Winning Strategies on How to Lose Belly Fat. By Dr. Mercola. When it comes to shedding stubborn belly fat, exercise alone is not the answer. The master key really lies with what you eat, and perhaps more importantly when you eat, followed closely by the type of exercise you engage in. Scheduling your eating to a narrow window of time each day is the version of intermittent fasting I recommend for those struggling with insulin resistance and excess body weight. Other healthy lifestyle habits such as sleep and stress reduction are also helpful, as they help keep your cortisol levels low. Cortisol is a stress hormone that, when elevated, depletes lean muscle and holds on to fat in the abdominal region. It's important to realize that the benefits of reducing belly fat go far beyond aesthetics. Abdominal fat—the visceral fat that deposits around your internal organs—releases proteins and hormones that can cause inflammation, which in turn can damage arteries and enter your liver, affecting how your body breaks down sugars and fats. The chronic inflammation associated with visceral fat accumulation can trigger a wide range of systemic diseases linked with metabolic syndrome. This is why carrying extra weight around your middle is linked to type 2 diabetes, heart disease, strokes, and other chronic diseases, and why measuring your waist- to- hip ratio is actually a better indicator of your health status than body mass index (BMI). Three Dietary Keys for Shedding Abdominal Fat. To shed abdominal fat, you need to reduce your overall body fat. It's simply impossible to target just one area for fat reduction. Diet is key here, as poor diet promotes fat accumulation and causes your body to hold on to excess fat. In terms of your food choices, the following two are foundational for successful weight loss: . This includes all forms of sugar and fructose, whether refined or . That said, processed fructose (such as high fructose corn syrup) is by far the worst of the bunch in terms of causing metabolic dysfunction. Because your body metabolizes it in the same way it metabolizes alcohol, it promotes insulin resistance and fat accumulation to a greater degree than other sugars. Processed fructose is a staple ingredient in most processed foods and sweetened beverages, where it can hide under 6. As a general rule, if you're insulin resistant (and you likely are if you're struggling with abdominal fat) keep your total sugar/fructose intake below 1. After all the wax is completely melted, add your desired fragrance oils. Each wax is different and requires different amounts per pound of wax, so follow the. Mike Mentzer (November 15, 1951 Gain muscle mass by avoiding these 7 mistakes. It took me a while to figure them out, but once I did, my ability to gain muscle mass skyrocketed. If your weight is normal and you have no other signs of insulin resistance, the recommended daily amount is 2. Following a low- fat diet is a sure- fire way to sabotage your weight loss goals. To shed fat, you actually need to eat healthy saturated fats, and plenty of them. Most who are insulin resistant will benefit from 5. This includes avocados, butter made from raw grass- fed organic milk, raw dairy, organic pastured egg yolks, coconuts and coconut oil, unheated organic nut oils, raw nuts, and grass- fed meats, as well as animal- based omega- 3s. As noted in the featured article,3 monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs) found in nuts, olive oil, and avocados have been shown to boost abdominal fat loss: . The third dietary key for shedding abdominal fat (and fat in general) is intermittent fasting. This is really one of the most effective ways I've found to address excess weight, as it . For example, you could restrict your eating to the hours of 1. Essentially, you're just skipping breakfast and making lunch your first meal of the day instead. This equates to a daily fasting of 1.
I have experimented with a number of different schedules, and this is my personal preference as it's really easy to comply with once your body has made the shift from burning sugar to burning fat. Fat, being a slow- burning fuel, allows you to keep going without suffering from the dramatic energy crashes associated with sugar. And if you're not hungry, or not eating for several hours is no big deal, I recommend following this eating schedule until your insulin/leptin resistance improves, your weight normalizes, and your health issues resolve, such as blood pressure, blood sugar, etc. After that, just do it as often as you need to keep yourself healthy without insulin resistance. Foods That Can Help You Shed Belly Fat A recent article. David Zinczenko, author of the book, Zero Belly Diet, addresses a number of specific foods that can help promote a leaner belly by decreasing