Most people buy weight loss supplements without knowing if they even work. We're going to show you which supplements can help you get to your weight loss goal.

Supplements can help, but you need to be in a calorie deficit to lose weight. To achieve this you need to be eating and drinking less and moving more! There is no substitute for a solid well planned diet and a training programme to lose weight.

5 science-backed supplements to lose weight

Protein Powder

Most people wouldn’t consider protein powder as helping with weight loss. Most associate it with body builders and building muscle. But, the benefits for weight loss are well documented.

First up the body needs a lot of energy to process protein. In fact, 15-30% of the energy in protein itself is burned off by the body digesting it so you’re already on to a winner.

If you're on your own weight loss journey, you may struggle with feeling hungry all the time. By increasing the amount of protein in your diet those hunger pangs will disappear.

We've found the time between dinner and bed can be the worst time for many. Around 8 o’clock, when dinner is a distant memory, and you start getting hungry again. At that time or night, it’s easy to go for the quickest, easiest thing in the cupboard of fridge. A quick chocolate bar or some cheese from the fridge are often easy pickings. Great at the time but 30mins later you're left feeling hungry again. Swapping to a protein shake will leave you feeling nice and full until bed.

So how does it work?

As well as using a lot of energy to digest, protein also takes longer to digest than other foods. It helps you feel fuller for longer by increasing your fullness hormones; GLP-1, CCK and PYY, and decreasing the hunger hormone; Ghrelin.

Choosing the right time to have your protein shake can help your weight loss efforts too. Get your protein shake in within 30 mins of a run or training session. You'll stave off being hungry and maximise muscle recovery and synthesis. When you recover quicker you're less likely to wake up sore and stiff the next day.

Protein is also the building block for producing muscle. The good news is muscle requires more calories than fat to exist. By increasing your muscle mass you’ll be using more energy at rest which will also help you with weight loss. Plus, who doesn’t want a more muscular, leaner physique looking back at them in the mirror.

If you're vegan don't worry the gritty mud that used to be all that was on offer is now a thing of the past. In the last few years, manufacturers have stepped up their game. Now the taste and texture of vegan protein powder has vastly improved.

We find increasing protein intake is one of the biggest game changers for our clients too. Overnight they’re not feeling hungry and it really helps them to stay on track with their weight loss goals.

2. Fish oils

Losing weight can be difficult when we’re balancing our careers, families and our health. But you do not have to sacrifice your health at the expense of your busy life!!

A quick and easy way you can improve your health is by taking a daily fish oil supplement. Fish oils are essential fatty acids, also known as omega 3’s. There are two important fatty acids, EPA and DHA that you’ll need to be taking daily to get the benefits.

If you’re wanting to fit back into a smaller pair of trousers that you’ve pushed to the back of your wardrobe, fish oils could be the answer!

Studies have shown that taking the recommended amount of EPA and DHA each day, can help decrease your waist circumference. (4)

Fish oils can also reduce your blood pressure and improve your cholesterol profile. Making it less likely you'll have heart problems or a stroke. (2) (3) Fish oils can reduce the symptoms of depression, helping to improve your mood. (1)

You should be taking 400mg of EPA and DHA each day to get these weight loss and health benefits. Don’t take more than this amount per day otherwise you may end up blunting the effects of taking fish oils.

Also, be careful when you’re choosing your fish oil supplement, make sure it has a good amount of EPA and DHA per capsule…

In the past we’ve ended up taking 9 capsules to get the recommended amount in per day which has come to 130 calories.

Not ideal when you’re trying to lose weight! So make sure you do your research and choose your fish oil supplement !

3. Electrolytes

Your brain can play tricks on you and feeling hungry is a prime example. Often when your head is telling you’re hungry you’re actually thirsty. This is one of the reasons staying hydrated is key to losing weight. Mistaking being thirsty for being hungry can lead to eating more. Being dehydrated can also lead to headaches and feeling tired too.

So is drinking more water the answer? Yes, but if you aren't absorbing the water it can easily get to the point where it's one pint in, one pint out. Electrolytes are the answer. You need something to help your body absorb the water that you’re drinking.

