The Ultimate Weight Loss Guide

Most important things to know when you want to lose body fat

Today in this internet world we are constantly flooded with different nutrition and diet ideas every single day. It’s easy to get lost in the information or to get confused. Fat loss is a science though and our bodies are just a machine that follow specific rules and guidelines when we eat. There are some very important rules to follow when trying to lose body fat. With this article I want to lay out specifically the most important things to know when you want to lose fat.

For starters, do a little research to find out what your body type is. Knowing whether you are endomorphic, mesomorphic, ectomorphic, or a combination of these will help you tailor your diet specifically. Once you know your body type it will give you an idea whether you are more carbohydrate sensitive than others. Also, you must be in a calorie deficit to lose weight. Meaning that you must be burning more calories on a daily basis then you consume. Find out what your daily maintenance level for calories are, and then keep your intake to about 500 calories less than your maintenance level per day

Things You Need To Avoid­

Salt ­Most people don’t realize that packaged food is soaked in salt to preserve it. Then what happens is you cook at home and you use a salt shaker. When you eat out your food is loaded with salt. It makes it difficult because it’s hidden in a lot of foods. Research has shown that eating high amounts of sodium makes you thirstier, hungrier, more likely to overeat, and can increase the size of your fat cells. Salt isn’t the worst thing in the world, the problem is that when you add salt to food you are adding sodium to food that already has sodium in it making your daily values way to high.

Sugar­ Another item that is hidden in foods (especially diet foods). Not to mention that sugar now has close to 100 different names. Even artificial sweeteners although calorie free, are still recognized by the brain as sugar and your body releases insulin causing you to store fat.

Diet Foods­ Stay away from diet foods. Anytime these companies remove the fat from food, they replace it with sugar typically. Plus, the fat in items like whole fat greek yogurt actually helps you lose weight. Healthy fats are not your enemy, simple carbohydrates, sugar, and salt will all make it more difficult to lose weight.

Simple Carbohydrates­ Simple carbohydrates are something you want to avoid when losing weight because again when these hit your stomach your brain thinks it’s sugar and releases insulin. When insulin is released, your blood sugar spikes which causes fat storage. Items that you should avoid here are:

  • Cakes
  • Candies
  • Breads
  • Rice
  • White Flour
  • Sodas
  • Fruit Juices
  • Pastas
  • Sugars

Combine all this with a daily training routine, drink plenty of water, and you will be well on your way to being a lean mean machine!

Is Eating Late Night UNHEALTHY for You??

Sheila was doing so well until 9 pm hit and then all of sudden BOOM! Late night craving snuck up on her. The question she asked was is eating late night unhealthy? Will Sheila grab that snack or more importantly what will she grab and will it be the death of her weight loss.

bom bom bom….. Find out tonight on this week’s episode.

Lol. Sorry guys just a little humor. It is a valid question though and there are a lot of things thrown around in our world that is just not true when it comes to eating late at night and I am here to help clear some things up. There has been so much research on this topic and the results are pretty interesting. This article by WebMd gets into a study and the truth is that eating late is more than likely not the cause of weight gain.  From a fitness professional standpoint I can tell you guys that I eat late pretty regularly but there is a particular way to do it.

Late Night Eating Tips

Tip #1

To eat at night and still burn fat you must first off know where your daily macros are at. If you can learn to count your macros ( carbs, protein, fat ) and you can keep them around a 40/40/20 split you will typically be in the clear. Eating late doesn’t make you fat, eating too many calories does and the truth is that most people are eating late out of boredom not because they need food.

Tip #2

If you do absolutely need to eat something at night then stick to proteins. Fats and carbohydrates have a more difficult time being fully digested late at night and protein are always your leanest calorie source. Make a spinach omelette or protein shake (water not milk) to get you through and drink 2 glasses of water which always helps. This sausage stuffer recipe is a good place to start.

7 Day Meal Plan for Weight Loss

Monday

A proper meal plan for Fat Loss is not about depriving your body. The key to fat loss is to maintain insulin levels throughout your entire day. You want to eat smaller regular meals to keep yourself full without overeating. 5­6 meals a day.