inflammation, eliminating bloat, and turning off your fat storage genes. Zinczenko writes, in part. Learn how much muscle you can gain, how fast you can build it, and how long muscle growth will take for a man or woman per week, month or year. The key to this program is a scientifically proven eating program that targets your fat genes - - turning them to 'off' and making weight loss automatic. There's no calorie counting, no deprivation. Zero Belly works in three ways: 1. First, it reduces bloating by cutting down on excess salt, dairy, and artificial sweeteners.. Some of the test panelists lost up to three inches of bloat off their waist in just seven days. Second, it heals your gut by feeding the 'good' microbes in your belly. A balanced gut reduces inflammation and helps to turn off your fat genes. Third, it turbocharges your metabolism with protein, healthy fats, and quality fiber. As Zinczenko points out, reestablishing a healthy gut flora is very important, as imbalances can have a significant impact on your weight. One hypothesis states that your gut bacteria may in fact be in control of your appetite. Recent research. 5 suggests there's a positive- feedback loop between the foods you crave and the composition of the microbiota in your gut that depend on those nutrients for their survival. Microbes that thrive on sugar, for example, can signal your brain to eat more sweets. Other studies. 6,7 have shown that certain bacteria found in your gut can produce insulin resistance and weight gain by triggering chronic low- grade inflammation in your body. Food processing, pasteurization, and sterilization also have a detrimental effect on your microbiome. For all of these reasons, and more, I always recommend a diet rich in whole, unprocessed foods along with cultured or fermented foods. Common Mistakes That Can Make Shedding Belly Fat More Difficult Eating a diet too high in processed foods (and hence processed fructose and other added sugars), along with eating too frequently, tend to be among the primary causes of a bulging waistline. However, as discussed in a recent article,8 a number of other lifestyle factors can contribute to the problem. So, in addition to correcting your diet and implementing a fasting regimen, addressing the following factors may boost your chances of successfully eliminating those extra inches around your midriff: 1. Lack of exercise: To maximize your weight loss results, be sure to incorporate some form of high intensity interval training (HIIT). This short intense training protocol improves muscle energy utilization and expenditure, due to its positive effects on increasing muscle mass and improving muscle fiber quality. Muscle tissue burns three to five times more energy than fat tissues, so as you gain muscle, your metabolic rate increases, which allows you to burn more calories, even when you're sleeping. Further, several studies have confirmed that exercising in shorter bursts with rest periods in between burns more fat than exercising continuously for an entire session. The combination of intermittent fasting and HIIT is a particularly potent combination, as when done in tandem it virtually forces your body to burn off excess body fat. To find the HIIT workout that works best for you, see my previous article: . Ideally, aim for 7,0. Not only will this give your metabolism a boost in the right direction, it's also necessary to counter the ill effects of too much sitting—which in and of itself increases your risk of insulin resistance and metabolic dysfunction, even if you exercise! Magnesium deficiency: Magnesium is a mineral used by every organ in your body, especially your heart, muscles, and kidneys. If you suffer from unexplained fatigue or weakness, abnormal heart rhythms, or even muscle spasms and eye twitches, low levels of magnesium could be to blame. Researchers have also found that people who consume higher levels of magnesium tend to have lower blood sugar and insulin levels. Seaweed and green leafy vegetables like spinach and Swiss chard can be excellent sources of magnesium, as are some beans, nuts, and seeds, like pumpkin, sunflower, and sesame seeds. Avocados also contain magnesium. Juicing your vegetables is an excellent option to ensure you're getting enough of them in your diet. Diet soda consumption: Contrary to popular belief, diet soda can actually double your risk of obesity compared to drinking none,9 and research has shown that drinking diet soda increases your risk of weight gain to a greater degree than regular soda. If you're serious about weight loss, ditch all sweetened beverages, including artificially sweetened ones, and opt for pure filtered water. Beer and alcohol consumption: Alcohol of all kinds will tend to promote weight gain, so consider cutting down on the number of drinks you