Fat Loss: Tips, Tricks and Tools of the Trade

At LiveFit, Holly and I spend a lot of time writing fat loss meal plans for our clients. Once we've assessed them, taken into account their food likes and dislikes, set their calories and macro nutrients, and laid out each meal in great detail (down to the gram), they are usually very excited when they receive their meal plan and can't wait to get started on their fat loss journey. 

Holly and I understand that meal plans are very unfamiliar for most people. While we have been living and eating a certain way for a long time, as Holly is an IFBB PRO FIGURE competitor, and our "eating style" has become 2nd nature, as well as a necessity for her to compete at a high level, we know it can be a bit of an adjustment for others.

While it all looks great on paper, implementing the plan we lay out takes planning, preparation, and, most importantly, a certain mindset and a lot of "trench time". Furthermore, it takes developing and implementing actionable strategies and habits, and also having the right tools in your toolbox to make the fat loss process more efficient.

Keeping all of the above in mind, Holly and I wanted to share with you our top fat loss tips and tricks. This is the little "behind the scenes" stuff which can make or break you, and is equally as important as the specifics of a meal plan itself. So, without further ado, in no particular order, here ya' go:

1. Get to the Grocery

This may seem like a "Capt Obvious" point, but you'd be surprised how many people we've worked with who don't get to the store frequently enough. If you are going to take your meal plan on paper and put it into action (or in your mouth), it starts with going to the grocery and having the necessary food on hand.

Figure on going to the store 1 or 2 days each week (maybe more). Going on a weekend day to get you to mid week is a good plan of attack. Take your meal plan with you and try to buy as much in bulk as you possibly can to get you through the week. You can buy meat, fish and poultry in bulk and it all freezes just fine. If you are going to buy FRESH produce in bulk, be careful: it goes bad quickly. Maybe buy enough fresh produce for 3 days and then head back to the store. Alternatively, buy as much as you can frozen and cook as needed, but the last thing you want is a bunch of rotting fruits and veggies. No fun.

Once you get familiar with your meal plan, you'll get into a routine and you'll become very familiar with what and how much you need at the store. You'll also become more familiar with the store itself, and all of this means grocery shopping becomes far more efficient. I'm usually in and out of there in less than 25 minutes because I know exactly what I need and where everything is.

2. Buy a Food Scale

When we write meal plans for people, we are as precise as possible. That means our clients have to be precise as possible or the plan won't work optimally. YOU NEED A FOOD SCALE IF YOU ARE SERIOUS ABOUT FAST FAT LOSS. The more precise you are, the better your results will be, and that's true in any area of your life. If we tell you you need to eat 100 grams of cooked bison, we mean 100 grams of cooked bison. Eye balling it won't cut it.


A nice food scale can be purchased for under $30. You'll want to get one which offers both gram and ounce measurement options, and which you can also zero out (this is key). When weighing your food, place whatever container, utensil or plate you plan on using on the scale first and then zero out the weight of that item. If you take the item off of the scale, the scale will remember what it weighed. Then it's simply a matter of adding the amount of food called for.

Finally, food scales usually require a special battery. When you purchase a scale, it normally comes with a battery, but you'll want to buy a couple of additional batteries because you'll only get a month or two out of a battery.

3. Become a Tupperware Hoarder

If you've ever been to a bodybuilding competition (and if you have not, I'd highly suggest it from a people watching perspective), you'll see more Tupperware per square foot than any other place in the world. Tupperware is an essential tool of the trade in getting the body you want. Holly and I buy very large Tupperware containers to store bulk amounts of chicken, flank, rice, quinoa, sweet potato and hard boiled eggs, and then we portion it out into smaller Tupperware containers so we can take it with us when we go to work or are out "doing life". See the pic below:

In addition to Tupperware, you'll want to have plenty of plastic utensils on hand, as well as a set of measuring spoons and a measuring cup. A Magic Bullet blender for protein shakes and a couple of blender/shaker bottles are also must haves. Finally, it's essential you invest in an insulated cooler bag and ice packs so you can take your food with you during the day while at work or on the go. 

