The expert fat loss guide part 2

After looking at the individual macronutrients and their quantities depending on the individual body type during the diet in the first part of this article series, in this second part we will take a closer look at the best food sources and the composition of the most important meals during a diet and also discuss the strategic use of carbohydrate-rich days to maintain the metabolic rate.

Food choices during the diet

Now that you know exactly how much you should eat each day, you need to figure out what foods you should eat. Contrary to popular belief, the types of foods you eat are far less important than how much you eat each day. This doesn't mean that food choices don't matter. Some foods are still better for some purposes.

Food choices may not make as big a difference in fat loss as they do in muscle building, but they will definitely help you optimize your health. We all exercise and diet to look good, to be strong and to improve our health. Don't neglect the health aspect, as a healthy body is much more likely to perform better during training.

Low fat protein

If you are trying to build or maintain muscle, then adequate protein intake is a must. The best choice here is low-fat animal proteins. Protein that doesn't come from animal sources is often incomplete protein, which means it lacks certain essential amino acids needed to build muscle.

Here are some of the best sources of protein:

• Chicken and turkey breast
• Fish (fattier fish like salmon also contains healthy fats)
• Milk (especially low-fat milk)
• Cottage cheese
• Cottage cheese (especially low-fat cottage cheese)
• Lean pork
• Lean beef
• Whole eggs and egg whites
• Whey protein and casein protein

Healthy fats

Fats play many different roles in the human body. Some fats must be obtained from food as the body cannot produce them itself. These fats are known as essential fatty acids. It is wise to choose fat sources that are rich in essential fats.

Here are some good sources of fat:

• Fish oil
• linseed oil
• Olive oil
• Nuts and nut butters
• Borage oil
• Salmon and other fatty fish
• Egg yolk (also an excellent source of protein)

A final note on the choice of fat sources. Saturated fats may have a bad reputation, but they still fulfill important functions in the body, which is why they should be included in the diet. Saturated fats can only cause problems if they are consumed in excessive quantities.

Trans fats, on the other hand, have absolutely no function in the body and are very harmful to health. Trans fats (also known as hydrogenated fats) should be avoided as much as possible due to their negative side effects.

Choosing the right carbohydrate sources

Carbohydrates offer more choice than proteins and fats. There are two primary types of carbohydrates you can choose from: complex carbohydrates and sugars. Complex carbohydrates will result in a slower and steadier rise in blood sugar levels, while sugars tend to cause a greater and shorter-lasting rise in blood sugar levels.

Many people believe that sugars are one of the main culprits for weight gain, but this is not necessarily true. Sugar will increase insulin levels more than complex carbohydrates, which can be particularly useful during the time around exercise. Increasing insulin levels during exercise will reduce the breakdown of muscle tissue. For health reasons, complex carbohydrates are recommended for other times of the day.

Here are some excellent sources of carbohydrates:

• Brown rice
• Sweet potatoes
• oatmeal
• Whole grain cereals including whole grain pasta and whole grain bread
• fruit
• vegetables
• beans
• Dextrose (a simple sugar that is excellent for post-workout
• Maltodextrin (a complex carbohydrate that raises insulin levels in a similar way to sugar and is an excellent source of carbohydrate for post-workout)

The importance of fruit and vegetables

Fruit and vegetables are often left out of most diets. Even people who are health conscious and serious about their training often tend to largely avoid fruit and vegetables. Most people avoid fruit and vegetables either because they don't like the taste or because they believe that these foods serve no purpose. But this is simply not true. Fruits and vegetables are overloaded with fiber and healthy phytochemicals.

Fiber promotes regular bowel movements and a healthy digestive system. This may not sound particularly important when it comes to fat loss and muscle growth, but you should keep in mind that eating the right amounts of protein, carbohydrates and fats won't do you much good if they can't be properly digested and absorbed by the body.

Phytochemicals are biologically active compounds found in fruits and vegetables. They give fruit and vegetables their disease-fighting powers. Many phytochemicals are currently being investigated in clinical trials as cures for many different diseases. Again, many will probably wonder what effect this may have on fat loss. Well, a sickly body will not be willing to give up its fat reserves, which is why health is always important.

A large proportion of the sugar contained in fruit is fructose. Many people believe that fructose is bad and will promote fat gain. However, this is not generally true. Although fructose is metabolized differently from other types of sugar, the amounts of fructose consumed via fruit do not generally pose a problem. Fructose is primarily used to quickly replenish liver glycogen stores. Even though fructose is technically a sugar, it does not cause a sharp increase in blood sugar levels. This makes fruit an excellent food for daily consumption.

You will never hear someone say "I was in good shape, but when I started eating fruit, I got fat." The reason you will never hear this is because fruit provides natural sugars combined with large amounts of fiber that will not interfere with fat loss.

