5 Tips To Get You Started On Losing Weight

When a client or a friend comes to me and asks me how they can lose weight and look for some easy tricks to start, I usually always start with five tips I’ve found to help reduce calories. Now, the most efficient way to lose weight is to have a plan, try to track your food, and completely take the guesswork out of it. For some of us, this isn’t feasible. Whether it’s the lack of time or the lack of knowledge, we look for little tips and tricks that can help us get on the road to losing weight. Here are the five tips I like to give people:

11.    Emphasize Lean Protein

Protein is a very under eaten macronutrient amongst individuals. While some athletes go overboard and start chugging down protein shakes left and right, the regular person who’s trying to get in shape more times than not can add more protein to their diet. In previous articles I’ve mentioned the benefits of adding more protein to your diet. Some of these benefits include increased satiety or fullness from a meal, an increased thermic effect of food, and when in a caloric deficit, a better retention of lean body mass.

So how do we go about adding more protein to our diet? Focus on choosing more protein dense meals for your “square” meals of the day. Try egg whites for breakfast, baked or grilled skinless chicken breast for lunch, and lean fish or another lean cut of meat for dinner. Fattier choices of protein are great too when grilled, but also come with more calories because of their fat content. For example, salmon is an extremely healthy fish, but can have twice as many calories as tilapia because of the fat content. I try to consume fattier cuts of meat at least three times a week, but I also make other adjustments in my macronutrients. Looking for some protein snacks? Some great options are protein shakes with some water and Quest protein bars.

A meal I often mention to people to try that’s extremely healthy and filling is a TexMex breakfast bowl:

4 oz 99% Lean Turkey Meat

1 egg

3 egg whites

28g (1 serving) of Sargento’s 2% milk fat mozzarella cheese

And Low-sodium hot sauce

Cook and mix it all together and melt that cheese! Approximate total macros are:

Calories – 325

Fat – 10g

Carbs – 1g

Protein – 53g

Right there you got a filling meal and it’s full of protein, great to keep you full for a long period of time. Another option to throw in there if you want carbs for maybe a pre-training breakfast is a slice of Ezekial toast topped with a tablespoon of natural peanut butter. Here you’ll be adding about 175 calories, 8g of fat, 15g of carbohydrates, and another 8g of protein.

22.    Smarter Food Prep

Okay, so now you’re emphasizing lean proteins more. Unfortunately, when someone gets this drilled in their new healthier style of eating, they don’t pay attention to how they prepare the food. For example, lets say you want to have some baked chicken for dinner.

You clean the chicken, and begin to think of different ways to marinate it. You throw some honey-mustard in there, some butter, and maybe an oil of some sort to have it nice and juicy, but what people fail to realize is that these marinades are full of sodium and unnecessary calories. Are there marinades that are better for you out there? Yeah, of course. Olive oil is an extremely healthy source of fats, but very rarely does someone use the one-tablespoon serving size that comes with 130 calories.  The way I see it, I’d rather have a 3-ounce serving of an avocado and eat my calories for the healthy fats than have a tablespoon of olive oil.

I usually recommend skipping the oils when preparing your meats and marinades and try low-sodium seasonings. My personal favorites are from the Mrs. Dash line, and not only are they sodium free, but some of them actually include some potassium in it. So next time you cook your lean turkey meat and you want to add some more flavor, put down the canned red sauce, and pick up the Mrs. Dash extra spicy seasoning and maybe some crushed red pepper. You get all the flavor, but none of the calories.

Also while it might be obvious, avoid deep-fried foods and try to emphasize baked and grilled choices. So next time you go to Outback Steakhouse choose the wood-fire grilled tilapia and not the pecan crusted tilapia. Easy way to save calories, and it’s still delicious.

33.    Drop The Liquid Calories

One of the most efficient and easiest ways to reduce the amount of calories you take in is to simply drop the calories you consume through liquids. This means only water, and no soda, no Gatorade, no Snapple, nothing with liquid calories. While fruit smoothies from the mall are fine (IF, and huge if, they’re made with real fruit and not those nasty syrups), drinking water will provide zero calories.

