By Marcus Hunt
(Photo by Marcus Hunt)
Flab and drag, muffin tops and love handles. Maintaining is fine, but if you are looking to make a serious resolution to lose weight, and prepared to reap the benefits of a healthier body, a better mood, and increased confidence among others, then this article is for you. Summer will be here sooner than you think, so let’s get started.
As discussed last week, to gain weight, determining your Base Metabolic Rate or BMR, is the first place to start, and from there, adding calories based upon your activity levels, desired weight gain, and such. To tackle this week’s topic, losing weight, includes using your BMR and subtracting 500 calories from it and making weekly adjustments based upon results.
A common fitness cliche used when trying to lose weight is the expression “a calorie is a calorie” based upon this saying, a calorie from a twinkie would have the same muscle building or fat burning qualities as a calorie from a sweet potato. I beg to differ.
I firmly believe that consuming the right amount of calories, in conjunction with exercise and “smart” food choices lead to the best results.
A low carbohydrate and high protein diet will be your most effective weapon against your battle against fat loss. The main function of a carbohydrate is to be used for energy, and when consumed in excess, will be stored as fat very easily. Protein on the other hand is used for maintenance and repair of cells and could also be used as energy by the body if necessary, but it is difficult to be stored as fat.
Protein is also the most thermogenic of the macronutrients (protein, fat, carbs) meaning it requires the most calories to digest and to use by the body, therefore, helping with overall calorie expenditure and aiding weight loss.
Eating smaller more frequent meals spaced throughout the day allows your body to absorb and use food more efficiently, keeping your metabolism elevated on a consistent basis, leading to an increased amount of calories burned.
Another tool that should be in your fat loss arsenal is fish oil. With numerous health benefits to the skin, eyes, hair, brain, and joints, fish oil also helps improve the body’s insulin sensitivity, or how efficiently your body is able to process and use carbohydrates. Improving insulin sensitivity helps with fat loss by making carbs that are consumed more likely be able to be used as energy instead of stored as fat.
Additionally, supplements such as caffeine, green tea extract, coconut oil, CLA, and L-Carnitine will also contribute to fat loss.
Remember, you cannot buy your way to the perfect body, supplements will help, but diet and exercise reign supreme and should be what you are putting the most time and effort into in order to see results.
Implement these tactics, prepare to have your willpower tested, and you’ll be on the fast track to your shredded beach-ready physique.
