Hydroxycut and other thermogenics?

[GQchris]

Has anyone here used these products with optimal results and no risks or ill side effects to lose weight and get shredded?

[Tom Yum]

Never tried it, but I am also interested.

Here's some quick info available online:

Hydroxy-cut's main ingredients

Garcinia cambogia extract, chromium polynicotinate, and Gymnema sylvestre extract. Seems like they also add caffeine too.

Garcinia cambogia extract
It is used as an appetite suppressant and to inhibit the absorption and synthesis of fat, cholesterol and triglycerides. In other words, it is a dietary aid

http://www.indo-world.com/garcinia_c...ia_extract.htm

Rats were fed varying concentrations of GC extract and studied within a 90 day period. No signs of changes in their major organ systems, with the exception of additional mucous in the stomach....Lookin' good so far.

http://ntp.niehs.nih.gov/ntp/htdocs/...ambogiaExt.pdf

chromium polynicotinate

Chromium polynicotinate facilitates and/or stimulates the metabolism of sugar, fat and cholesterol in the body, as well as the function of insulin. Major hospital and university studies have suggested that supplementation with chromium may reduce body fat, help build lean body muscle, regulate blood sugar and lower elevated cholesterol, particularly in chromium deficient individuals.

A human study found one patient using CP for weight loss over a 5 year period, developed toxic hepatitis....you may want to check on appropriate doses of this stuff and do more research

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/q...&dopt=Abstract

Gymnema Sylvestre

Research indicates this herb has positive benefits on blood sugar control, helps with sugar cravings and to regenerate the pancreas. Another interesting study showed that Gymnema helped reverse the pathological changes occurring in the liver, kidney and muscles as a result of hyperglycemia.

"Aside from lowered blood sugar and increased effects of anti-diabetic drugs following chronic use of gymnema, no significant adverse effects have been reported with the herb, in several studies up to 20 months long. Caution is advised in patients with diabetes or low blood sugar, and in those taking drugs, herbs, or supplements that affect blood sugar"....lookin' pretty good.

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/d...t-gymnema.html

I'm not medically trained, but I hope this helps. I'd do more research into chromium polynicotinate as its a main ingredient and might have some ill side affects.

[Gunjin]

I'm on my second week of Hydroxycut. I guess will have to let you guys know how it works after this cycle.

I workout 5 times a week but I have been lacking in the cardio department. I AM loosing weight though. I don't know how much of that has to do with Hydroxycut or me working out. I think the pills by themsleves won't do anything and that you really need to follow it up with a good workout and diet plan.

For me, I do notice I eat less when I do sit down for a meal at the chow hall. But I am also eating 4-5 small meals a day. The caffiene in it makes me jittery but I think that is my natural reaction to caffiene since I have always been sensitive to it.

I will keep you all up dated if I ever do get to see my 6 pack again....

[Gunjin]

I reached a lot of personal bests this week.

Bench: 235 x 2
Squat: 315 x 2
Deadlift: 225 x 3
(stiff leg)

I didn't take a before picture and haven't stepped on a scale but here are some things I noticed; My chest is definately getting fuller. My arms (Tri's & Bi's) are getting bigger. And my back is gettin bigger too.

I work 12 hour days out here so the time I do have to workout I spend in the gym. I'll go to the gym after work. There is no way I am waking up earlier than I need to, just to go running!

[eXcessiveForce]

it's junk, just like most supps.

Eat right, workout harder. you will get shredded.

Anything that works is gonna have side effects.

[Oreomeister365]

mostly just eating right, seriously, assuming you do some sort of cardio regularly, cut out the sugar, don't overeat and there, you're shredded...generally.

[DaggerJuice]

I have never used supplements,and I recently about a week ago started using Muscle Milk.I can really tell the difference,after a hard 2hr workout I take some of it, and the next day am not even sore, Im completly ready to go 100% again.Its really weird makes me feel like im unstoppable During my work outs.All I do is bodyweight... pushups,situps,pull ups,squats. Last nights workout was my usuaul 2hr work out,I improved my time by 30min doing all the same reps and sets as usual and Im sure its the Muscle milk!!!!

