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Prescription For Fat Loss

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One thing that I notice in all the e-mails that I get from
trainees is that people are really confused about the way to get
rid of their body fat. Many factors contribute to this confusion
but the main one, in my opinion, are the infomercials that appear
on T.V. as well as articles written in magazines with less than
up to date information.


Additional Article Information:
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2072 Words; formatted to 65 Characters per Line
Distribution Date and Time: 2007-12-21 10:12:00

Written By: Hugo A Rivera
Copyright: 2007
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Prescription For Fat Loss
Copyright (c) 2007 Hugo A Rivera
Body RE-Engineering
http://www.losefatandgainmuscle.com



One thing that I notice in all the e-mails that I get from
trainees is that people are really confused about the way to get
rid of their body fat. Many factors contribute to this confusion
but the main one, in my opinion, are the infomercials that appear
on T.V. as well as articles written in magazines with less than
up to date information.

In an effort to eliminate this confusion, this week I will share
the 7 rules of fat loss.

Fat Loss Rules

Below are the seven rules that need to be followed in order to
achieve maximum permanent fat loss along with increased muscle
tone.

Fat Loss Rule #1:

[ Consume less calories than your body burns for five days a
week. ]

You need to consume approximately 500 calories less than what
your body burns (maintenance amount) as if you do not create a
caloric deficit, no matter what you do, you will not lose fat!

However, it is important that over the weekends you increase your
calories by 700 over the maintenance amount. This is necessary in
order to prevent the metabolism from slowing down.

Fat Loss Rule #2:

[ Watch the mirror and pictures, not your weight scale. ]

Be more concerned with the way you look in the mirror (or in
pictures) and your waist size rather than with your total body
weight in the scale as such measurement does not distinguish
between the amount of fat and muscle that you have.

Most of the time, the trainees asking the questions tell me that
they need to lose anywhere between 20-40 pounds. However, I would
not be nearly as concerned with the weight as I would be with the
way you look in the mirror and your waist size. The reason for
that is the fact that as you begin your weight training you will
start gaining muscle mass.

As you gain muscle mass you will put weight on. So what will
happen here is that while your scale will tell you that you are
still overweight and that your weight is not moving, you are
actually making progress as you are losing fat and gaining
muscle.

Therefore, just concern yourself with the way you look (pictures
are a great way to track this) and stop obsessing about your
weight.

Fat Loss Rule #3:

[ Concentrate on weight training exercise for losing fat. ]

Yes, you heard right. Even though I constantly hear the line "I
will lose the fat first by doing cardio and then gain muscle
after all of the fat is gone", this is not the best way to lose
fat! The reason for this is that by using cardio as your sole
source of exercise you will lose equal amount of fat and muscle.
The end result will be a smaller fat version of yourself with a
lower metabolism (due to the muscle loss).

Gaining muscle is really the secret to permanent fat loss as the
more muscle you have, the more calories you burn at rest on any
given day. In addition, gaining muscle is the key to achieving
the firm good looking body that everybody wants but dieting and
cardio alone will not give.

Fat Loss Rule #4:

[ If possible, attempt to exercise first thing in the morning on
an empty stomach. ]

I really love exercising first thing in the morning on an empty
stomach as I always get the quickest fat loss results that way.
The reason for this is that your body's glycogen reserves have
been exhausted due to the overnight fast, so the body has to rely
on burning fats for fuel. Besides, that way I have the rest of
the day to eat, recover, and grow.

However, if you do not like to weight train first thing in the
morning at least try a quick 15 minute intense aerobic activity
(this could be a quick stationary bike ride or a vigorous walk)
as well as 5 minutes of abdominal exercise done in superset
fashion.

That gives you a total short 20 minute aerobic workout that jumps
starts your fat burning mechanisms early in the day.

Fat Loss Rule #5:

[ Eat smaller more frequent meals throughout the day. ]

The first thing that most dieters do is that they start a crash
diet where they only eat once or twice a day. Again, this is a
sure fire way to lose muscle and lower your metabolism. As we
already know, less muscle and a lower metabolism is not the way
to get to your goal.

In order to keep the metabolism going at full speed and the blood
sugar levels under control in order to keep energy levels high
and cravings away, 4 to 6 small balanced meals a day is the way
to go. By balanced what I mean is that each meal should contain
all of the macronutrients (carbs, protein and fats) in a specific
ratio.

While metabolisms differ, I have found that a ratio of 40-45%
Carbs, 40-35% Protein, and no more than 20% Fats is generally the
best way to go. This ratio is optimal for keeping insulin and
blood sugar under perfect control. In addition, this ratio
creates a favorable hormonal environment that leads to muscle
growth and fat loss.

[Note: If you need help with what foods provide carbohydrates,
which ones provide protein and which ones provide fats, please
visit my article Characteristics Of A Good Nutrition Program! .]

Fat Loss Rule #6:

[ Let water be your main beverage. ]

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.

Fat Loss Rule #6:

[ Be prepared: Pack your meals in advance. ]


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 some fast food joint.

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 #7:

[ 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 7 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 (for a great routine start with the one
found at this link: Home Gym Equipment Training Routines.

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. 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.].

Eat 4 to 6 meals per day (women can get away with 4 meals but
guys need 5 or 6). Use a ratio of 40-45%, 40-35%, and no more
than 20% fat in every meal.

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 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, the protein supplement is good 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 Dave Drapers Bomber's
Blend.

Ensure that you drink plenty of water (bodyweight x 0.66 = ounces
that you need to drink every day).

Calculate How Much Water You Need Daily:

Your Bodyweight: Select One Pounds Kilograms

Water Intake Per Day: Ounces

No smoking or drinking alcohol. Both lower testosterone levels
(amongst other problems). Alcohol in particular is great for
gaining fat.

Conclusion

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!

If your interested in more information about my complete Body
Body Building & Fat Loss Program check out
www.losefatandgainmuscle.com




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Hugo Rivera CFT, ISSN, SPN, BSCE. is a lifetime natural
bodybuilder, a multi certified personal trainer, and a
best selling author with a successful franchise of books
called "The Body Sculpting Bibles" which collectively have
sold over a million copies worldwide. Hugo is also the author
of the "Body Re-Engineering" system which teaches you how to
gain lean muscle mass and get lean without drugs, or expensive
supplements. For more information visit http://www.losefatandgainmuscle.com
or his personal website at http://www.hugorivera.net


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