4. Bulk Up

I'm not talking about gorging yourself with food and trying to get all "meathead". I'm talking about preparing your food in bulk. As noted above, preparing chicken, flank, sweet potatoes, rice, quinoa and eggs in bulk quantities-and storing it all in large Tupperware-will save you a great deal of time and make meal prep a lot easier.

One of the best investments we've ever made, and one we encourage our clients to make, is a slow cooker/crock pot. It makes cooking chicken and flank steak in bulk a breeze. We usually put a large amount of either in the cooker on low for 6 hours over night and then transfer it to large Tupperware in the morning when we wake up. Grilling meat and poultry every night is a royal pain in the ass, so this is a nice solution.

Similarly, we cook up bulk amounts of quinoa, rice and eggs a couple of times per week and also store this in the aforementioned large Tupperware. We then just portion it out as needed. The rice and quinoa can be cooked in 15 minutes or less. Hard boiled eggs are a bit of a pain in the ass, but it's just part of the deal...beats having to make an omelet or scramble every day.

5. It Doesn't Have to Be Boring

When most people think of fat loss diets, they think bland or boring. Well, it doesn't have to be that way. If you arm yourself with an array of spices and condiments, you can really jazz up "clean" food. Here are some of our suggestions:

• If you live in Cincinnati, make sure you check out Colonel De's at Findlay Market (they also have an online store). We frequent this place a few times a month and load up on spices and rubs. Some of our favorites are the pork and poultry for (obvious) poultry (we don't dig on swine), ruby red steak rub for any beef product, and garlic goodness for just about anything. 
• Any Mrs. Dash product (salt free)
• Bolthouse Farms salad dressing (this is the best tasting low calorie, low sugar dressing we have ever tried). This is great for salads, but you can also use it on meat or poultry, or mix it in with rice or quinoa.
• Kelly's BBQ sauce...great tasting and low in sugar
• Mustard (we use brown spicy mustard for tuna quite a bit)

6. Suck It Up or Stay The Same

This is not a tip, trick or tool, but more of a reminder about mindset. When people read about the amount of preparation, planning, precision and overall effort required for fat loss success above, they may say to themselves, "There has to be an easier way!" There isn't. If there was one, trust me, we would be going down that route, our clients would be going down that route, and 60+ percent  of the population wouldn't be overweight or obese.

Some people we share our nutrition advice and philosophy with roll their eyes and insist you don't have to go to the lengths we do or advise to get a better body (these are the same people, mind you, who usually ask to pick our brain about the topic because they are unhappy about the way they look but I digress). Everyone wants an easy way out or a quick fix magic bullet, but, the reality is, like it or not, eating to get the body you want is basically a part time job. 

Everyone wants it to be "one thing" which cracks the fat loss conundrum for them. I have news for you: it's not one thing. It isn't eating gluten free. It isn't eating all organic. It's not avoiding carbs after 7:00 at night. It's not a 100 calorie snack pack. It's not avoiding dairy or bread. It's certainly not just "trying to make better food choices" or "only eating half my meal at a restaurant." That "one thing" isn't a supplement or the magical acai berry drink you saw on Dr. Oz. It sure as hell isn't exercise. 

No, instead, fat loss success is the sum and synergy of a bunch of different parts. Like I said, eating for fat loss and weight loss and maintaining that loss is a part time job and a commitment to a lifestyle. If you accept this and suck it up, you'll get the body you want. If you don't, and insist there is a simpler solution, you'll stay the same. Period. It's your choice.

That wraps things up. We hope you found this post helpful, and we hope you take some of these tips, tricks and tools and put them into action. 

If you'd like to know more about our meal planning service, and have all of the guesswork taken out of the equation, please visit the link below and fill out the form at the bottom of the page:

http://www.livefitcincinnati.com/fitness-services/meal-plans/

Until next time, Live Fit!

