wsman18
New member
Losing weight is surprisingly easy now once you know how. I started off as a fat kid who began a life long pursuit to get in the best possible shape of my life. I have spent countless hours reading books, watching documentaries, taking college courses, working at a gym and a supplement store, lifting weights, and reading scientific journals. I have been a personal trainer for over 8 years and I work as a sleep technologist. I can attest to the mountains of misleading information that is out there. I would like to share with you what I have found makes losing weight easy.
1. Eliminate added sugars. (Most sugars, excluding lactose, contain fructose. Fructose is metabolically a toxin to the human body. Chronic over consumption will lead to obesity and metabolic syndrome.)
2. Eliminate packaged foods. (Most packaged foods contain added sugars/fats. They have to be fortified with vitamins because they are devoid of true nutrition. They lack all of the flavonoids and phytonutrients that prevent diseases and modulate gene expression. Many of these phytonutrients have a huge impact on fat loss through angiogenesis.)
3. Eat only nutritious whole foods. This includes fruits and vegetables, whole wheat, long grain rice, potatoes, eggs, and nuts.
4. Eliminate dairy products. (Milk's purpose is to be the perfect food for a baby cow to gain weight. It is not something that is meant for weight loss. Many milk products are very high in fat. Milk contains over 50 biologically active hormones that encourage the growth of cancer. These hormones range from estrogen and interleukin 6, to IGF-1.)
5. Eliminate Trans fat. (Trans fat has been removed from many foods, but it still persists in hidden forms. You will see on a nutrition label "partially hydrogenated oils". These are Trans fats that are not listed in the Trans fat section of the nutrition label. They are just as harmful, and are toxic to your health.)
6. Track your calories. (Most people have no idea how many calories they eat on a daily basis. I recommend tracking your calories till you get an idea of how many you consume on average. If your goal is strictly weight loss, it is imperative that you do.)
7. Get plenty of sleep. (Scientific studies show that people who have a short sleep duration, 6 hours or less, have higher levels of the hormone ghrelin. Ghrelin is the hormone responsible for telling your body when you are hungry. During your last sleep cycle of the night, after 7 hours of sleep, is when your body releases the most testosterone it will experience in a 24 hour period. Promoting natural levels of testosterone production is very beneficial for fat loss. Getting plenty of sleep will also insure that you have enough rest and energy to exercise properly.)
8. Create a calorie deficit. (I NEVER reduce my calorie intake below my basal metabolic rate and I highly recommend you do not either. Reducing your calorie intake below your BMR will cause your body to down regulate it's metabolism to survive on less calories. Decreasing your food intake will signal to your body that food is scarce, and it will try to keep you alive through survival mechanisms. This is what is commonly referred to as "starvation mode". Creating a calorie deficit through only exercise however will insure that you never reach a fat loss plateau. This is absolutely crucial if you want a defined physique. Creating ONLY a calorie deficit from exercise is a must. By creating the calorie deficit through exercise, you are creating the deficit through burning more calories rather than taking in less. This will keep you feeling alert and energetic from your exercise program. If you wish to understand the biochemical process behind this, I suggest you research the thyroid hormones T3 and T4.)
9. Forget the scale. (Most people are focused on their weight. This is very arbitrary and misleading for the purpose of fat loss. When someone begins a weight loss program, they will have a significant drop in weight in the first couple weeks. This is primarily because of water weight that is associated with glycogen stores. Glycogen stores are the stored version of blood sugar inside your muscles and liver. This stored sugar has a tendency to cling to lots of water. As you burn off that stored energy, a lot of water goes with it, and your weight will drop. For the purpose of improving your health or physique, this actually is not a good thing. It's a better idea to focus on body measurements or your reflection in a mirror.)
10. Riding a bicycle (I find this is the most effective form of exercise at burning calories in any given period of time. To burn 300 calories from running I would have to jog at least 3 miles. Many people can not do this. To burn 300 calories from cycling I would only have to ride my bike 9 miles. Most people can do this regardless of their weight. It is also a very enjoyable form of exercise that can have practical applications. I may be somewhat biased since I am a competitive cyclist and triathlete however. In about 2 hours of cycling I can burn 1800 calories. That is equal to a half pound of body fat. No amount of weight lifting or running can realistically burn as many calories for the average person.)