Diet sodas and diet, zero-calorie drinks are fine, but generally the healthiest choice is water.  Adding lemon slices to a water bottle is a great way to have flavored water if you can’t take the “plainness” of water. Look at it this way: I love Peach Snapple, and would routinely have two or three a day. Three regular PeachSnapples (16 fluid oz.) gives you 480 calories, all coming from 120g of carbohydrates and 117g of those are sugar! 117g of sugar! And it's not uncommon for people to have a soda during the day and a boatload of coffee creamer too. Make the switch to water and after a week or two you’ll be amazed by the results.

44.    Choose High Fiber, Low Glycemic Carbohydrates

Blood sugar control is something that really plagues our country today. Millions of people are suffering from Type 2 diabetes and have constant issues with blood sugar. One of the best ways to keep your blood sugar levels stable is to choose high fiber, low glycemic carbohydrates. In a previous article, I discussed the glycemic index and how it manipulates blood sugar, but I’ll cover it in brief real quick. The higher the glycemic number (Scale goes up to 100, pure Glucose being 100) the greater the blood sugar swing and insulin release. The sudden influx of blood sugar causes us to release a large amount of insulin, and then after storing and disposing of the glucose, we get tired, groggy, and then crash. What do we do when we crash? Reach for more sugary treats, and the never-ending, vicious cycle continues.  A lower glycemic food choice will have a lower insulin release, and since it’s digested more slowly, it will keep you fuller longer and provide a more long-term energy source.

Some low glycemic food choices are sweet potatoes, old-fashioned or rolled oats, brown rice, apples, and whole wheat bread. Combining your carbohydrates with fats can help lower the glycemic index of the food as well, as the fats will slow gastric emptying and digestion.

So when people feel fuller and have more energy, they tend to eat less and move more. Eating less and moving more essentially equals weight loss.

55.    Double Up On Vegetables

My final tip I give to others trying to lose weight and live a healthier lifestyle is to double up on your vegetables. Vegetables, when grilled or steamed, are great to provide satiety and control blood sugar. The vegetables I like to focus on are the leafy green ones, such as broccoli, asparagus, and spinach. They’re high in fiber and a serving or two can be very filling. Again, when you’re more full, you hopefully tend to eat less. Vegetables also have tons of micronutrients to help your body run optimally.

Be careful how you prepare your vegetables too. I know my family loves to put butter on top of their grilled asparagus, which again adds unnecessary calories. I like to add seasoning to my spinach or squeeze a lemon over my broccoli florets. A good trick when eating out too is to skip the mashed potatoes or French fries and instead get a second helping of steamed veggies. You’ll still get full, and save a bunch of calories. And don’t be afraid to ask them for no butter on the vegetables, their job is to make you happy.

Ultimately, to lose weight you need to expend more energy than you take in. The best, and most efficient, way to lose weight is to track what you’re eating and try to slowly consume less until you see the scale move downwards. I understand if people don’t want to take the time to plan their caloric intake, but in the end taking out the guesswork is the fastest way to see results. Either way, employing the five tips mentioned above can really help increase satiety, reduce your overall caloric intake, and hopefully get you started to losing weight.

Are High Cortisol Levels A Concern For You?

As most of us get our training routine in high gear, and start seeing great results, we tend to push ourselves even harder. While you might think the best way to break that plateau is to add an extra five sets of bench press, 20 minutes of cardio, or even a second training session in the same day, working harder, and not smarter, can come back and bite you. As you keep pushing yourself beyond your limits (especially if you’re in a caloric deficit) you begin to feel run-down, tired, and you may even have trouble sleeping. What’s going on?

Enter: Cortisol. What is cortisol? Cortisol is a hormone released from the adrenal gland in a response to physical and even mental stress.  It’s anti-inflammatory intentions means the body will begin to suppress its immune response to the stressor, and stop responding to the problem. When cortisol increases, protein synthesis decreases. Obviously this is bad when you are trying to build some muscle. Cortisol then tries to provide different fuels for the body when there’s not enough glucose. So in effect, during intense exercise when proper peri-workout nutrition and adequate rest are ignored, muscle breakdown can occur as cortisol attempts to provide the body with amino acids to be converted into glucose (Also known as Gluconeogenesis).  So cortisol sucks right? Not exactly. Without cortisol your body would go into shock when exposes to trauma.