The Twinke Diet

If you've been keeping up with the health/fitness/nutrition mainstream news headlines this week, you've probably seen the story about the human nutrition professor from Kansas State University who went on what is being referred to as "The Twinkie Diet".

 
Essentially, professor Mark Haub relied on foods found in vending machines-largely processed, sugary crap-for two months (in addition to supplementing with a multi vitamin and 1-2 servings of vegetable daily) and lost almost 30 lbs., in addition to improving several indicators of health (decrease in "bad" cholesterol, increase of "good" cholesterol, decrease in triglycerides, etc.). For the full story, check out the link below:

http://www.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/11/08/twinkie.diet.professor/index.html?hpt=T2

I've received about a half dozen emails from blog readers asking me for my "take" on this, so here goes.

I've said repeatedly on this blog, when it comes to losing weight and body fat, the quantity of calories is far more important than the quality of calories. Making qualitative changes to your nutrition-"eating clean"-does not, in any way, guarantee weight loss (at least not large scale and prolonged weight loss). In order to lose weight and fat, you must:

1. Establish Your Weight/Fat Loss Calorie Requirements: multiply your body weight X 10. If you exercise less than two hours weekly, this is where you start. If you exercise 2 hours weekly, you can ratchet it up to body weight X 11. 3 hours per week? Body weight x 12. Basically, for every hour per week you exercise beyond 2, you can add 1 calorie per pound per day.
2. Adhere to Your Weight/Fat Loss Calorie Requirements: this means quantifying your calorie intake and not surpassing your requirements-DAY IN AND DAY OUT. You'll have to read food labels, weigh and/or measure food, keep a log, etc. Basically, you'll have to take on a part time job.

If you read the full story from CNN linked to above, you'll see professor Haub DID EXACTLY WHAT I JUST DESCRIBED. He simply ate in a calorie deficit.

I've mentioned elsewhere on this blog when dealing with my private clients, initially, I don't really have them worry about the quality of the food they are eating. What I want them to focus on, initially anyway, is getting in the habit of quantifying the food they eat and understanding how many calories they need to take in on a daily basis to lose fat and weight. While this approach may sound like pure anarchy to other fitness professionals, I've had good success with it. It's always eye opening for the client. I usually get comments such as "I was eating WAY to much!" That's the whole point of this little exercise...education.

If I tell a 45 year old guy who is used to eating chicken wings, drinking beer, and eating ice cream 4 or 5 times per week, "You can no longer have any of that", in my opinion, this is a recipe for disaster. However, if I tell him "Hey, you can keep all that stuff in your diet if you are willing to do a little basic math and track your calorie intake", generally, he thinks I'm the greatest trainer in the world and he's willing to do it, but he also gets the message that he can't have it both ways.

If I can get people into the habit of keeping tabs on their calorie intake-and still allow them to eat some crap-for about a month, and they see their scale weight move in the right direction, they are going to be more open to phase two. Phase two is where we start to improve the nutritional quality of the diet and focus on making better selections. If you try to get a person to track their calorie intake AND take out all the foods they enjoy AND start exercising 3-4 days per week all at once, it's just too much on them and they'll say "screw it". I break things up in phases and gradually bring them along.

So, back to professor Haub and "The Twinkie Diet", he lost weight because he knew how many calories he needed to take in to lose weight (he actually was in an 800 calorie daily deficit) and was willing to quantify his intake (something 9 out of 10 people will not do because "it's too tedious" or "too hard"). His health indicators improved because he lost a great deal of body weight, which at least raises the question as to whether processed foods containing high amounts of sugar, trans fats, high fructose corn syrup, and dozens of ingredients really are "unhealthy". Maybe these are only truly unhealthy if they cause one to eat in a caloric surplus (which is likely): eating in a caloric surplus, consistently, causes weight gain, an increase in BMI, an increase in body fat, and an increase in waist circumference and central adiposity. Maybe it's these things-along with a lack of structured exercise-which cause one to become "unhealthy"...not necessarily the processed food in and of itself. Just food for thought.

