Disclaimer
I am glad that you have come to this page to check out my diet for fat loss. I have gone to a great extent to insure that this information is the most current and accurate. But before continuing on please see your doctor if you have any current health issues and/or making drastic changes to your current lifestyle. If you experience any adverse affects from this diet stop immediately. EXRX and this forum will not be responsible for any and all injuries that could occur.
Hello, this is my newest and I hope greatest version of my fat loss tips article. This diet is not something I came up with all by myself I posted this to summarize information you would find on the internet, but there are parts that I added because it would make sense to go along with this life style. I won't be able to post every single food on here that would be good or bad to eat, it is your responsibility to do a little research and some thinking to see what is a good or bad choice. On another note this may seem like a lot for you to read and absorb and the fact is, it is. When you look at this you may get slightly discouraged and may get overwhelmed by the vast amounts of information. But to start losing weight it will not take you to know all this information or even abide by all of it, which is why they are only guidelines. But as you get more advanced with your diet and get lower body fat percentages you will have to refine your diet to make it near perfect to keep seeing results. So start off slow and work your way up. Good Luck
Ideology
This diet of mine will be based around a low carbohydrate low starch diet/lifestyle. This is where you limit you intake of carbs from dairy and grains which would include pasta, bread, cereal, chips, etc. The speed at which you want to lose weight will be determined by how strict you are with your carb consumption and if everything else you are doing is correct. One thing which is your responsibility as the viewer is to come up with an exercise schedule to go along with this diet since the exercise is needed to get this diet to work correctly. This diet might work for a little while with no exercise but it will mostly be water weight and muscle.
Low Carb vs. Atkins
You might be thinking of Atkins diet as you are reading my diet plan but there are differences and they should be clarified. Atkins is a low carb diet, but it is a different approach to a similar concept. The Atkins diet has 4 phases, Induction, Ongoing Weight Loss (OWL), Pre-maintenance, Lifetime Maintenance. Induction is the most controversial part of the Atkins diet. This part lasts for generally 2 weeks and the carb intake is only a mere 20 carbs in a day. Things that can go wrong in this part are vitamin deficiencies, bowel issues, and carb crash. The only reason these problems will occur is if the diet is done wrong. It is very easy to do on Atkins. The book consists of 500 pages and you need to read and understand the whole thing to be able to safely and effectively do the diet. My version takes up the length of several pages. The Atkins approach during induction allows you to eat anything you want as long as you don’t pass the 20g of net carbs. You may be thinking, "wow that’s awesome, I can eat all I want", but it's not. Since all you really eat is meat you are getting an excess of saturated fat, which throws off the 1:1:1 ratio of fats (as stated below in greater detail), which should be avoided. My version you won’t have to worry about that, as long as you eat a wide variety of meat, some dairy, veggies, nuts you will be good to go.
I will give a brief explanation of the 3 other phases:
OWL comes after Induction and this is where you raise you net carb intake by 5g per week to find your “Critical Carbohydrate Level for Losing” then stay at that level. After you get within 10lbs of your target weight you then move on to Pre-maintenance phase. This phase is where you raise you net carb intake by 10g per week until you find your "Critical Carbohydrate Level for Maintenance". The last phase is Lifetime Maintenance, this phase is where you take all the things you have learned from the previous phases and apply them on a daily basis to keep the weight off. That is the ‘basic’ version of Atkins. That in my opinion is too complicated of a system to get weight to come off. But if you are up for reading the book and close to obsessively counting carbs then it will work as an effective diet plan.
Low Fat vs Low Carb
Here it is, the clash of the titans. This is a very argumentative subject right here, which one is better in terms of weight loss and overall health? Both diets are used and both sides are convinced their diet is the best.
