One of my close friends asked me, “What’s the biggest market you see within the fitness community?”
I replied without any hesitation. “Everyone is always looking for the best weight loss supplement for women!”
The supplement market is flooded with tons of weight loss items tailored to women. With this overflow of choices, you will undoubtedly find phony or ineffective products. So, what can you do to find the right supplement?
This “Top 10” guide will help you! We’ll look at why fat burners are beneficial, as well as my review of my top 10 picks.
The Basics and the Benefits of Fat Burners for Women
Fat burners25 aim to boost metabolism and change your body’s energy-burning process. This usually involves triggering certain hormones or biological processes. For instance, numerous supplements that you see will mention “thermogenesis” or “lipolysis.”
Thermogenesis36 occurs when your body begins burning calories to produce heat. Some supplements promote thermogenesis to burn away extra calories.
When lipolysis7 occurs, your body breaks down a lipid called triglyceride. Lipids34 consist of naturally produced compounds, including fats, waxes, and oils. Triglyceride30 is the lipid stored within our fat cells. High triglyceride levels can cause hardened arteries and increase your risk of stroke. Many products promote lipolysis to burn away your excess fat cells containing triglycerides.
There is a huge amount of ingredients that different fat burner supplements use. But there are some hallmark ingredients that most of the effective fat burners contain. These ingredients and their benefits include:
Caffeine Caffeine37 is a stimulant commonly found in weight loss supplements. It’s a great way to boost your energy and invigorate your workout. Also, caffeine serves as an appetite suppressant.
Green tea. Green tea5 is one of the common thermogenesis-inducing ingredients. This is due to the active ingredient in green tea and green tea extracts, which are catechins. Ingesting catechins is shown24 to decrease total body fat and waist circumference. Other research shows that adding caffeine boosts the effectiveness of green tea.
L-Carnitine. L-Carnitine33 is an amino acid that is important to muscle health and how your body burns energy. It stimulates your body to burn fat for energy instead of glucose. It also promotes19 muscle recovery while reducing muscle damage and soreness.
Conjugated linoleic acid (CLA). CLA13 is a naturally produced fatty acid. It may sound counterproductive to add fat to burn fat, but studies23 show otherwise! It is shown to boost fat loss1 while also retaining muscle mass.
Yohimbine. This stimulant comes from the bark of a Yohimbe tree and has become a popular addition to fat burners. One study26 on highly athletic soccer players concluded that yohimbine significantly boosted fat loss.
Garcinia Cambogia2. This ingredient is the acidic extract of a tropical fruit known as the Malabar tamarind. It became popular in fat burners thanks to its appetite suppressant abilities.
The Controversy and Safety
When most people consider weight loss supplements, they want instant and dramatic results. Much of the controversy surrounding fat burners centers around their effectiveness.
If you consider taking fat burners, you have to be realistic. For realistic and safe weight loss, you only lose between 1-3 pounds per week. You won’t lose 10 pounds per week because of a supplement. If you do, then something is potentially very wrong and unhealthy!
These supplements are not a miracle cure that works without effort. For this to work, you still need a healthy diet, proper calorie intake, and exercise. For fat burners to do their part, you must do yours. Otherwise, your progress will be stalled or even go backward!
The other large controversy is safety. Not every supplement is safe and consuming too much of a safe supplement can cause serious problems. Here are some vital safety concerns to consider when choosing the best fat burner:
Ingredient regulation and reactions. The FDA does not regulate dietary supplements for weight or fat loss. For this reason, you can’t always trust whether it is safe or effective. Also, manufacturers can combine any large number of ingredients. The ingredients can react badly with each other or create an unhealthy result. But some manufacturers willingly test their products for safety and quality. Do as much research as possible on the manufacturer and ingredients!
Dosage. Having too much of a good thing turns it into a bad thing. As with anything, going above the listed dose is unwise and potentially harmful. If it gives you a dose range, consider beginning at the lowest dose for around 2 weeks. After the 2 weeks, you can consider moving up until you hit the largest dosage listed.