Would I recommend this type of approach to nutrition? No. Do I think it's optimal? No. Furthermore, from what I gather, professor Haub doesn't exactly endorse it either. His little experiment was not meant to start some bullshit craze or fad diet, it was to make a point and educate his students. I don't think he intended the mainstream press to pick up on it (more on that below).

Ideally, you want to eat a diet appropriate in calories AND a diet which is made up primarily of whole, unprocessed foods. Getting to this point, for most people, is going to be a long journey. As I discussed earlier, most people would probably be better off focusing on quantity of calories first, and then gradually work in to improving the nutritional quality of their diet. Doing it the other way around, in my experience, doesn't work all that well. If you can control the quantity, you'll see a greater decrease in scale weight, body fat, BMI and waist circumference. This builds confidence in the typical person and makes them want to continue taking healthy steps. It gets them on board with the whole "diet improvement" thing. It's easier to talk someone into improving the quality of their diet once they've already lost some weight and are healthier. Just my opinion.

With all of the above being said, I think professor Haub made his point: calories definitely count. I think this is a message which continually needs to be reinforced.  The problem is, many people will misinterpret or miss his point and message entirely, and will start eating out of a vending machine and from drive-thrus WITHOUT tracking their calorie intake. Professor Haub initially started doing this little experiment as a teaching tool for his students who are actively interested in and studying nutrition. They'll likely get the message. For the lay person out there, I can't say the same thing.

http://www.personaltrainerscincinnati.com/

An Article EVERYONE Should Read

Lyle McDonald of http://www.bodyrecomposition.com is one of the brightest minds in the world of nutrition. He wrote a blog post in late July which I feel everyone should read:

http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/the-energy-balance-equation.html

If you are a regular reader of my blog, you know my stance on fat loss nutrition. If you don't, check out my "Weight Loss 101" series...I think you'll see Lyle and I are on the same page, and it's good to see someone else standing up to the critics-who are just flat out wrong- of the energy balance equation.

Brighthub.com Interview on Weight Loss

I've been interviewed (again) on the topic of weight loss at brighthub.com...check it out below:

http://www.brighthub.com/health/fitness/articles/33192.aspx

Are you ready to lose weight? Check out my private services over at http://www.cincinnatifitnesstrainer.com

Weight Loss 101: Supplements

This is the 4th installment of my (hopefully) practical "Weight Loss 101" series. Today, I want to talk about supplementation, and, then, early next week, I'll finish the series off with an entry on dining out and also a discussion of exercise.

Ok, supplements. Look, in my opinion, 99% of supplements are basically worthless. I'm fond of saying Americans have the most expensive urine in the world. We spend a ton of money on these mostly worthless products because we are looking for a "magic bullet" which will allow us to lose weight and feel better without having to do any hard work. Newsflash: this magic bullet doesn't exist, so stop making the manufacturers and distributors of these products rich, and your urine all different shades of yellow and orange.

With the above being said, there are some supplements which have both scientific and anecdotal support in terms of being of some value. Here they are:

1. A multi-vitamin tablet

2. Fish Oil: fat loss and anti-inflammatory benefits

3. Vitamin D: this is the hot new supplement...we don't get enough sunlight, so pick up some Vitamin D3 (stay away from D2). Also helps with absorption of calcium.

4. A greens supplement such as Greens + or Biotest's "Superfood": if you have a hard time getting in enough fruits and veggies, these are nice option

5. Creatine: this is more targeted towards hard training males interested in enhanced muscular strength and lean body mass

6. Glucosamine and chondroitin for joint health

7. Protein powder: great way to get the additional protein so many of us need...add to shakes, oatmeal, etc.

8. Digestive enzymes and probiotics (enzymes before you eat and probiotics after): many of us have a hard time digesting certain nutrients and this stuff helps

9. Metamucil (or something similar) for extra fiber and digestive health

10. Caffeine: has a thermogenic fat loss effect, especially if you are not one who typically indulges in caffeinated beverages.

