Weight loss help

Learn how to lose weight with effective exercise, diet, nutrition, metabolism, energy balance and fat oxidation to lose fat permanently. Create a weight loss program to suit lifestyle and body types.

Monday, May 26, 2008

A Q & A about fat burning foods

Question:
What are the best thermogenic fat burning foods for burning body fat?
Answer:
That depends on your definition of a "fat burning food." When you say "thermogenic," many people instantly think of supplements or exotic herbs, hot spices or foods like cayenne, chili pepper, mustard, cider vinegar, guarana, green tea, etc., which "magically" ramp up your metabolism and burn off body fat.
There might be some science behind some of those things, but focusing on tiny details (especially before you’ve mastered the fundamentals) is putting your attention in the wrong place. It’s like getting excited by the idea that drinking enough ice cold water is "thermogenic" and is going to get you ripped because the body has to "warm it up" and that expends energy... when meanwhile, you're skipping meals, drinking beer every weekend and working out sporadically or not at all. That makes no sense.
I agree that details are important and that little things matter, but when you give too much attention to small stuff (and "weird stuff"), before you know it, you’ve fallen for the latest cabbage or grapefruit diet. Focus on the big stuff first - the fat burning fundamentals - only then begin to "nit-pick" and take advantage of those "little things" that might help an extra percentage here and a percentage there.
Actually ALL foods are "thermogenic" because the body must use energy to digest them. This is known as the "thermic effect of food" (TEF) or "specific dynamic action of food." When you say "thermogenic food" to me, I think of REAL, WHOLE FOODS, and the most thermogenic fat burning food (my "favorite") is lean protein from solid foods, especially lean meats. Protein powders are great for convenience and some - like whey - even have functional properties (as antioxidants and immune boosters), but powders aren't as thermogenic as real food.
It’s commonly known that of all the macronutrients (protein, carbs and fat), lean protein has the highest thermic effect. Personally, I believe the thermic effect of protein is even higher than most people realize.
Combine thermogenic lean protein foods with the right amounts and types of essential fats, add in plenty of green vegetables and just the right amount of natural starchy carbs and whole grains (at the right times), and your body will literally turn into a fat burning machine - without drugs, supplements or weird diet gimmicks.
You can learn more about this entire process of natural thermogenesis using real food (not pills or powders) in Tom's Burn The Fat, Feed The Muscle e-book. You'll also learn all the fat loss fundamentals, which are responsible for 80-90% of your results. Also, for a limited time, you can get two three free reports about fat burning foods when you order the Burn The Fat, Feed the Muscle e-book: (1) Foods That Burn Fat, (2) Foods That Turn to Fat, and (3) The A Food B Food Lecture: How To get Good Grades on Your Food Choices. Visit the home page for more details - click here to view BurnTheFat.com

Weight loss help & advice

Sunday, May 04, 2008

Boosting the Metabolic Rate

Some exercises can increase the metabolism for up to 15 hours after the workout. This normally happens when the intensity of the exercise is high, such as for many anaerobic exercises. It accelerates the metabolism because the muscles need to recover from the stress. Intense mechanical stress brakes down some of the structural elements within the protein filaments of the muscle cells, and it also degrades the chains of stored glycogen (carbs in muscles).

Repairing these elements requires the body to send more protein and nutrients to these exhausted muscles so they can restore the muscle back to their pre-workout state. The process to restore muscle elements (usually referred to as Anabolism) creates a greater need for energy, thus the metabolism is speeded up until the muscle cells are restored back to normal. As the oxygen consumption is back to normal, most of the extra energy can be supplied through excess fat stores.

For this reason, it is important to exercise regularly in order to lose weight faster than just dieting alone. However, the most important secret is to exercise early in the morning so your metabolism is elevated for the day ahead. This means your body can be in a fat burning mode for longer periods so you get the most out of every workout you do. Meaning you can exercise less for greater results than those who exercise mid to later in the day and then ruin it by resting at a time when they could be making the most of an increase in metabolism.
 

View My Stats