Symptoms That Your Cortisol Levels Are Out of Control

Some signs that your cortisol is high and you may now be running on fumes include:

-       - The inability to fall asleep at night.

-       - When do you sleep well, you’re still tired when you wake up

-       - Lack of recovery between workouts

-       - Lack of feeling “refreshed”

-       - Getting sick very easily

-       - Weight gain, and noticeable fat gain in the abdomen region

-       - Anxious and depressed feeling (Because cortisol lowers serotonin production)

-       - Your sex drive is non-existent

All of these symptoms can obviously affect your performance in the gym. The inability to recover, and let your muscles fully recover between workouts, can prevent you from building strength. So not only did you not break your plateau, but now you might be moving backwards in the quest to achieve your goal.

Ways To Reduce Cortisol

Work Smarter, Not Harder

The hardest working individuals and those who are too stubborn to take a break are the ones that will usually have a cortisol problem. They bust their butts in the gym for two hours a day, and since their body is used to it, they recover just fine. As they notice a plateau or get frustrated by a lack of results or change, they add another hour of weight training.  They don’t adjust their nutrition or calorie intake, and the problem just gets worse. Individuals who are feeling tired, groggy, and can’t recover fully between workouts should look to take a 3-4 day break off from the gym. You’d be surprised how much stronger and how much more energy you’ll have in the gym in your day back.

Try to keep your workouts within 90 minutes, and if you find that you need more time, try to work with less rest. Or quit chit chatting between sets (You know who you are). Remember, you don’t grow in the gym; you grow outside the gym!

Better Sleep

Try going to bed a reasonable hour and get some good sleep in. If you still have trouble sleeping at night, you could try taking an extra nap during the day if time permits. Adequate sleep is CRUCIAL to have success in transforming your body, building muscle, and achieving your fitness goals.

Better Nutrition

Another reason why cortisol can get out of control is a lack of calories for energy. Many people don’t realize that when you’re dieting, your body is being placed under stress. It’s breaking down energy, whether it’s fat or muscle, to balance out the amount of energy to keep it going (Remember, to lose fat, your body needs to use fat stores for energy). Extremely long cardio sessions done multiple times a week, and sometimes twice daily, can be a recipe to get cortisol skyrocketing. I’ve heard of people doing an hour of cardio, then weight training, and then another hour of cardio later in the day. Then they wonder why they can’t lose that “stubborn” fat over their lower abs. When dieting, weekly or bi-weekly refeeds can help reduce cortisol levels and keep your hormones running optimally. Taking a diet break can also help breakthrough a plateau, and can recharge the batteries so to speak.

Supplements

Some supplements have been shown to reduce cortisol as well. Phosphatidylserine and Rhodiola Rosea can help reduce stress and lower cortisol. Also, products such as Driven Sports' Lean Xtreme are focused predominantly on cortisol control. Supplements should not be the answer though. $30 for a supplement can easily be replaced by an extra rest day, or a better focus on your nutrition.

Peri-Workout Nutrition

Finally, a focus on peri-workout nutrition can help keep cortisol in check. Since cortisol can cause muscle breakdown to provide glucose in times of stress, pre and post workout nutrition is very important. Carbohydrates prior to exercise can help since the body will have a pool of glucose to use when trying to perform physical activity. Protein supplements can help also by preventing protein breakdown of muscle cells, by providing the body with amino acids as fuel. A whey protein shake prior to exercise can do the trick, and so can 10g of Branched Chain Amino Acids.

After your workout, your body is primed to soak up nutrients to help aid muscle recovery. It’s best, in my opinion, to have some carbohydrates and protein. The carbohydrates will help restore muscle glycogen and get insulin levels up. Protein will provide amino acids for growth and recovery, and insulin will help drive these amino acids into the muscles. If one is trying to go low carb, a whey protein shake, BCAA’s, or a protein source can suffice and be fine. Just consuming calories can help reduce cortisol and aid recovery. A reminder though, it’s total daily calories and meeting your macronutrient requirements that will influence body composition, meal timing is irrelevant to an extent.