Stimulants. While consuming caffeinated products, be cautious with fat burners with stimulants. If you choose one with stimulants, consider cutting some of your caffeinated drinks. Overdoing stimulants can lead to anxiety, feeling jittery, sweating, and elevated heart rate.
Calorie intake. To lose weight the healthy way, you have to have a calorie deficit. This means that you take in fewer calories than you burn. But if you lower your calorie intake too far, you’re destroying your health for the sake of a lean body. Health should always come first! Also, calorie restriction should eventually end. Once you hit your ideal weight, adjust your calories to maintain it and close the calorie deficit.
It’s ideal to consult your doctor before using any supplements, especially if you have any medical conditions.
What’s the Best Way to Use Fat Burners?
There are a few different ways to take your fat burner, depending on the supplement you chose.
Most fat burners, especially brands with stimulants, are taken 2-3 times per day. Generally, they are taken around 30 minutes before your largest meals. Taking 1 of your doses before breakfast is highly recommended. When you sleep, your metabolism slows down. Taking a fat burner before breakfast will kick-start your metabolism for the day.
Although it is completely optional, many experts encourage cycling your fat burners. To cycle, you would begin at the lowest dose. From there, you would move up to a higher dose until you reach your maximum in a 4-6 week span. Then you would stop taking them for a couple of weeks, and then begin back at the lowest dose and continue the cycle. This is helpful when your body stops responding to the supplements after long periods of use.
Other supplements are meant to be taken at night to keep your metabolism high during sleep. Those supplements often are taken after your largest meal before bed.
Top 10 Fat Burners for Women
Without further ado, we can move on to exploring our top 10 best fat burners for women!
Transparent Labs holds a strong spot among the best fat burners! One huge reason for that is the purity and quality of their products. Let’s dive into the pros and cons!
Pros
There are no artificial sweeteners, preservatives, or colors.
They are gluten and GMO-free.
They don’t use additives or filler ingredients, only the ingredients you’re looking for!
It includes the ingredient I mentioned called L-Carnitine.
It includes several ingredients for added benefits. The first one is Forskolin. Once consumed, Forskolin triggers the release of fatty acids from your fatty tissue. One study8 shows that Forskolin yielded promising results in fat loss. Also, another study16 showed that it helps to form lean muscle mass in the process.
Our next ingredient is 5-HTP. Your body uses the 5-HTP to produce serotonin. Research3 shows that serotonin can be a powerful appetite suppressant.
Yet another ingredient is Rhodiola Rosea. This supports your body4 through physical and mental stressors, such as dieting or intense workouts. Additionally, it triggers lipolysis17 to burn triglycerides for energy.
They focus on safety and quality. Although supplements aren’t FDA regulated, Transparent Labs promises to follow all FDA standards. Their products exclude any banned substances.
Cons
It is at the higher end of the cost range. Although it may be worth it, not everyone has the financial means to pay the higher prices.
That’s genuinely the only con I could find with this product! It’s easy to see why it’s on a list of the best fat burners!
If you’re seeking the best weight loss supplement for women at a lower cost, this one is great! But this product does include caffeine. Each serving contains 150 mg of caffeine, or around the amount of caffeine in 1.6 cups of coffee. So, if you prefer your supplements to be stim-free, this one isn’t your best fit!
Pros
It’s very affordable!
It meets the standards of Good Manufacturing Practice.
The bottle also has a sticker showing it to be certified by a 3rd-party for purity and potency.
It pairs well with certain diets. It is gluten-free, keto-friendly, and paleo approved!
It contains Garcinia Cambogia and CLA!
It adds apple cider vinegar for metabolism and cleansing.
It has green coffee beans in it. The green coffee bean is claimed to boost energy, increase fat burning, and suppress your appetite. This is due to the caffeine content it has.