indulge in each week. Beer has the added adverse effect of raising your uric acid levels, which promotes chronic inflammation. Stress: Chronic stress will keep your stress hormones elevated, which can hinder weight loss efforts, so be sure to incorporate some stress- busting activities. As you learn how to effectively decrease your stress level, your cortisol will stabilize, your blood pressure will drop, and your health will improve in just about every way. It's important to realize that stress management isn't something you save up to do on the weekend—it needs to be done on a daily basis, because that's how often stress rears its ugly head. There are many different stress reduction techniques, including: exercise, meditation, mindfulness training, yoga, spending time in nature, music, and EFT (emotional freedom techniques), the latter of which is a very effective form of energy psychology that can help . Ketosis – advantaged or misunderstood state? However, so many great questions and comments emerged from the discussion that I realize it’s worth spending much more time on this important and misunderstood topic. In terms of setting expectations, I suspect this series will require at least four parts, after which I hope to get back to finishing up The Straight Dope on Cholesterol series. So, back to the topic at hand. I do suspect part of the issue is that folks don’t understand the actual question. I’ve used the term “metabolic advantage” because that’s so often what folks write, but I’m not sure it has a uniform meaning, which may be part of the debate. I think what folks mean when they argue about this topic is fat partitioning, but that’s my guess. To clarify the macro question, I’ve broken the question down into more well- defined chunks. Does ketosis increase energy expenditure? I am pretty sure when the average person argues for or against ketosis having a “metabolic advantage” what they are really arguing is whether or not, calorie- for- calorie, a person in ketosis has a higher resting energy expenditure. In other words, does a person in ketosis expend more energy than a person not in ketosis because of the caloric composition of what they consume/ingest? Let me save you a lot of time and concern by offering you the answer: The question has not been addressed sufficiently in a properly controlled trial and, at best, we can look to lesser controlled trials and clinical observations to a make a best guess. Believe me, I’ve read every one of the studies on both sides of the argument, especially on the . This particular study sought to compare a non- ketogenic low carb (NLC) diet to a ketogenic low carb (KLC) diet (yes, saying . Table 3 in this paper tells you all you need to know. Despite the study participants having food provided, the KLC group was not actually in ketosis as evidenced by their B- OHB levels. At 2- weeks (of a 6- week study) they were flirting with ketosis (B- OHB levels were 0. M), but by the end of the study they were at 0. M. While the difference between the two groups along this metric was statistically significant, it was clinically insignificant. That said, both groups did experience an increase in REE: about 8. NLC group and about. KCL group (this is calculated using the data in Table 3 and Table 2). These changes represented a significant increase from baseline but not from each other. In other words, this study only showed the reducing carbohydrate intake increased TEE but did not settle the . Subjects being evaluated in such studies will typically be housed in a metabolic ward (don’t confuse a metabolic ward with a metabolic chamber; the ward is simply a fancy hospital unit; the chamber is where the measurements are made) under strict supervision and every few days will spend an entire 2. Not surprisingly, virtually no studies use metabolic chambers and instead rely on short- term measurement of REE as a proxy. A broader question, which overlays this one, is whether any change in macronutrients impacts TEE. Increased FGF2. 1 promotes lipolysis in adipose tissue and the release of fatty acids into the circulation. Fatty acids are then taken up by the liver and converted into ketone bodies. FGF2. 