One of the mistakes people make when dieting with a high calorie deficit (consuming very low calories) is increasing there activities too much. Yes you will still lose weight (because of the large deficit) but it won’t be as fast as it would be if you decrease your activity to MATCH your calorie deficit level

One of the most prevalent myth is that eating more frequently speeds up your metabolism.  Eating six times a day isn’t going to help you burn more calories than eating 3 times a day.  The idea behind this myth is thermic response —calories burned processing the food you eat.  The idea is the more frequent you eat the higher the thermic response and thus more calories are burned.  A lot of people swear by this as the reason why the lost weight.  They misunderstand the cause and effect of the reason.   Its a matter of eating pattern.  They eat SMALLER frequently which makes them less hungry causing them to eat less— thus creating a CALORIE DEFICIT.     The last two words is the ONLY reason you lose weight/ body fat….creating a CALORIE DEFICIT…not eating more frequently.  So eating six times a day isn’t going to speed up your metabolism anymore than eating 3 times a day.

Bonus:  Muscle doesn’t burn as much calories as people think

CHEAT: A lot of people make the mistake of NOT cheating during their diet. Cheating (going back to maintenance level calories or above briefly  ) allows you to raise the hormones that are surpressed during dieting , raise your metabolism and go back to an anabolic state thus mitigating muscle loss —all of which adds up to increased rate of fat loss.

Its been a minute since I have done tips I have been busy getting ready for a shoot among other things.

3 things happen when you eat all dependent on your metabolic state.

1)  You store the food in your muscle

2)  You store the food in the adipose tissue (fat)

3)  You convert the food into energy

This is why nutrient timing…particularly carbohydrate timing is important if you are trying to lose weight  quick-fast- and in a hurry —or if you are trying to gain weight while minimizing fat gain. This means depending on what time you eat carbohydrates (carbohydrates  are not bad by the way)  determines what’s going to happen  to it.  

To break this down shot gun style, If you want to expedite the process of weight loss :

Carbs in the morning = Yay!  =)

Carbs before workout (60-90 mins before work out or during with a shake)  = Yay! =)

Carbs after workout (best within 60 min up to within 4 hours) = Yay!  =)

Carbs  at rest ( 4 or more hours pre or post workout) = no! booooo :(

Einstein once said “imagination is more important than knowledge” .

  I used to disagree with this (hey I never said I was the sharpest tool in the shed) years ago.   However the more I read and the more mature I became, I figured out why.  Take quantum physics for example, sometimes  physicists perform  thought experiments on a princple that they have no way of experimenting on or an end result of a previously performed experiment for testing or illumination. 

An example would be visualizing/imagining a  completed puzzle (even though its still in pieces) and then work backwards (mentally) to determine how each piece fits.  They ask okay in order for this to happen  what scenarios (pieces of the puzzle) need to happen?  You work backwards to solve a problem.   The same technique can be applied to almost any goal you are trying to achieve in life. 

Okay lets say your goal is weight loss or muscle gain.  You start from the end and work your way back.  You start with your target weight.  The weight you want to be at.  This will allow you come up with the number of calories  you are supposed to be eating not some arbitrary calories that you read in a book or use because of some popular diet fad.  I often  see people say I’m going to eat 1200 calories how did the come up with that number.    

Example (most of my blogs has been about weight loss so I will use weight gain as an example. )   I’m going to use two goals/targets as an example.

Goal: Muscle Gain                                              Goal: Weight Loss

Current Weight :140 lbs                 Or                Current weight:  190 lb

Target weight: 200 lbs                                   Target weight :  140 lbs

I wouldn’t go with the so called “ideal weight” for so many reasons.  Pick a weight that you feel you will look good on you.  You could use a picture of a model that’s closest to your height and the weight you want to be to give you a reference of what weight looks good on you.  This is what I did. The benefit of this is that  it made it easy for me to visualize my goal.     

Now back to the original line of thought.   

