I’ll never forget what one wise publisher said to me at the very beginning of my writing career, some 20 books ago by now. I’d been meandering through a four-page introduction to some fitness section or another when what I really wanted to say was buried down in the last few paragraphs. He moved those up, shifted everything that had preceded them to the bottom, and when I asked him why he replied with four simple words: “Lead with the headline.”

Well, I’ve since taken his advice and since I know what’s uppermost on my client’s minds I’ll start with what I’m sure is uppermost on my readers’ minds as well: Everybody wants to know how to lose body fat. The problem is that there is so much misinformation out there that it becomes a real task figuring out what is true or not. The good news is that the secret of fat loss is actually pretty simple:

1)      You need to create a slight caloric deficit. In other words, you need to eat slightly less calories than what you burn every day. For most men this is approximately 1800-2000 calories and for most women this is approximately 1200-1500. In coming Blogs we will discuss how to create this caloric deficient without consciously feeling it, so that it becomes less of a burden and more of a habit as you continue on the program.

2)      Follow a ratio in the range of 33/33/33. I have created & followed many diet variations during my fitness journey, but I've yet to find a nutrient ration that works as well as 33/33/33. It's literaly the perfect balance of nutrients. It's important that a diet with this structure that you eat the right amounts – and types – of nutrients, incuding nutrient timed meal & snack consumption.

While your fat loss diet will be low in calories, it will be packed with the right amounts of nutrients. In a nutshell, your diet will consist of good, slow-released complex carbohydrates, lean proteins and some good fats. As you can see, no nutrient is eliminated from the diet and believe me that this is the best approach to fat loss there is. In coming Blog posts I’ll share with you use-today, start-today lists of great, healthy sources of carbohydrates, proteins and fats. I think you’ll find these lists invaluable.

3)      Your diet will consist of six small feedings throughout the day. Yes, I know, it will be an adjustment but I’m sure once you start seeing the benefits you’ll wonder why you never ate this way before! There are many benefits to this practice of doubling the amount of meals you used to eat, while reducing their size, such as more stable energy levels, less cravings, an increased metabolism. This method also produces a near constant feeding of protein to keep the muscles nice and firm and to allow them to recover from the workouts I’ll be sharing with you along the way. I want you tog et used to feeding your mind and your
body every two to three hours; now that’s truly mindful nutrition.

 
Keep Going!
James Villepigue CSCS