How weight loss supplements work?
How weight loss supplements work?
Weight loss is quite simple - be on calorie deficit and you are good. Most people cannot change their lifestyle and food habits, and turn to supplements. How do these supplement ingredients work?
👋 Hola! Welcome to Out of Singapore. This is Shan and I write this newsletter every Sunday. My focus is on building a business from scratch. For past few week, I have taken a turn towards writing about the products instead of sales and marketing. Building a business is more than just marketing. Bad product will fail great marketing. Product is the core of great marketing, sales & distribution, and building a viable business.
Having said that, I am itching to write about our new-found successes on TikTok and improving organic sales. In the past 6 months, we have been able to build a community of affiliate partners, and they have helped us improve daily run rate. There are other nuances, but these community partners are the reason we are doing better today on TikTok and DTC.
Now, let’s get into the topic. We will cover these aspects today
The only truth about weight loss that you need to know.
How do weight loss supplements work?
What are the key weight loss ingredients?
Tighten your seat belt!
#1 Only one truth you need to know
There is only one way to lose weight and sustain it - CALORIE DEFICIT.
I cannot shout and emphasise this enough. The only way to lose weight is to ensure calorie deficit in your daily routine. To achieve calorie deficit, you need to know the maintenance calorie requirement for your body. That’s called TDEE, or Total Daily Energy Expenditure.
TDEE is made up of four main components:
Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR): The energy needed to maintain basic functions while resting. You can calculate it via a weighing scale or checkup at ActiveSG Health Assessment Centres. 70% of calories is used to maintain the body in resting state.
Thermic Effect of Food (TEF): The energy needed to digest, absorb, and metabolize food.
Physical Activity Level (PAL): The energy expended through physical activity, such as exercise, work, and household chores. This is further split into non-exercise and exercise. Non-exercise daily chores burn 2x more calories than exercise.
BMR is the simplest to find out. Once you have that, you can calculate your TDEE by these formulas -
TDEE = 1.2 × BMR for sedentary lifestyle (little to no exercise and work a desk job)
TDEE = 1.375 × BMR for a lightly active lifestyle (light exercise 1-3 days per week)
TDEE = 1.55 × BMR for a moderately active lifestyle (moderate exercise 3-5 days per week)
TDEE = 1.725 × BMR for a very active lifestyle (heavy exercise 6-7 days per week)
To lose weight, eat 20–30% fewer calories than your TDEE, which can help you lose weight gradually and sustainably. My TDEE is 2600 calories, and I try to eat around 2000 calories every day.
Note that TDEE can vary between people based on factors like genetics, body composition, and lifestyle. It's important to track your progress and adjust your calorie intake accordingly.
Please don’t be this guy. 😤
#2 How do weight loss supplements work?
All weight loss supplements, regardless of the ingredients inside, fall under these categories.
Appetite suppressor
Metabolism booster (or BMR booster)
Fat burning or oxidation
Fat storage blockers
Increase energy expenditure (or generate more heat, called “thermogenesis'“).
Digestion improvement
Here are some more details on ingredients that enable specific weight loss pathways. The ingredients of Lean XP are in bold, so you know that it’s an well-rounded weight loss aid.
Note that weight loss supplements work within the framework of a calorie deficit. They aid and don’t promote weight loss. You have to ensure your calories intake is less than your calories expenditure.
#3 Key weight loss ingredients
Okay, let’s talk about the key ingredients found in weight management supplements. We will cover the best ones. Considering this is scientific, I will take help of our scientist’s and ChatGPT’s research.
Caffeine
Caffeine is a common stimulant that can aid weight loss through several mechanisms:
Thermogenesis: Increases body's heat production, leading to a higher metabolic rate and more calories burned.
Appetite Suppression: Can help reduce appetite, potentially leading to lower calorie intake.
Enhanced Energy and Focus: Boosts alertness and energy levels, which can improve physical performance and increase the intensity and duration of exercise. (hence taken as pre-workout by gym rats)
Side-effects: Insomnia, restlessness, increased heart rate and BP, can cause dependency.
Green Tea Extract
Green tea extract is rich in catechins, particularly EGCG (epigallocatechin gallate), and caffeine, which contribute to weight loss:
Metabolism Boost: Catechins can enhance metabolic rate and increase fat oxidation.
