However, each and every time I tried any of these, I didn’t find I was any further ahead on my weight loss journey. Whether it was Hydroxycut or other fat burners, they never seemed to do anything. Sure I might have felt hotter or quicker on my feet, but I knew deep down that all that was was the caffeine coursing through my veins.

That being said, I still do take supplements, although I think they each fall into a specific category. One of them would be closer to a supplement than the other, and one is more of a vitamin.

Supplement #1: Creatine

I started taking creatine in October. I never did any loading phase or take it with anything special like grape juice or other high sugar drink, as is often recommended on various forums. Instead, I take it with water and at a dose of 5 grams every day.

Of course it is hard to assess if the creatine has actually had an effect or not, however just looking at my muscles in the mirror I know that I have gained slightly larger mass and definitely more definition. What I am going to do is stop taking creatine for a 2-week period starting in the 2nd or 3rd week of January and will take a picture before and after to see if there are any noticable difference.

Supplement #2: CLA

The second supplement I am taking is Conjugated linoleic acid, or CLA for short. Although like all supplements, the research is up and down on the effect of CLA on weight loss, some studies have shown that it can help. I am giving it a try at 3,200 mg of the active ingredient per day. I have to admit that I did notice some fat loss, although there is no way I could prove that it is directly from the CLA as I have been really watching calories lately. That being said, I am going to finish my bottle and then measure if there is any change in the opposite direction once I stop.

Supplement #3: Omega-3 & Multi-Vitamin

The third supplement I take very day is a combo pill – omega-3 fatty acids and a multi-vitamin. I have taken omega-3 for a long time as I believe it improves my “thinkin” ability and support my overall health. The multi-vitamin is also taken as an overall health tool, and not as a weight loss tool.

Overall, the benefits of any supplements, including daily multi-vitamins has been questioned a lot lately. The trouble I have is that it is very hard to prove whether the product is helping or if it is just the hard work you are putting into it. I am trying to keep it simple and at a minimum to save some money as well as not load up my body with a lot of chemicals.

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