The target weight is  200Lbs  so you need to figure out the caloric requirement for someone weighing 200lb ( LBM lean body mass).  There are many formulas to get the amount of calories that a  200 lb person needs to maintain that weight.   Two of the most accurate formulas that I know are the Katch Mcardle formula and Mifflin formula.    Both of which are more accurate than the Harris-Benedict formula (developed in 1919)  used by the “zone diet”.

I’m going to use the Katch-Mcardle formula which is meant for active people. The Milfin for people who sedentary because it factors in age, height etc which shouldn’t be factored in for athelets/active.

BMR (men and women) = 370 + (21.6 X lean mass in kg)

BMR = basal metabolic rate—> How much calories you burn @ rest.

Note:  2.2lb = 1 kg 1in = 2.54cm

For the person who’s trying to weigh 200 pounds (remember to divide 200 by 2.2 to get the weight in Kg for formula)

 BMR = 370 + (21.6 x 91kg)=  2335.6 or 2336   

The person needs to eat 2335.6 calories a day  to weigh 200 lbs (lean mass-muscle)

Now lets say the person wants to weigh 140 lbs

To get the BMR of a person weighing 140lb

BMR = 370 + (21.6 x 64kg) = 1752.4 or 1752 

The person needs to consume 1752 calories per day to weigh 140 lbs ( lean mass-muscle)

Now because you expend more calories on some days more so than others because of what you are doing that day there is an activity multiplier list to maintain that weight once you get there.

Activity Multiplier list

Sedentary = BMR X 1.2 (little or no exercise, desk job)
Lightly active = BMR X 1.375 (light exercise/sports 1-3 days/wk)
Mod. active = BMR X 1.55 (moderate exercise/sports 3-5 days/wk)
Very active = BMR X 1.725 (hard exercise/sports 6-7 days/wk)
Extra active = BMR X 1.9 (hard daily exercise/sports & physical job or 2X day training, i.e. marathon, contest etc.)

This is the Mifflin method.  Its  really based for people who are sedentary

Note:  2.2lb = 1 kg 1in = 2.54cm

Men = 5 + 10 (wt in Kg) + 6.25(ht in cm) -5(age)

Women = -161 + 10(wt in kg) + 6.25(ht in cm) -5(age)

After you calculate the amount of calories you need to consume, you need to figure out how much protein, carbs and fat.   You always start with protein, then fat and then the calories thats left you convert to how many grams of carbohydrates you need.  

Note:  1 gram of protein = 4 calories, 1 gram of carbs = 4 calories  1 gram of fat = 9 calories.

protein amount

The amount of protein can be from .6g (someone just sits and do completely nothing)  per pound of bodyweigh to 1.5 gram per pound of body weight  all dependent on your activity level. 

Fat amount (polyunsaturated and monounsaturated)

example: olive oil, almonds, fish oil, brazil nut, peanuts, pumpkin seeds

This usually comes as low as .3g to .4g per pound of body weight.

Carbohydrates amount

Whatever amount that  is left after calculating the amount of protein and fat you divide by 4.  This will give you the amount of carb you need in grams.

So now instead picking a pre fabricated number, you can custom tailor your own diet program.  Pick and picture the weight you want to be, then work your way back by adding all the pieces —-calorie requirement, protein-carb-fat requirement together. 

Don’t be afraid to lift heavy weight in the gym.  Most of the time, people (women in particular) are weary of lifting heavy weights. They think they will wake up the next day only to look in the mirror and say OMG!  I Look like the

Not even close!  For that to happen you would have to actually add in more calories than you’re burning off and even then you won’t actually look like the hulk.  You will have to be caught in the heart of a gamma bomb or is it nuclear?  Anyway you get the point… chances are you will look more like his cousin:

without the color.

It is important to maintain your muscle mass so that your resting metabolic rate (the rate your body burns calories  when you’re doing nothing)  doesn’t go down.

