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What's the best way to lose fat?
I'm often asked by both men and women alike, "What's the best way to lose fat?" The answer has always been rather simple - "Cut calories." In fact, after a good number of studies on various diets - e.g. high protein, low carb, low fat or low protein, high carb, low fat or even high protein, low carb, high fat, etc. - the main variable that made the most difference in getting results for these people enrolled in these weight loss studies was...caloric restriction.
This isn't really a groundbreaking concept. For many, many years, bodybuilders have known that in order to get the maximum transformation - it was absolutely necessary to create a caloric deficit...either by eating fewer calories and/or burning more through exercise. Now, it seems so easy doesn't it? Just cut calories and voila! you'll lose weight. Well, you must remember that you don't just want to "lose weight" for the sake of losing weight. What I mean is that you can lose fat weight or lean body mass weight (which includes your muscle, bone, body fluids, etc. pretty much anything that's fat-free on your body). And of course, you want to lose that excess FAT weight. So here's what I typically start people "chewing on" conceptually when they decide to "go on a diet."
Since you want to lose fat weight and ideally, preserve or even BUILD lean body mass, you must start with quality protein sources. Without getting into too much detailed calculations, if you simply substitute the high fat protein foods with low fat protein sources, this will get you in the right direction towards maximum fat loss. What I mean by high fat protein foods: sausage, hamburgers, deep fried anything (e.g. chicken, pork, eggs, etc. What I mean by low fat protein sources: whey protein shakes, egg whites (boiled or cooked with non-fat cooking spray), grilled/baked/broiled/boiled lean cuts of meat like chicken breast, turkey breast, beef (e.g. eye of round, tenderloin, london broil), fish (e.g. tuna packed in water, salmon, etc.).
Next, the seemingly most complicated nutrient for folks - CARBS. I don't believe in "good" or "bad" carbs. I believe in best carbs and best time for consuming carbs. Best carbs: Veggies! Best non-veggie carbs: unrefined, high fiber, whole-grain It's really that simple. If you consume many more vegetable servings per day along with your low fat protein foods, I can almost guarantee that you'll be healthier and get leaner much quicker.
When it comes to eating fat, I keep it simple. Liquid fats are great - especially olive oil. It makes a wonderful dressing along with balsamic vinegar and some mustard. Also, the fat in some fish like salmon is high in omega-3 fatty acids - great for the brain! It's important to limit consumption of the solid fat (think solid=saturated) like in butter and on fatty pieces of meat and definitely check food labels for the dreaded trans fat which is the worst fat out there. Trans fat lowers your "good" cholesterol (HDL) and raises the "bad" cholesterol (LDL). Stay away!
Last, but not least, you must drink water throughout the day. Aim for at least 10 eight oz. glasses of water per day. I seem to do well with 20 glasses per day since I do sweat a bit during intense exercise sessions and frankly, I feel so much better when I'm fully hydrated. I think more clearly and I swear my skin is healthier too!
All right, so that's a quick overview from a nutrition standpoint. Notice that I didn't post any amounts or indicated calories yet. That'll come. For now, it's important to understand that quality calories count a whole lot. Once you actually begin to get a caloric log, it'll be much more streamlined and easy to keep track of where to make changes based on progress. So, your nutrition will prime your body for maximum fat loss and your exercise plan will ignite your progress even more!
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