What should I not eat to reduce body fat?

[Onyx Dragon]

I'm getting confused for on different websites they say high carbs is the way to go and others say low carb.

I'm just trying to reduce my body fat to single digits.

[Ortprod]

what is your bodyfat% right now? What do you eat on a normal basis? Do you notice any particular weight gain from specific foods?

If you are over 20% body fat, then it is relatively easy to lose weight just by reducing carbs and cutting sugar out of your diet. Don't mix carbs with fats when you can do so and increase your intake of fresh veggies and fresh fruit. Don't eat fast food. Don't drink carbonated drinks, drink water.

It gets pretty hard to drop down to the single digits if you are naturally a heavy person. I believe (don't quote me) that the body starts to resist the breakdown of fat tissue as the number goes down.

I could be wrong.

[Blairbob]

Zone or Paleo makes a pretty easy in a jiffy. Honestly, you need to just keep a reasonable ( no more than -500 calories a day ) caloric deficit. If you don't eat enough fats in the process, your body will preserve the fat because it thinks the fat is not in abundance.

Eating lots of fructose, especially HighFructoseCornSyrup products won't help because the body only needs so much fructose and turns the rest into fat in the liver. Basically, stay off the sugar and processed foods.

Drink enough water, of course.

Keep your metabolism up by eating something every few hours. Slow metabolism does not need to burning calories off as well compared to a metabolism currently engaged.

[thekyloe]

As Ortprod was saying, it's basic--calories in versus calories out.

You need to figure out how many calories you are consuming every day, on average, and reduce that number by about 500 for a couple weeks. Then, once you've lost a little weight, and after that two weeks or so, you drop it down again, if you want to continue losing.

Optimally you should cut out that 500 calories from sugars and simple carbohydrates--white bread, white rice, candy, soda, etc. etc. You can replace the simple carbs with complex carbs (an example would be, taking white bread and replacing it with whole wheat).

Like it's been said--drink water. It takes calories to process water, but water HAS no calories, so you automatically burn a few calories just by getting the water through your system--it'll also help you flush your system out and can even reduce hunger pains for a limited amount of time.

[George Launchbury]

As Ortprod was saying, it's basic--calories in versus calories out.

It's not quite as simple as that. I expect Ortoprod was referring to the fact that if you reduce carbs (not alter source of carbs) your blood sugar will be under control, and amongst other benefits this 'opens the door' to the fat cells. However, the body won't dip in to use the stored fat unless you have a calorie deficit. This deficit shouldn't be too great, however, as then you body switches to starvation mode - and while it will burn fat still it will attempt to enhance 'fuel economy' by reducing muscle mass, which is quite undesirable. As luck would have it, there was a good post on ProteinPower yesterday regarding the myth that all calories are the same:

> http://www.proteinpower.com/drmike/metabolism/metabolic-efficiency/

...You can replace the simple carbs with complex carbs (an example would be, taking white bread and replacing it with whole wheat).

See above. Carbs are carbs, no matter the source. Reduce them.

Like it's been said--drink water. It takes calories to process water, but water HAS no calories, so you automatically burn a few calories just by getting the water through your system--it'll also help you flush your system out and can even reduce hunger pains for a limited amount of time.

Also, a great deal of people have 'forgotten' how to tell the difference between 'real' hunger and a need for water. If in doubt, drink some and see if you're still hungry a while later. Don't fall into the trap of making yourself eat at preset times if you're not actually hungry. Eat when you're hungry, drink when you're thirsty and sleep when you're tired.

Regards,

George.

P.s. Sorry to get stuck in to two of your posts on the same day ...it's nothing personal!

[George Launchbury]

Keep your metabolism up by eating something every few hours. Slow metabolism does not need to burning calories off as well compared to a metabolism currently engaged.

Is eating regularly the best way to lose weight (as opposed to maintaining it) since if you're constantly adding to the available blood-borne fuel you won't dip into the stores as readily? Wouldn't it be better to keep your metabolism active by keeping moving throughout the day (in addition to your workouts)?

Does anyone know of studies/data concerning this? Specifically including an exercise component, not just little-and-often versus three-square-meals in a lab environment.

Regards,

George.

[Gittit Shwartz]

Eating regularly and moving constantly aren't two sides of the same coin "metabolism". In fact they involve separate systems and hormones (with some overlap). In other words, eating regularly will not necessarily have the same effect on the body as moving constantly.

