are the best they’ve ever been – that comes down to my training and diet.
So in order of importance:
diet
training
good/proven supplements
Thanks
Steve
[Reply]
Tom Reply:
February 23rd, 2012 at 3:46 pm
Some very good points Steve. I think where the problem lies with a lot of supplements is people take them and expect them to fix gaps in their diet. Once your diet is good, certain supplements can enhance it but if your putting junk into your body supplements aren’t going to help.
[Reply]
Hey Tom,
I totally agree.
The so called ‘old time strongmen’ prior to 1960 achieved fantastic levels of strength and amazing physiques to boot – with only food, dumbbells and barbells and a fierce determination to succeed.
We can learn alot from those men.
Thanks
[Reply]