Three Diet Rules for Fast Fat Loss

I’ve been studying diet and fat loss for over twenty years. I’ve experimented with “fat burner” supplements like the ECA stack. I’ve also tried everything from low fat to low carb to intermittent fasting with varying levels of success.

Here’s one thing I’ve noticed: successful diets usually have three rules/factors in common, each starting with the letter “C”

I’m hoping this short post will help you cut through some of the hype about losing fat. What I’m about to share isn’t new—it’s just my simple way of expressing some basic things about diet and fat loss. Let’s move on to the three “C’s.”

Rule #1 CALORIES: burn more than you consume

Yes, you guessed it—all successful diets are based upon a negative calorie balance. You must be using more calories than you consume in order to lose fat. Everything else is secondary.

Example: A few years ago a nutrition professor at Kansas State University decided to try to lose weight on a “Twinkie diet.” Two-thirds of his caloric intake came from junk food (snack cakes, etc.), but he made sure to eat about 1,800 calories a day (about 800 less than the usual intake for a man is age).   As a result he lost 27 lb. What may surprise some is the fact that other markers of health (blood lipids, etc.) improved.

I’m not suggesting you go on a junk food diet. But the story proves an important point: the number of meals you eat, the supplements you take, and even the types of food are not as important as the overall calorie balance as far as fat loss goes.

Here’s a general guideline for daily calorie consumption:

10-12 calories x body weight (lb.)=weight loss

15 calories x body weight (lb.)=maintenance level calories

16-17 calories x body weight (lb.)=weight gain

You will have to adjust these numbers to your particular situation.  Those with higher activity levels may need to raise these numbers a bit.  Those who are obese would probably need to lower them.  But what I’ve shared here is a pretty good general rule.

Rule: #2 COMPLIANCE: find a diet that you can/will follow

The second rule fat loss is compliance. In other words, you have to find a diet plan that you can stick to long enough to see the desired results.

Example: I know some trainees who regularly eat six meals a day. But most of them are competitive bodybuilders, trainers, or professional fitness models. Their lives (and salaries) revolve around their physiques, so it makes sense for them to invest a great deal of time into meal planning. But frequent meals are not necessarily better, so you don’t have to eat this way to get lean. This is good news for people like me—I’m not interested in preparing that much food (and even spending that much time eating) on a daily basis.

I would encourage you to experiment and find something that works for you, remembering that you can’t escape the first “C” (calories). I really intermittent fasting, but you may find some other plan that keeps you within your caloric range. Choose a strategy that you can implement day after day, week after week–the most enjoyable or least “painful” for your specific situation.

Rule #3 CARBS:  Manipulate your carbohydrate intake

This third “C” is not nearly as important as the first two. Having said that, here’s something I’ve noticed: most people who get really lean do so by manipulating their carbohydrate intake.  Notice I said, “manipulate,” not necessarily “eliminate.”

Eating low/zero carbs can help optimize your hormones for burning fat. Here’s how it works: your muscles and liver contain glycogen (glucose in the muscles), which is used for fuel. Going without carbs will lower glycogen levels, encouraging your body to use fat as its fuel source (there’s more to it than that, but that’s the short version).

Most effective diets manipulate the effect of carbohydrates in one or more ways:

*Lowering overall caloric intake from carbohydrates and increasing the percentage of calories from protein and fat.

*The trainee eats most of his/her carbohydrates immediately before and/or after training.

*The trainee goes long periods without eating carbs, then refills glycogen stores over the period of one or two days.

*Carbohydrates are exclusively eaten in the final meal (or meals) each day.

*Carbohydrates are “cycled”—a set number of low carb days followed by days of higher carb consumption.

*Some  find that they do better by eating most of their carbs at night.

Final Thoughts:

Fat loss isn’t really that complicated. Follow these simple principles I have shared and you’ll have a much better chance at achieving the level of leanness you desire.

I haven’t said anything about exercise yet in this post.  I’d recommend a combination of weight training and cardio for best results.