There. That's it. As for amounts of all of this stuff, you'll have to figure that out on your own (I guess I could have done it for you but I'm lazy). Do a little research, or simply go by what the manufacturer, a dietitian or doctor recommends.

Anything else you see in a "nutrition store", on the Internet, at the grocery etc. is a waste of money. Also, keep in mind, the supplements recommended above are PROGRESS ENHANCERS...NOT PROGRESS STARTERS! If you are not adhering to your weight loss calorie recommendations and choosing nutritious foods, these supplements are not going to make a difference. I see this all the time. People have a medicine cabinet that rivals what you would see at a nutrition center and are 30 lbs. overweight-they are seeking a magic bullet and don't want to do any of the hard work.

To purchase any of the supplements I recommended above, please visit tiger fitness, which offers the highest quality discount supplements online, by clicking on the banner below:

Weight Loss 101: Meal Frequency & Timing

In part 1 of "Weight Loss 101", I discussed the most important topic of this series, establishing your weight loss/fat loss calorie requirements. In part 2, I talked about food selection guidelines. In this installment, I want to discuss meal frequency, timing, and related issues.

Meal frequency, how many times to eat each day ("feeds"), the timing of your meals etc. is a controversial topic. Some experts will tell you it doesn't matter how you break your calories up-whether it be over 1 meal or 10- and that total caloric intake is the only thing you need to consider. Other experts will tell you eating every 2-3 hours, multiple times (6 or more) throughout the day is of vital importance if you want to successfully lose weight. Then there are experts who advise eating a certain number of grams of all the macronutrients at certain times each day. If can be head spinning trying to sort through all this, but it doesn't need to be all that difficult.

Well, here is my take: ideally, yes, you should definitely try to eat multiple smaller meals throughout the day, never going more than 3 or 4 hours without getting some calories in your system. HOWEVER, you are not going to sabotage your weight loss efforts if you don't. Yes, I do think eating more frequent and smaller meals throughout the day can accelerate your success and make your success more sustainable, but, the most important thing is not to exceed your weight loss calorie limits.

Why is it important to eat multiple smaller meals throughout the day? Here is some information I found from another website (liveleantoday.com) which pretty much sums up why eating more frequently and splitting your calories up over many meals is optimal (but not required):

"When you eat food, your blood sugar or blood glucose levels rise. Insulin is secreted by your body in response to food in the digestive system. As time passes, insulin drives glucose into the body’s cells and out of the blood stream. Both insulin and glucose levels decrease. This simplified version of the process takes place each time food in consumed and is considered to be a normal and healthy function of the digestive system.

This process can become unhealthy when an individual consumes 2 or 3 larger meals a day and fasts for four or more hours in between meals. Eating in this manner, allows blood sugar and insulin levels to spike very high after the meal is consumed and drop very low after several hours of fasting. This can result in hypoglycemia or low blood glucose levels.

Symptoms of hypoglycemia can be irritability, confusion,

hunger, sweating, and palpitations to name a few. Ideally, it is advantageous for insulin and glucose levels to remain relatively steady throughout the day. Eating five smaller meals throughout the day minimizes the high spikes and low drops in glucose and insulin levels. In addition to avoiding symptoms of hypoglycemia, smaller meals help to decrease cravings or mood swings. Smaller meals also help you to avoid overeating at mealtime."

So, you see, it has a lot to do with keeping your blood sugar and insulin secretion "in check". By keeping blood sugar and insulin levels steady, you have a better chance of not getting overly ravenous and overeating. Furthermore, I also feel eating more frequent, smaller meals allows you to optimize and take advantage of the thermic effect of feeding (TEF), which is the number of calories your body uses to break down and absorb the food you eat. The more frequently you eat, the more TEF and the more calories you burn through this process.

