Q: I have been working out in the gym for the past six months now and in the initial stage I was able to reduce my waist but then it almost stopped. So I bought a fat burner - Chromium Picolinate (90 capsules) of a food supplement company MEGA-PRO. I would like to know whether it is of any benefit to me and does it have any side effects?

A:At any time, we fitness professionals are not in favour of any substances to help reduce or gain weight. The simple formula of reducing your intake and increasing your output ALWAYS works best. But you also have to realise, that EXCESS fat is what will get activated and when it stops, is there really excess of it? Your 6 months endeavour would have showed some results but after that you may have reached a plateau. Also consider that if you are weight training, your fat percentage is reducing and your lean mass percentage is increasing, which weighs more than fat! So there are really other ways of telling whether you are on the right track, after all, you do not want to whittle your waist away! If you feel energetic, if your clothes fit you well, then you have reached a more realistic goal. Other than that, you can get a body composition test to tell you what percentage of fat you have and whether it is in line with your height, age and gender. Lastly, there are not many studies to suggest that these foods help, nor is there long term research to let us know of their side effects. The best advice I can give is to look after your weight naturally.