There
seems to be an abundance of websites, diet plans, fitness programs and diet
pills that promise weight loss, but not many of these options can guarantee fat
loss. Some fad diets and unhealthy diet
programs can actually cause the body to lose muscle instead of fat due to the
limited caloric intake coupled with too much exercise. Fat loss is something anyone can achieve and
there is no diet necessary to do it. In
order to burn fat and lean out, all that is necessary is a healthy, balanced
diet that includes the right foods in the right combinations. Before we delve into some healthy meal plans
designed to turn the body into a fat burning machine, we need to discuss the
many ways that food has the capability to help you burn fat.
How to Eat to Burn
Fat
In
order to eat and burn fat, you will need to adjust your eating habits
somewhat. First you will need to eat
frequently and incorporate five meals per day.
You will then need to limit carbohydrate intake and increase the amount
of water you drink daily. After
establishing your meals and planning your water consumption, it will be
necessary to choose foods that contain plenty of fiber or add fiber to foods
that you are currently eating.
Eat Five Times per
Day
It
is customary for most Americans to eat three large meals per day and add a
couple snacks in between. Usually, the
heaviest meal of the day tends to be dinner.
This hampers fat loss because dinner is the last meal of the day and
most tend to go to sleep a few hours, if not sooner, after dinner. Ideally, it is wise to make lunch the biggest
meal of the day. This is the meal that needs to sustain you through the rest of
your workday and through busy afternoons.
In
order to burn fat, you will need to eat five meals per day instead. The five meals will consist of three smaller
main meals for breakfast, lunch and dinner with two snacks mixed in
between. Breakfast is the most important
meal of the day and should be well balanced with plenty of protein, fiber and a
small amount of healthy carbohydrates to help sustain you until your snack
between breakfast and lunch. Your meals
should be between 350 and 450 calories each and each of your snacks should
consist of approximately 200 calories.
Some examples of meals and snacks are provided below.
Drink Plenty of Water
Many
refer to water as the number one fat burner on the planet. The kidneys need water to process your body’s
food intake and eliminate toxins. The
kidneys also work in conjunction with the liver, whose main purpose is to
properly process and burn fat. With
plenty of water, the kidneys function at an optimal rate, especially when
consuming more protein than carbohydrates on a diet specifically designed to
help you burn fat. If you do not consume
enough water, your liver will have to jump in and help the kidneys out, hence
minimizing their efforts in processing and burning your body’s fat. So, by drinking more water, you are helping
your body process your food intake and burn fat at an optimal rate. One other benefit to drinking water is that
it helps fill you up prior to consuming your meals. Try drinking one to two glasses of water
before each meal and you will notice that you will consume less food and feel
full faster.
Cut the Carbs
Cutting
carbohydrates down does not have to mean eliminating them all together. Carbohydrates are a necessary source of
energy for the body, but it is important to choose the right types of
carbohydrates for fat burning purposes.
In addition, most Americans tend to make carbohydrates 60-70% of their
daily caloric intake. When carbohydrates
are consumed in excess and not burned, through exercise, they turn into fat and
are stored by the body. In order to burn
fat, you will need to minimize your carbohydrate intake and make them no more
than 10-20% of your daily caloric consumption.
Lean protein, vegetables and low glycemic fruits should be the main
source of your calories with healthy grains added in for fiber as well. If you are familiar with ketogenic diets or
diets such as the Atkins, you may wonder why they allow such a high fat and
protein intake but minimize carbohydrates to no more than 50 grams per
day. The reason is that, if the body
does not get enough carbohydrates to use for energy, it resorts to its secondary
source for energy, fat. Once this occurs,
the body is in a state of ketosis and it begins using its fat stores for energy
instead of the food that you are consuming.
So, if serious fat loss is your main goal, you can go a step further and
cut your carbohydrate intake to put the body into a fat burning, ketosis
state. This will help burn fat at an
increased rate, along with helping you shed between 1 to 3 pounds per
week.
Fill Up on Fiber
Although
you are limiting carbohydrates, you do not have to eliminate all fruits and
grains unless you want a strict approach to fat loss such as with the ketogenic
or Atkins diet. In order to get the
right carbohydrates, you will just have to choose foods that are low in sugar
and high in fiber. These foods are
considered low glycemic foods and have a minimal effect on the body’s blood
sugar levels. They prevent fat storage
and the fiber content in them also helps keep you full longer. Some examples of high fiber, low glycemic
foods include nuts, barley, Ezekiel bread, bran, oatmeal, apples, beans, cabbage, oranges, prunes and peas.
Fat Burning Meal
Choices
Below
are some choices for each meal of the day and
snacks as well. Use these meals
and combine them according to your tastes and lifestyle to create your ideal
fat burning meal plan.
Breakfast
Greek
Yogurt with a Hard Boiled Egg, an apple and almonds
½
Grapefruit, Fiber One or Flax-O-Meal cereal w/ almond milk and 1 tablespoon of
peanut butter
3
egg white omelet with spinach, feta cheese, mushrooms and turkey bacon
½
cup of cottage cheese with handful of raspberries and Ezekiel bread toast
Protein
shake (whey isolate or egg protein) blended with water, 2 tablespoons of plain
yogurt, ice and berries
Lunch
Grilled
chicken salad with romaine, tomatoes, cucumber and bell peppers. Vinegar and olive oil for dressing.
Albacore
tuna salad with mustard, relish, celery and seasoning in a whole grain pita.
Beef
Kabob with a Greek salad, roasted tomatoes, 2 tablespoons of humus and half a
pita
Sashimi
salad (tuna, salmon, yellow tail, etc) including romaine lettuce, slivered
carrots and low cal sesame dressing
Cobb
salad with one egg, turkey bacon, low
fat cheese, ¼ avocado, 3 ounces of grilled chicken on a bed or romaine
Dinner
Grilled
tilapia filet seasoned with dry rub. A
side of grilled broccoli, sweet potato, squash and cauliflower.
Protein
burger made out of lean sirloin beef topped with tomato, onion, cheese and
mustard wrapped in lettuce
Grilled
whole chicken breast seasoned with lemon and Mrs. Dash served with grilled
asparagus and broccoli
Zucchini
lasagna made with cooked zucchini strips instead of lasagna pasta strips
Lean
sirloin steak served with cauliflower mashed potatoes and a green salad dressed
in oil and vinegar
Snacks
Almonds
(one ounce)
Edamame
(1/2 cup)
½
grapefruit
½
an apple with 1 tablespoon of peanut butter
Celery
sticks and hummus
Protein
shake made with water, yogurt and almond milk
Any
low carb protein bar under 200 calories
Greek
yogurt with whole berries
2
hard boiled eggs
½
cup of cottage cheese with slices of tomato
All
of the foods above can be combined to create a meal plan for each day of the
week. If followed correctly, it can
lead, not only to weight loss, but increased fat loss as well. The body responds to a dietary change within
a few days, and after two to three days of eating a fat burning meal plan, you
should feel less water retention, bloating and your clothes fitting a little
loser. For women, it is suggested to
keep the calories at about 1,400 to 1,600 per day and for men it is recommended
to stay between 1,900 and 2,400. Of
course, these numbers depend on an individual’s activity level. They are based on a lightly active individual
that exercises lightly for one to three days per week. If you exercise more than that, you would be
at the high end of the calorie range. If
you are sedentary and do not exercise at all, you would be at the lower end.