As for data, human history is a pretty compelling set Take a look at hunter-gatherer studies. Their caloric expenditure is extremely high (upwards of 4000 kCal a day) because they were constantly active, with most of their daily activity being fairly low-intensity (walking, gathering, carrying) and some bursts of high-intensity activity (hunting, and probably play). Hunter-gatherers are strong and lean.

Regarding eating regularly vs. intermittently there are conflicting studies. Each approach seems to work very well for some people/at some point/for some goals/with some training schedules, and not so well for others. Robb Wolf is big on Intermittent Fasting, there's a lot of good info in his blog and in the sites he links to if you're interested.

G

[George Launchbury]

Hi Gittit,

Thanks for your input.

I am already a strong believer in Intermittent Fasting protocols for long-term health and longevity. The trouble with data/studies such as those you mentioned (pre-agricultural man, hunter-gather tribes, etc) is that they relate to people who are already healthy, lean and strong ...and are possibly not so relevant for people who are not, but wish to be?

Should there be one (optimum) approach for correcting weight issues and another for increasing performance while maintaining BF% ? ...or is one approach that fits both scenarios good enough?

What do you think?

Cheers,

George.

[Gittit Shwartz]

Hi George,

I definitely feel that different states of health and different goals require different approaches. For example, an overweight pre-diabetic would do well to avoid carbohydrates, while a young, fit gymnast may achieve better performance and recovery with some intelligently timed carbs. However, barring some extreme states and pathologies (such as kidney damage), I'd say all these approaches are on one spectrum and have more in common than otherwise.

An interesting thing to note is that many of the health benefits of fasting can actually be achieved just with carbohydrate restriction (lowered insulin for starters).

G

[Guest Ido Portal]

Actualy, I do not like the carb-activity concept. Activity does not make you handle your total carbs so much better.

The amount of carbs you should be intaking is mainly influenced by 2 issues:

1. Your bodyfat percentage. The leaner you are the more carbs you can tolerate.

2. Your carb-tolerance, mainly geneticly predetermind.

And only to a much lesser degree your activity level.

Activity level will enable you to ingest 50gr-100gr more of carbs a day,

but carb tolerance will enable one to ingest 200gr-250gr a day.

The reason activity is not such a good predictor of recommended carb ingestion is the enzymatic shift towards triglyceride use as a main fuel source for someone who does not handle carbs well.

Training your ass off and then binging on carbs (even lowglycmic) will produce less than optimal results for a carb-intolerant individuals.

[Ortprod]

Great stuff everyone!

I can say that I am definitely carbohydrate intolerant, so I tend to agree with Ido on the topic of macro nutrient intake. I agree with George on the style of timing the intake though. I find myself quite hungry when I eat a small meal and I am not active enough to handle the amount of calories my body would like to take in.

Some would say that the body is trying to get what it "needs" and that is why I feel hungry but I question that based on why humans developed hunger in the first place (the given conditions at the time of development so many ages ago...).

As I stated before, this is what I found works for me and I do not suppose that it would work for others because I am not a nutrition specialist. I prefer light food during the day (fruit and protein supplements with low/no carbs) and my main meal at night where I can binge on <10oz of salad and some fresh cooked meat.

Again, going back the original topic, no coke, no cheese puffs... only natural (unprocessed by a greedy/evil corporation) food and organic if possible. And speaking of which, not all organic food is good for you. It sucks that there is so much misconception that people think the brown rice syrup filled granola bars are to be eaten on a normal basis or as a main source of carbs. This should greatly be taken into consideration when trying to loose a significant amount of weight or stay as lean as possible.

I have a client that eats nothing but Entenmann's (you know... the company that makes all those delicious looking things that will kill you) and runs about 5-8 miles a day and trys to swim every other day. No I am not kidding. She has NO muscle mass and it has taken me almost a year to get her even CLOSE enough to do a proper pushup ON HER KNEES. She is "skinny-fat" meaning her body fat is not high but her muscle mass is really low. She refuses to increase her protein intake and has had the hardest time seeing results (geee, I wonder why). She spins the same wheels every day: run enough to burn those calories off and eat enough (in donuts) to put it all back. She wants "to get abs" by the way. Try to use this as an example of what NOT to do.