The approach I will obviously choose is Low Carb dieting, and to start this off with a bang a 2 year study was done to see which was superior and the winner after the study turned out to be low carb dieting by a land slide. They lost the most weight, close to double on average of the low fat dieters. Interestingly enough, the low fat dieters were locked in to the amount of calories they were permitted in a day (1500 for women and 1800 for men) and the low carb dieters weren't. This almost seems like they set up the low carb dieters for failure from a common sense stand point, but it didn't happen.
A lot of misconception revolves around low carb dieting such that it will cause high cholesterol due to all the cheese and meat being eaten. That turned out to be false, the participants who were on the low carb approach lowered LDL (bad) and raised HDL (good) cholesterol, low fat dieters values didn't budge or barely did. Next point is that blood glucose levels were lower in low carb dieters which also means insulin levels are lower which contributes greatly to cholesterol levels and risk of getting diabetes.
This should not be a surprise, it turns out that whole scare that saturated fat is unhealthy and will kill you is all false. That still doesn't mean go on a sat fat frenzy since anything in high enough amounts will do more harm than good. Lower base blood sugar is another part to take note of, diabetics typically will eat on a day to day basis mainly low carb foods since those other forbidden foods they previously ate either caused or contributed to them getting diabetes (not in all cases). On a low fat diet any foods are fair game as long as the fat content is low. That means you can eat sugary low fat cookies or low fat sugar filled yogurt but you can't eat nuts, eggs, meat, cheese, and etc which are foods with great nutritional value to them. Fat does not make you fat, sugar makes you fat since it's the first thing the body easily burns and stores and since fat takes such a long time to break down due to its complexity the body already requires it and doesn't end up getting stored. What is also great is the body might need to pull some fat from the bodies fat stores and burn that for energy since the digesting fat breaks down so slow.
How are you expected to lose much of weight when your body is in a rollercoaster of insulin spiking and crashing? How healthy is a diet where you can't eat various natural foods which truly are healthy and are forced to eat highly processed and expensive alternatives? How easy is a diet to abide by when it leaves you hungry and causes you to crave foods and doesn't allow you to eat many healthy satisfying foods that humans were truly meant to eat? How healthy is a diet which is low fat healthy to abide by when studies have shown that omega 3, omega 6, monounsaturated, saturated in moderation, and even a specific form of trans fat (CLA), all have excellent health benefits which are all not allowed on a low fat diet? Have I made my point? I hope so.
Tidbits of info:
Hierarchy of fatty meats:
In the hierarchy of fatty meats, pork is fattier than beef, beef is fattier than poultry with skin on it, poultry with skin is fattier than skinned poultry, and poultry is fattier than fish...Even though there is some variance that should give you a general idea of your meats.
The breakdown of calories:
7 kcal per gram of alcohol
9 kcal per gram of fat
4 kcal per gram of protein
4 kcal per gram of carbohydrates and sugar
Info on Fats: COMING SOON - 12/17/08
Fat Ratios/Info:
There should be a 1:1:1 ratio of saturated to monounsaturated to polyunsaturated fats in your diet.
Another very important ratio is the Omega-3 to Omega-6 ratio. The best ratio would be 1:1-1:4, but what is seen most often is in the range of 1:20 - 1:100 which are neither ideal nor healthy. The greatest source of Omega-3 in the modern era is through supplementation by fish oil capsules. Foods that are naturally high in omega-3 would be fish, flax, nuts, etc. For more info on the Omega's, read the links below and/or do some research.
http://drsquat.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=4552
http://drsquat.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=2652
http://drsquat.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=3978
http://drsquat.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=4756
Nutrition Labels & Conventional Wisdom
Every single one of us has read a nutrition label before, that Black and white tag located on the back of all foods containers and juice bottles. Well that is something you will need to learn to use quite effectively while dieting. As you are going to the store and picking out foods and are unsure if they are a good or bad choice, read the label. Do the 200 calories consist of sugar and carbs, do they consist of fats and proteins, do they consist of a general mix of all of them, or do they consist of low carbs with high fiber and some fat and protein? One other rule of thumb that will help out greatly is where the food is. Did you find it in a box on a shelf or is it a fresh produce. How many steps did it take to get that food on the shelf? Vegetables and fruits is one step, pick it from the ground. I can't even imagine how many steps it takes to get cookies on the shelf. The general guidelines for picking out foods are to see where the nutrition is coming from and/or to see how simple it is, simple is always better. That's what you must look out for. If you can do all that then I have accomplished one my goal.
