1. Weight Training. Building lean body mass (muscle) will
speed up your body’s metablism. Muscle is “active” tissue,
meaning it takes calories to maintain. The more muscle you
have, the more calories you burn. You build muscle by doing
resistance training exercises. Simple enough? Let’s go on…
2. Reduce Carbohydrate Intake. Say what? I thought you need
a lot of carbohydrates for fuel? True, but an excess intake
of carbs (please don’t call them carbos) can and will be
stored as body fat. 100% of all my clients who reduce their
carbohydrate intake for fat loss succeed. I can’t let all my
tricks out of the bag in fairness to my paying clients, but
a good starting point would be 1 – 1.25 grams of carbohydrate
per pound of lean body weight per day.
3. Eat Frequently. I know you’ve all heard this before and
it’s true. Four to six meals daily has its benefits,
especially on a sub maintenance calorie diet. It allows for
a steady flow of nutrients to the body which creates a
favorable metabolics environment for muscle growth and fat
loss.
4. Eat More Protein. That’s right… The building blocks of
muscle are amino acids, and you get that from protein. I’ve
found that many of my clients consumed too little protein.
Now that I’ve taught them these nutritional tactics, they’re
on their way to losing fat and getting lean! Isn’t that what
you want?
5. Reduce Intake of Saturated Fats. Notice that I was specific
in saying saturated fats. Saturated fats are the ones that
cause the most problems, healthwise. There are good fats and
there are bad fats. There are a group of fats called Essential
Fatty Acids (or EFAs) that are just that. They are essential
to life. The body cannot make them so we must consume them
though our diet. There are certain fats that I recommend to
people to help them lose fat! My clients know, but do you?
(Hint: F??????? Oil)
6. Water. Drink, drink, and then drink some more, not
necessarily in that order. An adult can probably survive
several weeks without eating food, but only a few days without
drinking water. Need I say more? Water regulates body
temperature, rids the body of waste, lubricates joints, and
provides a medium for chemical reactions that occur in the body.
7. Know What You’re Doing! Get with someone who knows or
better yet – Get a personal trainer! Do you know when the two
BEST times are to do cardio (aerobics) for fat loss? Do you
know how many sets and reps to perform for a given exercise in
order to MAXIMIZE your goals? Do you know how to use
free-weights? What are macronutrients and how can I manipulate
them to enhance and hasten fat loss? If you don’t know the
answers, be efficient and get a personal trainer. It’ll save
you time and money in the long run.
By Richard Rigor