Keep up this awesome thread guys!

[Nic Scheelings]

Very interesting thread,

I have found myself a little bit confused about the low carb info since joining the gym bodies website. As i have always eaten a decent ammount of carbs as one of my favorite foods is my homemade muesli.

However despite eating a lot of carbs i maintain a BF % of between 6 and 8, so i was somewhat confused as to the information being presented.

Would it be reasonable to infer that i am carb tolerant? Or is this just a result of being 22 and something i should keep an eye on for later?

[Onyx Dragon]

So what your saying is a Low Carb meal plan?

To lose fat and build muscle?

[thekyloe]

As Ortprod was saying, it's basic--calories in versus calories out.

It's not quite as simple as that....This deficit shouldn't be too great, however, as then you body switches to starvation mode - and while it will burn fat still it will attempt to enhance 'fuel economy' by reducing muscle mass, which is quite undesirable....

...You can replace the simple carbs with complex carbs (an example would be, taking white bread and replacing it with whole wheat).

See above. Carbs are carbs, no matter the source. Reduce them.

I made a suggestion of 500 calories, which, for those that are gaining bodyfat or are at a high bodyfat, this shouldn't be too great.

That, and I'm pretty sure that the bodies of those who get carbs all from white bread, etc. and those who get them from fruits, etc. reflect that difference.

[StevenL]

Don't eat sugar.

Learn about the glycemic load of food, not just the glycemic index. Without taking into account the glycemic load, knowing the index is basically useless. If the load is 10 or less, it has little effect on the blood sugar. 10 - 20 is moderate, and 20 and up is very high.

Don't go on a low fat diet!!!!

[Ortprod]

Demus, I would say you are carb tolerant. I am 23 but I have a hell of a time trying to drop weight even with a clean diet.

As far as I am concerned, StevenL is right on when he said "Don't eat sugar...don't go on a low fat diet!!!!".

[Gittit Shwartz]

So what your saying is a Low Carb meal plan?

To lose fat and build muscle?

I think what these posts are saying is that the answer depends on how carb tolerant you are. However, since you are statistically 3 times more likely to be carb intolerant than otherwise, your best bet would be to try low carbs for a few weeks and see how that works for you. Good luck!

G

[Guest Ido Portal]

Actually, it is very easy to know if you are truly carb tolerant:

You are already ripped. (under 6%)

True extremely carb tolerant people (It is not a black/white issue, it is a gradient - from extremly carb tolerant to extremely carb intolerant) on low carb diets will be ripped just like on a high carb diet, only wont perform at their best.

By ripped I mean under 6% BF.

I do not consider myself carb tolerant, but from the time I remember myself I had a 6 pack. That doesnt mean I'm carb tolerant. I can walk around on 8-10% bf on any diet, but to be under 6 % takes a low carb aproach. Also, I perform my best in any field (endurance, power, strength) when using a higher fat-lower carb diet. You can have a look at the pictures at my blog:

http://www.idoportal.blogspot.com

For the ones who think that low carb cannot produce optimal performance:

Me and many of my athletes are training often times 6-8 hours a day, using technical, speed, strength, power, endurance enahancing protocols over multi-diciplinary fields. Many of us are eating under 50-75 grams of carbs a day and do this daily over many years. It is simply a question of going through the initial adaptation. (And that is 99% of people's problem with trying low-carb aproach)

Maybe my students Gittit and Tom who frequent this forum can further attest to our success with this dietry aproach.

Ido.

[Gittit Shwartz]

Absolutely.

Looking back I can say that I looked, performed, and felt my best by far, even with high training volume, at a time when I was getting less than 30 grams of effective carbs per day. I've fooled around with different protocols, including intermittent fasting, but when I needed to get results I came back to the same approach of which Ido has been a proponent for years. It just works.

[George Launchbury]

Hi Ido,

If you have time, I was wondering if you could briefly expand on your understanding of 'carb tolerance'. It is not something I have delved into too deeply, and as far as I am aware it refers to the amount of carbs one can consume before they see a rise in BF%. I imagine this to be due mainly to the fact that people have varying proportions of insulin receptors in muscle and fat tissue.

So, if this is the case would it not be a good idea for carb tolerant folk to avoid carbs as much as possible as well, since although they are not putting on the fat they would still have high levels of insulin which is a very bad thing for long-term health (not to mention auto-immune disorders, inflammation, etc in the short term).

