Tweet
14 Laws of Fat Burning
1) Eat Less, Stupid
Step one in burning fat revolves around simple math. You have to eat fewer calories than the body is accustomed to in order to drop body fat. When a calorie short fall is created, the body responds by digging into body fat reserves to make up the difference. Presto; you become leaner. All other laws aside, this one heads the list every time, no matter what dietary approach you take. The easiest way to control calories is to eliminate excess dietary fat. That means no butter, oils, salad dressings (fat free is ok) ? skin on chicken, substitute egg whites for whole eggs, get off whole milk dairy products and ditch the marbled red meats.
2) Curtail Carbohydrates
Though calorie control is a must, hormonal control is nearly as important. Hormones, coupled with calories, govern fat burning. Control fat storing hormones and expect to ramp up fat burning and experience better results. The ideal way to suppress fat storing hormones is to control your carb intake because carbs kick up insulin, a hormone that inhibits fat breakdown. Eat less carbs and insulin levels tend to moderate leaving you free to burn more body fat. The common sense approach includes ?halfing? your carb portions. If you tend to eat a large bagel for breakfast, eat a smaller one. If you eat a couple cups of pasta for dinner, just eat one. In time, you?ll see the effects of insulin control.
3) Stress Protein
Is a calorie truly a calorie? I guess so, but how different types affect your body and your results throws a monkey-wrench into that concept. Here?s why. Dietary fat is more ?fattening? than protein or carbs because it is less likely to be used for something in the bodybuilding world. Carbs? Though they potentially make you fat, they directly fuel your training. Protein? That?s a no-brainer. It builds muscle. Fat? Hmm. It does neither. Not to say it is not needed at all. In small amounts it supports vitamin absorption and helps manufacture hormones. However, if you are trying to get ripped, skip it. Protein, on the other hand, not only adds to your muscle ? which is key in boosting the metabolism - but it actually causes a small increase in metabolism. That?s one reason diets that include a lot of protein result in greater fat loss than diets with less protein, albeit the same amount of calories. The higher protein content creates a metabolic uptick which, over time, leads to greater fat loss.
4) Avoid Simple Carbs
If a calorie is not a calorie, heck a carb is not a carb. Different carbs create different hormonal states that affect fat loss. In short, fast acting carbs also known as refined carbs or those that head a glycemic rating list tend to create a larger insulin burst. Elevated insulin can seal off fat cells making fat loss difficult, especially in those who struggle to drop fat and inches. Simple carbs include white bread, cold cereal, rice cakes, jams, fat free muffins, and juice. Other poor choices include white rice, bagels, mashed potatoes and even white potatoes.
5) Slow Digestion
This insulin thing is really a big deal. The total amount of insulin the body releases is related to ?how many? carbs you eat at a sitting. Refer to Law #2. If you were eating 2 cups of rice and switched to 1 cup, sure there?s a calorie reduction, but there?s an insulin drop too. Implement Law 4, and expect to produce less insulin by eating 1 cup of oatmeal yielding 50 grams of carbs then a cup of cold breakfast cereal. Why? Speed. Refined carbs, the cold cereal, digest quickly raising insulin levels. When you can get food to digest slower, less insulin is released. The result; a greater chance to burn fat. One way to slow digestion includes eating carbs with protein- never eat carbs alone. The other requires you eat a lot of veggies with meals such as; broccoli, cauliflower, green beans, and salads. They actually slow the breakdown or digestion rate of all carbs moderating insulin release.
6) Never Eat Carbs At Bed
Once again, it?s about hormones. The body naturally produces a fat liberating hormone called growth hormone (GH) within the initial 90 minutes of sleep. GH not only increases fat burning but is required to build mass and strengthen the immune system. Turns out, carbs put a damper on GH release so it?s ideal to go to bed under two scenarios. One, on an empty stomach or two having consumed only protein, such as a whey drink or chicken or lean meat and a small amount of vegetables. No carbs. This allows blood sugar, the hi-tech name for digested carbs circulating in the blood, to remain low which facilitates the rise in nocturnal GH production.
