Time and time again I have noticed that dieters start their diets with a sincere effort and even count all the calories of the foods that they consume. However, most totally forget about the fact that fruit juices, sodas and other beverages contain calories as well. Therefore, avoid any type of drink that contains calories and concentrate on drinking plain water instead.
By doing this you will get the following benefits:
- Your appetite will be suppressed as water helps control your appetite. Sometimes when you feel hungry after a good meal this sensation indicates a lack of water. Drinking water at that time would take the craving away.
- You will get a metabolic boost as cold water increases your metabolism.
- The fat loss process will be operating a full peak as water is needed in order for fat loss to occur.
- You will not be drinking unnecessary calories as water has no calories.
One thing that totally kills dieters is going to work. Work, however, is not the culprit. The culprit is the lunch hour. If the dieter does not pre pack his/her food, lunch comes along and the person ends up going to the nearest fast food joint and exposing themselves to temptation that probably nine out of ten times they succumb to.
Therefore, the best way to stay on the diet (and also avoid losing meals) is to pre pack everything in such a way that when a meal time comes, it is relatively easy to have access to the food. Another advantage of this is that since the food is pre packed, you will not be adding extra food to the plate.
Fat Loss Rule #8: Go to bed early.
Two reasons for this:
- Lack of sleep increases your hormone cortisol, which is a hormone that stores fat and burns muscle (in other words, it does the exact opposite of what you are trying to accomplish), and decreases your testosterone levels (which need to be high in order to keep your fat burning/muscle gaining processes going at full speed). While sleep requirements vary, seven to nine hours of sleep is generally a good rule of thumb.
- The probability of succumbing to late night cravings increases exponentially for every late hour of the day that you stay awake.
Prescription For Fat Loss
Now that I have covered the 8 rules for fat loss, below is the prescription for losing fat:
- Use weight training as the main exercise form in your training routine: If you are starting out, stick to a full body weight training routine performed three times a week; like Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays (if you are just starting out, please visit my article for beginning bodybuilders).
You may want to experiment training first thing in the morning on an empty stomach in order to further accelerate fat loss gains. The key is to remain properly hydrated with plenty of water before, during and after the workout. Give it a four week trial and if you just don't feel good (or it is not practical based on your schedule) then just train at any convenient time during the day.
If you are able to do the weight training in the morning, then do 40 minutes of weights and only 10 minutes of a light bike ride afterwards in order to flush out the lactic acid in your system.
- Use cardio on the days that you do not lift weights first thing in the morning on an empty stomach. Again, the key thing is to remain well hydrated. Also, limit yourself to no more than 40 minutes. If you have been doing cardio for a while now, throw a curve ball at your body in order to keep it guessing and therefore adapting (in this case, in order to keep the aerobic activity burning fat).
You can confuse the body by doing 2 weeks of 20 minutes of cardio, then two weeks of 30 minutes and then 2 weeks of 40 minutes. After the last two weeks, repeat the six week cycle.
[Note: Keep in mind that in order to burn fat while performing aerobics you need to keep your heart rate at the fat burning range, which is a formula that provides a measure of the amount of exertion that is necessary for the body to burn some fat. Many people neglect this and therefore, get no benefit out of aerobic exercise. Your fat burning range is: [220-Your Age] x 0.75= Required beats per minute. So as long as you keep your heart rate at that level, plus or minus 10 beats per minute, you will be burning fat. Calculator your heart rate here.].
- Eat 5 to 6 meals per day. Use a ratio of 40-45%, 40-35%, and no more than 20% fat in every meal. (Please visit my nutrition page for more nutritional information advice).
- Get 7 (8 hours being the ideal) to 9 hours of sleep each night: As we already mentioned, lack of sleep increases your hormone cortisol, which is a hormone that stores fat and burns muscle (in other words, it does the exact opposite of what you are trying to accomplish), and decreases your testosterone levels (which need to be high in order to keep your fat burning/muscle gaining processes going at full speed).
- Use good bodybuilding supplements: Use a good Multiple Vitamin and Mineral formula along with a protein supplement. The reason for the Multiple Vitamin and Mineral formula is to avoid nutritional deficiencies. The brand I use is the Eclipse 2000 Complex 24. Also, get yourself a good Vitamin C supplement (I take 3 grams in divided dosages of 1 gram a day). Vitamin C is a great cortisol suppressor plus it helps your immune system. Finally, use a good protein supplement as a convenient way to get all of your meals without having to eat real food all day long. If you are into protein bars try the Labrada bars. They taste great! If you are into protein drinks try Ready-To-Drink Protein Shakes or Labrada's Pro V60.
- Drink plenty of water: Ensure that you drink plenty of water (bodyweight x 0.66 = ounces that you need to drink every day).
- Refrain from smoking or drinking: No smoking or drinking alcohol. Both lower testosterone levels (amongst other problems). Alcohol in particular is great for gaining fat.
I hope this thoroughly clears all of the confusion associated with losing fat. I wish I could tell you that there is a magic bullet out there that will make all of the fat disappear but I can tell you that I have really searched for it and the only one available is just plain hard work, smart dieting and your determination to make it happen.
Good luck with the dieting!
