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Pepsi originally contained pepsin, thus the name.
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| Everybody has a Top Ten List, so here is mine. As you read through this remember that knowledge is not power unless you apply it! |
10. Take Measurements
You'll never reach your destination if you don't know your starting point. A great place to begin is calculating your bodyfat percentage.
This will allow you to set accurate goals and measure progress. The most accurate (and available) method of measuring bodyfat percent is the skin fold method.
This is a simple process that only requires a scale and a bodyfat caliper. You can find a pair of calipers just about anywhere and the Body for Life website has a great tutorial that walks you through the measurement process.
9. Eat 6 Meals A Day
You've probably heard this countless times before but it just can't be stressed enough. Eating 5-6 protein, carbohydrate, and healthy fat containing meals each day is key, regardless of your training goals.
To begin, if you are looking to drop some body fat, then eating more often allows you to better manage your insulin levels for increased fat burning. Controlling insulin levels when dieting is critical as insulin is the body's most potent blocker of lipolysis (i.e. liberation of stored fat to be used as energy).
Another added benefit of controlling insulin levels is consistent energy levels (this is also one of the claim to fame of low carbohydrate diets). Secondly, eating more often will allow you to build more muscle. Now I know that this article is about fat loss and not muscle growth. However, muscle growth or maintenance during dieting is very important.
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Insulin & Supplements: What You Need To Know!
I've talked a bit about insulin in the past. I'm going to review my previous article previously published on Bodybuilding.com before delving into some new info.
[ Click here to learn more. ] |
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If you break fat loss down to one sentence it would be the following,
"You need to burn more calories than you take in."
Muscle is metabolically active tissue, thus allowing you to burn more calories at rest. In contrast, adipose tissue (bodyfat) is metabolically inactive, therefore contributing nothing to your daily caloric expenditure.
In conclusion, spreading the traditional "three square meals" into 5-6 smaller meals will allow you to increase your fat burning ability while at the same time providing your body with nutrients required to build muscle.
8. Train With Weights 3-4 Times A Week
Lifting weights is an essential part of developing a lean physique. Not only will weight training boost you metabolic rate for extended periods of time, it will help you build muscle (which will allow you to burn more calories just sitting around!).
Let's say you love lifting weights. You might ask, "Why just 3-4 times a week? Professional bodybuilders lift 5-6 days a week double sessions!" The chances are that when dieting you are in a caloric deficient state.
This in itself will put your body in a compromised position where you will not be able to completely recover. 3-4 sessions of intense training sessions are perfect for most people to stimulate your muscles and metabolism without beating youself into the ground (or worse a state of overtraining).
7. Don't Overdue The Cardio
A lot of people go cardio crazy when trying to lose bodyfat. The days of getting on the bike or treadmill for 40-60 minutes 5-6 times a week are done! If burning bodyfat and building muscle is your goal, shorter more intense interval based cardio sessions are the way to go.
Cardiovascular activity performed in a high intensity interval fashion (high intensity is a term relative to your personal fitness level) has been shown to burn more calories from fat than the old school 40 minute cardio sessions.
This means you'll be burning more fat, in less time. If you have been doing the longer cardio, don't quickly jump into this higher intensity cardio.
Give your body time to adjust over several weeks by slowly replacing the interval sessions for the longer sessions. Most people find that 3-4 interval sessions give them better results than 6+ traditional longer cardio sessions.
6. Plan Your Meals The Night Before
This one has made all the difference in my personal fitness journey. Not only does it make eating six meals a day easier, it'll give you a wonderful reference when you evaluate your progress. Let's say you are losing weight too fast.
This may sound like a good problem to have, but chances are if you are losing more than 2 pounds a week you are losing lean body mass (e.g. muscle). To correct this problem you can look back at your nutritional journal and make the changes necessary to stop your muscle loss.
In a couple weeks you will be able to re-evaluate your progress, analyzing changes made and making new ones accordingly.
5. Drink Green Tea
Ever since the FDA put the clamps down on Ephedra, supplement companies have been searching for a replacement. The winner is... Green Tea extract. While it is not as effective as Ephedra, it is the best thing most companies have to work with.
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Ephedra Is Back? Yes, No, Maybe So...
Nutraceutical Corp. and Solaray, Inc. have fought long and hard against an FDA ruling that they may now have finally overthrown...
[ Click here to learn more. ] |
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The compound within green tea that contains the metabolic enhancing effects is a polyphenol called EGCG. To make a long story short, scientific studies have shown EGCG to produce a thermogenic effect (increased rate at which calories are burned as heat) in the body.
Fat loss supplements that contain Green Tea extracts are concentrated to get optimal fat loss. Green Tea has also been shown to help reduce heart disease, diabetes, and obesity.
Another interesting feature that makes green tea more attractive to dieters comes from a recent study in the March 2004 issue of Life Science where green tea (and 8 other traditional Chinese medicinal herbs) was shown to be a potent inhibitor of fatty acid synthase (FAS).
As you may be able to deduce by the name, this is an enzyme in your body responsible for synthesizing fatty acids. The last thing you want your body to do when you are trying to lose fat is to synthesize fat.
