EGG HARBOR TWP.--For two months now, we've been watching Meteorologist Monica Ott and reporter Phaedra Laird change before our very eyes, as the folks at Island Gym help them achieve a total body transformation. Tonight they discuss another important part of their daily routine; supplements.

We've shown you a couple of key components in our daily routines...intense workouts and a healthy eating plan. But, there's another incredibly important piece of the puzzle. "What I've come to find is that the best bodies use very few supplements," said Hesh Donnerstag, the head trainer at Island Gym, "but there are a few staples."

The first is something Hesh recommends everyone takes every day, a good multivitamin. "Multivitamins are the most under-rated supplements in the entire world," said Hesh, "they fight off infection, they fight off sickness, they make us stronger and healthier on a day to day basis."

"When I first started this diet and starting taking all these vitamins, it seemed like so much," said Monica with her vitamin pack in hand, "but now, it's all just part of my daily routine."

"Macro-nutrients, which these vitamins supply, are the most essential thing in actually developing your energy," said Hesh, "and helping you continue your fat loss and feeling any strength gains and getting you through the day."

Low calorie and low carb protein shakes also help get us through the day. We have one between every meal. "Because we want to keep the metabolism going, every three hours we either have a real meal or we have a shake," said Hesh, "a shake is digested, it keeps our digestive system going, which increases our metabolic rate and our metabolism, which leads to us burning more fat more often."

Most protein powders contain whey, a milk derivative, but there are several other options like egg, fish, and soy protein to accommodate people with allergies or who are lactose intolerant. "The more often we have food to process in our system, what we notice is that we become leaner because our body's working more often," explained Hesh.

We also add a scoop of L-Glutamine powder to each shake, which is the most abundant amino acid in the body. "Glutamine aids in recovery and it also helps in the non-digestion of the muscle fibers that you've worked so hard to get."

We also use a Potassium and Magnesium supplement that helps balance the amount of sodium in our system, which can lean to water retention.

While we've explained all the do's when it comes to supplements, Hesh wants everyone to know there is a big NO. "I absolutely do not recommend that people use speedy things like caffeine or ephedrine or anything of that nature," he said.

Many of these products have dangerous side-effects and complications, and Hesh says it's just not worth the risk. "It is so easy to get ripped from eating clean, working hard, having a personal trainer and drinking enough water," he said, "there's no doubt in my mind that anybody who wants to get ripped can do it 100% without one of those products."

And that's what we'll continue to do as we push towards our goals.