More reasons to go heavy

• Tones and shapes the body better than lifting light weights with high amount of repetition
• Has a higher impact on your metabolism than lifting light weights with high reps (increases metabolism)
• Because Dieting doesn’t only make you lose fat but muscle as well, when you lift heavy you prevent this from happening. Its a survival mechanism because your body knows your muscles are being used so it has to preserve your muscles
• Prevents muscle wasting that comes from doing a lot of cardio.  Doing a lot of steady state cardio (non sprinting type)  actually wastes the large muscle fiber type 2b (good if you want to look toned) .  When you lift heavy, you are  telling  your body to preserve these muscle fibers (the largest in your body).  This equates to higher resting metabolism and a shapely bod =)
• You use a lot more of the calories you eat because you have more micro tears on your muscles.  The body will use the majority of the calories you  eat to aid in the recovery process because of these micro tears. This means less of chance of storing any as fat.

Its estimated that 1 pound of muscle burns between 6-10 calories per day so don’t lose what you already have when you diet!

I can hear  it now but how do I know if I’m lifting heavy?

The most amount of reps you should do with the weight you use is between 6-8 reps. I’m an advocate of 5 reps for 5 sets myself because of the results I have seen with different people (myself included).

If you are going with 8 reps then the sets would be lower —4.  If you are going with 6, the sets should vary between 4 or 5 sets.

Now this doesn’t mean forgo lifting light weights ,  It means lift heavy or medium weights more so than you would lifting light weights

Water

Water has been shown to boost  metabolism by as much as 30%.  This is due to the fact that the  body  heats up  water after you drink it.  It occurs pretty much all the time however it is  most effective when you drink water on an empty stomach— (the best time is when you first wake up in the morning because your stomach is empty after 7 or 8 hours of fasting) or 3 to 4 hours after eating.  A trick I always use is drink a full glass of water or 500 ml bottle  before I start eating since the process occurs within 10 minutes.  This way my metabolism is already up  before I eat.

Note:  To calculate how much water you should drink divide your weight by 2 and that’s how many ounces  of water you should be drinking a day

3500 calories = 1 pound  has been abused recently.

I see sites and even books tell people their BMR—basal metabolic rate—> how much calories their bodies burn per day(also known as energy expenditure) and then tell them to have a calorie deficit of  500 calories per day to loose 1 pound a week.  The logic being 7 days x 500 calories per day = 3500 calories since   3500 calories = 1 pound.

Not so fast….500 calories subtracted daily from a woman on a 1500/day diet (that is BMR=1500 calories burned per day)  vs a guy on a 3500/day diet results in 1/3 of total intake for the woman being taken away and 1/7 of total intake for the guy.  This is going to have pronounced effects on energy levels and weight loss between the two.  The result being too much of a deficit for the woman resulting in a slower metabolism and energy levels.  For the guy he may not even notice anything being that its only 1/7th of his total.

The better way to do this is percentage (%).  Take off between 10 to 20% of your total calories (BMR) for the day  if you’re trying to lose or add 10 to 20% if you are trying to  gain  then monitor how your body reacts and adjust accordingly

One of the reasons I can get away without doing much cardio and ab exercises is that I do a lot of squats.  It is arguably the best exercise period (dead lifts advocates might have something to say about it).   However without argument its the best exercise for the lower body.  Every muscle on your body is involved ESPECIALLY YOUR CORE —>obliques, abdominals, erector spinae, multifidus and the glutes. The core is central to all your strength and physical activities.   A good core will do wonders for the overall strength of your body and translates to excellent equilibrium, stability and posture whenever you are moving or exercising.

Squats is also an excellent exercise for the quadriceps, Hamstrings and as I mentioned already Glutes

Quadriceps

Even if you are new to squats, avoid using the machine because it forces your body to one plane of motion (potential for  injury).  Avoid using the belt because it robs your core of the benefit of getting stronger.  Instead use no weight or light weight to learn how to perform this great exercise the correct way. Depending on the amount of weight and rep/set scheme,  its a great exercise for losing weight or gaining muscle or just conditioning/endurance because it involves pretty much every muscle you have—-yes even the upper body is used for assistance.  This is why squats is called the king of all exercises!!!

