Losing fat is the reason most people start on a fitness program, and for fat loss to work, diet is the key. There are tons of diets out there, from Atkins to the grapefruit diet, but in the end, only one thing truly matters when it comes to fat loss: burn more calories than you take in. That's it. Although something like a low carb diet may give you a faster initial weight loss due to water loss, the bottom line comes down to caloric intake. If we assume that basic nutritional needs are met, then we only have to count total caloric intake.
There are two ways to go about it. One, you can follow some pretty simple guidelines that may get you where you need to be. Or, you can count calories and really know what you're eating. The latter requires a little more work, but you can be more accurate with your food intake. I would recommend following the simple tips until your weight stalls, then follow the advanced section.
Simple Tips
Here are some easy to follow suggestions that will help you on the way.
Try to have meat or protein at every meal
Your muscles use protein to become stronger and bigger. The leaner cut of meat, the better. Chicken, fish, lean steak, lean beef are all good options.
Completely finish your vegetables and meat before eating any other food
Protein can be very hunger satisfying and can prevent you from gorging on other fattier, more calorie dense foods. Vegetables are nutritious and also can satisfy hunger.
Cut out all sugary drinks
This means no sodas, no sugar in the tea or coffee, etc. You can have diet soda if you like, and use artificial sweeteners all you like.
Drink a cup of no-fat milk with every meal
Milk contains protein and calcium, which is good for your muscles and bones.
If you get hungry for a snack, have a glass of water instead
Water can fill you up and possibly rid you of that hunger. Sugar-free jello is a great snack, or a piece of fruit.
If you order fast food, get the healthiest option available
This is usually a grilled chicken sandwich, a grilled chicken pita, or something similar. Grilled chicken is usually the healthiest thing you can get through a drive-thru.
That's it for the simple tips. Next up is a little more advanced way of dieting, one that involves calorie counting.
Advanced Tips
Now, the daily calories needed to sustain your current bodyweight is around 15 Calories/Lb of bodyweight. So let's say we have a 200 lb man. Take 200 and multiply it by 15 to get 3000 Calories. It takes around 3000 Calories to maintain his 200lb weight. Any more calories, and he gains weight. Any less, and he loses weight(theoretically, and ignoring the numerous metabolic changes that occur with dieting). To lose weight, you should adjust calories so that you are only eating 10 cals per lb of bodyweight. So our same 200lb man should eat 2000 calories in order to lose weight. This is a very simplistic and incomplete view, but it will work for this introductory dieting guide.
Remember: Keep things as simple as possible as long as they work. Avoid unnecessary complications!
Now, what exactly should our intakes be regarding protein, carbohydrates, and fat? I would recommend that at least 30% of your calories come from protein. So on a 2000 Calorie diet, 600 Calories should be in the form of protein. How many grams is this? Well...
- 1 g protein = 4 Calories
- 1 g carbs = 4 Calories
- 1g fat = 9 Calories
That equals 600 Calories divided by 4 Calories per gram = 150 grams of protein
So, let's say you read a nutrition label that says 20g of protein, 24g of carbohydrates, and 9g of fat.
- 20 x 4 = 80
- 24 x 4 = 96
- 9 x 9 = 81
Total calories = 80 + 96 +81 = 257 Calories in that serving
As long as you are getting a good amount of protein every meal, you can simply look at the amount of calories in each serving size without having to worry about grams of protein and all of that.
Remember, 10cal/lb of bodyweight combined with a good exercise program is roughly what it will take to lose fat consistently. Every week, weigh yourself again and recalculate your daily caloric intake necessary to lose fat.
The next installment will cover supplements: what will actually help you get to your goal.