The essential times for food intake (meal timing)

The timing of meals plays a crucial role in maintaining muscle tissue and ensuring maximum performance. At certain times of the day, your body needs certain nutrients to ensure amino acid requirements are met and energy levels are optimal during exercise. To get the most out of your fat loss diet, three meals a day will not be enough. If you want to achieve the best possible results, you need to do more.

The importance of breakfast

More people skip breakfast than any other meal of the day. This is usually done out of convenience, as it's tempting to sleep in a little longer and run out of the house without eating anything. However, this could be a mistake. After a whole night without eating, your body is starving for amino acids, which is why protein is a must when you get up.

Although carbohydrates are not absolutely necessary at this meal, scientific research shows that people who eat a substantial amount of carbohydrates for breakfast feel less hungry throughout the day. If you tend to cheat on your diet, then I would strongly recommend eating a larger amount of your carbohydrates at breakfast. Breakfast is also a good time to get some of your fats in.

Don't let your laziness stop you from achieving results. If you're serious about fat loss and muscle gain, consider prioritizing your breakfast and letting your alarm clock ring a little earlier.

The pre-workout meal

The pre-workout meal could be the most important meal of the day. This is the meal that will provide you with energy for your training session. At this meal it is important to consume protein and carbohydrates, which will enter the bloodstream around the time you are exercising. The glucose in the bloodstream from the carbohydrates will be used as energy, while the amino acids from the protein will prevent amino acids from being catabolized from muscle tissue during exercise.

Many people do not realize that training is initially a very catabolic process. In fact, the time during exercise is the most catabolic time of the day. A properly composed pre-workout meal will help you reduce the peak levels of catabolic hormones that typically occur during exercise. This meal should be consumed 1.5 to 3 hours before training.

The post-workout shake

Even with the right pre-workout meal, the flood of catabolic hormones during training is unavoidable. Cortisol levels will remain high long after the training session is over if nothing is done to lower them. The best way to stop this muscle breakdown is to consume protein in combination with high-glycemic carbohydrates.

Protein is an absolute must after training as it is the only thing that can take your body directly from a catabolic state to an anabolic state. The phase immediately after training is usually referred to as the anabolic window, as the body is extremely receptive to nutrients during these 2 hours after training. This is the prime time for muscle growth.

Some studies have shown that a protein shake consumed immediately after training can produce up to 25 times higher levels of protein synthesis than a shake consumed three hours after training. This shows how important it is to drink this shake immediately after training. Because timing is so important with the post-workout shake, it is important to choose a protein that is quickly digested.

Scientific research has also shown that a large boost of amino acids into the bloodstream after training will increase net protein synthesis much more than a continuous flow of amino acids. This means that a fast-digesting protein after exercise will build more muscle than a slower-digesting protein. For this purpose, nothing beats whey protein. Whey protein is the fastest digesting protein and should therefore be your protein of choice for your post-workout shake.

Carbohydrates are almost as important as protein in the post-workout shake. Carbohydrates cause an insulin release and there is nothing better to lower cortisol levels than insulin. Insulin has an antagonistic relationship with cortisol, which means that cortisol levels are low when insulin levels are high. And since insulin is a storage hormone, it will shuttle the amino acids from the whey protein directly into your muscle tissue.

Even though insulin is antilypolytic, which means it inhibits fat burning, the goal after a workout is to increase insulin levels to protect your muscles. The best way to induce an insulin spike is to consume high-glycemic carbohydrates such as dextrose, glucose or maltodextrin. These carbohydrates cause a rapid increase in blood glucose levels and will maximize the insulin response.

The meal after training

Immediately after training, you need a quickly digestible protein shake to lower cortisol levels and turbo-charge muscle growth. As this shake is quickly digested, it will not increase protein synthesis for long. To maintain protein synthesis, you need to consume another meal one to two hours after training. This should consist of whole foods and include protein and carbohydrates, but as little fat as possible. This will maximize muscle growth by keeping protein synthesis rates high and reducing catabolism.

Before bedtime

Another crucial time for protein intake is before bedtime. During sleep, the body releases a flood of anabolic hormones such as growth hormone and testosterone. This is another period during which sleep can be used to protect muscle mass while dieting. During the night we do not eat for several hours. For this reason, a slow-digesting protein is best. This allows a continuous flow of amino acids that will supply your muscles with amino acids for hours.

Two excellent options for before bed are casein and cottage cheese. Beef would also be a viable option. The most important thing is that you eat some protein before bed. Fats are also a great way to slow down protein digestion before bedtime. Therefore, it's a good idea to add some healthy fat to your last meal.

Another area of confusion regarding food intake before bedtime involves the consumption of carbohydrates. Many people believe that eating carbohydrates in the evening will cause fat storage because the carbohydrates are not being used up. However, this is not true. Carbohydrates may not be necessary from a performance perspective before bedtime, but consuming them late in the evening will not lead to fat storage.

The human body will process carbohydrates early in the morning in the same way as just before bedtime. So feel free to eat a few carbs before bed if you want. This will not hinder fat loss in any way. Studies have even shown that consuming carbohydrates before bedtime can even lead to a slightly higher metabolic rate, but more research is needed on this topic.

