Burning Fat

 

The Skinny On Fat

Below is a somewhat wordy and technical article about losing fat. It basically explains that the body can only convert so much fat into energy a day and the importance of maintaining muscle. If you starve your body of daily needed calories, your body will use your muscle to get energy by digesting it which will defeat the long term goal of reducing body fat. It is for this reason that quick fix weight loss plans dont work. If you are serious about getting lean, you can read the article below, or read the entire works of Drew Baye here

 

 

How fast can you burn off body fat?

an article by Drew Baye

 

Since there is a limit to the rate at which the body can get energy from fat, if the calorie deficit is too large the body will take energy from other tissues. According to a paper in the Journal of Theoretical Biology (1,2), it is estimated the average, moderately active person's body can get approximately 31 calories of energy per day per pound of fat. This means the maximum one can reduce their calorie intake below maintenance levels without losing muscle is approximately 31 for every pound of fat on their body.** For example, a 180 pound man with 15% body fat would have 27 pounds of fat, so he could reduce his daily calorie intake to 837 below maintenance without losing lean tissue (27 pounds of fat multiplied by 31 = 837). Assuming a maintenance intake of approximately 2700 (consuming 15 calories for each pound of body weight) this would mean a daily caloric intake around 1863 calories.

It is important to note these numbers are based on moderately active people not involved in a regular exercise program and most likely not consuming adequate amounts of protein. The rate at which the body is able to get energy from fat may increase with training and research shows regular resistance training and adequate protein intake helps maintain lean tissue at low calorie intakes (3,4,5,6). However, to maintain as much muscle as possible a conservative approach is best, so caloric deficit should not significantly exceed 31 per pound of body fat.

As fat is lost the caloric deficit must decrease proportionally to avoid loss of lean tissue. If our 180 pound man from the above example consumes 837 calories below maintenance, he should lose approximately 1.67 pounds of fat the first week (837 calories per day multiplied by 7 days = 5859 calories, divided by approximately 3,500 calories in a pound of fat = 1.674). He would then have only 25.33 pounds of fat, and would have to decrease his caloric deficit to approximately 785 below maintenance to avoid muscle loss (25.33 pounds of fat multiplied by 31 = 785.23).

Since the maximal caloric deficit must decrease as fat is lost, it is necessary to regularly re-assess body fat and maintenance calorie intake levels and adjust daily calorie intake appropriately. However, since body fat percentage, basal metabolic rate, and calories burned due to daily activity and calories consumed can not be measured with perfect accuracy, and metabolic rate will decrease slightly over time as a result of your body adjusting to the reduced calorie intake, there is little point in re-assessing too frequently. Weekly or bi-weekly assessment and adjustment is adequate under most circumstances.

 

Calorie Deficit Versus Nutrient Intake For Obese Individuals

Severely obese individuals may have enough fat to provide close to or even more energy per day than the amount their body requires. However, regardless of the amount of body fat you have, your daily caloric intake should not be reduced below a level necessary for adequate intake of essential macro and micronutrients. The absolute minimum daily calorie intake I would recommend without medical supervision would be approximately 1,200 for men and 1,000 for women.

For example, if you are a 300 pound man with 45% body fat and a maintenance intake of 4,800 calories per day your body fat could theoretically provide enough energy to make up for a daily caloric deficit of 4,185 however, this would result in an intake of only 615. Assuming an ideal bodyweight of approximately 194 pounds, your minimal daily calorie intake should be nearly double that to provide adequate protein and carbohydrate, and adequate amounts of essential vitamins and minerals.

If you are severely obese you may have other health conditions with their own nutritional considerations and should consult with your doctor before making any significant changes to your diet.

 

Determining Maintenance Calorie Intake
For most moderately active people, multiplying ideal bodyweight (approximately 15% body fat if male, 20% if female) by 15 will provide a reasonably good estimate of daily maintenance calorie intake. Sedentary or smaller people may need to multiply by as little as 12 to 14, while very active or larger people may need to multiply by as high as 16 to 18. (7) Even better would be to measure and record bodyweight and body fat percentage and daily calorie intake over a period of several weeks and calculate maintenance calorie intake based on any changes in bodyweight (if you're gaining weight your daily caloric intake is over maintenance level, if you're losing weight it's below). Better yet would be to be have your resting metabolic rate tested at a physiology lab or fitness center with the appropriate equipment.