Just about every fat loss supplement out there contains EGCG but you can get the same result by simply drinking a pot or two of green tea each day (~4-6 cups). In addition, green tea is a great substitute and much better for you than diet soft drinks.
But remember green tea is naturally caffeinated so if you are caffeine sensitive or enjoy drinking green tea at night, you should look into the decaf option.
4. Create A "No-Fail" Environment
This is one straight out of Dr. Phil's The Ultimate Weight Loss Solution. If you are trying to eat healthy foods you can not have the freezer stocked with Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream and the cupboards full of BBQ potato chips.
As it gets to be later at night you know you'll be tempted (I know I am!). Don't set yourself up for temptation and failure; create an environment where you can't fail! It can be simple, if the food isn't in your house, then you won't eat it. So, throw out the junk, high sugar, over processed high fat foods!
3. Drink Lots Of Water
Water is essential to life and a healthy body. Dehydration will wreak havoc on you and your fitness goals. If you are dehydrated your body cannot function at its optimal level. For example, your muscles will loose strength, you won't burn fat as quickly, and you'll feel tired and fatigued.
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How Much Water Do You Really Need?
Almost everyone agrees that water is good for you and that the biggest problem with water intake is that you don’t drink enough. Learn why and find out the truth...
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Dehydration is just a bad situation. Imagine if you could solve all these problems by simply drinking more water. You should drink at least 8-10 glasses of water each day, more if you sweat or drink caffeinated beverages (coffee, tea, soda).
A study entitled Water-Induced Thermogenesis was published by the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism in December of 2003. This study showed that drinking 2 Liters of water spread throughout the day will burn up to 400KJ (~100Cal) a day.
You could also assume that by drinking cold water you will burn even more calories because your body has to do more work to bring the water
up to 98.6 degrees. Drink up!
2. Take A Little Time Off Each Week
Some people have iron clad will power, but for the rest of us mortals, dieting is mentally draining. That's why at least once a week you should forget all the rules.
Eat anything you want: a hot dog, some ice cream, chips, huge plates of pasta, a little fried chicken. It is very good for you to take a mental break from planning and eating six meals a day.
How much time you take off varies from person to person. Some people can take a whole day off while others should only take 1-2 meals off. Your free day or meals allows for you to recharge your mental battery and attack the next week with a renewed passion. Taking a day off is also good for your body.
During the week your glycogen stores (where your body stores sugar in your liver and muscles) may become depleted due to the low carbohydrate intake often associated with dieting. Taking some "time off" will mean extra carbs and this will help your body replenish these depleted stores.
Some people also argue that the increase of calories will also help up-regulate your metabolism. I, however, do not buy into this particular related theory.
When dieting for a prolonged amount of time your thyroid will down-regulate your basal metabolic rate (BMR) as an evolutionary survival response to fasting.
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What Is The Thyroid?
The Thyroid Gland is the endocrine organ responsible for regulating basal metabolic rate, positioned in the throat near the larynx.
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Your body is too smart to think that the excess calories from one meal or a day of larger meals means that it is okay to increase your BMR again. It usually takes closer to one or two weeks to up-regulate your BMR back to normal.
Even though the free meal/day won't trick your thyroid gland, the extra calories will replenish your body's glycogen stores and eating the foods you craved will give your psyche a much needed break.
1. Apply The Previous Nine Rules
It is important that you realize that the statement "Knowledge is Power" is false! Applied knowledge with passion and consistent persistence is power! The chances are you know everything that you have to do to achieve your best body but you're not applying your knowledge.
Why? I don't know; we all have our reasons. What's your reason? Whatever it is... get over it! Dare to be amazing! Achieve your best body!
Now take a second and look at the list... do you actively embrace all these guidelines on the list? What is your bodyfat situation? I can guarantee that there is a direct correlation between how many things on the list you don't do and the amount of excess bodyfat you are carrying around everyday.
Am I right? This concept definitely rings true in my own life. Your bodyfat percentage reflects your lifestyle. That is the truest statement around.
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All About Green Tea!
Green tea can be a great addition to the fitness enthusiast's arsenal. It is no wonder why the media blitz is telling you that green tea is the latest greatest supplement. But it is no more the latest supplement than food is. Find out why!
[ Click here to learn more. ] |
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You may also look at the list and think, "Mike, I've heard all these things before. I wanted you to write about the secret to reducing bodyfat." I'm sorry to say there is no secret and you've probably heard about each of my top 10 concepts before.
I read an article in a Muscle Media magazine from 1993 about 50 ways to lose bodyfat. Then I read an article from a 1997 Muscle Media magazine about the 30 things to do to lose bodyfat. Guess what... the article contained 30 of the ways found in the 1993 article word for word.
Now, either the people at Muscle Media are lazy (which could be the case because it was word for word) or, the core of what you need to do to lose bodyfat hasn't changed. I think it is a little of both.
The key is application! Don't pick and choose which of the 10 things you are going to apply to your life and then complain when you don't receive the results you want.
mike@muscleandcuts.com
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