The Obesity Solution Secret: How to Eat To Lose Fat

By: Marty Gallagher

 

I used to interview elite bodybuilders on their training and eating for a living and did this for years and years. One reoccurring theme that kept popping up when talk turned to diet/nutrition was how much food top bodybuilders packed away on a daily basis. These men taught their bodies how to handle continually greater amounts of calories without becoming fat. Contrast this with the typical obese person who eats one meal a day and adds body fat at the drop of a hat. I am working with a crew of obese folks and having great success using modified bodybuilder eating tactics to help the obese lose body fat.

The first order of business for the obese is to establish a multiple meal schedule. The obvious advantage to this strategy is it divides the daily calories in smaller chunks. I require the obese person to eat every three hours and this usually works out to five feedings a day. Secondly we insist they clean up the food selections. Some foods are easily converted into body fat (sugar foods, manmade foods and saturated fat) and some foods are near impossible for the body to convert into fat (lean protein, fibrous carbohydrates). The body's metabolism kicks into high gear to digest protein and fiber - creates what is called the thermogenic effect of food. Body temperature actually increases when the digestive system is faced with the daunting task of breaking down hard to digest protein and fiber.

Multiple meals allow the body to deal with fewer calories at any one sitting and the repeated practice of eating 5-6 meals a day teaches the body to become adept at digesting and distributing food. Better to eat 3,000 "clean" calories a day divided into six five hundred-calorie daily meals than one 1,500 calorie mega-dirty fast-food meal.

The results are astounding when the obese buy into the approach. I have one male who has lost 40-pounds of bodyweight in 40 days while simultaneously adding 12-pounds of muscle. He started at 240 and yesterday he weighed 200. This is far more impressive because didn't lose muscle in the process, he added muscle in the process. This was no ex-jock loaded with muscle memory; this is a 48-year old man with zero weight training experience.

Obese folks who slash calories end up losing as much fat as muscle and end up as miniaturized versions of the old fat selves. This modified bodybuilder approach melts fat while simultaneously adding muscle: the obese person eats more and as a direct result feels energized and vibrant during the process. Contrast this with the calorie-slasher who feels deprived, denied and continually on the verge of a binge. A person who eats wholesome foods every three hours is far less likely to binge and blow their diet than some poor obese person subsisting on 1200 calories a day. The calorie starved obese individual has set their caloric ceiling set so low that eating a candy bar or a bowl of ice cream causes them to add five pounds in 24-hours.

Adding functional muscle and building strength allows the obese person to become mobile and adept at climbing steps, getting out of a low chair and powering their bulk around. Compare this to the calorie-slasher who actually weakens their already weak body. Those who depend on deprivation to trigger bodyweight loss weaken the immune system and continually contract colds and sickness.

Those who live on 1000 to 1500 calories a day live in a stressful psychological world of denial. A person who has elevated their metabolism and consumes 3,000 calories a day can absorb an occasional binge far, far better than a person starving; I allow my folks a cheat meal once a week: this allows them to feel psychologically free. The interesting thing about the cheat meal (not cheat day - cheat meal) is that by "being good" the other 6 7/8's of the time the sweets, fat and junk they crave and might eat are rejected by the body and classically results in diarrhea.

I train five obese folks I currently work with - one man and four women - and all are experiencing similarly spectacular results: all are losing unhealthy fat while building functional muscle and eating more food than they did before they commenced the process. This counterintuitive approach - eat more to lose fat - was torn right out of the playbook of champion bodybuilders and can be used to great effect by anyone interested in losing fat while adding muscle.

 

Author Bio
Coming soon! "The Obesity Solution" is designed to help overweight men and women physically transform themselves into healthier, thinner, more fit individuals. Designed by Marty Gallagher, a world champion coach and former www.washingtonpost.com fitness columnist, he will take you by the hand to help you achieve permanent fat loss.

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The Number 1 Way For Obese People To Lose The Fat

By: Lynn VanDyke

 

The number one way for obese people to lose fat is the exact same for those that are only 20 pounds overweight. Strength training is the best way to cut through fat and burn through calories. There's no difference between strength training for the obese and strength training for everyone else.

