The obesity epidemic has Americans hustling to lose weight and get in shape, but this rush of fitness fame has also turned people toward alternative methods of weight loss, and fat burner supplements are at the top of this list. Unfortunately, fat burner supplements don’t always give you the results that they promise, and although the packaging might display a highly “successful” man or woman with a six pack, it’s unlikely that all that tight muscle was perfected through supplements alone.

Cheating With Shortcuts

There’s no shame in wanting to find a quicker way to reach your goals, but with some things taking shortcuts can be dangerous. One of the most common problems faced through the consumption of these supplements is that they contain fat blockers. At first glance, this sounds like a miracle drug, but although it’s made from the natural ingredients of chitosan which comes from shellfish, it isn’t very good for you overall.

“There are two downsides to this method. First, fat blockers can also prevent the body from absorbing nutrients it needs. Second, that bound fat still needs to leave the body, which it often does in the form of stomach pain, unpleasant anal leakage and diarrhea.” – Fitday.com

When you think about the risks involved, it seems more efficient to work out and eat healthy, rather than turning to a “cure all” as a way to get fit. Even when you do find a quality supplement, you have to remember that they alone are not going to make or break your weight loss goals. I’ve reviewed quite a few different fat burners and other types of weight loss supplements but have found the natural supplements are the safest and they also deliver the longest benefits.

Appetite Suppression

One thing that a fat burner does that you might be attracted to is that they help to suppress your appetite. This happens when the supplement acts as a noradrenergic drug and tricks your brain into thinking that it isn’t hungry anymore. Most of the drugs that act in this way are actually related to amphetamines and give you a boost of what feels a bit like adrenaline to turn the brain’s main route of thinking away from food and onto something else. This sounds great, but the more you use these drugs the less likely they are to work at the same dosage level and you risk the possibility of heart failure. Over time you’ll also find that these initial boosts of energy lead to a crash that can leave you feeling tired and lethargic rather than in control and energetic, the way that you should feel while getting healthy.

Sleep Disorders

Sleep is an important biological function on many levels, but especially when you’re trying to get fit because it helps give you the energy you need to keep going, but also provides muscles with much needed time for regeneration. Fat burner supplements can cause a big disturbance in your sleep schedule due to some of their ingredients.

“Most fat burners are supplements that usually contain different ratios of the same substances like caffeine, B vitamins, chromium, L-carnitine, and guggulesterone.” – Steady Strength

Even if you take these capsules early in the afternoon, there’s a chance that not everything involved in the drug will wear off by the end of the day. If you find yourself tossing and turning in bed while using these supplements, you may want to consider removing them from your diet plan, because they could be what’s keeping you up at night.