1 expression in liver and adipose tissue is increased not only by fasting but also by a high fat diet as well as in genetic obesity which, according to these studies, may indicate that increased FGF2. Hence, ketosis may increase TEE either by increasing REE (thermogenic) or AEE (the ketogenic mice move more). Is the ketogenic diet, by maximally reducing insulin levels, maximally increasing lipolysis (which dissipates energy via thermogenic and/or activity ? Bottom line: There is sufficient clinical evidence to suggest that carbohydrate restriction may increase TEE in subjects, though there is great variability across studies (likely due the morass of poorly designed and executed studies which dilute the pool of studies coupled with the technical difficulties in measuring such changes) and within subjects (look at the energy expenditure charts in this post). In other words, is there something “special” about ketosis that increases TEE beyond the dose effect of carbohydrate removal? Many frameworks exist to define physical performance which center around speed, strength, agility, and endurance. Likely. Does ketosis enhance anaerobic power? No. Does ketosis enhance muscular strength? Unlikely. Does ketosis enhance muscular endurance? Like the previous question about energy expenditure, addressing this question requires defining it correctly. In fact, to do so cleanly requires a model where the relationship between these variables is clearly defined. The heart is studied because the work action is (relatively) simple to measure: cardiac output, which is the product of stroke volume (how much blood the heart pumps out per beat) and heart rate (how many times the heart beats per minute). Before we jump into the data, you’ll need to recall two important pieces of physiology to “get” this concept: the acute (vs. Hydraulic work is a bit more nuanced; it measures the mechanical work being done by the fluid.)Adding insulin to a fixed glucose (GI) load increases both cardiac output and hydraulic work, but it’s only significant in the case of hydraulic work. Oxygen consumption was significantly reduced in all arms relative to glucose alone, so we expect the cardiac efficiency to be much higher in all states. Delta G, or Gibbs free energy, is the “free” (though a better term is probably “available” or “potential”) energy of a system. Delta G = Delta H – Temperature * Delta S, where H is enthalpy and S is entropy. The more negative Delta G is, the more available (or potential or “free”) energy exists in the system (e. Delta G of - 1. 00. To help with the point I really want to make I refer to you this video which does a good job explaining Gibbs free energy in the context of a biologic system. Take a moment to watch this video, if you’re not already intimately familiar with this concept. In other words, these interventions offer more potential energy (with less oxygen consumption, don’t forget, which is the really amazing part). Recall that ketones make their way onto the metabolic playing field without going through PDH. Back to the original question. Richard Veech (NIH) and Dr. Kieran Clarke (Oxford). Because the results of their work have not yet been published, I can’t comment much or share the data I have, which they shared with me. According to Kevin, it is not generally appreciated how making ketones from fatty acids affects overall energy efficiency. Nevertheless, this can be examined by comparing the enthalpy of combustion of 4. B- OHB, which is about - 2,1. Thus, there is about 2. This suggests that being in nutritional ketosis may require more overall system energy, while still increasing work potential. Well, frankly, I’m tired of reading so much nonsense on this topic. Everybody with a Word. Press account (and countless people without) feels entitled to spew their opinions about ketosis without even the slightest clue of what they are talking about. Next time, I’ll try to back it out of the weeds and get to more clinically interesting stuff. Optimal Protein Intake for Bodybuilders. Protein. It’s every bodybuilder’s favorite macronutrient and for good reason. Protein is extremely essential, super satiating and amazingly anabolic. Strangely, very few people think it’s a bit too accidental that the optimal amount of protein your body can assimilate in a day is exactly 1g/lb. Of course, I know you read my articles for their scientific merit, so let’s look at the literature on the effects of daily protein intake to find out if 1g/lb really is the optimal amount of protein intake for maximum muscle gains. Studies on the optimal protein intake. All values in the bullet point list below are expressed as grams of protein per pound of body weight per day. All of these studies controlled for energy intake, either based on individual requirements or by setting energy intake to be equal in all experimental conditions, so that only the proportion of protein in the diet varied between groups. If the studies were based on unreliable methods such as nitrogen balance, a marker of lean body mass changes, I only included them if they controlled for sweating and dietary adaptation periods. Protein oxidation did increase in the high protein group, indicating a nutrient overload. The authors suggested that 0. Based on nitrogen balance data, the authors recommended 0. This recommendation often includes a double 9. As such, this is already overdoing it and consuming 1g/lb . The picture below summarizes the literature. As you can see, 1. But I train harder! If you still think you need more than 0. Well, Tarnopolsky et al. Resistance training causes both breakdown and synthesis to increase, normally with a favorable balance towards synthesis. As you progress in your training, the body becomes more efficient at stopping the breakdown of protein resulting from training. Since less protein now needs to be replenished, this increase in nitrogen retention means less protein is subsequently needed for optimal growth. Secondly, the more advanced you are, the less protein synthesis increases after training. As you become more muscular and you get closer to your genetic limit, less muscle is built after training. This is very intuitive. The slower you can build muscle, the less protein is needed for optimal growth. It wouldn’t make any sense if the body needed more protein to build less muscle, especially considering that the body becomes more efficient at metabolizing protein. But what about when cutting? A final objection that is often heard is that these values may be true during bulking or maintenance periods, but cutting requires more protein to maintain muscle mass. The researchers took a group of endurance trained subjects and had them consume either 0. They also added a thousand calories worth of training on top of their regular exercise. So these guys were literally running on a 1. Talk about a catabolic state. However, the protein intake of 0. Nitrogen balance, whole- body protein turnover and protein synthesis remained unchanged. A further review of the literature on the optimal protein intake in a deficit can be found in this article of the research on protein by Eric Helms. Also, the supposed difference in nitrogen sparing effects of carbs and fat are negligible (Mc. Cargar et al. 1. 98. Millward, 1. 98. 9). Neither actually spares protein though. Only protein spares protein. I think the protein sparing idea came from a wrong interpretation of the nitrogen balance literature showing more lean mass is lost in more severe caloric deficits. A simple explanation for that finding is that the more total mass you lose, the more lean mass you lose. No surprises there. As such, there is simply no empirically substantiated reason to think we need more than 0. If anything, you could reason the body should be able to use more protein during bulking periods, because more muscle is being built and a lot of other nutrients are ingested that may enable more protein to be used. The only people that may actually need more protein than 0. Androgen or growth hormone users definitely fall into this category, but I don’t exclude the possibility that some adolescents do too. If you reach peak testosterone production while still growing (in height), your unusually high levels of growth hormone and testosterone might increase your protein requirements. There’s no research to support it. Those rare individuals with amazing bodybuilding genetics could also qualify, but unless your father happens to be a silverback gorilla, you are most likely just like other humans in this regard. The 1g/lb Myth’s Origin. Why is it then that everybody says you need to consume 1g/lb? Aside from the facts that there don’t need to be any good reasons for why people believe in a myth, that myths tend to perpetuate themselves via conformism and tradition, and that the fitness industry is flooded with myths, here are some plausible grounds for the . Steroids enable you to assimilate far more protein than you’d normally could. There are so many studies showing protein is good for you, it’s hard not to think more of it is even better. There are actually several industry- sponsored studies showing absolutely miraculous benefits of consuming more protein (see for example the studies by Cribb). The excess will simply be used as energy. However, protein sources tend to be expensive compared to other energy sources and variety generally beats monotony with regards to your health, so satiety and food preferences are the only reasons I can think of why somebody would want to overconsume protein. Take Home Messages. This already includes a mark- up, since most research finds no more benefits after 0. Have a look at the Bayesian PT Course. Click here to see the scientific references. References. Effect of protein intake on strength, body composition and endocrine changes in strength/power athletes. Hoffman JR, Ratamess NA, Kang J, Falvo MJ, Faigenbaum AD. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. Dec 1. 3; 3: 1. 2- 8. Tarnopolsky, M. D., Chesley, A., Phillips, S., & Schwarcz, H. Evaluation of protein requirements for trained strength athletes. Journal of Applied Physiology, 7. Macronutrient content of a hypoenergy diet affects nitrogen retention and muscle function in weight lifters. Walberg JL, Leidy MK, Sturgill DJ, Hinkle DE, Ritchey SJ, Sebolt DR. Aug; 9(4): 2. 