My next part of this section is how conventional wisdom plays its part in nutrition. If you were to search the internet for healthy foods you will get a list of foods and general guidelines that look very similar to this link below. You will see many articles like that; they are based around conventional wisdom and a lack of common sense.
http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/fn-an/food-guide ... ons_e.html
To quote the article “Avoid snacks that may be high in calories, fat, sugar or salt’”. Only a part of that is right. Yes you must eliminate sugar and you don’t want high calorie snacks. But you do not want to avoid fats. Generally fats are good for you; they maintain a steady flow of nutrients into the body and keep your blood glucose levels stable. The only fats you don’t want are trans fat and high amounts of saturated fat. Salt, everybody thinks salt is bad for you. If you are a perfectly healthy individual who eats good, drinks water, and exercises regularly then sodium should not worry you. So if you want a little salt on your food, go right ahead worry free. Finally the way that this plays a role in nutrition is now you know not to believe everything you read, I have told you what you need to know so if you read a food and it says low sodium or low fat, don’t think anything of the food. It’s put there purposely by companies because they know it will get people to buy it. To further my point if you read the snacks they suggest popsicles, popcorn, cereal w/ milk, low fat yogurt, English muffin, pumpernickel bagel. Milk, popsicles, popcorn is all sugar. The low fat yogurt will have fillers in place of the fat which will be sugar based. Cereal, English muffins, and bagels are carbs all the way through. If you can understand this concept and apply it on a daily basis then I have accomplished another one of my goals.
“Snacks”
The snacks I will suggest will have to be partially planned as well but the work to create them is next to nothing. You need to choose a snack that is appropriate for the situation. It depends on the food you already ate. If you just had a piece of fruit then it's not wise to eat another piece after that. With the fruit you would want a fat filled food to slow the digestion of the sugar(s) naturally in the fruit. These foods are suggested snacks by me because they are simple, low carb, healthy fat content, and depending on the one you are looking at high protein content. One more point to make, the snacks may not necessarily be a snack, they can also work as a meal replacement if in a crunch since your are eating 5-8 times in a day and meals consist of only 200-400 calories. That can make a serving size of peanut butter and a small apple a suitable meal.
Suggested "Snacks": Nuts, Peanut Butter, Protein Shake (w/ water), seeds, leftover meat, seafood, fruits, olive oil (1 tblsp), hard boiled eggs, cheese, raw veggies w/ low-carb dip, microwavable pork rinds, homemade jerky, trail mix* ,
raw tofu, salad with left over chicken w/ tblsp of olive oil, cottage cheese w/ nuts, or any low carb simple foods.
* Trail Mix is a food you must be wary of since there are many variations of it, ranging from healthy to very unhealthy versions. The trail mix you must get has dried fruit, seeds, nuts, does not include any added sugar or candy, and was not deep fried. The best way to ensure that you are truely eating healthy trail mix is to find a recipe and make it yourself.
Anti-Diet Foods
The foods to avoid: Creamy salad dressings, potatoes, popcorn, chips of all kinds, white bread, fatty meats etc. Use your head; you know what to look for.
The foods to eliminate: Sweets (pie, cake, cookies, candy, etc), dairy based deserts, full sugar soda, fast food, juice, etc.
