Today's society is about speed. We no longer have to wait
for the oven to warm our food because we have microwaves
ready to do the work in less time. Breaking news events
don't travel by telegraph across the great oceans; they
are transmitted instantly with live video over the Internet
or bounced from the array of satellites that float in constant,
geosynchronous orbit. It comes as no surprise that supplement
sales are on the rise as we continue to seek out quick,
convenient ways to lose fat – fast!
Losing fat is not difficult. I have been coaching clients
to break through plateaus and send their fat cells running
for cover for years now. So why does this continue to be
an elusive goal for so many people, who “struggle”
just to lose a few inches?
We can address this by creating a practical guide to lose
fat. Is this a special diet that will have the pounds melting
off? No. Is it a secret workout program that causes you
to burn fat while you sleep? Nope, not that, either —
your body already does it. So what on earth can we share?
There is a secret, over 2,000 years old, that was leaked
to the general public by the father of medicine, Hippocrates.
Somewhere along the way, it was lost again. Let's bring
it back to light. It goes like this:
“If we could give every individual the right amount
of nourishment and exercise, not too little and not too
much, we would have found the safest way to health.”
Sounds almost too good to be true, doesn't it?
The problem is that in our efforts to find something —
fast — we tend to resort to equations and formulas
that should magically spit out the right number of calories,
or eliminate entire food groups like sugars or carbohydrates
in our quest to make our fat cells cry (what some people
call “sweat.”) Everyone will benefit by reducing fat and increasing muscle.
It's not so much your weight that may slow you down, it's
the percentage of that weight that comes from fat! So how
do you target the love handles and saddle bags without losing
your guns or wheels, as biceps and thigh muscles are affectionately
termed in the bodybuilding world?
1. Move more, eat more.
Whoa — wait a second! We all understand the idea
behind moving more. That means burning more calories. But
eat more? You thought it was eat less, didn't you?
The truth is that you must eat more: more intelligently.
You must eat more nutrient-dense foods. In turn, you will
consume fewer calories. Less calories does not mean less
nutrition, when done correctly.
Even engineered foods (shakes, bars, and sports drinks)
contain little nutritional value for the calories that go
with them. There is nothing that beats nature's own packaging
– fruit, vegetables, lean proteins, healthy fats,
and so on. If you want to remain satisfied and full, try
consuming over 50% of your calories from fresh fruit and
vegetables. Your calories automatically go down, while your
intake of fiber, vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients
goes up. The idea is to consume foods as close to their
natural state as possible. This means you'll do most of
your shopping on the outer edge, or perimeter of the grocery
store where the meats, eggs, and fresh produce exists, rather
than in the middle, where everything comes in boxes, bags,
and cans.
Want some nutrition-packed snacks? Try dates or figs with
raw cashews. Roasting nuts may damage some of the healthy
fats. You'll notice that roasted or cooked nuts are addictive,
while raw nuts are not. Can't take the blandness? Buy roasted,
lightly salted and raw nuts, then mix the two together for
a compromise. Afraid of the fats? Don't be. These come loaded
with fiber, protein, and carbohydrates, along with a healthy
dose of fatty acids. My personal favorite is celery sticks
with all-natural peanut butter.
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