Exercising and eating healthy but still not losing any significant weight? Then you must be missing on certain vitamins and supplements for weight loss.
Our body requires all the nutrients contained in food such as vitamin, proteins, carbohydrates, fats, etc to function properly on a daily basis. But do you know imbalance of even one of these food types can change your body in the most unimaginable ways? For example, vitamin deficiency can cause body ache, protein deficiency makes your bones weak.
But the most shocking thing about these nutritional imbalances is that every single imbalance can cause a difference in body weight whether you see it or not. Here is where these vitamins and supplements come to your rescue.
These provide you additional nutrients to meet the amount required by the body which the food you eat sometimes fail to provide.
What if you increase the quantity of food that you eat, in expectation of meeting your body’s nutritional requirements?
Well, you may try that, but it would instead only result in weight gain. Because the food that you eat does not necessarily contain all of the required nutrients and that too in the amount required by your body. So you would just end up eating and eating to get those traces of certain nutrients, along with accumulating an excess of carbs and fats in your body(be it healthy, excess of anything is harmful).
Here are a few best vitamins and supplements for weight loss I could conclude after my various trial and errors performed in reducing body fat.
1. Matcha Green Tea
As well all know everyone enjoys a bit of wake up beverages with our breakfast but did you know that caffeine does not have any weight reduction benefits and when combined with sugar is a recipe for disaster with coffee and tea being acidic in nature.
Matcha contains an antioxidant EGCG that is known for boosting your metabolism and stop the growth of fat cells. It does contain caffeine but in the right amount. You can also add matcha powder to smoothies too and enjoy a tasty and healthy and drink.
As matcha comes in powder form it is very beneficial as there is nothing filtered out from the process, unlike any other tea that comes in bag or leaves form.
I agree that matcha green tea alone is not enough for weight loss but when you include it in a properly balanced diet and follow a correct workout plan matcha can work miracles on your body and you can lose weight fast and in a healthier way. Get the most liked matcha green tea here.
2. Protein Powder
Proteins play a very important role in weight loss. Your body needs the right amount of protein for weight loss as when your body has more protein it is going to burn calories faster. For energy your body uses fats and carbs but when you are not active enough your body stores fats and carbs which results in weight gain.
You might not get the recommended amount of protein ( 55 grams for an average 55-60 kg man) from your normal daily diet. Protein powder provides the extra protein that is required, which your diet is lacking.
Also, protein powder helps you fulfill your requirement of protein for gaining muscle mass and maintaining them. And in such cases, your body requires much more protein (0.5-0.8g per pound of body weight) which is difficult to get from your food. Want a more clear picture? A person weighing 140lbs will require at least 70g of protein per day (140*0.5) when he is inclining towards bodybuilding. And this requirement keeps on increasing only. The only reason why protein powder is popular is that it helps you reach the daily protein requirement of the body.
When you maintain muscles your body does not have room for fat as building and maintaining muscles eliminate the extra fat.
For weight loss, you should add protein powder to your diet and combine it with a workout for better results. When protein powder is added to your diet with a workout, you will lose weight along with building and maintaining lean muscles and burning away the excess fats.
I recommend buying this protein powder as it is organic and thousands of people are already loving it. Yes, this one has a major advantage of being organic.
3. Iodine
The thyroid gland, present in our neck is responsible for many important bodily activities, including metabolism, weight gain, and weight loss. If you have an underactive thyroid gland even weight management can become a challenging task for you, let’s not talk about weight loss.
Iodine is required for the proper functioning of the thyroid gland iodine is present in table salt, sea salt, etc. Although iodine is present in the salt contained in our food, many people do not the daily recommended 155 mcg of iodine from their food alone.
Fulfill your daily iodine requirement by taking iodine supplements but avoid high dose iodine supplements as they can inanimate your thyroid gland and that does not sound good. But taking iodine supplements in proper amounts will work amazingly for you. That is why I recommend this iodine supplement which has been tried and tested by a lot of other people. Check it out yourself.
4. Fish Oil
Fish oil is made up of omega 3 fatty acids, I know it doesn’t sound like it will help you in weight loss but it does help and is also known for many other health benefits like controlling cholesterol and maintaining heart health.
How?
Omega 3 fatty acids are healthy fats which actually do the opposite than your long-held belief about fats.
Omega 3 decreases your appetite and makes you feel satisfied for a longer period of time. It’s not like you would skip a meal but you are definitely going to eat in smaller portions.
Fish oil starts the sequence in cells that allow them to burn fat, your cells will start attacking the fat in your body and you may not even need to follow harsh exercise regime to see your body lose weight.
Fish oil is found naturally in food like salmon and nuts but most people don’t eat enough of this food to get the daily recommended dose. If you are not a seafood fan you can get the recommended dose by easy to swallow these fish oil capsules available on Amazon which are my personal favorite.
