How do I know that my supplement is working??

[genEus]

I've been taking CLA for the past month or so, and although I know that people say that you don't see results for about a month after you start taking it, I *think* I have lost body fat and my muscles are more pronounced now...

BUT, how the heck do I know that it wasn't me who did that myself, by changing up my routine, diet, exercises, etc, all of which had happened in the past month. I can't really say that any 2 months of my life are the same in terms of my schedule, diet, etc. So, how can I quantitatively know if whatever I'm taking really makes a difference without subconsciously trying to defend the purchase in my mind and therefore BELIEVING that it's working...

[Aikawa]

Geneus, I believe it could be a combination of both. If you've been doing the same routine for a long time, switching things up can stimulate different effects. Also, I've been reading through the Max-OT .pdf (Which can be found at Max-OT )
The author says "...lately research has uncovered some really unique and interesting traits certain fats posses. One fat in particular, CLA - conjugated linoleic acid - has a unique ability to decrease body fat levels and increase muscle mass. CLA is a very interesting lipid and has also been shown to have anti-cancer properties."
I haven't done extensive research on CLA, but these statements seem pretty believeable. (though i wish they would have documented sources in the .pdf)
So Geneus it could be a number of things(diet, routine change, supplements) in conjunction creating your mass and losss of body fat. Hope this answers your question.

[MAURER]

thats why you shouldn't have started taknig any supplements until you had changed your routine and diet. if you're smart, you train without the supplements first. then, you add them in later to see what kind of difference it makes. one change at a time is usually best.

[bb1fit]

CLA is not a "fat burner" or anything like the media would lead you to believe. It could very well be working, the effects are subtle. CLA inhibits lipoprotein lipase, an enzyme that breaks down fat from our diet so that it can be absorbed and stored in the body. By suppressing this enzyme, CLA helps reduce the amount of fat deposited and stored throughout the body. In my opinion, I think for this reason it is really best utilized on a bulk. You will probably not see too many profound effects from it, but it may indeed help you to not increase the size of your current fat cells when you are eating more calories. Actually the best source to get CLA is from grass fed beef.