61- 6. Protein requirements and muscle mass/strength changes during intensive training in novice bodybuilders. Lemon PW, Tarnopolsky MA, Mac. Dougall JD, Atkinson SA. Aug; 7. 3(2): 7. 67- 7. Influence of protein intake and training status on nitrogen balance and lean body mass. Tarnopolsky MA, Mac. Dougall JD, Atkinson SA. Jan; 6. 4(1): 1. 87- 9. Dietary protein for athletes: From requirements to optimum adaptation. Phillips SM, Van Loon LJ. Suppl 1: S2. 9- 3. Protein and amino acid metabolism during and after exercise and the effects of nutrition. Hartman, J. R., & Phillips, S. Resistance training reduces whole- body protein turnover and improves net protein retention in untrained young males. Applied Physiology, Nutrition and Metabolism, 3. Moore, D. Resistance training reduces fasted- and fed- state leucine turnover and increases dietary nitrogen retention in previously untrained young men. Journal of Nutrition, 1. Effects of exercise on dietary protein requirements. Dec; 8(4): 4. 26- 4. Effects of high- calorie supplements on body composition and muscular strength following resistance training. Rozenek R, Ward P, Long S, Garhammer J. J Sports Med Phys Fitness. Sep; 4. 2(3): 3. 40- 7. Increased protein maintains nitrogen balance during exercise- induced energy deficit. Pikosky MA, Smith TJ, Grediagin A, Castaneda- Sceppa C, Byerley L, Glickman EL, Young AJ. Mar; 4. 0(3): 5. 05- 1. Dietary carbohydrate- to- fat ratio: influence on whole- body nitrogen retention, substrate utilization, and hormone response in healthy male subjects. Mc. Cargar LJ, Clandinin MT, Belcastro AN, Walker K. Jun; 4. 9(6): 1. 16. Macronutrient Intakes as Determinants of Dietary Protein and Amino Acid Adequacy. S- 1. 59. 6S. Related. How Much Protein is Needed to Build Muscle? Welcome to the best damn . Nothing else covers this topic so completely. Everything is revealed: A precise formula, the best sources of protein, where to get it, a video, FAQ section. So this is as critical as it gets. Hey, before I tell you exactly the quantity of protein you need, I need to say that the QUALITY is also all- important. Some proteins are far superior to others for building muscle. In fact, there are 5 definite BEST sources of protein for building muscle, and if you aren’t getting them, you are not gaining maximum muscle as quickly as possible. That’s a fact! If you want the list, as well as a full explanation, enter your email below. You don’t have to go to your email to click a confirm link. The top 5 sources of protein for building muscle in order are (1) Whey Protein (2) Whole Eggs (3) Cow’s Milk (4) Egg White (5) Fish. For a fuller list & full explanation, see my full article here: CLICK HEREThanks! Here's what you wanted. Enjoy.. Listening to the average Joe or your doctor about how much protein you need in your diet is simply not going to cut it for the bodybuilder. We need more than the average person because our muscle tissue is constantly being ripped up and repaired. Here’s a fantastic little video explaining how the protein you eat actually turns into muscle. Watch it first, then I’ll give you the formula you need. HOW PROTEIN TURNS INTO MUSCLE TISSUETHE FORMULA FOR WORKING OUT HOW MUCH PROTEIN YOU NEEDThere are 2 ways to figure out just how much protein you need. First, the easy way: Consume 1g of Protein per Pound of Body Weight. So if you weigh 1. Simple, but this formula doesn’t work well for those with more body fat. The result will be too high. And we don’t excess protein as the surplus is simply converted to sugar inside the body (a process called gluconeogenesis). So a more precise method of calculating just how much protein you need to gain muscle is based on your lean body weight, not your total body weight. So 1. 70 pounds is 7. To get your lean mass weight, you first need to know your total body weight and your body fat percentage. If you don’t know your body fat percentage, there’s a calculator in the sidebar of this site to help you. Take a few measurements, input them into the boxes and hit . Now simply subtract this from your total body weight to get your lean mass weight. Take this figure and multiply it by 2. LET’S TAKE AN EXAMPLEA person weighs 1. So, therefore our 1. Simple when you know how . Anabolic Diet will allow anyone to easily reach this relatively high protein requirement. Use this knowledge in conjunction with my free THT weight training program to fuel maximum muscle growth. Grab your copy of THT by entering your details below and I promise you’ll build more muscle faster than anything else you’ve ever tried. Tens of thousands of others already have – like these guys.
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