5 Steps to Fat Loss

Basic physiology shows us the body was designed to eat, and to eat often. This information seems simple to live by until you decide to lose weight. While we do need to create a small calorie deficit (300-500 calorie deficit/day) when losing weight, creating too much of one can actually cause more fat storage than before. Everyday your body needs a wide range of nutrients to function, not just vitamins and minerals. It needs calories from protein (muscle repair and immune function), healthy fats (see my last blog), and yes, even calories from those much hated carbohydrates (the preferred fuel of the brain and muscles).

So if we need all of these calories, how are we ever going to lose weight? The answer is simple, listen to our basic physiology…eat, and eat often. A good weight loss program should leave you feeling well-nourished and full of energy. You should never be counting calories because eating the right things often will put you in the right caloric balance naturally. When this happens, the metabolism is able to run smoothly and weight comes off.

Now, this all sounds wonderful but how is it put into practice? Well, it’s quite simple really, just follow these 5 steps:



Step 1- Eat breakfast. This signals that starvation from your overnight fast is over and your body can start burning fat.

Step 2- Eat every 3-4 hours. Again, this keeps our body fueled and keeps the metabolism from slowing down.

Step 3- Have 1-2 servings of veggies and 1 serving of protein at every feeding. It’s important to fill up on the right things!

Step 4- Time for your starchy carbohydrates (whole grain breads, pastas, cereals, oatmeal, sweet potatoes, and brown rice). These are only to be eaten within 1-2 hours of intense exercise. If you haven’t just worked out, replace 1-2 servings of starchy carbs with 1-2 additional servings of veggies.

Step 5- Replace all beverages with water. A lot of times weight gain isn’t due to the foods that we eat, but the calorie containing beverages that we drink. 16 oz. of water should be had at every feeding.



If you have weight to lose, I highly recommend giving these five steps a try. And most of all remember, the human body needs food!