Fat Mobilization: Helps in breaking down fat stores, making them available for energy production.
Side-effects: Liver toxicity, can cause digestive issues and caffeine sensitivity (jitters)
Fucoxanthin
Fucoxanthin is a carotenoid found in brown seaweed, known for its potential weight loss benefits:
Fat Oxidation: It promotes the oxidation of fats, particularly abdominal fat, by increasing the expression of thermogenic proteins.
Thermogenesis: Fucoxanthin may enhance the burning of fats to produce heat, contributing to increased energy expenditure.
Side-effects/concerns: Limited human studies, may cause digestive discomfort and possible allergic reaction (brown seaweed)
Garcinia Cambogia
Garcinia Cambogia is a tropical fruit containing hydroxycitric acid (HCA), which is believed to assist in weight loss:
Inhibition of Fat Production: HCA blocks an enzyme called citrate lyase, which the body uses to make fat. This helps prevent new fat formation.
Appetite Suppression: It may increase serotonin levels in the brain, which can reduce appetite and decrease calorie intake.
Side-effects/concerns: Digestive issues, possible headaches and dizziness, possible interactions with medications, reports of liver damage at higher dosage (700 mg+).
L-Carnitine
L-Carnitine is an amino acid derivative that plays a crucial role in energy metabolism:
Fat Transport: It facilitates the transport of fatty acids into the mitochondria, where they are burned for energy. This process can help reduce body fat.
Improved Exercise Performance: By enhancing energy availability, L-Carnitine can improve physical performance, leading to greater calorie burn during exercise.
Side-effects/concerns: Digestive distress, nausea, cramps, diarrhea and fishy body odor at high dosage of 3g/day.
Here is a fact sheet on Carnitine released by National Institute of Health, US Health Department. If you have time, please go through.
MitoBurn (L-BAIBA)
MitoBurn, containing L-β-aminoisobutyric acid (L-BAIBA), is a compound released during exercise:
Activation of Brown Fat: It activates brown adipose tissue (BAT), which burns calories to generate heat.
Enhanced Metabolism: L-BAIBA can improve metabolic health by increasing fat oxidation and energy expenditure.
Side-effects: This is a relatively new ingredient and long term effects are not fully understood, beyond gastrointestinal discomfort.
Grains of Paradise (Aframomum melegueta seed extract)
Grains of Paradise is a spice related to ginger, noted for its thermogenic properties:
Thermogenesis: It stimulates the activation of brown adipose tissue (BAT), increasing energy expenditure and calorie burning.
Reduction of Visceral Fat: It may help reduce visceral fat, which is the fat stored around internal organs.
Side-effects: Allergic reactions for individuals allergic to ginger, related spices, excessive sweating, gastrointestinal discomfort.
Alpha-Ketoglutarate (AKG)
Alpha-Ketoglutarate (AKG) is a key intermediate in the Krebs cycle, essential for energy production:
Supporting Metabolism: AKG plays a role in the Krebs cycle, helping to produce energy from nutrients. It supports overall metabolic processes.
Muscle Preservation: AKG may help preserve muscle mass during weight loss, which is important for maintaining a healthy metabolic rate and overall body composition.
Side-effects: Limited data on long term effects or safety.
Please note that none of this is medical advice. So, please exercise caution while taking any supplementation. Unlike active ingredients used by pharmaceutical companies, supplement ingredients are not tested on thousands of individuals. You must also know your body well enough. If there is a discomfort, stop and monitor your health.
Hope this helps in your weight loss journey. Please don’t forget that calorie deficit is the rule of weight loss.
I am happy with today’s write up. The structure came out well, and it seems clearer compared to last 2 week write up. What do you think? Write to me or message me.
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Next Sunday, I will be in Seoul and won’t be writing. It may be a worthwhile break from writing. I have been thinking of taking new steps in content creation. Hope the break will spark my creativity.
Can I leave you without showing off the cuteness of Jisoo? Absolutely not. 🤣
Can I get that hug, Jisoo?
Yes, I am in real need of love. 🥹
Okay, enjoy rest of your Sunday and have a great week ahead. It’s a short week for me since I am off starting Thursday. Hehe!