Hopefully this article will help understand why cortisol can wreak havoc on one’s physique and stress levels. Don’t let cortisol fear you from working out two hours a day either, just make sure you get proper rest at night and proper nutrition to help your body recover and you’ll be fine. Remember, professional athletes train for 5-6 hours daily sometimes. They see ridiculous results too; mostly because of the nutritionists they have available, professional trainers, and massage therapists that can be extremely beneficial in recovery. For most, cortisol is something you’ll never have to worry about. For some of us, working harder might not be the best solution to your plateau!

Know What's In Your Pre-Workout Energy Supplement

One of the more popular supplements out there today is the “pre-workout” energy drinks. Some examples of pre-workout products are Musclepharm’s Assault, Cellucor’s C4, and Controlled Labs White Flood. They are usually consumed 20-30 minutes prior to exercise and will give you a nice jolt of energy. They include ingredients that can help give you a mental edge, improve endurance, or even give you a better “pump.” What I mean by a pump is the sensation of blood, nutrients, and water rushing to your muscle, where the muscle feels “swollen.” Never experienced it? Hop on your nearest biceps machine and do 10 reps with good form, then drop set to lighter weight until failure. That swollen, skin bursting, feeling in your biceps is the pump.

Unfortunately, 9 out of 10 people who I know that take these products have absolutely no idea what’s in these supplements. They don’t know what the ingredients do, the dosage they need to see the optimal effect, or the side effects of specific ingredients. For example, caffeine is a common used ingredient in pre-workout drinks, and those who have high blood pressure are commonly told you avoid the use of stimulants. People just hear that this supplement will improve performance and can help you add muscle and strength so they just hop in and take it. Well, the point of this article is to explain what goes in these pre-workout supplements, how they affect you, and what dosages you need in order to see an effect. Being able to determine what dosages are needed is important because sometimes a company might under dose a particular ingredient, thus not giving you the best “bang for your buck.”

Creatine

Creatine is a commonly used ingredient for companies in their pre-workout (PWO) formulas because of its ability to help replenish ATP energy stores in the muscle, thus giving you a greater training response. You can lift longer, get more reps in when you’re fatigued, and can provide a bit of a pump, since it pulls water into the muscle cell.

Common Dosage: 3-5g

Beta-Alanine

Beta-alanine is the precursor and building block of carnosine, which helps get rid of acid in the muscle. By reducing this acid in the muscle during working sets, beta-alanine has been proven to help increase performance in 60-240 second range. When taking beta-alanine, users may experience a tingly sensation, also known as paresthesia, almost like their skin is itchy (I usually feel it in my hands), but it will subside after continued supplementation.

Common Dosage: Absolute minimum should be 1.6g, although 2-5g is the standard dose.

Caffeine

Caffeine, commonly found in tea and coffee, is the anti-sleep drug. Hence why that coffee after 7:00 PM might not be a great idea. It mimics and blocks the hormone andenosine, which induces sleepiness. Caffeine, especially for those with low tolerances and who don’t consume it regularly, can be a potent fat burner and great stimulant to provide mental focus and energy when training.  Those who have high blood pressure or taken medication for high blood pressure should avoid PWO’s that contain caffeine.

Common Dosage: 100-250mg. Doses greater than or equal to 200mg seems to elicit the best fat burning effect.

Arginine & Cirtrulline

These two I’ll group together and you’ll see why in a second. Arginine is a conditionally essential amino acid that helps blood flow and to produce nitric oxide. Arginine seems to be limited in supplement usage because of its low bioavailability after being consumed. Because of the better blood flow, users can experience better pumps in the gym, which can help give you an additional mental edge in the gym.

Citrulline turns into Arginine after absorption and being broken down by the kidneys, and is much more bioavailable than Arginine itself. Therefore if one wants the benefits of Arginine (Better blood flow, better pumps, etc), supplementing with citrulline seems to be the better more efficient route.

Arginine Dosage: 3-6g is usually seen, but 5-6g seems to be most effective

Citrulline Dosage: 6-8g prior to exercise

Tyrosine

Tyrosine is also an amino acid that produces noradrenaline and dopamine. When we train, our body undergoes great stressors. These two hormones help create the fight-or-flight response in the human body when we experience these stressors. They will directly increase heart rate, prompt the release of glucose from energy stores, and increase the blood flow to skeletal muscle. Those who supplement with Tyrosine note an increase in overall cognition and focus when training.

