Nutrition & Fat Loss: How To Diet Properly

Looking to lose fat or go on a diet regime that actually works? Then you have to follow some simple, proven techniques and strategies that can really help you shed those pounds!

Nutrition

The first and most important rule in weight loss is the amount of calories you eat. Forget the macro nutrients fat, carbohydrates and protein for the moment, you can cut out as much carbohydrate as you want, if you are eating too many calories from protein and fat you will not lose a milligram in weight.

You may have lost weight quickly in the past doing this, but did you put it back on? The majority of you will say yes. Why? The weight you lost during that diet was mostly water out of your body, you didn’t lose any fat or bodyweight. The body is about 60% water depending on body size, so it is quite easy to quickly drop weight without losing any fat.

To lose actual body fat you must cut your calories by about 500kcal below your daily usage.

Work out your daily calorie usage with our BMR calculator

Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates should consist of about 40% of your daily intake. Get rid of all those empty carbohydrate calories like sugar and processed foods and cereals. The bulk of your carbohydrates should come from real foods in their unprocessed state.

Great carbs to eat are:

Sweet potato
Brown ricer
Brown pastar
Brown breadr
Rolled oatsr
All vegetablesr
Fruit

Far from cutting carbohydrates out of your diet they should be a vital part of it, especially if you a training at the gym to burn extra calories. The aforementioned slow release fibrous carbohydrates will keep you fuller for longer, give you bundles of energy and also keep you regular!

Simple carbohydrates such as dextrose, white potatoes, white rice etc can be taken post workout only. These carbohydrates will promote fat storage at other times of the day, but post workout are perfect for boosting energy levels and will not be stored as fat.

Protein

Protein should consist of about 40% of you daily intake

Protein is vital for active people and especially for those training regularly. Whilst losing weight we want to keep as much muscle mass as possible to appear toned. Protein will help rebuild muscle fibres after workouts and also keep you feeling fuller for longer

Great sources of protein are

Tunar
Lean chicken breast without skinr
Protein shakesr
Salmon
Pork
Beefr
Egg whitesr
Prawnsr
Basically all lean meats, fish, poultry etc!

For vegetarians good vegetable sources of protein are couscous, cottage cheese and wheat based products

Fat

Fat should consist of about 20% of you daily intake

Cut out virtually all saturated fats, these bad fats are terrible for you health and body composition. As a rule of thumb, any fat that is solid at room temperature steer clear of. Any fat that is liquid at room temperature is ok!

Foods that contain bad fats are

Hamburgers
Chips
Crispsr
Fried foodr
Ready mealsr
Doughnutsr
Cookies

You get the picture… basically staw away from all the food you know you shouldn’t be eating and also refrain from drinking fizzy drinks, even the ‘diet’ ones. The ingredients contained in these drinks will heavily promote fat gain and storage.

Good fats

Good fats are essential for healthy living and can help you lose body fat and beat cravings. The body needs these types of fat to perform literally thousands of processes in the body, including normal hormone production, which will aid in a desirable body composition.

Sources of good fats include:

Olives & Olive oilr
Avocado & avocado oilr
Salmonr
Mackerel