Let's move on to timing of meals. Look, I'm not gonna make this overly complex. My audience is mostly 8-5 (if you are lucky) professionals with family and social obligations. I'm not going to bombard you with "minutia", and have you try to eat a certain number of grams of specific macro and micro nutrients at certain times throughout the day. You have enough on your plate with keeping track of calories and making highly nutritious selections. All I'll say in regards to timing of meals is this:

1. Eat breakfast: don't make excuses why you can't or won't. Get up 15 minutes earlier or prep your breakfast the night before. If you are not a "breakfast person" or if you are "not hungry in the morning", you need to become a breakfast person and/or find foods which you can get down early in the morning. Eating breakfast sets the tone for your day, gets your blood sugar steady, and generally gets you off on the right foot. Also, if you refer back to part 2 of this series, you'll notice I recommended eating carbs with breakfast, as your body is in a state to handle them well.

2. Get a good mix of protein and carbs within an hour after your workouts. Take advantage of this "window" of time post workout. Again, your body is in a state to handle carbs well after a workout because your glycogen stores are depleted and need to be replenished. Also, this post-workout "feed" goes a long way in helping you to recover from the stress of a hard workout.

I like post-workout smoothies or shakes for a quick meal I can take with me on the go. You can

buy these pre-packaged, at your gym (ask for the nutrition info) or make your own. If you make your own, make it before hand so you can easily get to it after your workout. I like this:

8 oz. skim milk

1 scoop vanilla protein powder

2 oz. strawberries

2 oz. blueberries

2 oz. raspberries

The little drink above is under 300 calories and packs a great post workout nutritional punch.

3. Limit your late afternoon and evening meals to lean proteins, good fats, fruits and veggies...try to avoid starchy carbs at these times of day. Once again, starchy carbs are best consumed in the morning, late morning, and post-workout. So, cereals, breads, pastas, oatmeal etc. (again, see part 2 for recommended starches) should be eaten with breakfast or post workout.

That's all I have for this installment. I hope this series has been beneficial and, most importantly, practical and easily understood to this point. Next time, I'll talk a bit about supplements (most are worthless by the way). Now, go put some of this information into action!

Also visit us at http://www.cincinnatifitnesstrainer.com/cincinnati-personal-trainers.html

Eating Properly Really is a Full-Time Job

Mike Robertson of Robertson Training Systems and Indianapolis Fitness & Sports Training puts out a great newsletter, and, in the most recent issue, he interviewed fat loss nutrition expert Leigh Peele. Check out the response Peele gave to one of Mike's questions below:

MR: So if a client came to you with the New Years Resolution to drop some serious body fat, how would you help them do that?

LP: The first thing I would do is send their butt to target and have them buy two things. A journal and a food scale. It will be the most enlightening and eye opening experience of their lives. I would make them log their daily dietary habits of what they are still doing. Give them a big eye opener into how much food they are really eating, and then from there help them map out a plan.

The problem with most people is they expect it to be easy. No thought, no work. That is great and all if you are eating nothing but chicken breasts and lettuce. It is a bit different if you want to have any variety of food or lifestyle in your diet or training. Lazy tracking breeds lackluster results for the majority of people. You have to understand what you are putting in your body, then and only then, will you know what to take out.

I thought this was a great answer, and really drives home the point that if you are serious about getting your diet in line and losing body fat, nothing comes easy. You really have to work for it and put in the effort. I get frustrated with people who assume proper nutrition "just happens". Look, as Leigh Peele pointed out above, you have to monitor and track your food intake. You have to get to the grocery store each and every week to buy the proper food. You have to read labels, measure out servings, weigh food, etc. in accordance with your calorie requirements. You have to research menu items ahead of time if you are going to be dining out. It just doesn't "happen". Tracking and monitoring become even more important if you want a lot of variety in your diet. THIS IS A FULL-TIME JOB...ONE YOU BETTER BE PREPARED TO COMMIT TO!

As new year's day approaches, don't fool yourself into thinking you can make a small change here and there and try "to eat healthier" and get the results you want. You better be prepared to commit to this stuff full on. A lot of people will see "I can't do all this monitoring and tracking...it's just not practical." That's fine...just don't bitch about not getting any results. If it was easy and didn't take any planning, sacrifice and effort, 2 out of 3 people in this country wouldn't be overweight or obese.

