We are all aware of them, the grapefruit diet, the banana diet, the low Carbohydrate diet, the low fat diet, the point’s diet, the high protein diet, and other great tales and on. But the question of the century is, is there a best diet to follow to lose stubborn belly fat and get head turning washboard midsection that command attention? My standard answer is: NO DIET AT ALL.
Diets are not only seen impractical, also, they are IMPOSSIBLE. In fact, diets are most significant reasons people struggle to shed pounds.
The worst part about fad diets is that many of them are either super restrictive, or they recommend eating a significant amount of wedding party food. Almost always there is something “technically wrong” with them. They’re not based around achieving optimal health, but rather on achieving short term weight loss. Typically, any weight that you could lose on most of these diets usually comes right back within several days or weeks after stopping the diet. How annoying is that?
As cool and as flashy as they may seem, most fad diets have one thing in common, they are really popular for many years and then they fade away into diet obscurity.
When you start a diet, you have failed on day one. Why? Because a diet is a short term solution to a longer term problem. You see, most people that begin a new diet usually say something like, “I am going to lose 10 pounds in 30 days” or “I need to lose 5 pounds before such and such a date.” This temporary solution mindset a lot of people get on the ‘lose 10 pounds and gain it right back cycle’ and hop around from diet to diet forever.
A diet isn’t the solution. So that you can burn fat in the l-on run and keep it off you must use a longer term approach and that requires a longer term mindset. My dietary approach to fat loss is basic and not too unrealistic and extreme. It is simple, to the stage; in fact it is proven to work.
So what does this mean for you?
It means that if you need to be healthy and fit you’ll want to end the vicious cycle of diet hopping and start eating foods that are whole, natural, and rich in nutrients.
It means that you can be eating a healthy balance of proteins, carbohydrates and healthy fats to keep your metabolism revved up and burning fat round the clock, 7 days a week.
So be sure to pay attention to eating nutritious foods that you enjoy, yet still controlling calories. This kind of strategy isn’t as hard to follow you may think and it’ll definitely get you leaner, stronger, and healthier.
Now I’m not saying that building an incredible physique isn’t challenging…as it would be. What I am saying is the blueprint for building a great body is not new, the formula is proven and ‘s been around for centuries.
But what exactly should I eat?
Areas delicious food suggestions that will help continue with the fat loss plan.
Proteins – Chicken Breast, Whey Protein, Wild Alaskan Salmon, Bison Meat, Egg Whites, Turkey Breast, Top Round Steak.
Carbohydrate / Whole Grains – Brown Rice, Yams, Oatmeal, Sweet Potatoes, Ezekiel Bread, 100% Whole Wheat Pasta, Multi Grain Hot Cereal (barley, rye, oats, etc.)
Vegetables – Spinach, Zucchini, Onions, Broccoli, Tomatoes, Mushrooms, Cucumbers, Peppers (red, green, yellow, orange), Asparagus
Healthy Fats – Flax-seed Oil, Olive Oil, Avocado, Almonds, Cashews, Walnuts, Flax-seeds
Fruits – Raspberries, Blueberries, Grapefruit, Apples, Cantaloupe, Peaches, Grapes, Pineapple, Strawberries, Oranges
Note: Dairy is not on the do-not-eat list and if you must have it I recommend eating some low or non-fat yogurt, low or non-fat cottage cheese, or low or non-fat cheese.
I recommend eating at least 5 to 6 times per day so that means you will generally eat between 35 and 42 meals per week. To help prevent you from going crazy and falling off the “diet wagon” additionally it is important to take a couple of meals per week and eat that one thing. This is what called a ‘cheat meal.’
Now many people unknowingly believe that cheat meals do them more damage than good, there is however a huge amount of evidence that proves that strategic cheating can, in fact, help you burn more fat and are very beneficial to lose weight.
If you decide to have are on a 6 meal per day plan along with one cheat meal per week (41 healthy meals and 1 cheat meal) this means you have been 97% success ratio for sticking to the fat loss plan for that week. If you’re able to keep your success ratio around 95% or higher each week it means you are right on track.
So is eating this way good for me?
Eating this way is great because you are lowering your risk for disease by promoting a natural alkaline environment in the human body and also lowering your body fat concurrently. Talk about quite a lot!
Consequently, if you follow a fad diet and your meals are lacking in nutrients, you will just end up spinning your wheels and increase your risk of disease because your body will be in an acidic environment from the possible lack of antioxidants, nutrients, fiber, vitamins, and minerals that the body needs to remain in optimal health.
Without these nutrients your fat burning efforts will be in vain and your health will suffer as well.
So in summary, nutrition for fitness, fat loss, and health all work together to complete the big picture. Be sure you eat lots of foods rich in nutrients, and low in overall calories. These kinds of foods are generally very healthy and are also proven to build muscle and burn fat. In the end, you can permanently change your life and build the body you have always wanted along the way just by making smarter food choices.
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