Cons
The amount of caffeine can cause nausea, dizziness, headaches, or trouble sleeping.
Although they claim your body won’t crash from the energy boost, that may not be the case. Anytime you consume high amounts of caffeine, there is the potential to have a caffeine crash. Caffeine is considered a drug, one that our body becomes physically addicted to. If you cycle a caffeinated supplement, you may have withdrawal symptoms when quitting.
The instructions are quite vague. They simply direct you to take 1-3 capsules per day. This dose should be broken up throughout your day. Otherwise, taking all 3 at once can cause a ton of unpleasant symptoms!
If you don’t mind caffeine and take it properly, this is a great contender for the best fat burner for women!
This night-time fat burner happens to include sleeps aids, like melatonin and l-tryptophan. It aims to trigger thermogenesis, suppress your appetite, and promote restful sleep!
Pros
This is a great option if you have trouble sleeping or you fight cravings in the middle of the night. Restful sleep is one of the biggest factors in your health and functioning. Sleep deprivation is proven to affect your mood, cognitive, and physical performance22.
There’s no need to remember taking more than one dose throughout your day. Just take one capsule in the evening around 30-60 minutes after your biggest meal.
You keep your metabolism from slowing down throughout the night and keep it going at a solid pace.
It’s GMO-free!
The facility meets FDA standards, and the product meets those of Good Manufacturing Practice. The supplement is tested for quality by a 3rd party.
Cons
It’s easy to get the wrong idea about night-time fat burners. Don’t trick yourself into thinking that you’ll melt the pounds away just by taking this and sleeping. Your daytime habits will still dictate whether this product helps you or not. These supplements boost the results of your efforts, not be the entire solution.
It contains green coffee bean extract, but it is claimed to be stim-free. Green coffee bean extract is popular due to the caffeine content that aids fat burning. It is possible that they decaffeinated the beans for a different purpose. For instance, it contains an antioxidant that potentially reduces fat absorption39. Despite going through a decaffeination process, decaf beans still contain a small amount of caffeine6. Without access to more in-depth information, I can’t say for sure. Nevertheless, it is better to consider this fact if you prefer a 100% stim-free fat burner.
Since it includes sleep aids, be careful with this supplement. Some people may not feel significantly sleepy after a dose, but drowsiness can occur.
This one makes a great fat burner for women, especially if you need help sleeping after a stressful day!
Keto Vida is another night-time fat burner supplement. It happens to have the same ingredients as the previous product but at a higher dosage.
Pros
Another great choice for sleep, especially if you need a bigger dose.
It is formulated to be keto-friendly.
It keeps your metabolism going while you sleep. It also suppresses your appetite and reduces those pesky night-time cravings!
It’s another affordable option.
Cons
I’ve been unable to find information on any 3rd-party testing or guidelines. They may or may not take part in any of these tests or guidelines. Some may prefer a product that displays their quality control and guideline compliance.
Again, it contains green coffee bean extract while claiming to be stim-free. There is no further explanation about whether it is decaffeinated for another use. While I can’t say that it does contain caffeine, it’s something to keep in mind if you don’t want any caffeine at all.
I would urge starting any night-time supplement carefully. You won’t know how its sleep aid ingredients will affect you. If you take the highest dose right away, you risk experiencing drowsiness. Since the serving for this one is a higher dose, be especially cautious.
When people think of the best fat burner, many of them quickly think of Hydroxycut! Let’s check out why.
Pros
It has Forskolin, green coffee extract, and yohimbine.
It also contains L-Theanine and Theobromine. L-Theanine12 is an amino acid that can boost energy, increase cognitive function, and relax your muscles. The relaxing properties are great for offsetting the jittery effects of caffeine, which this product has a lot of. Theobromine28 comes from tea leaves and the cacao plant. In this case, it is from the cacao plant. It’s known for its mild stimulant effects and cognitive support!
Basically, it is chock full of energy boosters and thermogenic ingredients!
