Incorporating these fat loss tips will improve your nutrition program. Start off slowly and add one a week, you don't have to adopt all of them at
once. Before long, you've cleaned up your nutrition program and onyour way to reaching your goal. Trendy diets, fads and the infomercial
product of the month, are not going to help you reach your weight loss goals. A well thought-out nutrition and exercise program will.
Eat breakfast
Proven time and again, those who eat breakfast are more successful at controlling their weight than those that don't. Plus, when doing strength
training exercises (and you know you should be), it's even more important to make certain you fuel those muscles after an overnight fast.
The perfect time for burning fat because glycogen, blood glucose and insulin levels are all low.
Unfortunately, it may also be perfect for burning muscle, because glycogen levels are low, and levels of the catabolic stress hormone
cortisol are high. If you skip breakfast and eat lunch at noon, you're not only in a highly catabolic (muscle wasting) state, you're also sending an
unmistakable starvation signal to your body.
Eat less sugar
Start reading labels! Sugar is hidden in almost every commercial food item. A single tablespoon of ketchup gets 3 of its 4 grams of carbs from
sugar. A 12 oz can of cola has a staggering 40 grams of sugar, and ALL of the carbs in a cola are sugar! Why does that matter?
Simple sugars are digested very quickly and cause a rapid spike in blood sugar. Your body then releases large amounts of insulin. Insulin
quickly clears the glucose from the bloodstream leading to low blood sugar (hypoglycemia.) Low blood sugar causes cravings, hunger,
weakness, mood swings and decreased energy. These cravings for sugar result in a vicious cycle of ups and downs in blood sugar levels
throughout the day.
Eat More Often
Studies have shown that those who eat 4-6 smaller meals per day have less body fat than those eating 2-3 meals a day, even if both groups eat
about the same number of calories. This is because of maintaining steady blood sugar levels. Too much insulin activates fat storage
enzymes and forces fat in the bloodstream into fat cells for storage.
High insulin levels also inhibit enzymes that promote the breakdown of existing stored body fat. You can manage your blood sugar and insulin
levels by choosing fewer simple carbohydrates, more complex carbohydrates, eating fiber and having your carbohydrates with lean
proteins approximately every three hours.
Eat protein
Be sure to include enough protein for your level of activity (you are exercising...right?)
Protein speeds up your metabolism because your body has to work harder to digest, process, and utilize it compared to fats or carbs.
The "thermic" effect of protein is one of the reasons that a higher protein diet is more effective for fat loss than a diet high in fat or carbs. Too
much of any food can be stored as body fat, but protein is less likely tobe converted to fat than any other nutrient.
Eat nothing from a box
The closer your food is to nature the better off you are. Have you looked at the ingredients list in most packaged food these days? You need to
be a scientist to figure out what half the ingredients are. Stick to real,wholesome foods, fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean protein, etc.
Eat your vegetables
I don't mean fast food french fries. Try to get as many vegetable servings into your meals as you can. It's nearly impossible to over eat vegetables.
They are full of fiber and will help keep you full between meals. They also contain loads of antioxidants. Raw is great, steamed is another
good way to have them. Hold the heavy cheese sauces please!
Eat protein and carbs together
If you want to keep your blood sugar in check, then don't eat your carbs by themselves. Strive to always have balanced meals of protein, carbs
and healthy fats. You'll feel better and your muscles will thank you.
Prepare your own food
Best for several reasons...It's cheaper than eating out, you know exactly what you are eating, and it saves time. It takes no more time to cook up 6
healthy chicken breasts than it does to cook one or two. Make things easy. Prepare them over the weekend and your lunches for the next few
days are done. While you are at it, put on a pot of brown or wild rice, or bake up some sweet potatoes and you're good to go.
Drink water
LOTS! Most people are already dehydrated. Strive to drink a gallon a day. If you drink a lot of coffee, then you need an extra 8 oz for each cup
of coffee. Exercise will put more demands on your fluid levels. You need water. Drink 50-75% of your body weight in ounces of water. Add an
additional 16 oz for strenuous exercise. No complaining!
Get more exercise
Get some exercise on most days of the week, and alternate between strength training exercises and cardio training. If you are a beginner,
shoot for two weight workouts a week and progress to 3 or more depending upon your goals. Get in as many cardio sessions as your
schedule will allow, but aim for at least 3.