Common Dosage: 500-2,000mg

Taurine

Taurine is an amino acid with sulfur in it, and is commonly found in animal meats. It helps reduce cramping, and offers other heart and blood health benefits. Along with the health benefits, it improves blood flow, which helps again deliver nutrients to skeletal muscle during training.

Common Dosage: 500-2,000mg

Betaine

Betaine is an amino acid that helps boost protein synthesis throughout the body, and also is an osmoregulator, similar to creatine. An osmolyte compound is a molecule that moves in and out of a cell and its membrane, and helps keep the cells hydrated and preserves the size of the cell. When supplementing with Betaine, the cell can keep its structure, and will become more resistant to stressors. A study published in “The Journal of The International Society of Sports Nutrition” have seen that when trained individuals supplement with Betaine (1.25g pre and post workout), they increased muscle mass, decreased body fat, and increased arm size in just six weeks. The methodology of the study is questionable, but the results are intriguing nonetheless.

Common Dosage: 1.25-2g Pre-workout, and if possible, 1.25-2g Post-workout

BCAA’s

Last, but not least, you’ll find that many PWO supplements will include BCAA’s in their formulas. BCAA’s are Branched Chain Amino Acids, and the three BCAA’s are Leucine, Isoleucine, and Valine. What makes BCAA’s different from other amino acids is their ability to bypass digestion of the stomach and liver, and instead go straight to muscle tissue to be metabolized. This allows BCAA’s to be oxidized by muscle tissue in order to produce energy in the form of ATP. This is especially valuable when one is training fasted or in a caloric deficit, as the body will use the BCAA’s as a source of energy rather than breaking down muscle for energy. Leucine has also been clinically proven to promote protein synthesis. Now before you go slamming down Leucine supplements every 3 hours, whey protein and food has Leucine in it as well. Despite this, supplementing with BCAA’s prior to training and during training can be quite beneficial.

Common Dosage: 5 Grams, in a ratio of 3:1:1 (In favor of Leucine) or 2.5:1.25:1.25

So What’s the Best PWO Supplement?

I strongly recommend to get samples from www.bodybuilding.com, or buy smaller serving sizes and try a bunch out to see what works best for you. Most 30 serving containers will cost you no more that $30, and for less than a dollar a day that’s pretty good for a month of great workouts. I’ve experimented with quite a few, and in no particular order I’m a huge fan of Musclepharm’s Assault and their Arnold Series’ Iron Pump. Cellucor’s C4 is great, as is their N0 Explode (Although very expensive). Another one that’s getting great reviews and has a great profile is Jim Stoppani’s Jym.

So is a PWO supplement necessary to build muscle and strength? Absolutely not. A great training program and nutritional program are ten times more important. However, when training is nailed down, and one has their nutritional practices in place, a PWO supplement can help give someone that mental edge in the gym and aid performance. An increase in performance with proper nutritional practices will obviously help improve body composition. A PWO supplement could also be beneficial when one is tired and groggy and may not be in the mood to workout. Tired and groggy after work at 5:30 PM? Have a scoop of Musclpeharm’s Assault mixed in 12 ounces of water on your drive to the gym and you’d be amazed how the lethargy magically disappears. Have to lift before work at 6:00 AM? One scoop of Cellucor’s C4 and you’ll be throwing around 45 pound circle weights like frisbees.

Hopefully this guide can help you sort out the PWO supplement market as it continues to grow and grow with ridiculous claims. Again, before you buy, read the label, check the doses, and know what you’re ingesting before you take a single scoop!

Fat Loss, Not Weight Loss for Your New Year's Resolution

As 2013 ends, and 2014 comes full steam ahead, many of us begin making New Year’s Resolutions. Many of those New Year’s Resolutions begin with improving our health. Some of us say “This year I’ll eat healthier,” or “This year I’m going to start going to the gym.” While these are great goals, they’re not nearly specific enough. I implore you to make specific long term goals, along the lines of “This year I’m going to lose 15 pounds of fat, while keeping my lean body mass the same.” Now that’s a goal!