5. Vitamin B12
Vitamin B12 is another important nutrient when it comes to weight loss as it helps metabolize carbs, fats, and proteins into fuel for energy for your body to use.
Your body requires to have the recommended dose of vitamin that is 2.5 mcg. When you get the proper amount of B12 in your diet you feel more energetic to follow your daily workout and you don’t feel lethargic to do your daily work. Deficiency of vitamin B12 can cause anemia, tiredness, muscle cramps, hair loss, etc apart from the difficulty in losing weight.
You can find vitamin B12 in fish, poultry, meat, egg, dairy products, and some loaves of bread. But the amount contained in them need not necessarily be enough. Vegans can’t even get these amounts from these sources. So if you are vegan you can take vitamin supplements to get the required amount of B12.
Vitamin B12 is also present in many multivitamins but you can take it as a stand-alone supplement. B12 itself isn’t going to drop the pounds you need to exercise and follow a healthy diet to get desired results but it will certainly give you the energy to wake up in the morning to work on yourself.
6. Calcium @@@
We all remember our parents telling us to drink milk as it is rich in calcium which makes our bones strong and supports our growth.
In an adult, body calcium isn’t going to have the same effect on our bones in terms of growth when we were children, but it plays a role in weight loss and keeping the bones healthy.
In many studies, it is proved that a low-calorie diet that is high in calcium can fasten the process of weight loss. In another study particularly on African Americans shows that a high calcium diet can be very beneficial.
A diet high in calcium can lead to your body burning more fats than it normally would. When more amount of calcium bonds with fat cells, more of it is used to burn fat for energy. Calcium also helps your body to feel full for a long period of time.
When calcium is combined with the right amount of protein you can burn up to 360 calories in a day. Calcium combined in a low-calorie diet can lead to fast and more weight loss you can burn approximately 1700 calories.
The calcium supplements by Nature’s Bounty are the ones that I would recommend.
7. Iron
Iron deficiency and obesity are the major health problems faced by the world. National Institute of Health recommends that you should consume 20 mg approx. every day.
A study on people with iron deficiency says that a reduction in body weight and BMI was observed when patients were treated with iron deficiency.
If your body contains lesser than the recommended amount of iron, you may face problems in losing and maintaining the weight. You feel fatigued and tired all the time.
Iron provides energy and when you feel energized you tend to exercise more which will eventually help in weight loss.
So why not consider taking iron supplements in adequate amounts to get a boost of iron in your body. Get the recommended ones here.
8. Olive Leaf Extract
You might have heard that olive oil is beneficial for weight loss; olive oil is extracted from the olive leaf extract which provides almost the same health benefits.
For weight loss, it is very important that you maintain your blood sugar level and olive leaf extract can help you with this. When blood sugar level spikes the body tends to store fats instead of burning it for energy. As compared to this when your blood sugar level is stable you will have fewer cravings which won’t ruin your diet plan by making unhealthy food choices.
Oil leaf extract stimulates a compound in your thyroid gland present in the neck that will help you reduce weight faster. Other than weight loss it can treat the common cold, flu, and respiratory infections.
Buy the Best Olive leaf extract.
With taking oil leaf extract you should follow a healthy diet plan and exercise regularly to lose weight fast.
9. Magnesium
Magnesium is not only directly related to weight loss as it boosts your metabolism but also it supports a healthy immune system, helps regulate blood sugar level, keeps bones strong and promotes normal blood pressure.
It also acts as a cofactor for more than 300 enzymatic reactions in your body. Its deficiency could lead to excessive vomiting, migraines, and diarrhea.
If you are on a keto diet or a high protein diet there are chances that you are not getting the required amount ( 300 to 320 mg per day) of magnesium from your diet, so you must take magnesium supplements to lose weight.
You can also get magnesium from dark green leafy vegetables like okra, beans, nuts, and whole grains, but the amount of it is very less. So magnesium supplements is a faster option to replenish the amounts of magnesium in your body. I will recommend you to buy the one by Doctor’s Best.
10. Apple Cider Vinegar
Apple cider vinegar consists of acetic acid which helps in maintaining your bodies pH balance, it helps in acquiring long term weight loss goals.
It performs functions important for weight loss like absorbing minerals, digesting portions, mobilizing calcium and stimulating the thyroid gland. Drinking apple cider vinegar provides a lot of health benefits.
Adding Apple cider vinegar in your diet may not show an immediate drop in weight, it will show positive results in the long run.
The best way to get all the benefits of apple cider vinegar is by drinking it. I want to warn you that it is very much an acquired taste. It was difficult for me to consume it directly, I suggest you mix it with water to make it easier to handle I like to sip it through a straw as it prevents enamel damage (Yes, continuous direct contact of apple cider vinegar with the teeth enamel can damage it in the long run).
Buy the best variety of apple cider vinegar. Or if you don’t like the taste of it in liquid form, you can even try these apple cider vinegar capsules.
