Beginner Tip (Lose Fat and Increase Definition)

[BigD]

Goal: Lose Fat and Increase Definition
by Cathryn Majorossy

Exercise
Performing weight training exercises 3-4 times per week (about 45 minutes per session) will help turn your body into a fat burning machine! Be sure to vary the types of exercises you do: free weights, cable machines, dumbbells, etc. Warm up with 5 minutes on the bike or treadmill to loosen up your muscles.
Perform at least 20+ minutes of moderate to high intensity cardiovascular exercise 2-3 times per week (running, spinning, stair-climbing, etc.). If possible do your cardio exercise first thing in the morning or prior to your weight training.
If you can only tolerate low intensity cardiovascular exercise (such as walking), increase to 30+ minutes 2-3 times per week.
Nutrition

Eating 5-6 well-balanced meals per day will keep your energy levels high and your metabolism revved. Each meal should be roughly equal in calories, protein, carbohydrate, and fat. A ratio of roughly 30% fat, 30% protein and 40% carbs will help you ensure optimum nutrient intake.
Great sources of protein: fish, chicken, lean beef and turkey--(best if grilled, baked or broiled w/o skin), eggs, protein shakes and bars and low fat: milk, cottage cheese and yogurt. Great sources of fat: nuts, seeds, olive oil, flax seeds or flax oil, canola oil, salmon, tuna, trout, efa supplements. Great carbohydrate sources: vegetables, fruit, nuts, seeds, oatmeal, brown rice, beans, corn and peas.
Drink one-half to one full gallon of water each day.
Allow yourself a cheat day once a week to satisfy your cravings and eat whatever you want.
Supplements

Use a quality multi-vitamin / multi-mineral formula.
Take extra antioxidants.
Use 2-3 Meal Replacement Powders (MRPs) per day. This will help insure that you take in enough lean quality protein to support muscle mass gains.
Try the amino acid L-Glutamine. This is one of the most under-rated supplements available. It acts as an anti-catabolic to help you add new muscle and to maintain muscle while dropping fat.
Essential Fatty Acids! EFAs are wonderful, healthy fats that can help support your efforts tremendously. Flax Seed Oil and CLA are two favorites.
Use a whey protein powder if you have trouble consuming enough protein.
If you tolerate them well, you can use *fat-burners to help you accelerate your fat loss efforts. These products contain herbal stimulants and should only be used as directed.
These are the basics, there are many more quality supplements available.

[alevok]

Great basic info

[FreshlyPressedMuscle]

big ups
Big D
good info

[Boner]

Bump for great basic info for the newbies.

[Jamisun]

It is best to do cardio after weights, if you do both on the same day. You deplete your glycogen stores hitting the weights, then while in this state, much like the fasted state you are in when you wake up, you will burn more fat as energy. You have to be careful not to over do it or your body may go catabolic and use muscles for energy.

[Tobey]

Good info. I personally would not recommend a 30/30/40 ratio though, but this is just my take on it. All in all though it is some great info for some of the new guys wanting to get a run down on nutrition. Sometimes I think that we take things for granted and assume that some things as just common knowledge, however to the adverage person they are not. Good job Big D.
Tobey

[metzger66]

Great post!!!


metz

[adamar71]

thanks for the great post BigD. bump

[firedup]

word

[Buddha_Red]

BUMP