Weight loss is often a goal that many of us strive to achieve, and often times we become obsessed with the scale. And numbers. To me, this is a very flawed approach that doesn’t necessarily lead to a healthier you. When you diet and lose weight, your body will use stored energy (Usually fat, sometimes muscle) as fuel to meet the energy needs your body is under. As you lose weight, you can just become a smaller version of the same unhealthy person before. Your fat loss may decrease, but so will your lean body mass. In this article, I’m going to show you how and why you should track your body fat percentage with your weekly weigh-ins to determine if your diet is healthy and helping you, or just making a smaller version of your previous overweight self. I’ll also share some tricks to help break through fat loss plateaus and how taking one step backwards can lead to two steps forward.

Calculating Fat Mass

To calculate your fat mass, and determine your Lean Body Mass, you need to find out your body fat percentage. To find your BF %, there are websites online that can help estimate your body fat from getting circumference measurements. You can also have a personal trainer use skin fold calipers to help determine your fat mass. A third way is to purchase a hand held device, which surprisingly can work very well if you know how to do it right. Googling these types of devices can help you figure out how to use them optimally, and how they work.

When you cut calories to very low levels, your body will mobilize and oxidize what it has stored and you begin to lose weight. But you should focus more on fat loss, not weight loss, which is why the scale can be deceiving. For example let’s look at two guys, both 30 years old, 5’9”, 250-pounds, and both have 35% body fat (TDEE of 2,400 for the example)

According to their stats listed above, each guy has 87.5-pounds (Total Weight x BF %) of fat mass on them. Their Lean Body Mass, or LBM, is 162.5-pounds (Total Weight – Fat Mass). Lean body mass makes up muscle, organs, bones, skin, and other tissue that is vital to our survival.

Example A - Dave

Dave cuts his maintenance calories by 1,200 calories per day. He’s extremely happy how he’s cut weight. Yeah he’s hungry, but he doesn’t care he’s dropping weight like crazy and even has gotten a couple of compliments from his friends and family. As he looks at the scale 4 weeks later, he’s lost 60 pounds. But, after calculating his body fat %, it’s only dropped to 31%. So his fat mass has decreased to 58.9 lbs, but his LBM has decreased to 131.1 lbs. That’s a 30-pound drop in LBM and about 53% of the weight lost! So while he’s lost sixty pounds, more than half of that was lean body mass. No bueno. Dave’s fat loss begins to stall, throws in an hour of cardio a day, and still no more weight loss. His recent blood work shows no real crazy improvement in cholesterol levels or triglycerides, even though he’s lost 60 pounds. He’s also beginning to feel weak, tired, and hungry all the time.

Example B – Tom

Tom takes a more patient approach to his lifestyle diet, and begins to cut his calories at a 500-calorie deficit and begins to incorporate weight training and cardio 4 times per week. After 4 weeks, Tom’s lost 30 pounds, but his BF % has decreased from 35% to 27%. So now, Tom’s fat mass is 59.4-pounds, and his LBM is 160.6. While Tom has lost half the weight as Dave did, Tom has lost only 1.9-pounds of LBM, and has lost 28.1-pounds of fat mass! 94% of the weight Tom lost has been pure, blubbery fat. Tom feels the best he’s ever felt, and his fat loss is continuing. He’s getting stronger in the gym, and his recent blood work has shown improvement in all major blood readings. He feels motivated and keeps plugging along aiming to lose about a percent or two of body fat per week.

Why You Should Follow Tom and Not Dave

Obviously, the extreme drop in LBM for Dave is very concerning. LBM is vital in our lives. Also, LBM is more metabolically active in the body. While fat doesn’t require any energy to maintain, LBM eats up calories while you’re at rest, effectively allowing you to burn more calories even while you sit and read this article! That’s why those who gain muscle weight need to eat more to maintain that muscle. Muscle, and LBM eats up more calories.

How to Retain LBM, and Drop Fat Mass

Consuming Less

For starters, the law of weight loss states that in order to lose weight, fewer calories must be consumed than what you expend. So first lets look at the consuming fewer calories side of the equation. Taking a drastic cut in calories is a sure shot way to lose LBM. Those who are much heavier can get away with bigger caloric deficits, but if you’re smaller and leaner a smaller caloric deficit should be used. A good way to determine a good starting point is to subtract your TDEE by about 15%. This is a good decrease to start with and will result in a loss in weight.