The Problem with Weight Loss: Your Body Will Do The Opposite

Really great article below by CA based trainer Alwyn Cosgrove on weight loss. With New Year's Day almost upon us, there are a lot of great principles and concepts to weigh and consider if you are considering a "weight loss oriented" New Year's Resolution. Enjoy!

PJ Striet

The Problem with Weight Loss: Your Body Will Do The Opposite.
By Alwyn Cosgrove http://tinyurl.com/6yyx5z

Homeostasis is the property of a living organism, that regulates its internal environment so as to maintain a stable, constant condition.
When you don't drink enough water in the short term -- often the body retains water. It attempts to maintain homeostasis by counteracting the stresses we put on it.
When you drink a lot of extra water - your body excretes more water to maintain balance.
When we weight train -- we actually break down muscle tissue. And the body responds by building new muscle. It attempts to maintain homeostasis by doing the reverse of the stimulus we placed on it.
When a male takes supplemental testosterone -- the body shuts down its own production in a bid to maintain homeostasis.
When we immunize children against disease -- we actually inject them with a small dose of that disease. The immune system recognizes the vaccine as foreign, destroys it, and 'remembers' it. When the virulent version of an agent comes along, the immune system is thus prepared to respond. In order to prepare the body to defend against a disease - we expose it to the disease - and it responds by doing the opposite - it destroys the disease.

In almost every situation I can think of, the body tries to maintain homeostasis by "doing the opposite" of the stimulus.
How does this apply to weight loss?
Now we know that while you are doing it -- low intensity exercise burns primarily fat.
Higher intensity exercise actually burns more carb stores than fat.
But in every head to head comparison, high intensity exercise results in more fat loss than low intensity exercise - even though the more intense work may burn a lesser percentage of fat during the exercise session.
Burning glycogen results in a larger amount of fat lost than burning fat directly.
The body responds by "doing the opposite"...
Break down muscle to grow more muscle. Burn glycogen to lose more fat.

I designed Warp Speed Fat Loss training program to specifically take advantage of this ‘law’ of nature so that when your body “does the opposite” you’ll end up with faster and greater fat loss.

About the Author/More Info:

Warp Speed Fat Loss is a complete 28 day diet and training system crafted to help you lose 10,15, or 20lbs of body fat in just 28 day. To start losing weight fast visit http://tinyurl.com/6yyx5z. Alwyn Cosgrove, M.S., C.S.C.S. is a nationally renown fat loss expert whose work has appeared in magazines such as Men’s Health, Men’s Fitness, Muscle & Fitness, Maximum Fitness, Men’s Journal, Self, Oxygen, and Muscle & Fitness HERS. His Warp Speed Fat Loss system is a complete Done-for-You A-Z Fat Loss Blueprint that gives you exactly everything you need to eat and exactly what to do for exercise to lose weight in record time.




http://tinyurl.com/6yyx5z

The FORCE Fitness & Performance Podcast Episode 4

Also visit us at: http://www.cincinnatifitnesstrainer.com/cincinnati-personal-training.html

Click the FORCE logo to access episode 4 of the FORCE Fitness & Performance Podcast: The Truth About Exercise & Weight Loss. With New Year's day right around the corner, many will be making a resolution to lose weight. Episode 4 will, hopefully, provide you with the information you need to go into "resolution season" with the right perspective and finally experience weight loss success.

Weight Loss

I want to rant a little about weight loss. It is time people got back to basics when it comes to weight loss and, furthermore, it is time people stopped making excuses for why they cannot keep better tabs on their diet and nutrition.

If you regularly read my blog, you'll know how I feel about weight loss and fat loss: a calorically appropriate diet is the most significant factor and contributor to one's success or, for most, lack thereof. People get caught up in and focus on secondary factors such as eating organic foods, avoiding sugar, the proportion of carbohydrate to protein to fat, and a myriad of other issues when they should be focusing on the one thing most do not: THE OVERALL VOLUME OF ENERGY (CALORIES) BEING CONSUMED.