The foods to avoid are generally starchy or are loaded with sugar. Starchy foods start to get digested in the mouth. When it is fully digested it turns into sugar which is something you want to avoid. The exception is the salad dressing, your Ranch and Caesar dressings can easily be abused first off since they are so calorie dense and second you can have another thing in its place that has much more of a nutritional value. The fatty meats might be confusing so let me clarify this, animal fat is what you find in meat (duh!), animal fat mainly consists of saturated fat. If you read above you can see that the ratio of fats should be 1:1:1, when you eat animal fat that balance will be thrown off towards too much saturated fats. The fats you want should come partially from meats and the rest from vegetables and some from grains.
Good to know:
Here are a few supplements that can help to enhance fat loss: Caffeine 200-400mg, CLA 1-3.5g, L-Carnitine 2-4g, Green Tea, Pyruvate .1g/lb of body fat
http://www.bodybuilding.com/store/lcarn.html
http://www.bodybuilding.com/store/cla.html
http://www.bodybuilding.com/store/pyruvate.html
http://www.bodybuilding.com/store/green.html
http://www.bodybuilding.com/store/caffeine.html
3500 calories per pound of body fat...not 4086
http://www.hhp.ufl.edu/faculty/pbird/ke ... lories.HTM
Links I find to be helpful and informative:
http://www.johnberardi.com/articles/nut ... habits.htm
http://www.johnberardi.com/articles/nut ... ting_2.htm
http://www.exrx.net/Nutrition.html
http://www.whfoods.com
http://www.takeactionfitness.com/getshreddeddiet.html
http://www.robbwolf.com/?p=78
http://www.nutritiondata.com/
http://drsquat.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=4673
http://www.takeactionfitness.com/getshreddeddiet.html
http://exrx.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=4360
http://exrx.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=4041
http://exrx.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=3929
http://exrx.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=4067
http://exrx.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=4132
http://exrx.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=4080
http://exrx.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=4492
http://exrx.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=4150
http://exrx.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=3801
Some suggested guidelines:
1). Avoid eating deep fried foods; a baked piece of chicken could have 300 calories less than in its deep fried counterpart.
2). Dairy, this for example would be milk, cheese, & yogurt. Here are some general guidelines. Totally skip on the milk, it is composed of sugar and that is something you should avoid. If you want yogurt then get plain full fat sugar free yogurt. Full fat cheese, it's a good snack. Worried about calcium? Don't be, if the rest of your diet is balanced which would include taking a multivitamin then getting the necessary calcium will not be a problem. Be wary of low fat foods, some of these will have added fillers in its place which can make it unhealthy to eat or even more calorie filled than the full fat counterpart.
3). Do not be afraid of healthy fats. These are a very important part of the diet. They slow digestion which will keep you fuller longer and slows the digestion of sugar(s) that may have been in others foods that you may have consumed.
4). If you are in a crunch, protein shakes (water, not milk) w/ 1 serving of peanut butter can make a great meal replacement.
5). Aim for 5-8 mini meals with in a day, this will keep a constant flow of nutrients into the body and you won't get hungry which in turn will lower the possibility of getting those 'evil' cravings.
6). If you are having difficulty with meals, plan them ahead of time. The night before sit down and create a schedule of all the foods you will have the next day and prepare it.
7). If you decide to eat eggs, do not discard the yolks. That is where all the nutrition is. Don't be worried about the cholesterol; as long as your diet is balanced and you are exercising continuously then there are no worries.
8). Since this list is based around a low carb diet/lifestyle (not Atkins!), concentrate any carbohydrate intake that doesn't consist of fruits or vegetables before and after exercising.
9). Avoid high sugar/high saturated fat condiments (or any food except fruit), or at least use them sparingly, try condiments such as mustard or guacamole on your foods.
10). There are many health food products out on the market these days, ranging from Lean Cuisine to Vitamin Water(s). Do not buy any of them. Read the labels of these frozen entrees they tend to be packed with preservatives and generally the nutritional content isn't impressive for a low carb lifestyle. Look at the vitamin content in these drinks, there is insignificant amount for vitamins in the drink. Another negative is the price tag these meals can cost $5 apiece and drinks $1-2 apiece.
