It all starts with the four most important words when it comes to losing fat and getting lean. Those are calories in, calories out. The law of thermodynamics states that we need to be in a net energy deficit in order to lose fat. This comes in the form of two approaches, or most successfully, with a combination of both of them.
First we can talk about the calories out part of the equation. This refers to your exercise, or as I like to call it, training. Training is exercising with a purpose.
Most of the time people focus on cardio and conditioning in an attempt to lose weight fast. The problem here is that the amount of caloric burn, while helpful, is never enough to offset a poor nutrition plan. It is so important to look beyond the treadmills and elliptical machines as a way of burning off calories and fat.
The better focus of the plan should be on strength training and the use of weights.
Now the actual workouts that involve weightlifting are generally not going to result in any significant calorie burn either. That isn’t where their benefit comes from however. They instead, will help you to build muscle which is metabolically more active tissue, so even at rest your body will consume more calories allowing you to lose fat easier.
The best type of workouts for getting lean are going to be the ones that allow you to build the most amount of muscle and focus on the multi-function, multi-muscle group exercises. These are often in the form of total body splits and push pull legs splits. If you are very short on time you may want to focus on turning these workouts into either complexes or circuits to get some additional conditioning benefits. Keep in mind however that these latter two approaches are not as effective for building or burning as the traditionally performed versions of each.
When it comes to the calories in part of the equation we are talking about your nutrition.
Here, is where all the changes come when you really want to get lean. It is also the harder part of the process since the discipline required to get your nutrition right is going to require much more diligence throughout the day than getting a workout in.
It’s important that you realize that not all foods are created equal however. Different foods have different levels of satiation. Some foods you can eat and they make you feel full while others seem like you can eat them forever and never fill up. Since portion control is ultimately going to have a major impact on your total caloric intake, you’re going to want to be wise about the food choices you make.
High fiber foods help you consume less calories because they tend to be more filling.
Also, you have to ask yourself if your long term goals are health or just to lose body fat and get lean. If it is truly only short term, then it doesn’t really matter what you eat as long as you stay within your daily caloric allotment.
Make sure when making your cuts that you don’t take away too much protein if possible. This is going to be needed to maintain the muscle mass you have and support the calories out part of the process. Take instead from fats, especially if your diet is already too high in them. At twice the caloric density of carbohydrates and proteins on a gram per gram basis, the decision is the most economical.
Try not to overdo your depletion of carbs though. This is only going to set you up for long term failure when the reality of the restriction overcomes your desire to make a change to your body.
If you’re looking for a step by step meal plan that will get you lean and ripped and stay that way year round, head to athleanx.com via the link below. Choose the program that best suits your current goals and start training like an athlete.
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