11. Probiotics
Probiotics are live microorganisms present in the gut that provide a lot of health benefits and play a major role in weight loss.
We have two types of microorganisms present in our body that affect weight Bacteroides and Firmicutes. It is found that people with optimum body weight have more Bacteroides and obese people have more Firmicutes.
You can easily add probiotics in our low-calorie diet, low-fat Greek yogurt also provides probiotics. You can get the required amount of probiotics from many sources like kombucha, kefir, miso, and fermented cheese. Although the best and quick way of bringing back a balance of healthy bacteria is to start taking probiotics supplements.
You need 45 to 50 billion units of probiotics daily from a minimum of 10 to 15 different sources to achieve your goals fast. If you want the best probiotics, then you need to check out the probiotic by Nutrition Essentials.
12. Carnitine
For those who don’t know, carnitine is an amino acid that gets synthesized from methionine and lysine.
Amino acid transfers fats to cells so that they can get converted into energy. Carnitine is directly related to weight loss. If your body lacks carnitine, it will start storing fats. Do you want this to happen?
A study suggests that obese people generally have carnitine deficiency. A clinical study conducted in 2013 found that consuming 500 mg of L carnitine per day when combined with motivational therapy can lead to faster weight loss in overweight people. You can lose nearly a pound of fat within 4 weeks without following strict diets or excruciating workout regime.
It is recommended by the Linus Pauling Institute that anyone who decides to take supplements should consider consuming 500 to 1,000 mg per day.
I will recommend buying these from Amazon.
13. Vitamin D
Do you go out for a walk or any activity early in the morning? If not, you are likely to have vitamin D deficiency.
Vitamin D helps your body convert fat into energy, so if you don’t have enough of it your body may store the fats instead of converting it into energy which will lead to weight gain.
Studies show that overweight and physically inactive people have vitamin D deficiency. American journal of clinical nutrition found that obese and overweight adults taking vitamin D supplements along with calcium lost more weight faster than those people who did not take any supplement.
If you increase your level of vitamin D and follow a low-calorie diet you may lose more weight. The best source of vitamin D is sunlight and you may get enough of it by just going out in the sun as it also helps in absorbing calcium which can help you reach your desired weight.
But what if you live in a country like the USA where the reach of the sun isn’t that great?
Well, that is why about 40% of Americans are vitamin D deficient. So, to not to get added to this list, shouldn’t you consider vitamin D supplements for eliminating your vitamin D deficiency?
Vitamin D supplements by Naturewise are being loved by thousands of people.
14. Theobromine
If you are a chocolate lover I have good news for you, chocolate can help you reduce weight isn’t that just amazing. Theobromine is an organic alkaloid found naturally in chocolate that is used for its appetite supporting effects and cocoa beans containing up to 1,200 mg of it.
It increases insulin sensitivity so that you feel full for a longer time.
A study conducted by discovery proved that theobromine effects weight loss. By adding a small amount of theobromine to the diet of rats led to a faster and significant weight loss.
To gain benefits of theobromine you can have dark chocolate which has at least 80% cocoa but if you are not a fan of dark chocolate you can have these Theobromine supplements.
15. Folate
Folate acid produces folic acid in the body that will help metabolize protein, fats, and carbs, It is a B vitamin. It has many other benefits like making DNA and other genetic material.
The daily recommended amount of folate is 400 microorganisms and 600 to 650 for pregnant women. Not getting ample of folate can also lead to serious problems like lung and brain cancer.
You can get folate from food sources such as eggs, meat, milk, banana, etc. Now the problem is that the diet we follow to reduce weight does not provide much folate to achieve the correct level of it you can take folate supplements which will help you reduce and maintain weight.
Folate supplements by Life extension are one of the best.
With getting the right amount of folate and following the correct work out regularly you can see a significant drop in your weight.
Notes:
If you feel like you are not able to lose weight or if you want to start an exercise regime, you might think about getting a blood test done first to understand where your body is lacking and then providing yourself with the right nutrients.
Nowadays it is common to be deficient in more than one essential element, so if you do have some deficiencies do not worry as they can be sorted out quite easily; not letting them become a reason for not losing weight.
You need to talk to your gym trainer next telling him or her what kind of body you want to see yourself have in the future. Different body types require various modifications in the general supplement requirement so do not be alarmed when the trainer asks you to take more or less of some elements.
Always know the concentration levels of your supplements and also the range so that you don’t cross it as that can be hazardous to your health. Excess of anything is harmful.
Combining your daily life with the accurate knowledge of your well being will not only provide you with the dream body structure but also keep your body fit and well for ages to come.
Weight loss decreases the rate at which your body ages and this is the most beneficial for a long and healthy life. Remember your sleep hours, and exercise needs to be up to the mark for these vitamins and supplements to work as you desire.
