How to eat for fat loss?

You wouldn't think that when you want to lose weight, specifically fat, that you'd be eating all of the time.  However this is exactly what you end up doing.  It's actually fairly simple, but nevertheless it's something that we tend to mess up when we try for it. 

The numbers add up differently for different people.  Men vs. Women.  Large frame vs. small frame.  Active vs. sedentary.  This can go on and on.  

Overlooking some of the numbers (like calories), some basics are that you should have vegetables like cauliflower, broccoli, cabbage, etc., at every meal.  You should be eating protein, not avoiding it.  Protein helps you feel fuller longer, plus it aids in fat loss.  Carbs, usually a villain, is also important as it provides you with energy. 

Regular measured out portions help for you to feel full, to burn fat, and to stay in top performance.  An example break-down follows: 

1.  Breakfast: Eggs w/ spinach & mushrooms

2.  Mid-morning Snack:  Protein Shake

3.  Lunch:  Sweet Potato, Chicken Breast, Broccoli

4.  Mid-afternoon Snack:  Tuna, Cauliflower florets, oats

5.  Dinner: Rice, Fish or Chicken Breast, Kale, Spinach, Cabbage

6.  Post Dinner-  Protein Shake

This is just an example, as you may not like some of the foods (as in my case with the rice & kale).  It's always good to begin with an inventory of what you like and dislike, maybe a trip to the grocery store and surveying the foods in the produce section.  

Also notice that there's not much fruit on the menu.  Fruit is good for you but naturally high in sugar, so it's best to be around a workout rather than any other time.  

I hope that this give's you an idea of how to eat and when.  

You can get more information, challenges, and accountability through Biblical Wellness

"Like" & "Share" this post if you want to help others.  

I heart food

Food, it's what unites us.  It's what we all share and enjoy in company.  It's what keeps us alive.  And it's what we don't understand. 

Nutritionally, food is made up of a combination of protein (pro), fat, and carbohydrate (carb).  However we don't eat nutrition, we eat food.  Food is made up of all nutrients, from vitamins & minerals to macro-nutrients like pro, fat, & carbs. When we eat, we absorb all of these things to put to work in our bodies. 

Eating foods is pretty simple, and finding nutritious foods is also simple.  For example, I'm writing this on Sunday night and what we had for dinner is one of my favorites...grilled turkey breast (over charcoal), sweet potato, broccoli, and we tried these broccoli & cheese tots.  From all of this we get our pro (turkey), fats (butter if added, or from the tots), and carbs from sweet potato and broccoli.  Overall the meal, if you count out the tots, was around 300-500 cal if you account for portion size. 

I love eating like that.  It's healthy, it's tasty, and you don't make yourself feel guilty over any of it.  Plus my kids love it, which is challenging by itself.  They don't care about vitamins and minerals or macros, they care about how it tastes. 

Taste is more important than virtually anything else when it comes to nutrition.  Just because something is healthy, doesn't mean it tastes good.  Just because something tastes good doesn't mean it's healthy.  You need taste and satiety to enjoy the food, without it it's just food. 

Honestly, and the most important part I need to make note of, is that often you need to eat much more than you think you do.  Like what I ate for dinner, I was full pretty quick and only tapped into a small percentage of my total calorie estimation.  Often to fill the void, we supplement. 

Next week, my view on supplementation.  

Fluffy like a pillow...built on steel!

One thing about myself is this, I feel fluffy like a pillow with a core made out of steel.  I've battled with my weight my entire life even to this day.  While I've been educated in how to exercise effectively, the issue is life itself.

Generally speaking, I need to build up the framework psychologically to be successful with body compositional goals.  My goals are generally simple, put on muscle, lose fat.  However, if you are to look at the way I gain and lose weight, it's the traditional endomorphic body type.  My upcoming post will go into somatotype to discuss the differences between endomorph, ectomorph, and mesomorph.

I feel like if I look at a cupcake or cookie, I've gained about 6lbs.  On the contrary, If I lift any amount of weight I feel like I've gained some significant muscle.  Not really a great compromise, especially when you consider the whole gain weight concept.

I enjoy lifting weights.  I enjoy food.  I'm like nearly every red-blooded American male.  I honestly try to be good with my diet most of the time, but, I also have a weakness for Oreos and pizza.  I like lifting weights and hate cardio (it's boring) unless it's boxing or kickboxing.  In the end, it forces me to be fluffy like a pillow built on steel.

Restricting what you do can only lead to bigger problems in the end.  I'm now of the mindset that I need to make sure that my overall health is alright.  I have three kids that need my wife and I when I get home each and every day.  I look at getting 4-5 workouts per week as a success.  I eat vegetables at least 2 meals per day and really try like hell to avoid those Oreos at night.

I'm like you and everyone else.  It's just that I have been educated and trained in exercise and diet, but I still love the American in me!