Great Fat Loss Tips

he busiest day of the year for health clubs is January 2nd. Most New Year’s Resolutions involve at least some variation of the “lose weight; or, more accurately, lose fat”; “firm and tone up”; “get back in shape”; or “get IN shape”! Hopefully you have been hard at work getting both new and former clients into the gym. Exercise is critical to accomplishing all the resolutions listed above, but as you well know, nutrition is 80% of the battle.

You can speed up your client’s weight loss and fat loss programs by recommending specific diet and nutrition tactics and certain foods known to speed fat loss. Fat loss should be the goal. Weight loss usually means clients are losing lean body tissues: muscle, bone, etc., along with their fat loss. The ideas listed below should keep the muscle on while achieving your clients’ weight loss goals.

(1) Increase fiber intake to 25-35 grams/day: fruits, vegetables, whole grains, oatmeal, legumes, beans and nuts.

(2) Increase water intake to a minimum of 64 ounces/day. Yes, I know! Last year, new research came out saying we did not need as much water as recommended. But after decades of research showing the critical importance of water, not only in fat loss, but all physiological functions, STAY WITH WATER!

(3) Eggs: one or two eggs/day helps fat loss! Yes, I know! Last year, new research put eggs on the UNHEALTHY LIST! Research has flip-flopped more on the healthiness-unhealthiness of eggs than a career politician! I believe that if you prepare your eggs in a healthy and low-fat manner, you can put eggs back on the HEALTHY LIST! New research out of Thailand this year showed that people eating one egg a day for 12 weeks increased their “good” HDL cholesterol by 48% while their triglycerides and their “bad” cholesterol remained the same. It has been well documented that the lecithin in eggs is healthy for cholesterol. Hard boiled, poached, and eggs cooked in extra virgin olive oil are all healthy ways to prepare eggs. Avoid frying eggs and other high-fat cooking methods. Eggs are virtually perfect in their amino acid profile, and are not only ideal for building lean body tissues, but help to burn fat. Non-fat cooking of egg whites eliminates the fat and maintains the healthy amino acids.

(4) Drink 2 cups of coffee per day—preferably 30 minutes prior to your exercise session. Yes, I know! Coffee is another item that rotates weekly on the healthy vs. unhealthy lists. There is classic research that the caffeine in coffee increases aerobic capacity during aerobic exercise, but there is also research that caffeine has a negative impact on LDL & HDL. For fat loss, current research shows one cup of coffee per day can increase resting metabolic rate (RMR) 15% for approximately 4 hours. Other research showed that subjects who drink coffee 30 minutes before a meal decreased their appetite by 35%!

(5) Lift-Heavy: A surprising research report from Furman University shows that low rep (4-6RM/set [RM=Repetition Maximum, i.e.: the lifter fails at 4 reps in a 4RM set]), heavy lifts burn more calories than high rep-lower weight. Lifting heavy has been shown to elevate your RMR for over 24 hours post-exercise and increases both testosterone and Human Growth Hormone (HGH) production. These and other hormones help build muscle and burn fat. I still recommend that you use a periodized strength training program that varies the intensity from very high (1-6RM/sets) to light (15RM/sets).

(6) Eat apples: Not only will an “apple a day keep the doctor away,” but eating one or two apples prior to your meal significantly reduces appetite.

(7) Eat peppers and other spicy foods: peppers increase the sensation of fullness to prevent overeating and elevate metabolism to burn calories.

(8) Drink 3 cups of green tea daily: green tea, as well as other teas, are loaded with antioxidants. Not only do antioxidants prevent disease, they also increase the body’s production of metabolism-increasing hormones.

(9) According to research by Dr. Michael B. Zemel, consuming three 8-ounce servings per day of low-fat milk or yogurt can double your weight loss. The bioavailable calcium in low-fat dairy is beneficial to fat loss. The popular “flavored” yogurts will NOT work. They are very high in sugar. Try natural, Greek-style yogurts. If you have a tough time with the flavor, you can use dark honey as it has the highest levels of antioxidants.

(10) Slow down at the table!! If you eat slower, you will eat less. Not only does eating fast increase the amount of calories your consume, but Japanese scientists have found that fast eaters are more susceptible to Type II diabetes!