If you've read my fat loss nutrition series, you'll know some of these secondary issues listed above do warrant consideration, but only if one first understands what an appropriate caloric intake should be for their goals, and, more importantly, has been consistently applying this understanding on a daily basis. All too often I'm asked by people interested in weight loss about things like glycemic index, high fructose corn syrup, how many times to eat per day, whether free range chicken will help them lose weight faster, etc. They think these types of things are what is "holding them back" when, in fact, it is the extra 800-1000 calories they are eating above their maintenance levels on a daily basis which they need to address first.

I often hear people say "I eat pretty healthy and still don't lose any weight" or "I make good food choices and still haven't lost any weight" or "I eat healthy the majority of the time". I don't don't doubt that they do. What I have found is that people's overall selection of food, by and large, isn't the issue...the volume of the food being eaten is. Generally, people "eat healthy" the vast majority of the time if we define "eating healthy" as eating foods with high nutritional value. Most people struggling to lose weight are not eating cakes, candy, chips, cookies etc. all the time. These foods may appear at times throughout the week, but they are the exception and not the rule.

People need to stop making excuses for why they can't read labels, measure out servings, etc. and apply this information when eating their meals. They need to stop "coping out" with "I try to eat healthy and it's not working" and the "Counting calories isn't practical for me" lines of thinking. If you understand, for example, you need to be eating 12 calories per pound of your current body weight each day in order to facilitate weight loss, there is no reason outside of laziness and a lack of dedication on your part why you can't adhere to your calorie requirements the vast majority of the time...I'm not saying you have to be perfect with it and I'll admit it's almost impossible to do so. I'm not saying you need to be obsessed with counting calories and measuring food. However, you do have to at least apply it more often than not.

Positive results, no matter what area of your life, do not come about by haphazard application of principles. You can't coast your way, at least not over the long term, to great results. You can't guess at things and hope to be very successful. I've said before weight loss is a part-time job you have to be willing to take on. You must be willing to apply the principles in order to get the job done successfully. You can't worry about secondary nutritional issues and methods without first understanding and applying the primary principles.

There is something called the "80/20 Rule" which I have found to be true in most areas of life, and, particularly to weight loss: 80% of your results come from 20% of your efforts. It's not the "fluff" or secondary nutritional issues which are responsible for the vast majority (80%) of your weight loss success...it is the 20%, the key principles, such as not exceeding a range of calories, which determine whether or not you are having success.

Bottom line: people over complicate weight loss and try to make it more complex than it needs to be as a way to cover up the fact that they haven't applied easily understood principles. I know it isn't trendy, but I still think weight loss comes down to input vs. output, and if you don't know what your input is, or are guessing at it (and research has shown most people drastically under estimate their calorie intake), it should be obvious you are not going to have much success. Don't try to walk (focusing on eating organic foods, the "perfect" percentage of macro nutrients, supplements, etc) before you can crawl (establishing caloric limits for weight loss and not exceeding those limits the majority of the time).

Fat Loss Nutrition

Here is the index of my "Fat Loss Nutrition" series:

PART 1: DETERMINING CALORIC NEEDS

PART 2: FOOD SELECTION

PART 3: MAXIMIZING THE THERMIC EFFECT OF FEEDING (TEF)

PART 4: NUTRIENT TIMING

Weight Loss Nutrition

Precision Nutrition, by Dr. John Berardi, is a weight loss and fat loss program fully endorsed by Force Fitness & Performance (Cincinnati, OH). It is the most comprehensive weight and fat loss program I've come across in my 15 years of involvement in the fitness industry. Precision Nutrition covers the following:

• Caloric needs


• Food selection


• Macro nutrient ratios


• Micro nutrients and supplementation


• Nutrient timing and performance nutrition


• Menu Planning


• Gourmet Nutrition recipes


• Optimizing your kitchen for healthy eating
  

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