Commit to adopting these nutrition program changes and you'll be well on your way to reaching your weight loss goal, whether it's ten pounds
or many more. Sound nutrition and exercise will always succeed in thelong run. Don't give into the temptation of fads.
once. Before long, you've cleaned up your nutrition program and onyour way to reaching your goal. Trendy diets, fads and the infomercial
product of the month, are not going to help you reach your weight loss goals. A well thought-out nutrition and exercise program will.
Eat breakfast
Proven time and again, those who eat breakfast are more successful at controlling their weight than those that don't. Plus, when doing strength
training exercises (and you know you should be), it's even more important to make certain you fuel those muscles after an overnight fast.
The perfect time for burning fat because glycogen, blood glucose and insulin levels are all low.
Unfortunately, it may also be perfect for burning muscle, because glycogen levels are low, and levels of the catabolic stress hormone
cortisol are high. If you skip breakfast and eat lunch at noon, you're not only in a highly catabolic (muscle wasting) state, you're also sending an
unmistakable starvation signal to your body.
Eat less sugar
Start reading labels! Sugar is hidden in almost every commercial food item. A single tablespoon of ketchup gets 3 of its 4 grams of carbs from
sugar. A 12 oz can of cola has a staggering 40 grams of sugar, and ALL of the carbs in a cola are sugar! Why does that matter?
Simple sugars are digested very quickly and cause a rapid spike in blood sugar. Your body then releases large amounts of insulin. Insulin
quickly clears the glucose from the bloodstream leading to low blood sugar (hypoglycemia.) Low blood sugar causes cravings, hunger,
weakness, mood swings and decreased energy. These cravings for sugar result in a vicious cycle of ups and downs in blood sugar levels
throughout the day.
Eat More Often
Studies have shown that those who eat 4-6 smaller meals per day have less body fat than those eating 2-3 meals a day, even if both groups eat
about the same number of calories. This is because of maintaining steady blood sugar levels. Too much insulin activates fat storage
enzymes and forces fat in the bloodstream into fat cells for storage.
High insulin levels also inhibit enzymes that promote the breakdown of existing stored body fat. You can manage your blood sugar and insulin
levels by choosing fewer simple carbohydrates, more complex carbohydrates, eating fiber and having your carbohydrates with lean
proteins approximately every three hours.
Eat protein
Be sure to include enough protein for your level of activity (you are exercising...right?)
Protein speeds up your metabolism because your body has to work harder to digest, process, and utilize it compared to fats or carbs.
The "thermic" effect of protein is one of the reasons that a higher protein diet is more effective for fat loss than a diet high in fat or carbs. Too
much of any food can be stored as body fat, but protein is less likely tobe converted to fat than any other nutrient.
Eat nothing from a box
The closer your food is to nature the better off you are. Have you looked at the ingredients list in most packaged food these days? You need to
be a scientist to figure out what half the ingredients are. Stick to real,wholesome foods, fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean protein, etc.
Eat your vegetables
I don't mean fast food french fries. Try to get as many vegetable servings into your meals as you can. It's nearly impossible to over eat vegetables.
They are full of fiber and will help keep you full between meals. They also contain loads of antioxidants. Raw is great, steamed is another
good way to have them. Hold the heavy cheese sauces please!
Eat protein and carbs together
If you want to keep your blood sugar in check, then don't eat your carbs by themselves. Strive to always have balanced meals of protein, carbs
and healthy fats. You'll feel better and your muscles will thank you.
Prepare your own food
Best for several reasons...It's cheaper than eating out, you know exactly what you are eating, and it saves time. It takes no more time to cook up 6
healthy chicken breasts than it does to cook one or two. Make things easy. Prepare them over the weekend and your lunches for the next few
days are done. While you are at it, put on a pot of brown or wild rice, or bake up some sweet potatoes and you're good to go.
Drink water
LOTS! Most people are already dehydrated. Strive to drink a gallon a day. If you drink a lot of coffee, then you need an extra 8 oz for each cup
of coffee. Exercise will put more demands on your fluid levels. You need water. Drink 50-75% of your body weight in ounces of water. Add an
additional 16 oz for strenuous exercise. No complaining!
Get more exercise
Get some exercise on most days of the week, and alternate between strength training exercises and cardio training. If you are a beginner,
shoot for two weight workouts a week and progress to 3 or more depending upon your goals. Get in as many cardio sessions as your
schedule will allow, but aim for at least 3.
Commit to adopting these nutrition program changes and you'll be well on your way to reaching your weight loss goal, whether it's ten pounds
or many more. Sound nutrition and exercise will always succeed in thelong run. Don't give into the temptation of fads.
