Weight Loss

  
     
 

So you want to lose weight?


There are a few different things here. There is (1) weight, (2) fat and (3) lean body mass (muscle and bone and organs). You really want to change #2, fat, right?

First and foremost, why do I believe this works? (A) because I did it myself and (B) my brother, David, did it himself and (C) this is what professional bodybuilders do every year for every contest. They build build build, which involves muscle and some fat. Then, 12-16 weeks prior to contests, they use this process to drop from 30-60 lbs. It works every time. You have to change your diet. I know, I know, you think you’re going to be starving. This is not true at all.  This takes some commitment but I guarantee if you stick with it for 30 days, you will have great results.
This is a lifestyle change, not really a “diet” as you would think of it. For the first 2 weeks, you really should track things just to make sure you are on track and make sure you understand your measurements. Your body has almost no need for carbs. Since the introduction of mass carbs (breads, cereals, etc.), American obesity is up 700%.		  
 

 

  
 

You are looking to cut out direct carbs entirely (bread, rice, cereal, potatoes, etc.). Other foods have “incidental” carbs (like 1 or 2)- those are fine as long as you're careful what you eat (this means read the labels for a while). You are targeting under 40 carbs per day.

When you are consuming low carbs (and you don’t cheat), your body can go into Ketosis. This is a state where your brain is using Ketones to power itself. The first couple of days, you might feel lethargic, not great. After the first few days, you’ll feel great, even a bit euphoric.

Pick ameal, once per week, to cheat. There are 3 reasons for this. (1) If you don’t cheat, you’ll never stay on this lifestyle change and (2) you need to replenish your glycogen in your liver. Lastly (3rd), you don't want your body to get used to your diet or your metabolism can slow. It takes about 1-2 days to get into Ketosis so you only want to cheat once a week or you won’t spend enough time in ketosis to get results.

You are basically looking for:
1 gram of protein lb of bodyweight (if you are bodybuilding, 1.5 to 2grams)- this would be 180 grams for a 180 lb person
.5-.7 grams of fat per lb of bodyweight and- this would be 90-126 grams for a 180 lb person
.15-.25 grams of carbs per lb of bodyweight- this would be 27-40 grams for a 180 lb person
(for carbs, anything under 40 is fine)

These are tought numbers so do your best.

Go hear to see what you can eat.

NEVER EVER skip breakfast, this is a terrible mistake. When you wake up, you’ve already been fasting for 12 hours or so (since dinner). You MUST eat in the morning, even if its oatmeal and black coffee.

STAY AWAY from fruit in the beginning! This is simple sugar that breaks down quickly and causes a spike in insulin. After a few weeks, you can have ½ a banana per day or save your fruit for your cheat day. If you MUST have fruit, have it with protein. Protein slows digestion so your fruit sugar spike won't be as pronounced.

DO NOT SNACK! You need to eat 5-6 meals per day. The first meal within 30 minutes of waking, the last within 30 minutes of bed time. These are small meals. For example, 1/2 to 1 chicken breast and 1/2 cup of broccoli. I know it doesn't seem like much but you'll be eating again in 2-3 hours. There are no real limits (as long as you are reasonable) on how much you eat (you can eat more if you really need it) but you cannot cannot cannot skip the meals, this is critical.

Now don't forget, exercise is a MUST! It increases your metabolism, burns fat, helps your heart and makes your body feel better, to name a few reasons!

 

A few GREAT references:
Fitday - Plug your data in here. It will help you, even if you only do it for a week. ITS FREE!

Muscular Development - For fitness and diet info, this is great.
Carb Counter - A decent carb counter
National Food Breakdown - Food info, calories, etc.