It’s time to get rid of sugary drinks. Soda, Bottled fruit juices, and alcohol will all convert to sugar and spike insulin levels causing fat storage.

Remember that companies have gotten really good at hiding sugar and salt in your food and both are enemies while trying to lose fat.

This diet in combination with 60 minutes of exercise a day will give you maximum fat loss results.

Drink 2 Glasses of Water upon waking

Breakfast

1 whole egg, 2 egg whites, with 1 teaspoon olive oil, 1 teaspoon chopped basil, and 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, ( hot sauce for spice )

1 slice whole­grain toast

1/2 banana

1 cup unsweetened almond milk

Snack

1/2 cup whole fat Greek yogurt topped with 1/4 cup sliced strawberries (whole fat yogurt is better than non­fat, don’t be afraid)

Lunch

Salad with sliced grilled chicken breast, diced grilled veggies 2 tablespoons onion

1/4 cup diced zucchini 1/2 cup bell pepper

1 teaspoon chopped cilantro, and 1 tablespoon low­fat vinaigrette

Snack

2 tablespoons hummus and 10 baby carrots ( look for low sugar low salt hummus )

Dinner

4 ounces grilled salmon

1 cup baby spinach with 1 teaspoon of olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and grated Parmesan 1 cup brown rice with 1 tablespoon sliced almonds

Dessert

1/2 cup greek yogurt mixed with 1 scoop protein powder, 10 raw whole almonds sprinkle with raw organic cacao nibs

Tuesday

Drink 2 Glasses of Water upon waking

Breakfast

3/4 cup oatmeal prepared with water; stir in 1/2 cup skim milk, half of banana, add cinnamon

2 links of turkey sausage 1/2 banana

Snack

1/2 cup cottage cheese with 1/2 cup berries and 1 tablespoon chopped pecans

One Glass Water

Lunch

Salad made with 2 cups baby spinach 4 ounces grilled chicken

1 tablespoon chopped dried cranberries, 3 slices avocado, 1 tablespoon slivered almonds

2 tablespoons low­fat vinaigrette

1 apple

2 glasses of water

Snack

Celery Stick with Heaping Tbs organic peanut butter and raw honey

Dinner

1 turkey burger (No Bun)

3/4 cup roasted cauliflower and broccoli florets 3/4 cup brown rice

1 cup spinach salad with 1 tablespoon light balsamic vinaigrette

Wednesday

Breakfast

Omelet made with 4 egg whites and 1 whole egg, 1/4 cup chopped broccoli, 2 tablespoons each fat­free refried beans, diced onion, diced mushrooms, and salsa Quesadilla made with 1/2 of one small corn tortilla and 1 tablespoon low­fat jack cheese 1/2 cup diced watermelon

Snack

1/2 cup fat­free vanilla yogurt with 1 sliced apple and 1 tablespoon chopped walnuts

Lunch

Salad made with 2 cups chopped Romaine, 4 ounces grilled chicken, 1/2 cup chopped celery, 1/2 cup diced mushrooms, 2 tablespoons shredded low­fat cheddar, and 1 tablespoon low­fat Caesar dressing

1 medium nectarine

1 cup skim milk

Snack

1 fat­free mozzarella string cheese stick

1 medium orange

Dinner

4 ounces shrimp, grilled or sauteed with 1 teaspoon olive oil and 1 teaspoon chopped garlic

1 medium artichoke, steamed

1/2 cup whole wheat couscous with 2 tablespoons diced bell pepper, 1/4 cup garbanzo beans, 1 teaspoon chopped fresh cilantro, and 1 tablespoon fat­free honey mustard dressing

Thursday

Breakfast

1 light whole­grain English muffin with 1 tablespoon peanut or almond butter and 1 tablespoon sugar­free fruit spread

1 wedge honeydew

1 cup skim milk

2 slices Canadian bacon

Snack

Yogurt parfait made with 1 cup low­fat vanilla yogurt, 2 tablespoons sliced strawberries or raspberries, and 2 tablespoons low­fat granola

