Monday, 15 October 2007
Tips for Maintainable Healthy Fat Loss
Before we start to diet (for fat-loss) there are a few things we need to think about....
We need to lose FAT not weight, fat-loss is a relatively slow process so losing lots of weight in one week can be sub-optimal, we need to set the body up as a fat burning machine not an advanced water pump. The mirror and your friends will tell you more than the bathroom scales ever will. Measure yourself, neck, arms, waist, thighs, honestly and at the largest circumference, take some pictures before you start and if you know a trainer have them take some skin-fold measurements so you can track progress.
Most diets work if we stick to them, just keep it realistic and try to find something you can pretty much stick with, this is where most fad/extreme diets become difficult, they simply cannot be maintained for extended periods (i.e. most of the time) leading to yo-yo weight-loss and gain.
I have found healthy fat levels are relatively easy to achieve/maintain (men 10-15% , women 16 -25 %) with a few simple rules. The extreme low fat levels (4-8% men and 10-16% women) can be achieved but careful planning and eating/training are required. Maintaining these low levels for too long can be detrimental to health, personally I stick to a couple of months in the summer at low levels, the rest of the year keeping to healthy fat levels.
As fat-loss on an individual basis can be pretty specific (taking into account goals, physiology, psychology, personal tastes, fitness levels etc.) Speak to your trainer to find your own required daily calorie intake to loose fat, if you don't have a trainer a basic starting point is 14 x LBM* in lbs but this does not factor in extra requirements for exercise and should be used as a guide only.
*LBM= lean body mass or total body-weight - fat weight
That said here are some basic fat-loss/nutrition tips.
1. Eat regular meals 6-8 times a day, two or three meals a day is not enough to maintain balanced blood sugar/insulin levels. This has the benefit of reducing cravings and more importantly fat storage. While insulin levels are elevated: - we can not burn fat - will feel more hungry - store fat once the liver and muscles glycogen levels are replenished - with prolonged high levels, reduce our cells resistance to insulin, making fat-loss more difficult and increase the risk of developing type 2 diabetes Frequent meals also provide the body with a steady stream of nutrients promoting growth and recovery.
2. Eat good lean protein with each meal, chicken, fish, lean meats, cottage cheese (the low fat kind) or, this is where protein supplements come in very handy, some GOOD QUALITY whey protein.
I recommend:
Again there are many reasons for this;
protein (1) - aids recovery of muscle tissue (2)- is essential for metabolic function (3)- increases metabolism (via T.E.F) (4)- satiates, provides a feeling of "fullness" (5)- aids fat-loss to name but a few.
3. Try to get most of your Carbohydrate intake from fresh fruit/veg and whole-foods, avoiding processed carbs/foods (workout/post workout meals and drinks excepted)
4. Avoid mixing carbs/fats on their own, (see tip 1)
5. Try to avoid calories in any drinks, these often add up to huge amounts and can play havoc with your diet plans. One client of mine was getting close to 800 kcal's a day from drinking litres of smoothies, when he stopped this his diet fell into place and the fat flew off. If you must drink soft drinks, pick your poison, I find it impossible to diet without some diet cherry coke, but water is better.
6. Don't discount good fats, healthy oils are essential while dieting omega 3's (fish oils) and monounsaturated oils (olive oils, nut oils) We should Aim for about 25-30% of daily calories to come from from these healthy fats, on a strict fat-loss diet where carbs are reduced intake can go up to 50% of daily Kcals.
7. Avoid snacking, if you eat the required 6-8 times a day your energy levels should feel pretty balanced, snacking can be a habit just try to avoid it for a week or so....
Follow these tips, try to integrate them into your daily life and you should see great results without being on a "specific" fad diet.
Martin McCorry
We need to lose FAT not weight, fat-loss is a relatively slow process so losing lots of weight in one week can be sub-optimal, we need to set the body up as a fat burning machine not an advanced water pump. The mirror and your friends will tell you more than the bathroom scales ever will. Measure yourself, neck, arms, waist, thighs, honestly and at the largest circumference, take some pictures before you start and if you know a trainer have them take some skin-fold measurements so you can track progress.
Most diets work if we stick to them, just keep it realistic and try to find something you can pretty much stick with, this is where most fad/extreme diets become difficult, they simply cannot be maintained for extended periods (i.e. most of the time) leading to yo-yo weight-loss and gain.
I have found healthy fat levels are relatively easy to achieve/maintain (men 10-15% , women 16 -25 %) with a few simple rules. The extreme low fat levels (4-8% men and 10-16% women) can be achieved but careful planning and eating/training are required. Maintaining these low levels for too long can be detrimental to health, personally I stick to a couple of months in the summer at low levels, the rest of the year keeping to healthy fat levels.
As fat-loss on an individual basis can be pretty specific (taking into account goals, physiology, psychology, personal tastes, fitness levels etc.) Speak to your trainer to find your own required daily calorie intake to loose fat, if you don't have a trainer a basic starting point is 14 x LBM* in lbs but this does not factor in extra requirements for exercise and should be used as a guide only.
*LBM= lean body mass or total body-weight - fat weight
That said here are some basic fat-loss/nutrition tips.
1. Eat regular meals 6-8 times a day, two or three meals a day is not enough to maintain balanced blood sugar/insulin levels. This has the benefit of reducing cravings and more importantly fat storage. While insulin levels are elevated: - we can not burn fat - will feel more hungry - store fat once the liver and muscles glycogen levels are replenished - with prolonged high levels, reduce our cells resistance to insulin, making fat-loss more difficult and increase the risk of developing type 2 diabetes Frequent meals also provide the body with a steady stream of nutrients promoting growth and recovery.
2. Eat good lean protein with each meal, chicken, fish, lean meats, cottage cheese (the low fat kind) or, this is where protein supplements come in very handy, some GOOD QUALITY whey protein.
I recommend:
Again there are many reasons for this;
protein (1) - aids recovery of muscle tissue (2)- is essential for metabolic function (3)- increases metabolism (via T.E.F) (4)- satiates, provides a feeling of "fullness" (5)- aids fat-loss to name but a few.
3. Try to get most of your Carbohydrate intake from fresh fruit/veg and whole-foods, avoiding processed carbs/foods (workout/post workout meals and drinks excepted)
4. Avoid mixing carbs/fats on their own, (see tip 1)
5. Try to avoid calories in any drinks, these often add up to huge amounts and can play havoc with your diet plans. One client of mine was getting close to 800 kcal's a day from drinking litres of smoothies, when he stopped this his diet fell into place and the fat flew off. If you must drink soft drinks, pick your poison, I find it impossible to diet without some diet cherry coke, but water is better.
6. Don't discount good fats, healthy oils are essential while dieting omega 3's (fish oils) and monounsaturated oils (olive oils, nut oils) We should Aim for about 25-30% of daily calories to come from from these healthy fats, on a strict fat-loss diet where carbs are reduced intake can go up to 50% of daily Kcals.
7. Avoid snacking, if you eat the required 6-8 times a day your energy levels should feel pretty balanced, snacking can be a habit just try to avoid it for a week or so....
Follow these tips, try to integrate them into your daily life and you should see great results without being on a "specific" fad diet.
Martin McCorry
posted by Tommy Matthews @ 10:22 0 comments
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