Let's put the plan together

Protein

Deciding how much protein you should eat at each meal is easy. Take the total amount of protein you should consume during the day and divide it evenly between the essential meals.

Let's say you should eat 200 grams of protein per day. As there are 5 essential meals, you need to divide this amount by 5. This means that you should eat 40 grams of protein at each meal.

Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates cause a release of insulin, which we know is a double-edged sword. The important thing is to consume carbohydrates at the times of the day when they are most beneficial and least likely to inhibit fat loss. The three times of the day when carbohydrates need to be consumed are the pre-workout meal, the post-workout shake and the first full meal after training.

You should divide your carbohydrates between these meals as follows:

• Pre-workout meal - 35% of your daily carbohydrates (complex carbohydrates)
• Post-workout shake - 20% of your daily carbohydrates (sugar or high-glycemic carbohydrates)
• First solid meal after training - 25% of daily carbohydrates (complex carbohydrates)

This leaves you with 20% of your daily carbohydrates to eat whenever you want during the day. If you prefer to eat a larger meal first thing in the morning, then you can eat these carbohydrates for breakfast. If you sleep better on a fuller stomach, you can also eat these carbohydrates at the last meal of the day. You can also split these carbohydrates into two meals. It's entirely up to you.

Fats

Timing your fat intake allows you a little more freedom when it comes to meal timing. The only times you should avoid fats are the post-workout shake and the first solid meal after training. This ensures that fat does not slow down the digestion of protein and carbohydrates, as the rate of digestion during these meals is very important.

For the remaining meals of the day, the fat distribution is entirely up to you. You can distribute your fat intake throughout the day as you prefer. You can spread your fat intake evenly between meals or eat most of your fat at one meal. It is recommended that you consume 10 to 15 grams of fat with your meal before bedtime. This will be enough to slow down the digestion of your evening protein intake and protect your muscle mass during the night without affecting fat loss.

High carbohydrate days

Anyone who has been on any kind of diet or fat loss program will know how a typical diet progresses. During the first few weeks of any diet, weight drops rapidly, but then progress slows down a little. After a few more weeks, fat loss slows down again or stops completely. The reason for this is that the body senses that body fat levels are falling and that food intake is becoming scarce.

To avoid starvation, the body will reduce leptin levels and energy expenditure to slow down the rate of fat loss. As mentioned earlier, leptin is a primary hormone that stimulates fat burning and low levels will turn any fat loss plan into a disaster. However, there is a way to keep leptin levels high. This can be achieved through controlled high carbohydrate days. High carbohydrate days will keep leptin levels high and metabolism running efficiently.

How many carbohydrates?

So how many carbohydrates should you eat on your high carbohydrate days? This depends heavily on your individual metabolism. The increase should be 55% to 115% of what you typically eat per day during the diet. I realize this is quite a wide range, but it can be narrowed down a bit further by your body type. If you have a faster metabolism (ectomorph), then you should aim closer to the upper end of this range. If you have a slow metabolism (endomorph), then you should be closer to the lower end of this range. Mesomorphs should be somewhere in the middle of this range on their high-carb days.

For example, let's say you're an endomorph with a slow metabolism who normally eats 200 grams of carbohydrates. A 55% increase in carbohydrate intake would then equate to a carbohydrate intake of 310 grams on high carbohydrate days. These carbohydrates should be distributed throughout the day in the same way as on a normal diet day.

Adjusting the calories

As the carbohydrate intake is higher on the high-carbohydrate days, this will also result in an increase in the total calorie intake. A slight increase in calorie intake on the high carbohydrate days is not a problem, but if calorie intake increases too much, this will hinder fat loss. The way to prevent this is to reduce protein intake slightly.

On high-carbohydrate days, protein intake should be reduced to 2 grams per kilogram of body weight. So if you weigh 90 kilos, your protein intake on high-carb days should be 180 grams. Don't worry about muscle loss due to the reduction in protein intake. The higher insulin levels from those extra carbs will be more than enough to protect your muscles.

The right frequency of high carbohydrate days

High carbohydrate days need to be regularly inserted into your fat loss plan to prevent a slowdown in metabolic rate, but too frequent high carbohydrate days will slow down your progress. The frequency with which you include high-carb days in your plan will depend on how fast your metabolism is and how lean you are. Below are some guidelines for determining the right frequency of high-carb days based on your body type:

Over 10% body fat

• Ectomorph - once every 7-8 days
• Mesomorph - once every 8-9 days
• Endomorph - once every 9-10 days

Below 10% body fat (once abs are visible)

• Ectomorph - once every 4-6 days
• Mesomorph - once every 5-7 days
• Endomorph - once every 6-7 days

The third and final part of this article series will look at training - cardio and resistance training - during fat loss and then go into more detail about some supplements that can support your fat loss efforts via different mechanisms.

Source: https://www.muscleandstrength.com/expert-guides/fat-loss