Are you frustrated with dieting and not seeing results? Have you spent most of your life trying every fad and weight loss gimmick on the market, and still have unsightly rolls? By cutting calories and skipping meals in the quest for fat loss, you have turned your body into a perfect fat storing machine. I know, this doesn't sound like it makes sense. Actually, it does to your body. I will give you a brief synopsis of how the internal furnace works in relation to food consumption. Forget calorie restriction as your only means of fat loss. Learn how to change your metabolism with food, and start living a life of more energy with less body fat.
The most important number in your fat loss goal should be your resting metabolic rate. This is also referred to as your BMR. This number is the number that tells us how many calories our body burns while at rest. This number does not take into account any activity at all. Neither does it take into account how certain foods can raise your metabolism. There are actually certain foods that have what is called a "thermogenic effect". This means that to digest these nutrients, your body must rev up your metabolism. Adding in more of these foods, and foods that have a high nutrient quality, can enhance our fat loss goals. Start using the terms "fat loss", and stop using the terms "weight loss". There is a big difference.
The biggest problem with cutting calories and skipping meals is that it brings your metabolism to a screeching halt. When you step on the scale a day or two after barely eating, most people think they see good news. They see that the scale has dropped to a lower number. This is not good, and is not healthy. Yes, you see weight loss, but remember, we want to see fat loss. There are expensive scales out there that have a good record, and maybe you would like to invest in one. These scales show how much of your body is fat, and how much is muscle. What the average scale does not show is where the loss came from. We want fat loss, not water, and definitely not muscle loss. After dieting, and calorie restriction for days on and off, or even years, you are now in the habit of yo-yo dieting. By putting your body in a constant state of starvation, you start to burn muscle for fuel. This keeps your body in balance by slowing down your resting metabolic rate. The idea should be to spare muscle and burn fat. What you want to do is to learn which foods to omit, and which ones to add more of.
Skipping meals is also why people end up making poor food choices when they finally do eat, or even worse, why they end up bingeing. Stop skipping meals, and start eating smaller meals more often. Stop looking for quick fixes that show a lower number on the scale. This is not the way to lifelong fat loss. The first place you will lose weight from by skipping meals is water, then muscle, and if you are lucky, a little bit of fat. The last thing that you would ever want to do is lose muscle. Muscle is the only form of tissue that is metabolically active. This tissue burns calories just to stay alive. Getting back to the idea of foods that enhance your metabolism, this is what I would call "more bang for the buck". Foods high in protein not only burn calories to digest, they keep vital muscle tissue from deteriorating.
Let's get back to the thermogenic effect. The body has a harder time digesting proteins and they take longer to digest. Therefore, proteins are a great source when trying to get your body's metabolism to do some of the work for you. Proteins also keep you fuller, for longer periods of time. They are a great source to add to your diet. Protein is a necessary component in building and repairing muscle tissue. The idea is to eat foods that enhance your metabolism, not slow it down.
Carbohydrates from vegetables and fruits are also great sources of nutrients. These food sources are loaded with fiber, and water. These are two other sources of nutrients that people seem to not get enough of. Eating a plate full of vegetables loaded with fiber can still be less calories than a couple of tablespoons of a fat laden food. Fiber will also keep you full for a long time. Carbohydrates will also give you the energy to start an exercise program. Without energy, we have a lesser chance of ever wanting to be active.
Fats can be a great source that is missing from most dieters plates. There are women everywhere that refuse to eat any source of fat. Fats from healthy sources as in avocados, nuts, nut butters, fish and fish oil supplements are a much needed food source in our diets. There is a direct correlation from our hormones to how our moods are affected, when we are low in essential fatty acids. Foods and supplements from plant based and fish based sources are needed to keep the systems working together. Essential fatty acids can help you with your metabolic needs, keep your heart and brain protected, and make your skin and hair supple.
Now let's put all of this information into a useful plan. The idea is to eat several small meals 3-4 hours apart. Aim for a breakfast of at least 300-400 calories. This meal should kick start your day, as well as your metabolism, and break your fast. Each meal should contain some protein, some healthy carbs and a little bit of healthy fat. Counting every calorie is not necessary. However, eating enough protein is essential. Protein can come from animal and plant sources. You should consume around 1 gram of protein per lean pound of bodyweight to be sure you don't go into a catabolic state. A catabolic state is the worse case scenario and is what happens when you starve your body. Remember skipping meals will force your body to hold onto fat and burn through your much needed muscle tissue. If you are active in weight training you need more protein. Plan your largest meals around your most active parts of your day, not the other way around. Most American diets are loaded with the highest amount of calories in the evening. Eat more earlier in the day, and taper off, unless you plan on working out in the evening.
Consuming a variety of nutrients are the way to fuel the body.The body is quite an amazing machine if we give it what it needs to run properly. You wouldn't drive a car on empty, why would you try to make your body work this way?It simply will not function properly without fuel. The right fuel in the form of a nutrient dense diet is what you need to keep all systems running right. Your metabolic system will work for you, if you feed it often, and feed it what it needs.
To make your body feel and look it's best, add a strength training routine to your nutrition plan. Adding muscle is the next best way to enhance your metabolism after you have fed your body what it needs for energy. Bigger muscles burn more calories, even at rest. Raise your resting metabolism, and never cut calories again.
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