Paul Crane

Many of the fat burners and weight loss products sold online offer a 5 or 7-day free trial to tempt you into trying the product. On the surface, this seems like a great deal. After all, you get to try the product free. At the same time, the retailer seems to be demonstrating confidence in the quality and effectiveness of his or her product.

That's how it seems anyway.

It's fast becoming an age-old scenario...

An individual (let's call him Mr. Smith)has been recommended by his doctor to lose some weight for health reasons. With quiet resignation, Mr. Smith adopts a sensible diet plan in conjunction with a smart exercise regime. A trip to the local gym is made and a membership is purchased (or perhaps a piece of exercise equipment is bought to facilitate the ease of working out at home).

If you've got a few pounds to lose, you've probably been tempted by the claims of one of the numerous "carb blocker" weight loss supplements on the market these days. After all, with the rise in popularity of low-carb diets (like Atkins, South Beach, etc.) most of us are aware that the most serious threat to the success of our diet is posed by those sweet and starchy carbohydrate-rich foods.