You can start with 1 rapid-release capsule per day to assess potential side effects. Once you are comfortable, you can add 1 more capsule if necessary.
It’s among the most affordable fat burner supplements!
Cons
There are a ton of stimulants in this product. Just from caffeine, you’re getting 270 mg. If you’re sensitive to caffeine, this one is not the right fit for you. On top of caffeine, you have yohimbine, L-Theanine, and Theobromine for more stimulant effects. The high level of stimulants can cause many undesirable effects. This includes dizziness, rapid heart rate, nausea, and headaches.
Since you must eventually stop taking fat burners, you might experience rough withdrawal effects when that day comes.
Anyone with major medical conditions, especially cardiovascular problems, should always consult their doctor. Consuming tons of stimulants can have serious effects on medical conditions.
It contains artificial coloring in the capsules, FD&C Blue No. 1 and Red No. 40. If you have a sensitivity to artificial coloring, make sure you can safely consume these artificial colors.
This one is another night-time fat burner! Let’s see how this one differs from the others.
Pros
It contains all the same ingredients as the other 2 night-time supplements. It has the same dosage as the Keto Vida product.
It stands out from Keto Vida by openly following guidelines and testing. A 3rd party tests these products quality, and they follow Good Manufacturing Practice! The facility they use is FDA-registered.
It is GMO-free, vegan, and 100% natural!
It specifically states that it is 100% caffeine-free. Since it contains green coffee extract, it is safe to assume that it is decaffeinated. So, no need to worry about the potential caffeine content.
The creator, Dr. Emil Hodzovic, is a medical doctor that specializes in nutrition and supplementation. He is also a fitness and nutrition coach when he’s not working in the ER!
It contains sleep aids for restful sleep. The other ingredients promote thermogenesis and lipolysis.
It suppresses your appetite, so you don’t give in to late-night temptations!
They pride themselves on their product being free of the top 8 food allergens.
Cons
Again, it may make you drowsy. Just be cautious! Start on the lower dose to make sure it doesn’t knock you out.
Although it is still relatively affordable, it costs a bit more than the other 2 night-time products. However, you might find it worth the few extra dollars, so don’t knock it too soon!
This one is a great fat burner for women who need a truly stim-free daytime formula!
Pros
It contains green tea extract for the antioxidants and catechins.
It also contains Forskolin and L-Carnitine.
There’s a unique compound it uses called Bioperine. Bioperine contains Piperine, which comes from black pepper extract. Lean-XT uses this ingredient to increase the absorption of the supplement. This is to maximize your results.
The facility follows Good Manufacturing Practice guidelines.
It doesn’t contain any artificial colors, fillers, or additives!
The ingredients are highly bioavailable! This means that it is easily absorbed and used by your body.
Their capsules are made of veggies!
Since it’s stim-free, you can take your 2nd dose before dinner without risking getting too wired to sleep.
Cons
Although Bioperine is beneficial for absorption, I recommend caution. Bioperine can increase blood levels of certain medications32. It can also have negative reactions to medications. The Piperine in Bioperine has potential anti-platelet effects29. Those effects would increase bleeding and make blood clotting difficult. I suggest consulting a doctor before starting any supplement with possible problematic ingredients.
With a non-stimulant product, you don’t get a huge energy boost.
It contains only ingredients we are already familiar with. These ingredients are Garcinia Cambogia, CLA, green coffee bean extract, L-Carnitine, and green tea extract. That’s it! They eagerly offer up their transparent, no-nonsense label.
A 3rd party tests the products. All of the ingredients go through a strict process to ensure quality.
The facility is FDA-registered. It’s also Good Manufacturing Practice certified.
The product is gluten-free and non-GMO!
It’s an amazing choice for a stim-free product.
Cons
The capsules are made of gelatin. Although gelatin capsules are safe, gelatin comes from animal sources20. If you are vegan or vegetarian, this product isn’t 100% ideal for you.