It’s kind of like being out in the rain with a waterproof on. All the water runs straight off. Now imagine being out with just a jumper on. The jumper absorbs the rain and holds on to it.

Electrolytes are your jumper. They allow your body to absorb the water you’re drinking and help balance the fluid levels in your body. By consuming enough water and adding electrolytes when you need them you'll have less headaches, less feeling tired, and you’ll feel fuller.

Electrolytes can also help if you're getting up 4 or 5 times a night to go to the toilet. Getting up less times means you're going to get better, longer sleep. Your body needs sleep for recovery, weight loss, and so you can give your best in your running and workouts.

Talking of runs, electrolytes can help with that too. Have you ever had a drink before a run and it's felt like the water is sloshing around in your stomach? Add electrolytes and sip little and often before a run or race. You should find that problem goes away.

The other benefit to your runs is that electrolytes can help with muscle function and especially muscle cramps. So if you suffer with cramping in your legs add some electrolytes to your water.

4. Caffeine

Caffeine is one of the most used supplements. Most people consume it in the form of coffee. Over 400 billion cups are consumed each year.

But how can caffeine help you with weight loss?

Caffeine boosts your metabolism and may help suppress your appetite. By supressing your appetite, you're less likely to snack which can help you remain in a calorie deficit and lose weight. A meta-analysis found that consuming caffeine can help to suppress appetite for up to 4 hours. So having a couple of cups a day could help with your weight loss. (5)

As with all things there is a downside too. We talked earlier about how important sleep is for your weight loss journey. One study showed lack of sleep can decrease the weight you lose by up to 55%!! (6)

So giving yourself a cut off time for caffeine is a good idea. In the Lean6 office we usually have a cut off at lunchtime, preferring to have our caffeine fix in the morning when we train.

If you’re a runner caffeine can help with that too. Studies have shown caffeine can improve muscular endurance (7). Improving muscular endurance is like putting an even bigger log on the fire. It’ll burn for longer and you’ll get more heat out of it… So expect to be able to run for longer after a coffee.

So caffeine, when used effectively, in your day to day life can help with your weight loss efforts.

If you’re planning on consuming caffeine, the current recommended amounts are 400mg per day, or roughly 4 cups of coffee.

5. Zinc

Last on the list, but my no means least is Zinc. It's found naturally in red meat, shellfish and legumes such as lentils.

But if you don't have enough zinc in your diet you may experience a down regulation in your Thyroid. This can slow your metabolism down, the chemical reaction in our body’s cells that changes food into energy. This can reduce the amount of calories you burn at rest.

Several studies have shown that zinc supplementation can increase your metabolism, and the number of calories you burn a day.

One study showed an increase of 194kcals a day after 4 months of zinc supplementation. While another study showed an increase of 527kcals a day after 2 months of taking zinc. (8)

Another study found that if you follow a restricted calorie diet, you may experience even greater benefits with zinc supplementation. (9)

So how much zinc should you be taking a day.? The recommended daily zinc intake for an adult in the UK is 10-15 mg daily. The Department of Health in the UK advises that intake of zinc should not exceed 25 mg per day. (10)

Final Thoughts

The way we look at supplements is that they are the icing on the cake of your weight loss efforts. If you want to find more supplements that can help you on your fitness journey you can see our blog on Unstoppabl.

To get results long term you need to be in a calorie deficit while still being able to eat the foods you enjoy. After all, if you can’t stick to a diet what’s the point of even starting one?

We advocate adding training into the mix, whether that be running, resistance training, or ideally a combination of the two.

Where the magic happens is when you work with an expert in weight loss that can give you all the tools and advice you need to get to your weight loss goal.

Having someone keeping you accountable. Being there when you have questions, with a system that has got 100's of other guys, like you, great results is how you make it happen.

If your thinking...

"I want to drop 40 pounds because I want to be able to run around and play with my kids or grandkids".

Or...

“I want to be able to go on a beach holiday and feel comfortable taking my top off”.

Or...

"I want to lose the weight so I don't go down same path as other members of my family. I don't want preventable diseases like type 2 diabetes, heart disease or high blood pressure".

If you feel like you have been on this journey alone long enough and want someone to help you: