Take Steps In Order To Find Fat Loss Success
December 15th, 2010 01:17 PM
“What do I need to do to lose fat?” The answer is very simple. But it still requires some hard work and a long term-approach.
Now don’t let that scare you off. You don’t have to climb Mt. Everest or swim the English Channel. But if you want to look, feel, and live the way you want, there are five steps you’ll want to take -- in this order:
1. Correct Nutrition
There is no way around it: if you truly want to lose body fat, you will need to get your nutrition in order. No matter how good your exercise program is, if you are eating poorly for your goals you won’t get there. On the flip side, if you are eating really well for your goals, but training on a bad program, you’ll still get results.
Eating healthfully and eating to lose fat are not one and the same. Many people say they eat healthfully, and thus don’t need to make changes, believing eating this way will help them lose weight. Often it’s apparent they’re not going about it properly, and will not change the way they look. As well, their eating may not be as healthy as they would like to believe.
2. See #1
Yup, it is that important. Five things that you can start applying right away, if you are serious about seeing results in your body are:
• Eat breakfast – everyday!
• Eat five to seven times per day.
• Eat protein every time you eat.
• Eat fat – all three types (saturated, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated).
• Avoid all starchy carbs for a time – particularly females with a body fat percentage greater than 22 (and for men greater than 14 per cent body fat).
3. Resistance Training
This should be the foundation of any fat loss program. With this tool, your goal is to work every muscle group frequently at a relatively high intensity, to produce what’s known as “metabolic disturbance.” This leaves the metabolism elevated for hours and hours post-exercise.
One study, in the European Journal of Applied Physiology, shows the effects of circuit weight training and how long it took subjects to recover their metabolism to pre-exercise levels after finishing the session. The circuit had three exercises (the bench press, the power clean and the squat), with loads that limited participants to a maximum of 10 repetitions, with little rest between exercises. Their metabolic rates were elevated for 38 hours post-exercise and possibly longer (that’s when the researchers stopped measuring).
This and many other studies show that the key to losing fat and elevating your metabolism, thus getting long-term lasting results, is to start resistance training. I recommend three days per week, for 30 to 45 minutes maximum. For a free exercise program you can perform in your own home to get you started, visit www.MakersBody.com/ResurrectYourBody.html.
4. Interval Training
Basically, intervals are alternating between a high and low intensity for a prescribed amount of time. I recommend doing so on a stationary bike, due to a lower potential for injury and less joint stress, compared to running on a treadmill. Intervals have been shown to significantly burn more calories and elevate metabolism more, compared to steady-state cardio like running.
A Laval University study compared 20 weeks of endurance training (traditional cardio) against 15 weeks of interval training. Total calories burned were 28,661 for the endurance group and 13614 calories for the interval group. Despite a lower caloric burn with the interval program, though, a more pronounced reduction in subcutaneous (just under the skin) fat was induced than with the endurance program.
It gets even better. Once researchers adjusted for the difference in energy cost, the interval group showed a loss in subcutaneous fat nine times greater than the endurance group. So even if things were equal and the interval group lost the same amount of fat, intervals would still be superior, seeing they take less time. Perform three times per week for 10 to 15 minutes, after resistance training. In all, your workouts should take no more than an hour.
5. Aerobic Training
Last in the fat loss hierarchy is traditional cardio – like running or bike riding. I do it myself as it’s good for the heart and burns calories. But it doesn’t build muscle tissue or lead to a long term elevated metabolism, which is key to losing fat. So utilize this tool once the other “ingredients” above are implemented and in place.
If you’ve been wishing you could fit into that dress, or those pants, but just didn’t know what to do, or have been frustrated with what you’ve been doing, follow the fat loss hierarchy, and you’ll no longer be asking, “What do I need to do to lose fat?” but rather proclaiming, “This is how I did it!”