IMHO being fat is a symptom of poor health, not a cause of it - so if that is the case, the lucky group might be the ones who can see when they are doing harm from their waistlines rather than those who are blissfully unaware!?

Best,

George.

[Guest Ido Portal]

George, although I own 300 books on the topic of training and nutrition and read this amount over the last 10 years (almost 3 books a month, not counting thousands of articles, magazines, research studies), I'm a strong believer in simplifying everything as much as possible. As Albert Einstein once said: "Things should be made as simple as possible, but not any simpler."

I'll try to answer your question in this manner, by which I like to stand.

As far as I know there are no research studies concerning carb tolerance/intolerance in its purest sense.

From experience, I've witnessed individuals who can tolerate higher amounts of carbs without getting fatter. (Many elite capoeira practitioners from a mixed race type are the ones I ran into most often, and many russian gymnasts/ex gymnasts)

Charles Poliquin talks about 25% of the pupolation carb tolerant.

For those 25% I recommend low glycmic load carbs, with higher % of calories comming from carbs, and moderate protein, while using a lower % of calories from fat, and mainly concentrating on omega-3's as fat source.

I believe there is a combination of processes behind carb tolerance, processes effected by genetic factors, of course. Insulin modulation is highly efficient, secration curves are different from carb intolerant folks and maybe receptor quantity is also a factor.

Other thoughts:

I noticed that with carb tolerant individuals insulin modulation agents and supplements does not produce noticable results, they almost dont notice it. (R-Alpha Lipolic Acid, Banaba Leaf, Fenugreek, etc...)

We should be careful with learning the habits of carb tolerant people. They like to say things like: 'you need your carbs', 'carbs dont make you fat', 'Calories in vs calories out', I can go on and on.... 'One man's food is another's poison'.

[George Launchbury]

Ido,

A fascinating subject ...Many thanks for taking the time to expand further.

Being fully employed in an unrelated field and a father of young children - I don't have time to read (or train) half as much as I would like. So getting information like this from someone I trust is a great help!

Best,

George.

[Guest Ido Portal]

George, thank you for your kind words.

It is always a pleasure to help you out with your gratitude and burning interest.

In my last email correspondance with Charles Poliquin I asked him about the connection between higher amount fast-twitch individuals, carb tolerance, and blood type. If you research that, you may find some interesting correlations. (if you get a kick from such a thing)

It is an interesting subject. The metabolic typing folks have tried to produce a nutritional tool to individualize your diet. but,

I fear this tool is too easly thrown in the way of the general public and this produces poor results. In the hands of a professional and using other tests when in need (food alergy, general blood work, adrenal stress index, and more) one can highly individualize his diet to his genes. But....

The amount of people who can benefit from such a professional aproach is minimal. Most people should concentrate on avoiding food products and concentrating on real food, increasing quality of food, decreasing quantity, dividing portions into more meals, etc...

Again, this should be simple. If you are still overweight, eating junk and simple carbs, have zits on your face and eat 2 meals a day, you have no buisness taking an ASI test and paying good $ to some high tech lab. What you need is a kick in the ass. In my training center I provide both, but it is a rare case that I let my leg rest and send someone to the lab, if you know what I mean.

[Ortprod]

Ido,

I have only been able to read a small part of your blog but I gather that you are into raw foods as primary source of calories, correct? I agree with this completely. I find it quite hard to ingest "too much" food in its most natural form. Has it been proven that it also takes more to break it down that way (I mean that it burns more calories) and that it is easier to digest? These are all things I have presumed (or have read but forgotten).

Thanks in advance! Your comments are always fun to read.

[Guest Ido Portal]

Raw food is the best, fire hasnt been around too long in human history.

There is the obvious degredation of enzymes, vitamin, minerals, proteins, etc... so basicly, through cooking you are degrading your products to some degree. (Not always, sometimes you improve some aspect of the food, like better absorption through cooking)

But, this is again a problematic matter that could be too demanding on someones lifestyle and will produce reversed results.

If your diet is in check, I advice to start with ingesting the majority of your vegtebles in raw form (salads, whole pieces) and using minimaly cooked protein sources (raw steak, soft eggs, steamed chicken breast).