Weight loss can be a challenge, especially when you notice your progress slowing down and your motivation hits the road. To help get the most out of your weight loss program, there are some vitamins and supplements you can add to your diet to help kickstart weight loss. While you can’t solely rely on pills and supplements to make your fat melt away, you can use them to optimize your progress in combination with a healthy diet and regular exercise schedule. After all, when your body is deficient in micronutrients it can’t function properly!
Vitamin B
Vitamin B is great vitamin to take for weight loss because its purpose is to help metabolize carbs, proteins and fats. Vitamin B consists of many different vitamins such as, thiamine (B-1), riboflavin (B-2), niacin (B-3), pantothenic acid (B-5), pyridoxine (B-6), biotin (B-7), folate (B-9) and cobalamin (B-12) (source).
In particular, B6 helps protein to metabolize, while B12 works to metabolize fats and proteins. Thiamine helps with the metabolization of all three; fats, proteins and carbs (source).
Find your vitamin B in foods such as rice, eggs, bananas, nuts, seeds, nutritional yeast and grapes. One of my favorite B vitamin supplements is Max B-ND from Premier Research Labs. I add the Max B-ND to my water bottle and sip on it all day. The B vitamins are broken down by probiotics which helps you to absorb them quickly and easily. Clients love it so much that it literally flies off my shelves!
Iodine
Iodine can aid weight loss because of its link to the thyroid and how your metabolism works. It works to help your body produce something called thyroxine, also known as T4. T4 regulates your metabolism and how your body burns fat (source).
One caveat to using iodine is if you have been diagnosed with Hashimoto’s. People with Hashimoto’s definitely need iodine but they need to bring it into their diet in small amounts to prevent thyroid storm symptoms. One of the best ways to do that through supplementation is with a liquid product from Systemic Formulas called TMI. It’s easy to start low and slow and build your iodine up safely and gradually with the product. I use it all the time in my practice so feel free to reach out if you would like to try it.
Foods that contain iodine include cod, seaweed, tuna, shrimp, iodized salt, eggs and lima beans.
Psyllium Husk
While there are mixed reviews about Psyllium Husk, there is still validity behind the weight loss claims. Psyllium Husk is a fiber, and this type of fiber may increase the feeling of satisfaction after a meal, which in turn might decrease the amount of calories ingested (source). Again, there is no magic pill for weight loss, but these pills may help improve your weight loss results combined with healthy lifestyle practices. You can take a Psyllium supplement in powdered or pill form to help you feel fuller faster and longer (source). If you use a powder, be sure to drink it quickly after mixing with water as Psyllium tends to become a thick gel very quickly!
Vitamin D
In one study, individuals who had lower levels of vitamin D had higher amounts of fat on them! (source) Also, another study showed that people who were obese had lower levels of the vitamin D serum in their bodies (source). Since many foods are not rich in vitamin D, taking supplements may be necessary.
I love, love, love using Systemic Formulas liquid D3 with K2! The K2 is a necessary nutrient for you to be able to uptake the D3. This product is easily absorbed, boosts the immune system, protects the mucous membranes and help your brain to stay clear and sharp. This is definitely one of my go-to supplements, especially during the winter when we have less sunlight.
Some foods that contain vitamin D are cod liver oil, tuna, salmon and sardines.
Iron
Iron plays a role in how your body uses nutrients to make energy and how fat is burned (source). It helps move oxygen throughout the body, and if the muscles don’t receive enough oxygen, they may not be able to burn fat efficiently (source). It can also assist in hormone production and regulating your metabolism.
If you don’t want to take an iron supplement, you can get iron through foods like red meat, beans, dark/leafy greens like spinach, and brown rice. If you do want to take an iron supplement, my favorite one is called Floradix (in the red box) from Germany. You can easily find Floradix at your local health food stores and it seems to bring iron levels up very quickly without causing constipation. Yes!
Matcha tea
Matcha green tea, not just regular green tea, has high levels of a powerful antioxidant called EGCG, which has been known to possibly help boost the metabolism (source). During moderate exercise, EGCG may help increase the body’s metabolism. While these studies were small, there is no harm in giving it a try for yourself!
You can make a pre-workout matcha drink, or even take it in the form of a supplement pill. I love drinking a cup or two of matcha green tea during the day. I find that it helps me to stay energized and focused. Give it a try and let me know what you think!
Glucomannan
Glucomannan comes from the root of the elephant yam and is often a component in flour and pasta. It is a water-soluble dietary fiber that is also very water absorbent. It is also low in calories and since it absorbs water, it takes up space in your stomach to make you feel full (source). According to this same source, it reduces fat and protein absorption, and helps feed the good bacteria in your gut, which may also promote weight loss.
If you’d like to order some supplements, I recommend using my Fullscript here where you can access high quality supplements without needing a prescription! Also, if you are on medication, check with your doctor or practitioner before starting any new supplement or vitamin routine.
One other final thought regarding the purchase of supplements. Over the years I have seen clients purchase professional grade supplements from Ebay or Amazon only to end up surprised and disappointed that the supplements have already expired.
Just last week, a client brought in some supplements that they had purchased on Amazon and I noticed that a sticker had been placed over the lot number and expiration date. I took off the stickers and lo and behold, the products had expired in 2013!
I also noticed that the vendor put a new expiration sticker on the product that said “expires 2019”. The products were 6 years old!!! I’ve seen this happen time and time again. Just so you are aware, as professional practitioners selling online, we are allowed to sell our professional products, under strict regulations, on our websites only and not Ebay.
In order to make sure that you are buying fresh and viable supplements, be sure to purchase from reputable sources such as your practitioner, Fullscript or your local health food store. Ok, rant over! LOL
Have you had success with any other supplements or used vitamins for weight loss before? Feel free to share your experience in the comment section below!