Mother's Little Helper

If you have read some of my blog posts (See "Big, Fat Liars" ), articles, books, or web sites, you probably have seen my opinion on most dietary supplements. Notice that I said 'most'. While some people assume that I think anything that comes from GNC is crap, that is simply not true. I only think most of the stuff that comes from GNC or other similar stores is crap.

The reality is, there are some supplements that are perfectly fine, and even some that I take on a daily basis. Given that I'm asked about this fairly often, I figured I'd spell out exactly what I use and why. Of course, I must throw in the disclaimer that this is not medical advice and is not intended to treat any condition or illness and you should always ask your doctor before taking anything.

First, I take a multivitamin every day. Nothing fancy, just your standard vitamin with anywhere from 10% to 150% of the recommended Daily Value (DV) of 20 or so vitamins and minerals. No crazy megadoses of anything, as those are generally a waste of money. I basically look at a daily vitamin as an insurance policy. If your diet is well rounded, most likely you are getting most of what you need from food, but I don't pretend that I eat perfectly every day, and for ten bucks a month, my vitamin is cheap insurance.

Next I take calcium. I don't drink regular milk. I drink soy milk, and while that is calcium fortified, I don't drink it every day and when I do it is usually just at breakfast. I do eat yogurt several times per week, but again, I think a calcium supplement is a wise insurance policy. I think most women should be taking calcium, unless they are 100% sure they are getting plenty in their diet.

I also take an omega 3 supplement. The one I'm using currently has a combination of fish oil, flax oil, and borage oil. There are proven benefits to these heart-healthy oils, and again, this is something I think most people could benefit from.

Other than that, the only other supplement I use, if you want to call it a supplement, is protein powder. I like to make sure that I'm getting a balance of carbs, protein, and fat in my 5 - 6 meals daily, so protein powder is an easy way to help out. I'll throw a scoop on my cereal or in my oatmeal in the morning, and mix it in that yogurt I mentioned earlier after my workout. (Look for another post in the near future as I try and find some decent meal replacement bars/shakes for you. I understand it isn't easy eating 5 - 6 X per day and the occasional quick meal replacement can be handy. The key is finding a good one.)

So there you have it. Like I said, there are some supplements that do have value. When I rail against them, I'm usually talking about the things like fat burners, megadose vitamins/minerals, carb blockers, fat blockers, cortisol blockers, and all of the other 'miracle' pills and cures that are sold out there. Those are all crap.

Some random bits and pieces...

Just some random thoughts taking up space in my brain...

If you are ever tempted to buy some exercise equipment from Body By Jake, stop. Wait ten minutes, take half of the money you would have spent and just send it to me. We'll both be happy. I'll have some free cash, and you'll still have half of your money because you won't have spent it on some piece of junk. I've yet to see a Body By Jake product that isn't a piece of crap.

I'm not sure how anyone can drink regular soda on a daily basis. If you do, I want you to do this demonstration: get a half cup of sugar and pour it into a pile in front of you. Now eat it. Gross, you think? Well, that is how much sugar you get if you just drink 2 regular 12 ounce sodas.

If you are looking to lose fat, long-duration low-intensity cardio is basically a waste of time. Switch to high-intensity interval training and your results will improve dramatically.

Also, if you want to lose fat for the long term, you really need to incorporate resistance training into your exercise regimen.

Yes, in order to lose weight, you need to consume fewer calories than you burn. But, if someone is only eating a couple of big meals per day, I'll bet anyone I can get them to lose fat simply by taking the same amount of calories and spreading it over 5 or 6 meals/snacks per day. No change in total 24 hour caloric intake or expense, yet the person will still lose fat.

Doing an exercise in a particular manner because you saw someone in the gym doing it in that manner is pretty dumb. How do you know that person isn't an idiot? He is probably doing it that way because, like you, he never asked someone who knew what they were talking about.

For the average person looking to lose weight and get fit, there is absolutely no reason that they should follow some exercise routine that they see in Muscle & Fitness or other bodybuilding magazine. The people in those magazines are genetically gifted freaks of nature, chemically altered through heavy use of steroids, hormones, and other potentially dangerous anabolics. Why on earth would anyone think these workouts would have any application to an average person looking to lose weight and get fit?

If you are one of those people who take extra B vitamins for energy, here is a news flash: vitamins do not give you energy. Calories are energy and vitamins have no calories. You only get energy from calorie containing nutrients (fat, carbohydrates, protein, alcohol). B vitamins are involved in the process of converting food to energy in the body, but most people get adequate amounts of B vitamins in their diet. If you have enough, taking in extra B vitamins will not give you extra energy.

Paying $1.50 for a bottle of water because it has vitamins in it isn't real smart.

Just because something markets itself as natural, that does not mean it is good for you or safe. Many varieties of mushrooms are poisonous, and last time I looked mushrooms were all-natural. Marijuana is all-natural. Natural herbal supplements can have dangerous interactions with prescription medications.

Making the decision to lose weight and get fit really gets you nowhere. Nothing changes until you actually take action.

Want to learn how to really reach your goals? You should download "The 4 Lies You'll Tell Yourself on New Year's Eve".