Lunch

Wrap made with 4 ounces thinly sliced lean roast beef, 1 6­inch whole wheat tortilla, 1/4 cup shredded lettuce, 3 medium tomato slices, 1 teaspoon horseradish, and 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1/2 cup pinto beans or lentils with 1 teaspoon chopped basil and 1 tablespoon light Caesar dressing

Snack

8 baked corn chips with 2 tablespoons guacamole

Dinner

4 ounces grilled halibut

1/2 cup sliced mushrooms sauteed with 1 teaspoon olive oil, 1/4 cup chopped yellow onion, and 1 cup green beans

Salad made with 1 cup arugula, 1/2 cup halved cherry tomatoes, and 1 teaspoon balsamic vinaigrette

1/2 cup warm unsweetened applesauce with 1/4 cup fat­free vanilla yogurt, 1 tablespoon chopped pecans and dash cinnamon

Friday

Breakfast

Burrito made with 1 medium whole wheat tortilla, 4 scrambled egg whites, 1 teaspoon olive oil, 1/4 cup fat­free refried black beans, 2 tablespoons salsa, 2 tablespoons grated low­fat cheddar, and 1 teaspoon fresh cilantro

1 cup mixed melon

Snack

3 ounces sliced lean ham

1 medium apple Lunch

Turkey burger

Salad made with 1 cup baby spinach, 1/4 cup halved cherry tomatoes, 1/2 cup cooked lentils, 2 teaspoons grated Parmesan, and 1 tablespoon light Russian dressing

1 cup skim milk

Snack

1 fat­free mozzarella string cheese stick

1 cup red grapes

Dinner

5 ounces grilled wild salmon 1/2 cup brown or wild rice

2 cups mixed baby greens with 1 tablespoon low­fat Caesar dressing 1/2 cup all­fruit strawberry sorbet with 1 sliced pear

Saturday

Breakfast

Frittata made with 3 large egg whites, 2 tablespoons diced bell peppers, 2 teaspoons chopped spinach, 2 tablespoons part­skim shredded mozzarella, and 2 teaspoons pesto 1/2 cup fresh raspberries

1 small bran muffin

1 cup skim milk

Snack

1/2 cup low­fat vanilla yogurt with 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed and 1/2 cup diced pear

Lunch

4 ounces sliced turkey breast

Tomato ­cucumber salad made with 5 slices tomato, 1/4 cup sliced cucumber, 1 teaspoon fresh chopped thyme, and 1 tablespoon fat­free Italian dressing

1 medium orange

Snack

Smoothie made with 3/4 cup skim milk, 1/2 banana, 1/2 cup low­fat yogurt, and 1/4 cup sliced strawberries

Dinner

4 ounces red snapper baked with 1 teaspoon olive oil, 1 teaspoon lemon juice, and 1/2 teaspoon no­sodium seasoning

1 cup spaghetti squash with 1 teaspoon olive oil and 2 teaspoon grated Parmesan cheese

1 cup steamed green beans with 1 tablespoon slivered almonds

Sunday

Breakfast

2 slices Lean Turkey Bacon

1 whole­grain Slice of Ezekiel Bread 3/4 cup berries

1 cup skim milk

Snack

1/4 cup fat­free cottage cheese 1/4 cup Pineapple

1 tablespoon slivered almonds (unsalted)

1 glass water

Lunch

2 cups baby spinach Salad

4 ounces grilled chicken

1 tablespoon chopped dried cranberries Half an avocado

1 tablespoon slivered walnuts

2 tablespoons low­fat balsamic vinaigrette

  • apple
  • Glass water

Snack

1/4 cup plain fat­free Greek yogurt

1 scoop low sugar low carb Chocolate protein powder Handful of whole unsalted almonds

1/4 cup blueberries

Mix all ingredient together for a delicious snack

Dinner

4 ounces lean pork tenderloin stir­fried with garlic, bell pepper, onions, and broccoli 1/2 cup brown rice

5 medium tomato slices with 1 tsp each chopped cilantro, chopped ginger, rice wine vinegar, and light soy sauce