Incorporating these fat loss tips will improve your nutrition



program. Start off slowly and add one a week, you don't have to

adopt all of them at once. Before long, you’ve cleaned up your

nutrition program and on your way to reaching your goal. Trendy

diets, fads and the infomercial product of the month, are not

going to help you reach your weight loss goals. A well

thought-out nutrition and exercise program will.

Eat breakfast

Proven time and again, those who eat breakfast are more

successful at controlling their weight than those that don't.

Plus, when doing strength training exercises (and you know you

should be), it's even more important to make certain you fuel

those muscles after an overnight fast. The perfect time for

burning fat because glycogen, blood glucose and insulin levels

are all low.

Unfortunately, it may also be perfect for burning muscle, because

glycogen levels are low, and levels of the catabolic stress

hormone cortisol are high. If you skip breakfast and eat lunch at

noon, you’re not only in a highly catabolic (muscle wasting)

state, you’re also sending an unmistakable starvation signal to

your body.

Eat less sugar

Start reading labels! Sugar is hidden in almost every commercial

food item. A single tablespoon of ketchup gets 3 of its 4 grams

of carbs from sugar. A 12 oz can of cola has a staggering 40

grams of sugar, and ALL of the carbs in a cola are sugar! Why

does that matter?

Simple sugars are digested very quickly and cause a rapid spike

in blood sugar. Your body then releases large amounts of insulin.

Insulin quickly clears the glucose from the bloodstream leading

to low blood sugar (hypoglycemia.) Low blood sugar causes

cravings, hunger, weakness, mood swings and decreased energy.

These cravings for sugar result in a vicious cycle of ups and

downs in blood sugar levels throughout the day.

Eat More Often

Studies have shown that those who eat 4-6 smaller meals per day

have less body fat than those eating 2-3 meals a day, even if

both groups eat about the same number of calories. This is

because of maintaining steady blood sugar levels. Too much

insulin activates fat storage enzymes and forces fat in the

bloodstream into fat cells for storage.

High insulin levels also inhibit enzymes that promote the

breakdown of existing stored body fat. You can manage your blood

sugar and insulin levels by choosing fewer simple carbohydrates,

more complex carbohydrates, eating fiber and having your

carbohydrates with lean proteins approximately every three hours.



Eat protein

Be sure to include enough protein for your level of activity (you

are exercising…right?)

Protein speeds up your metabolism because your body has to work

harder to digest, process, and utilize it compared to fats or

carbs.

The "thermic" effect of protein is one of the reasons that a

higher protein diet is more effective for fat loss than a diet

high in fat or carbs. Too much of any food can be stored as body

fat, but protein is less likely to be converted to fat than any

other nutrient.

Eat nothing from a box

The closer your food is to nature the better off you are. Have

you looked at the ingredients list in most packaged food these

days? You need to be a scientist to figure out what half the

ingredients are. Stick to real, wholesome foods, fruits,

vegetables, whole grains, lean protein, etc.

Eat your vegetables

I don't mean fast food french fries. Try to get as many vegetable

servings into your meals as you can. It's nearly impossible to

over eat vegetables. They are full of fiber and will help keep

you full between meals. They also contain loads of antioxidants.

Raw is great, steamed is another good way to have them. Hold the

heavy cheese sauces please!

Eat protein and carbs together

If you want to keep your blood sugar in check, then don't eat

your carbs by themselves. Strive to always have balanced meals of

protein, carbs and healthy fats. You'll feel better and your

muscles will thank you.

Prepare your own food

Best for several reasons…It's cheaper than eating out, you know

exactly what you are eating, and it saves time. It takes no more

time to cook up 6 healthy chicken breasts than it does to cook

one or two. Make things easy. Prepare them over the weekend and

your lunches for the next few days are done. While you are at it,

put on a pot of brown or wild rice, or bake up some sweet

potatoes and you're good to go.

Drink water

LOTS! Most people are already dehydrated. Strive to drink a

gallon a day. If you drink a lot of coffee, then you need an

extra 8 oz for each cup of coffee. Exercise will put more demands

on your fluid levels. You need water. Drink 50-75% of your body

weight in ounces of water. Add an additional 16 oz for strenuous

exercise. No complaining!

Get more exercise

Get some exercise on most days of the week, and alternate between

strength training exercises and cardio training. If you are a

beginner, shoot for two weight workouts a week and progress to 3

or more depending upon your goals. Get in as many cardio sessions

as your schedule will allow, but aim for at least 3.

Commit to adopting these nutrition program changes and you'll be

well on your way to reaching your weight loss goal, whether it's

ten pounds or many more. Sound nutrition and exercise will always

succeed in the long run. Don't give into the temptation of fads.

The information contained in this article is strictly for

informational purposes and is not intended to provide medical

advice. If you are sedentary or over 40 please get clearance from

a doctor before starting an exercise program.