Newsflash: there’s no silver bullet; there’s no quick fix; no life-hack. There’s no way to cut the corner when it comes to losing weight. Should you be seeking and then suddenly think you’ve found a genius product that will ensure you lose weight merely because it persuasively says it will; don’t believe it. If you go on to buy and consume it, you’ll have been conned. No such product exists; no such weight loss programme that supposedly follows a process to result in ‘proven’ success exists. Now, there are naturally-derived supplements out there that will – to a certain extent – help your weight-loss efforts (we’ll come on to them in due course), but primarily, there’s only one way to lose weight properly and successfully and without harming your body: eat healthily and exercise regularly.

 

Responsibility and motivation

Ultimately, without the desire to lose weight and the drive to do what it takes and see it through, you won’t achieve your weight-loss objective. In short, it’s down to you – it’ll be an effort and you’ll have to undertake it and keep going to achieve your goal. There’s no other way. It’s about taking responsibility, making the changes to your lifestyle you must and sticking with them. Food for thought: it’s been said that it takes three full weeks (21 days) to alter and/ or adopt a habit; that in itself then, so the psychology supposedly goes, isn’t an overnight transition – it’s something you have to throw yourself into, commit to and keep going with.

But, at the same time, don’t expect too much too soon; don’t put too much pressure on yourself. Otherwise the whole thing could become overwhelming. To lose weight, you should set an ultimate goal (a particular weight you want to lose or get down to), but in doing so, set smaller, short-term goals as you go on with your healthier-eating and exercise regime. And bear in mind too, though, that because you are losing weight, you’re going to be doing something that’s better for your body day after day, so once you’re away and going, there’s a good chance you’ll feel better as you progress. Does that mean it could easier the deeper you get into it? Perhaps – but prepared for a long slog, nonetheless!

 

Weight loss products – which to trust and which not?

Really, it comes down to engaging your brain and using your common sense – and, of course, not being taken in by easy-on-the-eye, easy-on-the-mind commercials, whether they be print or online ads or infomercials (the likes of which appear to be multiplying on UK TV channels nowadays). If any part of you does feel like it may be swayed or even persuaded by the supposed weight-loss products (either in food- or pill-consumable form or equipment/ apparatus form), it’s crucial you stop for a moment and actually scrutinise what the product claims it will do for you against what it actually contains.

What are the ingredients of the bottle of pills or ‘superfood’ being advertised (aside from doing nothing good for you at all, they may even do your body harm)? How much exercise are you really going to get from that limited-action apparatus being demonstrated in that infomercial? And, in advertising any of these products, is there any admission at all that to lose weight you’ll have to put in the effort to adopt a healthier, more sensible diet and do decent physical exercise? If the answer’s no; ask yourself why that probably is.

 

Sensible supplements

All that said, as mentioned above, there are at least some sensible food-based products you can purchase that, along with a dedicated healthy-eating and daily exercise programme, are likely to help you lose weight. And that’s because such weight management supplements comprise very specific ingredients that have been precisely formulated by experts to deliver optimum effect.

For instance, they may contain naturally-occurring, organic compounds that support digestion, provide a thermogenic effect or stimulate the metabolism. In other words, they’ll comprise nutrients that aim to support the good work achieved through good, regular exercise and an improved diet rich in fresh foods and far, far lower in sugary, additive-packed snacks and drinks. The trick is to try to live healthily first; the weight-loss should follow.

Remember then, to properly research the supplements you’re interested in; what do they contain? If they’re not organically-derived ingredients, ignore them. For starters, here are three highly recommended supplements on sale through The Finchley Clinic:

Pure Pea Vegan Protein – derived from the highest quality pea protein isolate, thus containing many essential and non-essential amino acids that can compensate for common deficiencies in vegetarian/ vegan diets, as well as supporting the reduction of body fat and increasing and repairing lean muscle mass.

Thinner G – a combination of botanicals that seeks to aid weight-loss by blocking both uptake of sugars, fats and carbohydrates and fat formation, as well as reducing appetite and cravings and encouraging the body to burn calories and fat.

MicroCell Lipotone Intensive – powder-based, comprising conjugated lipoic acid (CL), l-carnitine and garcinia cambogia; designed to aid the body’s natural management of fats and carbohydrates, alongside an exercise and dietary regime.