4 Insanely Useful Weight Loss Supplements for Women (That Are All Natural)

So you count your calories, work out three times a week and eat kale religiously. But the pounds don’t seem to budge. What gives?

Losing weight can be frustrating for anyone. But it’s doubly difficult for women.
It has nothing to do with strength or willpower. Dropping the last 10 pounds is a bigger challenge for women because of a few key factors.

Muscle, Metabolism and the Dirty Truth About Losing Weight As a Woman

It’s a fact that men have more muscle mass than women do, they also tend to burn more calories and have faster metabolisms. ¹ 1. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10904038 ×  It seems like an unfair advantage, especially when it comes to eating what they want.

I bet you’ve heard female friends, or friends of friends, talk about how they went on to lose weight with their significant others only to fall behind significantly in their weight loss goals.

And get this: After a workout, some research suggest that women may feel hungrier than men do.

The hormone ghrelin (also known as the “I’m hungry” hormone) increases after a workout. ² 2. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17570540 × So if you give in to your craving for a double cheeseburger after exercising, you’ve most likely negated the effects of your workout.

All of these happen while your spouse, boyfriend, or friend drops pounds week after week.

And you begin to wonder why you’re not losing any weight at all. This is despite the fact that you’ve slaved your way to looking more slender.

(Juice cleanses, I’m looking at you.)

But metabolism is not the only thing at play here. In my experience with clients, women tend to be bigger emotional eaters than men are, and in a different way. This doesn’t mean that women turn to food whenever they feel miserable.

According to one study, emotional eating in one group of people was found to be higher from positive feelings and not just negative feelings. ³ 3. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23910779 × So it’s not simply a matter of “oh my life is so difficult, I need a milkshake.”

Sometimes, being happy can trigger that too.

Natural Weight Loss Supplements for Women to Kickstart Results

It’s tempting to go the easy route when you want to drop some weight. Sleazy marketing companies will peddle so-called miracle weight loss pills that promise the shape and metabolism of a 20-something.

As enticing as they may be, they’re often more dangerous to health. So if the advertisement claims seem extravagant, go with your gut.

That said, there are natural weight loss solutions that don’t involve using toxic ingredients. These weight loss supplements for women can help you lose weight safely:

1. Fish Oil Supplements

According to Charles Poliquin, fish oil helps in shedding body fat. Fish oil is a great source of omega-3 fatty acids, the essential fats that the body can’t produce on its own. These fats protect our cells from damage and speed up metabolism. ⁴ 4. http://main.poliquingroup.com/ArticlesMultimedia/Articles/Article/1273/ ×

People who take fish oil supplements have better insulin sensitivity, which means that they can lose weight more easily.

Additionally, it helps curb hunger and appetite, which prevents binge eating and eating out of boredom. And here’s the good news to those who work out. Fish oil helps boost the effects of your exercise.

2. Herbs

Herbs can be both food and medicine. Adaptogenic herbs have a normalizing effect on the body.

They negate the effects of stress on the body and boost immune function. What does that have to do with weight loss?

If you are stressed, it’s more difficult for you to lose weight. Chronic stress leads to abdominal weight gain and spikes in blood sugar. To help you lose weight, you can look for herbs such as holy basil, Chinese ginseng, and licorice. ⁵ 5. http://care.diabetesjournals.org/content/18/10/1373 ×  Herbs that help reduce stress are often included in weight loss formulations.

Another herbal medicinal that’s often used in formulas to lower cortisol (a stress hormone) is called rhodiola.

3. Thermogenic Supplements

Can you burn fat as you eat food?

It is possible, according to one study. But that depends on the kind and the amount of food that you eat. Protein, in particular, plays a huge role in diet-induced thermogenesis and in satiety.

So if you’re looking to lose weight through thermogenesis, look no further than your favorite steak.

But consuming more thermogenic foods can be cloying. Besides, the effects might be minimal. A better solution is to look for thermogenic supplements or “fat burners” to speed up your metabolism.

There’s a healthy way to do it though, and it’s not what you think.

Thermogenic supplements raise body heat, which boosts metabolism. You can get this effect by taking supplements that have caffeine like green tea. Of all the thermogenic supplements, green tea seems to be the safest.

Matcha green tea is a powdered Japanese green tea with remarkable fat-burning benefits thanks to catechins.

Catechins are antioxidants that can help women lose weight and decrease the effects of free radicals in the body. With green tea, it’s like hitting two birds with one stone: you lose weight and you remove toxins from the body. ⁶ 6. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19597519 ×

4. Probiotics

Probiotics are not only good for your gut. It turns out these good bacteria can help women lose weight safely. According to a study, manipulation the gut microbiota is a potentially effective method in treating obesity. ⁷ 7. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4839080/ ×

It influences fat metabolism and insulin sensitivity. Moreover, it’s safe to use for the long term. ⁸ 8. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3963190/ ×

Adding probiotics to your diet can help you lose weight safely. You can get these good bacteria through fermented foods such as sauerkraut, miso and kimchi. ⁹ 9. https://academic.oup.com/ajcn/article/73/2/374s/4737565 × Kombucha also has a high amount of probiotics.

But the best probiotic-rich food is live-cultured yogurt, which has various probiotic strains to help in weight loss.

Exercising Willpower to Reach Your Goals

Losing weight is more than just burning more calories than you consume. Other factors come into play when you want to drop some pounds.

That is not to say that you should give up. And it doesn’t mean to keep looking for quick fixes around the corner. Be patient. Cultivate tiny, daily habits. Find the rituals that will help you “master the day.”

As the saying goes, the journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.