1) Eat Less, Stupid
Step one in burning fat revolves around simple math. You have to eat fewer calories than the body is accustomed to in order to drop body fat. When a calorie short fall is created, the body responds by digging into body fat reserves to make up the difference. Presto; you become leaner. All other laws aside, this one heads the list every time, no matter what dietary approach you take. The easiest way to control calories is to eliminate excess dietary fat. That means no butter, oils, salad dressings (fat free is ok) ? skin on chicken, substitute egg whites for whole eggs, get off whole milk dairy products and ditch the marbled red meats.
2) Curtail Carbohydrates
Though calorie control is a must, hormonal control is nearly as important. Hormones, coupled with calories, govern fat burning. Control fat storing hormones and expect to ramp up fat burning and experience better results. The ideal way to suppress fat storing hormones is to control your carb intake because carbs kick up insulin, a hormone that inhibits fat breakdown. Eat less carbs and insulin levels tend to moderate leaving you free to burn more body fat. The common sense approach includes ?halfing? your carb portions. If you tend to eat a large bagel for breakfast, eat a smaller one. If you eat a couple cups of pasta for dinner, just eat one. In time, you?ll see the effects of insulin control.
3) Stress Protein
Is a calorie truly a calorie? I guess so, but how different types affect your body and your results throws a monkey-wrench into that concept. Here?s why. Dietary fat is more ?fattening? than protein or carbs because it is less likely to be used for something in the bodybuilding world. Carbs? Though they potentially make you fat, they directly fuel your training. Protein? That?s a no-brainer. It builds muscle. Fat? Hmm. It does neither. Not to say it is not needed at all. In small amounts it supports vitamin absorption and helps manufacture hormones. However, if you are trying to get ripped, skip it. Protein, on the other hand, not only adds to your muscle ? which is key in boosting the metabolism - but it actually causes a small increase in metabolism. That?s one reason diets that include a lot of protein result in greater fat loss than diets with less protein, albeit the same amount of calories. The higher protein content creates a metabolic uptick which, over time, leads to greater fat loss.
4) Avoid Simple Carbs
If a calorie is not a calorie, heck a carb is not a carb. Different carbs create different hormonal states that affect fat loss. In short, fast acting carbs also known as refined carbs or those that head a glycemic rating list tend to create a larger insulin burst. Elevated insulin can seal off fat cells making fat loss difficult, especially in those who struggle to drop fat and inches. Simple carbs include white bread, cold cereal, rice cakes, jams, fat free muffins, and juice. Other poor choices include white rice, bagels, mashed potatoes and even white potatoes.
5) Slow Digestion
This insulin thing is really a big deal. The total amount of insulin the body releases is related to ?how many? carbs you eat at a sitting. Refer to Law #2. If you were eating 2 cups of rice and switched to 1 cup, sure there?s a calorie reduction, but there?s an insulin drop too. Implement Law 4, and expect to produce less insulin by eating 1 cup of oatmeal yielding 50 grams of carbs then a cup of cold breakfast cereal. Why? Speed. Refined carbs, the cold cereal, digest quickly raising insulin levels. When you can get food to digest slower, less insulin is released. The result; a greater chance to burn fat. One way to slow digestion includes eating carbs with protein- never eat carbs alone. The other requires you eat a lot of veggies with meals such as; broccoli, cauliflower, green beans, and salads. They actually slow the breakdown or digestion rate of all carbs moderating insulin release.
6) Never Eat Carbs At Bed
Once again, it?s about hormones. The body naturally produces a fat liberating hormone called growth hormone (GH) within the initial 90 minutes of sleep. GH not only increases fat burning but is required to build mass and strengthen the immune system. Turns out, carbs put a damper on GH release so it?s ideal to go to bed under two scenarios. One, on an empty stomach or two having consumed only protein, such as a whey drink or chicken or lean meat and a small amount of vegetables. No carbs. This allows blood sugar, the hi-tech name for digested carbs circulating in the blood, to remain low which facilitates the rise in nocturnal GH production.
Comment