The directions tell you to take 1 serving before breakfast and 1 more before dinner. The only problem with this dosage is that 1 serving is 3 capsules. Some may find it frustrating to take 6 capsules per day.
Also, the bottle contains 150 capsules, which divides into 50 total servings. If you only take 1 serving per day, the bottle will last longer than products that sell a 1-month supply. But, if you take both servings each day, it will only last you 25 days. This gives it a wide range on the affordability scale.
This next one is unique due to it only containing CLA as the active ingredient! Let’s see what the perks and disadvantages you get with this product.
Pros
As I mentioned before, CLA helps you burn fat while retaining muscle mass. CLA is a healthy fat, and NatureWise sources it from plants.
It’s an all-natural product. It’s free of GMOs, artificial additives, or fillers.
It’s also free of gluten, dairy, and soy. It excludes all the major food allergens. These allergens include wheat, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, fish, and shellfish.
The gelatin used for the capsules comes from Halal sources. It’s a nice touch to see a company consider religious requirements for its consumers.
They use 3rd-party testing to ensure quality and potency.
They follow FDA guidelines.
Cons
Although CLA is great, you miss out on other beneficial ingredients when you only get CLA.
It isn’t calorie-free. Each capsule contains 15 calories. Although this isn’t a huge amount, taking the maximum daily dose adds 45 calories to your calorie count.
Although the gelatin is Halal, it comes from animal sources anyways. If you are vegetarian or vegan, gelatin is a no-go.
he soft gel capsules are made with glycerin. Glycerin27 comes from natural fats, but there is a slight possibility of having a sensitivity to it. It’s also a carb and not calorie-free.
Now, on to the final product on our top 10 best fat burners for women list!
Pros
It contains caffeine but at a lower dose of 110 mg.
It includes L-tyrosine15, which is an amino acid known for improving cognitive functions.
There are a few ingredients we already recognize! That includes green tea leaf extract, Theobromine, and Bioperine.
It contains a unique combination of 3 medicinal plants. The 1st is white willow bark extract11. The 2nd is Verbascum Thapsus35 leaf powder. The last is elecampane root powder14. They all have potential anti-inflammatory effects. For example, white willow bark is similar to aspirin.
It’s keto-friendly!
It claims to expand your respiratory system for increased airflow to your lungs. The more oxygen your cells get18, the better your metabolism will be.
It comes from a Good Manufacturing Practice certified facility.
Cons
This first con is extremely important. This product contains bitter orange fruit extract. Bitter orange contains synephrine9, which is similar to Ephedra10. Ephedra is an herb that is banned in the United States for safety and medical concerns. Some supplements replace ephedra with synephrine. But, synephrine can still have dangerous effects on your heart and blood pressure. The National Collegiate Athletic Association bans Synephrine31 for this reason. If you play a sport that tests for banned substances, see if your association bans synephrine.
The capsules contain gelatin, so it’s not suitable for vegans or vegetarians.
The price may be a fallback for some. It’s almost at the highest point of the affordability scale for this list.
Remember that Bioperine should be taken with caution. It can over-absorb or interact with medications. It can also interfere with blood clotting.
The Wrap-Up
Now it’s time to crown the best fat burner for women! I’d have to give it to Transparent Labs! Why?
Transparent Labs puts so much emphasis on quality, safety, and research. They jump through hoops that aren’t required for the sake of proving their quality! They even back up all their claims with research studies.
They ditch all the artificial and unnecessary ingredients. It doesn’t contain anything you would see on a banned substance list.
Krista Martinez is a freelance writer, SuppsAdvisor contributor, and former Certified Personal Trainer.
She’s currently a college student pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Liberal Arts.
When she’s not working, you can find Krista playing video games, reading, or working on her novel. You can also guarantee she’ll be listening to her favorite band, Starset. She loves to get active by going for a run or hitting the yoga mat. She hopes to finish her novel soon and see where life takes her!