Performing a high rep with light weight (12,15,or even 20) plus minimum rest  will cause your body to utilize a lot of fat for energy and build your stamina.  A low rep (6-8), heavy weight will add strength and muscle gain.

Here are the  Ten tips to get you to do it the correct way.

1) Hands in Bring hands close to your shoulders gives a nice shelf for the bar because upper back and traps bunches up.

2) Pull shoulder blades back and together (squeezing as hard as possible)  This will help give you the shelf for the back

3)Stance Assume a comfortable stance with toes slightly out –feet hip width apart.  If you are assuming a narrow stance the toes should be pointing forward

4)Weight balance You should feel the weight from mid foot to/or slightly toward the heel

5)Chest up , Low back tight —this is very very important.  Before you squat puff the chest up like the superman/superwoman you are (after all it takes one to squat) and elevate rib cage.  It will help you set a nice arch in you lower back

6)Focus on a spot Find a spot slightly above eye level (45 degrees) and focus on it

7)Big breath Core tight Take a big breath and get all your core muscle tight -Abs, Obliques, lower back brace your abs as if you were going to be punched in the stomach–I can’t stress how important this is in preventing injuries

8)Sit back To perform a squat properly you need to sit back (as in sitting on a chair).  This means you  don’t start off bending your knees.  You start off with your hips (remember brace your stomach for that punch)  and your knees will follow

9)Knees out knees out to the side as you are sitting back force your knees out-  This activates muscles of the hips and it works to keep the femur, knee and ankle in proper alignment.

10)Speed When moving with a heavy weight speed is key–come down with a tight and controlled speed. When you hit the bottom of the movement (90 degrees of below) with speed, you are going to come out of the bottom with speed.  An example would be a vertical jump.  You wouldn’t lower yourself very slowly and expect to jump very high would you?  When you’re coming up remember you are still looking at that spot mentioned earlier and your chest is still puffed out with your rib cage elevated and stomach tight like your bracing yourself for a punch…

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****When you squat, Never let your knees go past your toes this means you are leading with your knees instead of your hips—remember you sit back—start with your hip and your knees will follow.  Put a bench/chair  behind you to make this stick in your mind and as you squat touch your glutes on the bench/chair.

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Even if you squat with no weight for now its a great exercise.  Don’t be concerned with  how much weight you are squatting.

Note:  An often over looked exercise is hyper extensions  and Romanian dead lifts .   These two exercises also strengthens your lower back and hamstrings and will help you with your squats.

Ps……hmmmm now that I think about it should I put a video demonstrating it ??

Never let yourself go hungry or take in too few calories per day to lose weight. All you end up doing is slowing you metabolism down which will catch up with you .  Always have snack or food every 3 to 4 hours…something with ample protein is HIGHLY recommended.

Did you ever notice sprinters always seem to have a six pack?  Did you know Ab exercises are on the lowest priority of exercises to do on their list meaning they don’t devote hardly any attention as you would think on their abs— yet they still have a six pack or wash board abs.  Have you ever wondered the reason why?  These are 3 concepts that might shed some light and  help  if your goal is getting a six pack or wash board abs. Its actually better than regular cardio when It comes to shedding fat.

1)  Abs—-the main job for the abdominals is to stabilize the spine.  You will notice anytime your arms and legs are out of alignment with your body—for instance your arms extended over head or extended to your side, your abdominals tenses/flexes automatically.  The same goes for your legs — stand next to a wall hold it one hand -to brace yourself- now raise one leg straight out in front of you and hold it.  Use your other hand to feel how hard your abs just got….(you can actually do abs like this raising one leg at a time 10 to 15 per  side 3 sets or more …let me know how you feel the next day hehehe).  Anytime you perform an explosive movement, by explosive I mean a movement that is done very fast/a bust of speed, the abdominals will be recruited  to stabilize the spine.