A lot of websites and calculators will recommend an initial drop of 20%, but it’s better to start with a smaller caloric deficit. By starting with a smaller caloric deficit, you can further reduce calories as you hit fat loss plateaus. Your body will adapt as you get smaller and lose weight, needing less calories. When you stop losing weight, another drop in calories can break your plateau, and since you started with a smaller deficit to begin with, you won’t go into a starvation diet or want to go crazy from a lack of food.

Expending More

The other side of the equation is expending more energy. While many associate fat loss to cardio, I’m going to tell you why weight and strength training is more important in an overall healthier body. Weight training, like cardio, expends a large amount of calories. Intense weight training sessions can have you burning more calories hours after exercise as your body and metabolism try to adapt to the stressors you placed on it. Weight training will also help you retain muscle and LBM, and for beginners, you can even see reductions in fat mass while seeing increases in LBM/muscle! Weight training can also reduce bone density losses in the elderly. It can also reduce the risk of losing muscle mass, also known as sarcopenia, which can leave you weak and frail. Losing weight is great and all, but weight training will give you more muscle to give you a better look.

Cardio has its place, but diet and weight training is the key to having a better body composition. When fat loss stalls after your caloric deficit and weight training is in effect, add more cardio. From the beginning I would recommend 2-3 cardio sessions of lower intensity per week. They can last about 30 minutes and should be mainly used to help improve heart conditioning. As you hit a plateau, and you will hit plateaus, you can increase cardio. Plateaus are normal, and it’s your body’s way of adapting. Increases of cardio can include increased intensity, time, different methods (Treadmill instead of bike), or even decreased rest intervals during your resistance training workouts.

Diet Breaks and Refeeds

As the time wears on and you continue to slowly lose your fat mass, retain LBM, and increase your strength, you may find yourself getting tired and groggy all the time. As you continue to diet and remain in a caloric deficit, your body will begin to feel fatigued from all the stressors placed on it. This is where a diet break or a refeed can be used to re-stimulate the metabolism, and give you that psychological break from dieting as well.

A diet break is usually a one-week break an individual will take from dieting. While food choices still matter, the quantity will increase from the high quality foods you’re already consuming. I recommend raising your caloric intake back to maintenance levels, let your hormones get back in check, and your metabolism gets another boost. After a week you’ll have much more energy, and you can return to your caloric deficit and get back on the fat loss train.

A refeed is when you take a whole day, or meal, and increase your calories to help restore hormonal balance and boost your metabolism. As physique athletes get extremely lean, they tend to include refeed days once or twice a week. In general, once every 7-14 days seems to be enough. Whether your refeed day is a “cheat” day or just an increase in calories, it’s very important that the caloric increase mainly comes from carbohydrates. As you get leaner and leaner, the hormone leptin begins to fall. Leptin helps control cravings and energy expenditure. As you diet for long periods of time or to extremely lean levels, your body will sense it’s “starving.” It decreases leptin to help slow down the dieting process and retain its homeostasis (Very brief explanation on leptin, it’s much more complex than this).

So how do we raise leptin? While a cheat meal may seem like a perfect chance to indulge yourself, it can be counterintuitive as many of us can go to an all you can eat buffet and crush 6,000 calories without even knowing it. It’s best to stay within choosing quality food choices, but the occasional “cheat” is okay. It’s been seen that total day refeeds are more effective at stimulating the metabolism and raising leptin and other hormones that decrease with dieting. Carbohydrates also seem to have the greatest effect on leptin restoration. I would recommend protein and fat 25% and 15% of total calories respectively, and carbohydrate consumption taking up 60% of your calories. People usually place their most strenuous workouts, or lagging body parts, on the day of their refeeds as well, as refeeding puts you in a very anabolic state. 

Hopefully after reading this article, you’ll further understand why losing fat mass, and not total weight is more important. Keep that LBM and muscle to have a more healthy body! If you’re one of those people who are ready to lose weight during the New Year, good luck! Consistency is key, and just keep plugging along. Don’t get discouraged from plateaus: Expect them, and use the tools listed above to break right through them.