[GQchris]

Muscle milk is great stuff, chocolate flavor is the best one... I agree, my recovery is a lot faster with that stuff.

[DaggerJuice]

Yeah chocolate is the best,thats what I have.Its not chalky tasting either,its pretty smooth and really tastes like chocholate milk.

[Gunjin]

Hadn't posted in awhile.

Anyways, I stopped taking Hydroxycut after about the 4th week. Waste of money!!! If not used right I guess. Under better circumstances I am sure I may have benefitted from it. Like I said, I wasn't doing much for cardio. I'm in Iraq working 12 hour days so it's hard to find the time to actually run. (of course I make time for the gym and MA training!) Running just sucks! Especially now that it is getting hotter day by day.

Still making gains though since I keep making it into the gym:

Bench: 240 x 4
Squat: 315 x 6
Deadlift: 225 x 10
(stiff leg)

Never really tried a one rep max yet. Well I try moving up but it seems I can always lift it more than once! Still supplimenting with Creatine and Protein but no more Hydroxycut! Maybe when I get back and have time to do some real cardio.

[Tom Yum]

Originally Posted by Gunjin

Hadn't posted in awhile.

Anyways, I stopped taking Hydroxycut after about the 4th week. Waste of money!!! If not used right I guess. Under better circumstances I am sure I may have benefitted from it. Like I said, I wasn't doing much for cardio. I'm in Iraq working 12 hour days so it's hard to find the time to actually run. (of course I make time for the gym and MA training!) Running just sucks! Especially now that it is getting hotter day by day.

Still making gains though since I keep making it into the gym:

Bench: 240 x 4
Squat: 315 x 6
Deadlift: 225 x 10
(stiff leg)

Never really tried a one rep max yet. Well I try moving up but it seems I can always lift it more than once! Still supplimenting with Creatine and Protein but no more Hydroxycut! Maybe when I get back and have time to do some real cardio.

Looks like you and I are about the same, strength wise.

[Broadsword2004]

If you do cardio correctly, you don't need anything to help you lose weight. Do high-intensity interval work with running, which will build both anaerobic and aerobic endurance. It will also put your body into a fat-burning mode.

Like said above, eat right, workout hard (as building muscle also burns fat since muscle is a metabolically active tissue), and do some high-intensity cardio work, and you'll get shredded.

The only supplements you really need are a good multivitamin supplement to make sure you get all the proper nutrients because if you work out hard, it can be hard to get them all in foods you eat, and a good protein shake for adding extra protein to build muscle.

Also, try to eat six small meals a day, instead of three larger ones. This has been proven to help with burning fat. Obviously, in today's world, unless you're rich, you can't have a perfectly nutritious meal ready for you six times a day, so make full use of proper meal-replacement shakes and bars, etc....a LOT of these are pure crap for you, though, and are really candy bars in disguise. So make sure you thoroughly research the product before you use it.

For example, most all yogurt except for pure, unflavored yogurt, is crap. All Oatmeal, like Quaker Instant Oatmeal, etc....except for the regular Oatmeal you cook the traditional way, all the others are crap. Instant rice = crap. A lot of pastas out there, check the ingredients. You want pastas made from whole grains, not pastas made from nutrient-depleted white flours. Rice cakes, these are some of the most deceptive products on the market. They will put your body into a complete fat-STORAGE mode, so ignore them.

On a side note, granola bars, considered by most to be healthy for you, are actually terrible for you, yet Snicker's bars, a regular candy bar, actually do have some health benefits. Snicker's bars contain a lot of sugar, so they aren't necessarily healthy for you, but they do have a lot of protein and of the fat in them, the majority of it is healthy fat, so they aren't necessarily bad for you either (as long as you eat them in moderation).

Make sure you get the proper amount of sleep at night, as this can have detrimental effects on your fat burning and muscle-building.

And drink lots of water!! Most people go around way under-hydrated.