When we strength train, we add lean muscle mass to our body. This lean muscle mass burns through 35-50 calories per pound of muscle every single day. Let's take a look at that number from a different point of view. If we have 5 pounds of lean muscle, that muscle will burn about 250 calories a day. Here comes the fun part. If we have 10 pounds of lean muscle mass, then our muscles burn about 500 calories a day. Hopefully you can see why adding lean muscle is the best way to lose fat.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention state that we are obese if we have a BMI (body mass index) of 30.0 or greater. Being obese is not healthy. It leads to a host of diseases and illnesses. I'm almost positive you already knew that.

Obese and over weight people can use functional exercises to begin changing their health. Exercises like squats and bicep curls will help strengthen the muscles we use in everyday movements. Often these movements are difficult for obese people. Keep up your workout routine and you'll notice that getting in and out of the car, walking to the mailbox, going upstairs and simply lifting heavy boxes will all become less of a hassle.

Strength training for the obese is the same as strength training for slender people. The difference comes in the starting point. It's so important to talk with your doctor, get the go ahead to workout, and then create a routine that you feel suits you best. Take one step at a time and before you know it, you will have taken 5,000 steps.

 

Author Bio
Lynn VanDyke is the proud owner of www.strength-training-woman.com. She is a certified personal trainer, yoga instructor and nutritionist. Her site is quickly becoming an essential strength training destination.

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Low-Fat + Exercise = Weight Loss

By: Christopher Ayu

Reducing your saturated fat intake is only part of the healthy body formula. You need to burn more calories than you consume in order to avoid having that excess food stored as body fat. That's where exercise comes into play.

These exercise tips can get you started on the road to losing weight and keeping it off:

• Always check with your doctor before starting an exercise program. This is especially true if you have, or are at risk of having, heart disease, diabetes, or you are seriously overweight.
• Practice moderation by beginning with light and low impact exercises like walking, and gradually increase your intensity as your body begins to become conditioned to increased activity.
• Aim for at least 30 per day of light cardiovascular activity each day. You don't have to do all 30 minutes at once. You can spread it out over the day if you want to.
• Easy to do exercises include walking instead of taking the car on nearby errands. Take the stairs instead of the escalator when you're going to the office or shopping at the mall. Take a walk during lunch time.
• Start doing things that are both fun and provide exercise. Gardening, bike riding, window shopping downtown.
• You can make exercise more enjoyable by wearing headphones and listening to music, or doing your exercises with a friend.

Here are some dietary tips that can change, or save, your life:

These foods have been linked to various health conditions including cancer, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and heart disease. Not all of these foods have been linked with all of these conditions, but each of them are worth avoiding when possible.

• High in saturated fats, these foods should be avoided at all costs: All saturated fats and oils found in butter, lard, palm and coconut oil, bacon grease.Replace these foods with: Soft margarine (no fat kind), olive, safflower, soy, corn, canola, and peanut oil.
  
• These foods contain trans fatty acids and/or partially hydrogenated vegetable oils and should be eaten only in very limited quantities: Hard margarines, most snack crackers, most cookies, corn and potato chips, shortening.
• These meats contain high levels of fat and can cause serious arterial blockage and heart conditions. They should be eaten very sparingly: corned beef, pastrami, pork and beef ribs, beef steak, ground meat, most frankfurters, pork sausage, bacon, liver, kidney, and processed deli meats.Replace with these foods with skinless chicken or turkey, turkey or chicken frankfurters, ground turkey, occasional lean beef, veal, pork, lamb, fish, and vegetable dishes including beans, peas, pasta, or rice.
  
• Try not to eat more than 2 oz of meat, fish, or poultry per day. Replace the rest of your meal with healthy vegetables, pasta and rice.
• Be careful of fat that's hidden in dairy products. Drink either fat-free or 1% milk. Replace other dairy products like cream cheese, cottage cheese, sour cream, and snack cheeses with their no-fat or low-fat versions.
• Avoid eating high fat snack crackers, cake, cup cakes or muffins, and replace them with low-fat baked versions.

Author Bio
Christopher Ayu is the webmaster and content provider of www.swim-wear-in-style.com. He does research on the subject and this is one of the many articles posted on his site on health-and-fitness.

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