Tyron R. Piteau, B.H.K., R.K., C.H.E.K Practitioner Level 2, is a kinesiologist and personal trainer on the North Shore. 604 626-2342 www.MakersBody.com
Copyright North Shore Magazine Issue Jun - Jul 08
Now don’t let that scare you off. You don’t have to climb Mt. Everest or swim the English Channel. But if you want to look, feel, and live the way you want, there are five steps you’ll want to take -- in this order:
1. Correct Nutrition
There is no way around it: if you truly want to lose body fat, you will need to get your nutrition in order. No matter how good your exercise program is, if you are eating poorly for your goals you won’t get there. On the flip side, if you are eating really well for your goals, but training on a bad program, you’ll still get results.
Eating healthfully and eating to lose fat are not one and the same. Many people say they eat healthfully, and thus don’t need to make changes, believing eating this way will help them lose weight. Often it’s apparent they’re not going about it properly, and will not change the way they look. As well, their eating may not be as healthy as they would like to believe.
2. See #1
Yup, it is that important. Five things that you can start applying right away, if you are serious about seeing results in your body are:
• Eat breakfast – everyday!
• Eat five to seven times per day.
• Eat protein every time you eat.
• Eat fat – all three types (saturated, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated).
• Avoid all starchy carbs for a time – particularly females with a body fat percentage greater than 22 (and for men greater than 14 per cent body fat).
3. Resistance Training
This should be the foundation of any fat loss program. With this tool, your goal is to work every muscle group frequently at a relatively high intensity, to produce what’s known as “metabolic disturbance.” This leaves the metabolism elevated for hours and hours post-exercise.
One study, in the European Journal of Applied Physiology, shows the effects of circuit weight training and how long it took subjects to recover their metabolism to pre-exercise levels after finishing the session. The circuit had three exercises (the bench press, the power clean and the squat), with loads that limited participants to a maximum of 10 repetitions, with little rest between exercises. Their metabolic rates were elevated for 38 hours post-exercise and possibly longer (that’s when the researchers stopped measuring).
This and many other studies show that the key to losing fat and elevating your metabolism, thus getting long-term lasting results, is to start resistance training. I recommend three days per week, for 30 to 45 minutes maximum. For a free exercise program you can perform in your own home to get you started, visit www.MakersBody.com/ResurrectYourBody.html.
4. Interval Training
Basically, intervals are alternating between a high and low intensity for a prescribed amount of time. I recommend doing so on a stationary bike, due to a lower potential for injury and less joint stress, compared to running on a treadmill. Intervals have been shown to significantly burn more calories and elevate metabolism more, compared to steady-state cardio like running.
A Laval University study compared 20 weeks of endurance training (traditional cardio) against 15 weeks of interval training. Total calories burned were 28,661 for the endurance group and 13614 calories for the interval group. Despite a lower caloric burn with the interval program, though, a more pronounced reduction in subcutaneous (just under the skin) fat was induced than with the endurance program.
It gets even better. Once researchers adjusted for the difference in energy cost, the interval group showed a loss in subcutaneous fat nine times greater than the endurance group. So even if things were equal and the interval group lost the same amount of fat, intervals would still be superior, seeing they take less time. Perform three times per week for 10 to 15 minutes, after resistance training. In all, your workouts should take no more than an hour.
5. Aerobic Training
Last in the fat loss hierarchy is traditional cardio – like running or bike riding. I do it myself as it’s good for the heart and burns calories. But it doesn’t build muscle tissue or lead to a long term elevated metabolism, which is key to losing fat. So utilize this tool once the other “ingredients” above are implemented and in place.
If you’ve been wishing you could fit into that dress, or those pants, but just didn’t know what to do, or have been frustrated with what you’ve been doing, follow the fat loss hierarchy, and you’ll no longer be asking, “What do I need to do to lose fat?” but rather proclaiming, “This is how I did it!”
Tyron R. Piteau, B.H.K., R.K., C.H.E.K Practitioner Level 2, is a kinesiologist and personal trainer on the North Shore. 604 626-2342 www.MakersBody.com
Copyright North Shore Magazine Issue Jun - Jul 08