Regardless of your initial estimate it will be necessary to measure and record your daily calorie intake and regularly reassess your body fat levels, and to adjust your intake up or down based on how your body responds.

Measuring Body Composition
While there are a variety of methods for determining body fat percentage, the most practical and cost efficient for most people is skinfold measurements. A three-site skinfold test (chest, abdomen and thigh for men, triceps, suprailium and thigh for women) performed by a skilled technician will provide a reasonably accurate measurement of body composition. (8) Most fitness centers and personal training studios offer skinfold testing or another form of body composition testing for a fee.

You can measure your own body fat with the help of a friend and a skinfold caliper, which can be purchased inexpensively online or at most fitness equipment and health food stores.

A simpler although slightly less accurate (9) method of measuring body fat is to use circumference measurements. This may be more practical for obese individuals who can be difficult to perform skinfold measurements on.

 

Calculating Daily Calorie Intake For Fat Loss
Multiply your body fat in pounds by 31 and subtract the result from your daily maintenance calorie intake to determine your minimum daily calorie intake to maintain muscle while losing fat. Men should not go below 1,200 and women should not go below 1,000 without medical supervision.

While the above should provide a reasonably good estimate of the daily calorie intake required for near maximal fat loss while maintaining lean tissue, regardless of what your calculations show, remember that practical results are what count. If you do not lose a measurable amount of fat over a period of several weeks gradually reduce your calories until you do, or if your physical or mental performance declines gradually increase your calories until it improves.

 

Macronutrient Intakes, Meal Timing and Hydration

Although calorie intake is the most important factor for fat loss, the macronutrients you consume also have an effect. Most importantly, adequate protein intake is necessary to maintain lean tissue while eating below maintenance calorie levels, and there are other benefits to higher protein intake such as increased satiety, and a greater metabolic cost compared to fats and carbohydrates. Protein intake should be between 1 and 1.5 grams per day per pound of "ideal" bodyweight, and consist of primarily lean meat, fish, eggs, dairy and nuts. NanoPro PRP is an excellent source of protein from the purest form of whey. Fats should be approximately 20 to 30 percent of your daily calorie intake, and should be mostly unsaturated. Carbohydrates make up the remainder, and should come primarily from fruits and vegetables. NanoGreens10 is an excellent source of phytonutrients from fruits and vegetables. Foods with high amounts of simple sugars and saturated fats (breads, pastas, pastries, sodas, crakers, breakfast cereals) should be strictly limited or avoided altogether.

Your daily caloric intake should be divided equally between four to six, evenly spaced meals. Smaller meals have a lower glycemic load, meaning steadier blood sugar levels, no huge insulin spikes, and steadier energy levels throughout the day. On workout days, I suggest dividing one of your meals into pre and post-workout snacks.

Drink a gallon of cold water over the course of each day. Staying adequately hydrated helps to reduce appetite and enables your kidneys to function optimally. If the kidneys are not functioning well, the liver will take on some of their work, which reduces the liver's capacity to metabolize your fat stores for energy.

 

Supplements
The majority of weight loss supplements produce little or nothing in the way of worthwhile results, and the rare few that do won't make any noticeable difference unless the above dietary guidelines are being followed. The only supplements we recommend are a Omega-3 multi-vitamins, protein powder and -SuperFood. For an ideal mega nutrition low calorie meal replacement, do the NanoSuperTrio, (NanoGreens, NanoPro and NanOmega combo). Studies have shown Omega-3 helps reduce fat and improves other health factors in combination with regular exercise (10), and protein powder or high-protein meal replacements can be helpful if you are having difficulty getting adequate protein from food or finding time to prepare nutritious meals.

