Fat
Loss
by Randy Herring
Fat provides energy for aerobic energy metabolism, such as sitting,
walking and jogging. The higher your resting metabolism is (through
exercise) more fat will be wasting away while sitting and/or sleeping!
Fat is your third and last source of energy or fuel at 3,500 calories
per pound. Fat yields 9 calories per gram.
Fat is responsible for many body functions. One, it assists in
membrane cell structure and function. Two, it transports and mobilizes
fat-soluble vitamins in the body. Three, it is involved in cellular
signals and regulates the uptake and excretion of nutrients in
the cells. And four, it is necessary for hormonal production in
the body.
EAT A HEALTHY AMOUNT OF FAT FOR MUSCLE GAINS!
Like carbohydrates, fat contributes to making you feel satisfied
or full after a meal. It also contributes to muscle gains and
helps prevent muscle loss while following a low fat diet. When
I lived in Japan and was training consistently, I put myself on
a circuit weight-training program.
I was on this program for a couple of months. I decreased my
fat intake to as low as 5% of my total calories. But I didn't
compensate my body for this by increasing my protein and carb
ratio intake to replace my lowered fat intake. The result was
that I lost a great deal of lean muscle tissue! My abs looked
good and ripped but my arms decreased half an inch or so! I got
down to 165 pounds. I lost about 3 inches around my waist. I then
read some time later that an individual needs fat in his/her diet
for making muscular gains. How true! 20% fat of total calories
is good.
COUNT FAT CALORIES
Excess calories contribute to fat gain and so does excess fat
consumption. If you're a calorie counter then count fat calories.
If you eat too much of them you become fat. The key with fat is
that it is a highly concentrated source of energy. That's why
it is the last or the least energy source burned. Fat, carbohydrates
and protein are all sources of energy the body uses daily. All
these sources of energy are all being used and burned by the body
simultaneously - at the same time. It's just that carbohydrates
at 4 calories per gram or 1,600 calories per pound is burned first.
Next is protein at 4 calories per gram or 2,000 calories per pound.
And finally, fat at a highly concentrated 9 calories per gram
or 3,500 calories per pound.
ENERGY
Carbohydrates and protein when eaten in astronomical proportions
makes a person fat too. Eat too many carbs and if your energy
expenditure is like a "couch potato", the unused carbs
get stored as fat. The result is fat gain. The same is true with
protein. Eat too much protein and the "unused" portion
"your body" does not utilize (either repairs made to
tissues, energy for your body or both) is wasted through urination
and/or gets stored as fat. This also does not exclude a protein
supplement.
THE BODYBUILDING DIET
Should you decide to cut back your fat intake I suggest you to
increase your protein and carbohydrate consumption. If fat intake
is too low, the body will first use carbs and then protein to
burn energy. For example, if a male competitive bodybuilder weighs
225 pounds and his goal is increasing LBM while maintaining fat
weight a suggestion is to eat 1.2 grams of protein per pound of
body weight, 2.5 grams of carbohydrates per pound of body weight
and 0.25 grams of fat per pound of body weight (trying to keep
the range within 10% of fat calories). This would account for
270 grams of protein or 1,080 calories; 563 grams of carbohydrates
or 2,252 calories; and 56 grams of fat or 504 calories. Total
calories: 3,836. This works out to be a ratio of 28% protein /
59% carbohydrates / 13% fat.
If this same male bodybuilder's goal is maintaining LBM while
decreasing fat weight to ready himself for strict dieting for
an upcoming competition a suggestion is to eat 1.5 grams of protein
per pound of body weight, 1.5 grams of carbohydrates per pound
of body weight and 0.18 grams of fat per pound of body weight
(trying to keep the range within 10% of fat calories). This would
account for 338 grams of protein or 1,352 calories; 338 grams
of carbohydrates or 1,352 calories; and 40 grams of fat or 360
calories. The total calories: 3,064. This works out to be a ratio
of 44% protein / 44% carbohydrates / 12% fat.
That's a lot of protein! The problem with the bodybuilding dietary
cuisine is that most bodybuilders leave out saying nutrient consumption
that is based on "lean body weight." They are already
lean so that word, although necessary, is mistakenly omitted;
and two, they fail to mention both carbs and protein will be used
as fuel, which accounts for their high consumption of these nutrients.
If the "bodybuilding ratio" consistently produced great
results for the "general" population, there would be
no argument against it. However, reality sets in and this sort
of ratio simply does not work for most people who in fact hold
more fat weight and expend less energy than the competitive bodybuilder.
Therefore, the formula just mentioned above should be only considered
by either an advanced or competitive athlete only, and not recommended
for the beginner or intermediate.
FIND YOUR BASAL METABOLIC RATE
Knowing how many calories your body needs to maintain itself
(BMR) is the best start to find out where to begin for either
gaining lean body mass (LBM) or losing fat. If you want to increase
your gains you must increase your caloric intake by 500 calories
or more per day. If you want to lose fat weight (at a safe four
pounds per month) simply decrease your daily caloric intake by
500 calories. That amounts to 3,500 less calories per week (one
pound less fat) or 14,000 less calories per month (4 pounds less
fat)!
When preparing food items high in fat like butter and oils substitute
by using non-fat non-stick liquid sprays for oils and butter.
When a recipe calls for butter simply omit it. Use non-fat cheese
for desserts. Drain, remove or soak oil from high fat foods like
ground beef. When I was at McDonald's in Japan on several occasions,
I would remove the hamburger patty from the inside and place it
between a couple of napkins and squeeze the heck out of it to
drain as much oil as I could.
Do what you must to limit your fat intake. Fat, after all, is
hard on the body. It is the most difficult to digest and is the
easiest to be deposited in all the wrong places. Why eat so much
of it?
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