Let your medicine be your food, and your food be your medicine.
1. Eliminate added sugars. (Most sugars, excluding lactose, contain fructose. Fructose is metabolically a toxin to the human body. Chronic over consumption will lead to obesity and metabolic syndrome.)
2. Eliminate packaged foods. (Most packaged foods contain added sugars/fats. They have to be fortified with vitamins because they are devoid of true nutrition. They lack all of the flavonoids and phytonutrients that prevent diseases and modulate gene expression. Many of these phytonutrients have a huge impact on fat loss through angiogenesis.)
3. Eat only nutritious whole foods. This includes fruits and vegetables, whole wheat, long grain rice, potatoes, eggs, and nuts.
4. Eliminate dairy products. (Milk's purpose is to be the perfect food for a baby cow to gain weight. It is not something that is meant for weight loss. Many milk products are very high in fat. Milk contains over 50 biologically active hormones that encourage the growth of cancer. These hormones range from estrogen and interleukin 6, to IGF-1.)
5. Eliminate Trans fat. (Trans fat has been removed from many foods, but it still persists in hidden forms. You will see on a nutrition label "partially hydrogenated oils". These are Trans fats that are not listed in the Trans fat section of the nutrition label. They are just as harmful, and are toxic to your health.)
6. Track your calories. (Most people have no idea how many calories they eat on a daily basis. I recommend tracking your calories till you get an idea of how many you consume on average. If your goal is strictly weight loss, it is imperative that you do.)
7. Get plenty of sleep. (Scientific studies show that people who have a short sleep duration, 6 hours or less, have higher levels of the hormone ghrelin. Ghrelin is the hormone responsible for telling your body when you are hungry. During your last sleep cycle of the night, after 7 hours of sleep, is when your body releases the most testosterone it will experience in a 24 hour period. Promoting natural levels of testosterone production is very beneficial for fat loss. Getting plenty of sleep will also insure that you have enough rest and energy to exercise properly.)
8. Create a calorie deficit. (I NEVER reduce my calorie intake below my basal metabolic rate and I highly recommend you do not either. Reducing your calorie intake below your BMR will cause your body to down regulate it's metabolism to survive on less calories. Decreasing your food intake will signal to your body that food is scarce, and it will try to keep you alive through survival mechanisms. This is what is commonly referred to as "starvation mode". Creating a calorie deficit through only exercise however will insure that you never reach a fat loss plateau. This is absolutely crucial if you want a defined physique. Creating ONLY a calorie deficit from exercise is a must. By creating the calorie deficit through exercise, you are creating the deficit through burning more calories rather than taking in less. This will keep you feeling alert and energetic from your exercise program. If you wish to understand the biochemical process behind this, I suggest you research the thyroid hormones T3 and T4.)
9. Forget the scale. (Most people are focused on their weight. This is very arbitrary and misleading for the purpose of fat loss. When someone begins a weight loss program, they will have a significant drop in weight in the first couple weeks. This is primarily because of water weight that is associated with glycogen stores. Glycogen stores are the stored version of blood sugar inside your muscles and liver. This stored sugar has a tendency to cling to lots of water. As you burn off that stored energy, a lot of water goes with it, and your weight will drop. For the purpose of improving your health or physique, this actually is not a good thing. It's a better idea to focus on body measurements or your reflection in a mirror.)
10. Riding a bicycle (I find this is the most effective form of exercise at burning calories in any given period of time. To burn 300 calories from running I would have to jog at least 3 miles. Many people can not do this. To burn 300 calories from cycling I would only have to ride my bike 9 miles. Most people can do this regardless of their weight. It is also a very enjoyable form of exercise that can have practical applications. I may be somewhat biased since I am a competitive cyclist and triathlete however. In about 2 hours of cycling I can burn 1800 calories. That is equal to a half pound of body fat. No amount of weight lifting or running can realistically burn as many calories for the average person.)
Let your medicine be your food, and your food be your medicine.