 

Keeping Track
If you are serious about losing body fat a daily food journal is essential. You must measure and record everything you consume on a daily basis. This is the only way to know you are consuming the appropriate number of calories. Since most people significantly underestimate the amount of calories they consume, guessing simply won't cut it. Although it may seem like a major inconvenience, it only takes a few seconds to weigh, measure or look up the nutritional value of something and record it.

I recommend purchasing a digital food scale and several sets of measuring cups and spoons. You will be using them often, and the more you have the less frequently you will need to wash dishes. You will also need a calorie and nutrient reference book. I suggest The Calorie King Calorie, Fat & Carbohydrate Counter, as it is a convenient size and reasonably comprehensive. I also recommend The Complete Book of Food Counts.

While a smaller notebook is easier to carry around, it will not have adequate space unless you have very small handwriting. Use the largest notebook you are comfortable carrying. If you regularly carry a PDA or laptop computer, another option is using Excel or a word processing program, or one of the many diet tracking programs available.

Record the date and target calorie and macronutrient intakes at the top of the page for each day in your food journal. Divide the page into separate columns for the type and amount of food, calories per item, total calories and meal time. Do the same for protein, carbohydrate and fat if you are tracking these as well. I recommend at least tracking protein in addition to calories to ensure adequate intake.

Under the column for food record the amount and type of item consumed. Under the columns for calories and macronutrients being tracked, record both the value of the food item consumed and the current daily total. Under the column for time, record the time you finished eating. Keeping running totals makes it easier to keep track of how much you've consumed. Recording meal time is important to keep meals evenly spaced throughout the day.

Weight and body composition measurements should be recorded at the bottom of the page for the day they are performed, along with the time. On workout days you should also make a note of your workout performance. Other relevant information such as energy level, mood, hunger, etc. could be recorded as well.

Stay focused on your goal. Good Luck!

Notes:

*excerpts of an article "Getting Lean - Basic Guidelines for Losing Fat" written by Drew Baye

** "A limit on the maximum energy transfer rate from the human fat store in hypophagia is deduced from experimental data of underfed subjects maintaining moderate activity levels and is found to have a value of (290 ± 25) kJ/kg d. A dietary restriction which exceeds the limited capability of the fat store to compensate for the energy deficiency results in an immediate decrease in the fat free mass (FFM). In cases of a less severe dietary deficiency, the FFM will not be depleted." (2)

 

References:

1. Determining the Maximum Dietary Deficit for Fat Loss. Lyle McDonald. 2006. http://www.mindandmuscle.net/mindandmuscle/magpage.php?artID=35&pageNum=1

2. Alpert SS. A limit on the energy transfer rate from the human fat store in hypophagia. J Theor Biol. 2005 Mar 7;233(1):1-13.

3. Goldberg AL, Etlinger JD, Goldpsink DF, Jablecki C. Mechanism of work-induced hypertrophy of skeletal muscle. Med Sci Sports. 1975 Fall;7(3):185-198.

4. Stiegler P. Cunliffe A. The role of diet and exercise for the maintenance of fat-free mass and resting metabolic rate during weight loss. Review Article. Sports Medicine. 2006. 36(3):239-262.

5. Layman DK, Evans E, Baum JI, Seyler J, Erickson DJ, Boileau RA. Dietary protein and exercise have additive effects on body composition during weight loss in adult women. J Nutr. 2005 Aug; 135(8):1903-1910.

6. Alexander JL. The role of resistance exercise in weight loss. Strength and Conditioning Journal. 2002 Feb 24(1):65-69.

7. Clark, Nancy. Nancy Clark's Sports Nutrition Guidebook, 3rd ed. Champaign, IL. Human Kinetics, 2003.

8. Baun WD, Baun MR, Raven PB. A nomogram for the estimate of percent body fat from generalized equations. Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport. 1981. 52:380-384

9. Hedge SS, Ahuja SR. Assessment of body fat content in young and middle aged men: skinfold method versus girth method. J Postgrad Med. 1996 Oct-Dec:42(4):97-100.

10. AM Hill, JD Buckley, KJ Murphy, et al. Combined effects of omega-3 supplementation and regular exercise on body composition and cardiovascular risk factors. Asia Pac J Clin Nutr, 2005; 14 Suppl: S57.