 

Old School, New Body Review

Introduction:

I have had the opportunity to review an extremely popular program called Old School, New Body by John Rowley and Steve/Becky Holman. This is a system designed for men and women who want to stay in shape or get back in shape.   I’m interested in this program for a couple of reasons:

I’m in my mid-40’s and I’m interested in maintaining a high level of strength and fitness for years to come. I’m always on the lookout for training and diet information designed for more mature trainees.

One of the major health issues we face here in the West is sarcopenia–the decline of strength and muscle that occurs with aging. Some of this is inevitable, but lifestyle choices do worsen/accelerate the problem. I can tell you from personal experience that it is possible to look and feel much younger than your chronological age. I’d like to see more men and women enjoying a healthy, high energy lifestyle in their 40’s and beyond.

With this in mind let me share with you what you will get if you order the Old School, New Body program. Keep in mind that these are all digital products–they are quickly and easily downloaded from the website if you decide to order this program.

Program Components:

Old School, New Body Main Guide: This E-book is your guide to the overall history and philosophy of the program. According to Rowley, he and Steve ran across some of the training journals of the legendary Vince Gironda. Gironda was a trainer to many Hollywood celebrities in the 60’s, 70’s, and 80’s. He was a man that was truly ahead of his time.

These training journals inspired John and Steve to do more research and eventually created the Focus-4 Exercise protocol (F4X). These workouts make it possible to build muscle and burn fat while minimize the wear and tear on joints (something older trainees have to be more conscientious about).   Another beauty of this system is that you don’t have to spend hours in the gym every day. You can, in fact, maintain a high level of fitness by training only three days a week and adjusting your diet. The book gives several examples of success stories–those who have used this system to stay in shape.

Here’s one thing you may find surprising about Old School, New Body: even young people can benefit from these workouts. The authors have seen 19 and 20-year-olds transform their physique with these training techniques.

Needless to say, there’s a lot more I could share about this manual. But hopefully this gives you a pretty decent idea of what the authors hope you can accomplish by applying this system.

Quick Start Workout Guide: This document will guide you through the F4X workouts. It is divided into four different phases. The first is called Lean workouts–these are the beginner level workouts that will help you get started on your fitness journey. The second phases is called Shape workouts, designed for those who are ready for more intensive training. The third phase is called Build. This phase is for those who want to add some muscle after building the foundation from previous phases.

Ultimate Fat Burning Secrets: This E-book includes some additional fat loss tips that you may find helpful. The key to fat loss, of course, is a negative calorie balance. But you’ll learn some extra things from reading through this document.   Here’s one example: those who eat diets higher in protein tend to be more successful at weight loss. Protein helps you to feel full and keeps you from eating other more high calorie foods.

Ultimate Muscle-Building Secrets: Like the previous book, this one includes some additional information to help you build muscle. The authors mention different supplements, for example, that you may want to consider adding to your regimen. One example is taking 400 milligrams of magnesium before you to bed. This mineral is helpful for keeping cramps away and may help you relax and sleep better

Ultimate Sex and Anti-Aging Secrets: This is another E-book/manual with helpful information: supplements, dietary adjustments, etc.

Ultimate Health and Happiness Secrets: This E-book is a little bit different than the others because it includes some tips on the psychological/mental aspects of life in addition to the physical.

MP3 Interviews: you can also download interviews with fitness experts–you’ll hear some of their insights on staying healthy and happy.

Review:

As I mentioned before, I’m interested in diet and training information that can help with both longevity and the quality/vitality of life. I think that Old School, New Body is a good program for those in search of this kind of resource. Let me tell you who I think would most benefit from this program:

Older adults (middle-aged and up) who wish to improve their level of health and vitality. I think this is a great program for those who wish to lose fat, gain muscle, and become more energetic. One of the beauties of this program is you can do so without worrying about trying to lift heavy weights.

Younger trainees who want a break from heavy lifting may also enjoy this program. It would be useful to follow for a few weeks to let your joints recover.

If either of these descriptions sound like you then I think Old School, New Body is definitely worth a try. It is not expensive and available for download as soon as you purchase it. Just CLICK HERE if you’d like to order this program or learn more.