THE GOLDEN RULE

THE GOLDEN RULE: Weight Loss (ie muscle management & fat loss) is a numbers game.

Eat too much of ANYTHING, even the "good" stuff and you will gain weight. Now you CAN tweak this rule!! You can eat more calories if you pay attention to your macro-nutrient ratios (carbohydrate, protein, fat ratios) BUT that total still needs to be LESS than you are burning in a day to loose weight. It's the Second Law of Thermodynamics, baby. (trust your Rocket Scientist here)

Right, so how does this law fit in with my "I love food"mentality?? The TWEAKS... which are a list of everything one could possibly do to burn fat, feed muscle, and loooove food at the same time. (Or if you're like my boyfriend, build lots o' muscle, keep fat at bay, and loooove food). I have written the Tweak List below with links to posts with more information on each.

Note: the tweaks are listed in order of easiest to implement to more challenging (that is if you are starting from absolute scratch on your nutrition & fitness journey. And if you're reading this you are probably much more tuned in and turned on to the power of a fit body and mind and are ready to make it taste gooood)

TWEAK LIST:

1. Eat fewer calories: plan and simple. We need to create a calorie deficit to loose weight (or a calorie surplus to gain) Now this can ultimately backfire if you go too low (see caloric cycling), so do not cut calories 500-1000 below your BMI.
2. Protein: there is a reason Atkins works - at least for a while - protein fills you up faster and keeps you full longer. And what does that mean class? You EAT LESS! Protein also helps you build muscle. More muscle means a higher metabolism. Higher metabolism means you can eat more and be slimmer. Add a small amount of protein to every meal for these benefits. This is why I add protein to all of my baked goods. Try my amazing Chocolate Brownies. How much Protein? Read here. Also, read my full review of Atkins and other low carb plans here.
3. Fiber: found in complex "good" carbohydrates, vegetables, and fruits (to varying degrees). Fiber will help slow down the digestion process once again keeping us full longer as well as evening out insulin levels. Here are just a few great Recipes and a tasty way to get fiber into your daily menu. Almond Oat Pancakes, Blueberry Muffins, Easy Oatmeal. Supplements are also useful to increase fiber intake.
4. Macro-nutrient Ratios: the ratio of calories from Carbohydrate to Protein to Fat in any one meal. This is a complex and powerful concept that can be tweaked, and then tweaked again. Any of you who have used this principle know what I mean. If you've ever been on the Zone Diet or South Beach or even Atkins you have used Macro-nutrients. Please read here for a more thorough discussion of Macro-nutrient Ratio Tweaking. As well as Macro-nutrient Specific Recipes.
5. Marco-nutrient Tapering: The benefits of low carb fat reduction with the metal acuity of complex carbohydrates. The SIMPLE way to apply this to your menu for fat loss is to: A) eat more Carbohydrate at breakfast & morning snack(50-70% of your calories coming from a carbohydrate - think whole grain bread, fiber rich apples, or creamy oatmeal) with some Protein and a bit of Fat (think 1whole egg and 3egg whites scrambled with some lean turkey bacon, or a slice of Spinach and Mushroom Frittata) B) Eat fewer Carbohydrates and slightly more Protein at lunch (40-50% of calories from Carbs, 30-40% from Protein, and 10-30% from Fat, think Low Carb Spinach and Mozzarella Quesadilla) C) Eat much more Protein at night (50-70% of your calories from Protein) with Carbohydrates from vegetables only (think Shrimp Fried "Rice" or Stage 1 Chilli) D) have a protein shake for dessert/ nighttime snack. ***This process will be slightly different if you are trying to bulk up (hello boys!). Please read Cian's Program for the ABC's of muscle building.
6. Caloric Cycling: This is my favorite and BEST Tip!!! To avoid the dreaded "starvation response" rotate calorie defects with higher calorie days. A body's "starvation response" and resulting lowered metabolism is triggered when fewer calories are consumed over a period of time (as little as 4 days can be a trigger) For example, say you are an average woman with a BMI of 2000. You eat around 1500 calories a day for fat loss. If you cycled your calories to avoid a metabolic slow down you would eat 1500 cals for 3 days then 2000 for 1 day, then repeat. There is still a calorie deficit of 1500 calories over the 4 days but now you have NO metabolic slow down and your BMI will remain at 2000 instead of dropping to 1900 or even lower. AND you get to keep your sanity while reducing calories. This is an advanced concept and is incredibly powerful. Please read my full post on Caloric Cycling for the complete low down!

Right, so there is my list of tweaks to date. If you have any questions please write in a comment. I will respond to all who are looking to travel the Fit Foodie path!