11). Make yourself a grocery list before you go to the store; get only what you need and nothing else. Do not buy a bag of Doritos for a rainy day because you know self consciously no matter what you say to yourself you will eventually end up wiping out the whole bag in one day and ruining your diet. If you have children, this would be a great time to get them involved, you get them involved by educating them on how to eat and will keep them healthier. As you know the parents are the most influential people in a child’s life so even actions like this will impact them greatly.
12). Do not avoid oils but have it in moderation/serving size of it, but you must eliminate all partially hydrogenated oils.
13). To try and keep yourself from overeating a specific food, take foods that you buy and break them up into single serving sizes inside of little plastic snack bags. An example, take a bag of almonds and take a 1/4 cup and put it in a snack bag and pack that as a part of one of your meals for the day.
14). Experiment with herbs and spices in your meals. You can make delicious foods broiling foods on a charcoal grill.
15). When possible try to incorporate natural foods over processed foods.
16). Don’t boil your vegetables. It removes precious nutrients; invest in a steamer for your foods.
17). Go with dark green and dense vegetables, it has much more nutrition and will satisfy you longer. Try adding high density vegetables into your daily salad.
18). As a part of your diet, add a strong multivitamin in the morning and fish oil (up to 6 grams). With fish oil you can spread the dosages out throughout the day by taking a tablet at meals you would consider breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
19). Go with whole grain products and avoid bleached, sugary products. Instead of white bread go whole wheat, instead of your white pasta get wheat pasta, go from white rice to brown rice.
20). Defeat the cravings; don't allow yourself to eat the unhealthy processed foods your body desires. Get yourself some sweet fruits and vegetables and munch on those until the cravings subside.
21). Don't drink your calories! Try diet drinks like fruit flavored waters and diet sodas. Or better yet stick with your daily servings of water.
22). Drink plenty of water; it does wonders for the mind and body. Also it may depress the appetite, if you are dehydrated and feel hungry try drinking some water to see if it subsides.
23). Avoid processed foods when possible, a good chunk of the foods are empty calories.
24). Alcohol consumption is not recommended. If you want a drink have a SERVING of red wine to support possible health benefits.
25). Try not to skip exercising routine when possible. It will do you no good except allow you to veg during that time you gave up and cause you to feel guilty.
26). Don't watch the biggest loser and be disappointed if you don't drop as much weight as they do, you got to remember it’s still a reality TV show. 1-2 pounds is a great accomplishment.
27). Be patient if you plateau it’s going to happen.
28). But don't be to patient because that could indicate flaws in your lifestyle.
29). Have yourself set goals at all time to reach this size clothing by this time or drop this much weight in a week. Don't make to demanding of a goal for yourself though because then it will work against you.
30). If you have a party to go to, eat a meal before you go and aim to eat the healthier foods that they are serving you there.
31). Don't poison your mind with media and try to look like those people. Those people generally obsess over their fat loss, have personal trainers, are paid to lose the weight, and/or take drugs to enhance the fat loss.
32). Have a cheat day once in a while, to help keep your diet focused and maybe even use it as a goal for weight loss. Go out to dinner...order a pizza...buy a donut...but don't cheat so much that you lose your progress.
33). Try and get other people involved, it will help to keep you focused.
34). There is
NO magic pill for losing weight, it takes time to put on the weight and it will take time to lose it.
35). Take measurements, pictures, and/or bf % before you start dieting. And update it every month or whenever you like to give you a reminder that what you are doing is working and help inspire you to persevere.
36). Most importantly, Don't make dieting a burden on yourself, have some fun to.
I will continually update this, pm me if you want to have any suggestions for additions to my list or if you feel some of my guidelines are out of line or if you have compliments since those are always greatly appreciated.
S/N: ironmaiden708
Version: 1.1
Login
Register
FAQ
Search
