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How to Lose Fat…Fat Loss 101
Let’s face it: you didn’t gain the fat you want to lose overnight.
So when the objective is to reduce your overall body mass it’s important to commit to a long-term strategy; one that involves timing your meals and making sure they support your activity level.
It also involves selecting nutritionally dense food in correct portions and proper macro-nutrient ratios and writing down exactly what you eat and drink each day. (Remember, what doesn’t get tracked doesn’t get changed!)
The Following is Assumed with a Healthy Fat Loss Plan:
*No Alcohol.
*No sweets or added sugars.
*Consuming water in ounces equal to half your body weight in pounds (150 lbs. = 75oz of H2O).
*Adequate sleep (7-8hrs/night).
*Taking a multivitamin.
Select High Octane Items to Fuel Your Body:
Always choose the highest quality food possible and look for concentrated positive nutrition in the form of high fiber, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, phytochemicals, essential fatty acids, and lean protein.
The best food choices for fat loss are:
- Fresh Fruits & Vegetables
- Fish (Salmon, sardines and mackerel have highest concentration of Omega 3s)and Lean Animal Proteins (Sirloin tip side steak, Top round roast & steak along with Chicken breast, Fat free dairy products and Eggs/egg whites)
- Whole Grains (Wheat, oat, barley, spelt, kamut, rye, & brown rice) and minimally processed whole grain products)
- Healthy Fats (nuts, seeds, oils and avocados)
Serving Sizes – You can have too much of a good thing! With the exception of hormone imbalances and digestive issues, successful fat loss depends on a net energy deficit. Calories burned must be less than calories taken in. Excess calories will be stored somehow. There is no way around this. Counting calories for 7-10 days provides a benchmark and will help you recalibrate portion sizes. Keep in mind that 1/2 your plate should be fruits and vegetables, 1/4 whole grains, and 1/4 lean protein/health fats.
Portion Size Guide:
- Meat and fish 3oz: deck of cards, wallet or checkbook
- Grains and cereals ¾C: tennis ball or woman’s fist
- Nut butters, dressings and seeds Tbsp: golf ball
Fat Loss Success Tips:
- Eat to live, don’t live to eat!
- Taper your meals throughout the day.
- Engage in planned physical activity.
- Don’t allow yourself to eat until you are full and don’t let yourself get hungry!
- Move beyond the “Good/Bad” food dichotomy.
- Turn confusion into simplicity. Design your meals by inclusion not exclusion. Choose from what you CAN eat instead of avoiding empty calories.
- Be proactive about your nutrition; don’t let external circumstances sidetrack you.
Failing to Plan is Planning to Fail: Truth be told, shopping for, preparing and planning healthy snacks and meals is a time consuming, energy intensive process. In fact, it’s a LIFESTYLE. And while it may not always be easy, losing unwanted fat and achieving a healthy weight are completely worth it!