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Trainer Expertise
The nutritional, physical, and psychological aspects of fat loss.
Use one or all of these great tips by personal trainer Silvia Dondera to increase your weight loss and get in shape!
1. Eat More Protein!
Protein is great! Upping your protein will help protect your muscles from breakdown when your calories are down. Protein also stimulates glucagon secretion, which will help liberate stored energy.
2. Eat More Often
More frequent feedings will provide your body with a constant stream of nutrients, helping prevent muscle breakdown when you are calorie deficient. Plus, "grazing" can help curb hunger because you are constantly satisfied.
3. Make Green Leafy Vegetables Your Friend
High protein intake can make your diet scidic but increasing your vegetable intake will help counteract this and make sure your body is running in top condition.
4. Save Starches For After Workouts
Low glycemic carbohydrates (gree vegetables, fruits, beans, etc.) should make up the bulk of your carbohydrate intake but don't shy away from starches (sweet potatoes, brown rice, quinoa) and some simple sugars (dextrose and maltodextrose) after your workouts.
5. Eat Volumes
Eating foods that are high in volume but not calories (nutrient dense not CALORIE dense) will keep you full but not fat. Cabbage, spinach, lettuce, and broccoli are great foods that you can eat lots of without getting a lot of calories. Egg whites expand a lot if you beat them long enough, and make you feel like you are eating a lot more calories than you are.
6. Drink Water
Dehydration is a killer. It makes you feel both mentally and physically tired. Plus, drinking water has a thermogenic effect, meaning you will burn some extra calories while hydrating!
7. Don't Cut Fats Too Low
No-fat diets or extremely low-fat diets are a HUGE mistake. Reduce your saturated fat intake but make sure you get enough monounsaturated(olive oil) and polyunsaturated (fish oil, flaxseed and nuts) fats.
8. Cut Out Unplanned Snacks
Calories from unplanned snacking can add up quickly and can wreak havoc on your fat-loss goals. If you haven't planned on it, don't eat it.
9. Make a Meal Plan For The Upcoming Week
This is an essential part to any fat reduction journey. A good food log helps monitor your progress so you cna make accurate adjustments to better meet your fitness goals. It has been shown that people who keep food journals also snack less.
10. Pump Up The Protein
Consuming adequate protein (1-1.25 g/pound of body weight) is so important I had to include it twice!
11. Remove Nutritional Vices
Why tempt yourself and test your willpower? Clear all the chips, sugary drinks, ice cream, and other processed, physique-destroying goodies from your kitchen. If it's not there, you can't eat it.
12. Read Labels
Getting accustomed to reading the nutritional facts is a good habit to get into. But don't stop at the protein, carbohydrate, fats, and sodium content - read the ingredients. You'll be amazed at how many foods are loaded with high-calorie, diet-destroying 'high-fructose corn syrup.'
13. Supplement With Fish Oil
Recent studies have shown that fish oil (EPA/DHA) can increase your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) and increase your insulin sensitivity, which will help you stay lean and burn fat.
14. Increase NEPA
When you are trying to drop body-fat, every extra calorie you burn will take you one step closer to your goal. Increase your 'Non-Exercise Physical Activity' and burn more calories. What are some things you can do?
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Park further away at work or when shopping
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Skip the elevator and take the stairs
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Don't drive around the corner to the store - WALK!
15. Make Compound Movement Your Foundation
This builds on the previous rule. Compound movements are those that involve multiple muscle groups. These allow you to lift heavier weights, recruit more muslces, and burn more calories.
16. Avoid Failure
Training to muscle failure doesn't mix with a recovery time that has been compromised by weight-loss goals. Make sure to keep one rep "in the hole" to avoid overtraining.
17. Set Goals
You need to be on a mission and every mission has a set end point. Determine what you want, write it down, carry it in your pocket everyday, and be accountable.
18. Don't Skip Pre/Post Workout Nutrition
Skipping your pre/post workout shakes just because they contain sugar is a bad idea! The simple sugars and hydrolyzed protein peptides found in a solid workout shake will due much more benefit than harm.
19. Get Micronutrient Support
Get micronutrient support - this is not directly related to fat loss but it is very important. When your calories are low, you are at a much higher risk for vitamin and mineral deficiencies. Taking a multivitamin or supplementing with whole food extracts can help prevent deficiencies from occuring and keep you functioning in top condition.
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