2) Fuel economy…everybody knows if you have a car with a  big engine its going to use more fuel than a car with a small engine.   Well the same concept applies to your body. When you use your largest muscles specifically your legs, you are going to burn more fuel..the fuel being fat (glycogen/carbs goes first usually).  We can go further and say  you use more fuel when you drive at 80 mph than you would at 55 mph.

3)Muscle fibers type and explosive movements.  You have 3 muscle fibers type

• Type 1-> slow twitch muscle fibers- built for slow and enduring movements.  This is what you would use when you are running slow. This is mainly what marathoners use
• Type 2a—> slow twitch muscle fibers the middle ground its still use for aerobic/endurance much like type 1.
• Type 2b—>Fast twitch muscle fibers->The Big dawg! The largest of the 3.  Its used for explosive movements so they are able to burn energy at a higher rate. The tire quickly because of this.  Sprinters would be a good example of people who utilizes type 2b muscle fibers .

Ok right now you have 3 concepts you can use to fight fat and get that abs in for summer, but how do you apply this ?  After all, knowledge is useless if  you can’t apply it.

sprints is by far the most efficient  and one of the fastest way to get a six pack.  Yes sprint will melt that abdominal fat away.  Sprints not only works on your legs it works directly on your abs.   When you sprint, the motion forces your obliques (pic below) and your rectus abdominis (six pack, pic below) to get involved.  This occurs because the obliques and  rectus abdominis are stabilizing the spine during sprints.

Obliques

Rectus Abdominis

This is why doing abs is usually on the bottom of a sprinter’s list.  I can attest to this because I only do abs once a week on average If I can get to it.

Sprints makes you use your big engine.

When you sprint, you are using your biggest engine—>your legs.  Not only are you using your legs, you’re using the type 2b muscle fibers—>your largest muscle fibers.   So in effect,  you are using your biggest muscle (engine) and you’re firing on all cylinders.  Bigger engine + all 8 cylinders(explosive movement) = more fuel (FAT) being burned.  A reason why sprints is better than regular cardio (steady state cardio ) when it comes to shedding fat.  It actually builds up  as good of an endurance, if not better.

It doesn’t matter if you are an olympic sprinter all you have to do is this

1) Hop on a thread mill

2) walk a full loop to get warmed up

3) increase speed to a point where you can jog

4) Gradually go up to sprint speed —this is where you are running as fast as you can (safely) until you get tired which doesn’t take long if you are sprinting like you should

5) Reduce speed to where you’re able to jog or walk, catch  your breath then repeat    Do this for 10 15 to 20 mins (depending on your level of fitness) 3 times a week.

Note: If you feel you’re losing control i.e. in danger of falling off grab the handle/rails put both feet on each side of the thread mill that’s not moving . Or just hit the emergency stop button.

Bonus

If you had to do one exercise for Abs-the best movement is Leg raises and its other variations. Also remember the simple movement I mentioned in the beginning easy to do can be done anywhere and effective when done right.

Remember if you don’t eat clean no amount of exercise is going to get you where you want.  Eating clean and sprints will get you the abs you want in a flash…pun intended ;)

One of the  most  under rated fat loss supplement is CLA (conjugated linoleic acid).  Found mainly in red meats and dairy products,  It blunts the body’s tendency to store fat.  In a nutshell You eat  carbs your pancreas secrets insulin, which calls up LPL (lipoprotein lipase ) especially when  insulin is high.  Part of their job is to store food as fat, well CLA helps blunt that action.  Besides its incredible fat  blocking  ability, it also speeds up the metabolism, reduces inflammation, fight cancer ( it was first known for its ability to fight cancer back in ‘79), enhance the immune system, enhance you insulin sensitivity (important factor in losing weight)  and get this builds muscle too…say whaaaat?!?    People usually take too low a dose not knowing what dose  that  actually worked in  trials  so here’s the scoop:

3.2 grams to help reduce body fat (take with meal)

6 grams to build muscle (take with meal)