2. Calories Count. Your goal is to eat as much as possible while still losing fat. For example, if I can get you to lose 1 to 2 pounds of fat per week on 1,400 calories per day, I'm on track. If I try to accelerate the process and lower your calories to 1,200, I sabotage your efforts. Anything more than a 2-pound loss per week will strip muscle tissue and give one a soft look.
A good example is the person who goes on a crash diet and ends up thin but still soft and flabby when they get to their goal weight. This takes place because they lost not only fat, but also valuable muscle. They lowered calories too much, lost at too fast of a rate and did not try to eat the optimal amount of calories for fat loss.
Still, don't think the correct amount of calories matter? I receive many emails from people who have been on low-calorie diets. Many complain that after four to five weeks of weight loss, they hit a sticking point.
Why does this happen? The T3 (thyroid hormone) and body temperature are reduced. It's subtle and you may not realize that body temperature is reduced, but that will slow down the speed of the metabolism. To avoid this slow down, a slight increase in calories is essential. This helps to increase and optimize thyroid levels.
I'm not suggesting everyone should increase calories if they hit a sticking point. In many cases, some people aren't being consistent, or their diet isn't as low calorie as they think. Again, eat the optimal amount of food to lose fat.
3. Eat Breakfast. A balanced breakfast comprised of carbohydrates, protein, and a little fat is a critical start to the day. The point of consuming breakfast is that it breaks the fast from an overnight sleep. In addition, breakfast will rev the metabolism for the rest of the day. This is your first opportunity of the day to get blood sugar back to a balanced state after the all night fast and is critical for sustaining fat loss.
Ratios count! A calorie is not a calorie. Do you know those people who tell you to simply lower your calories to lose fat? The people who never mention protein, carbohydrates or fats? They're wrong.
