Fat Loss Resolution!

By Kristen Tice-Ziesmer,  MS, RD, CSSD, LD
January 10, 2014

So you’re looking to lose some body fat, huh? Well, it’s the perfect time of year for that! Losing extra body fat can do a number of great things for you, including improved health, less mass makes you faster in your sport, it’s easier on your joints and makes you look and feel better! Losing weight can be complicated and confusing with all the fad diets from the unrealistic to just plain ridiculous and unsafe! No fear, I’m here to help you determine a path for losing the fat and sticking to your goals or resolutions.

First let’s look at the physiology of fat loss:
Dietary fat is not the enemy; it plays a key role in the structure and flexibility of cell membranes, regulates movement of substances through cells and sends hormone-like signals throughout the body for proper functioning. Fat is even a long-term energy source! However, overeating in general (not just fat) causes insulin to keep fat inside your fat cells instead of releasing it for energy use. During low to moderate intensity exercise or when your adrenaline is high your body will release fat from the fat cell to provide your body with energy.

So what does this all mean for you?
Yes, I did say low to moderate-intensity exercise. Exercising at a high intensity does actually cause a shift from burning fat to burning primarily carbohydrates. So does that mean if we want to lose weight we should spend hours on the elliptical at a slug-like pace? Nope! Following high intensity exercise, such as HIIT training, or weight lifting the body’s metabolic rate is increased and needs more calories to help it recover. This is called EPOC or excess postexercise oxygen consumption. EPOC can last for a long period of time, which means your metabolic rate is elevated without even trying! During EPOC fat oxidation or fat loss occurs! Research shows that trained people are better able to burn fat than non-trained individuals.

How does nutrition play a role?
Of course we’re going to cover your diet! You can’t just eat whatever you want and expect to lose weight from exercise alone. It’s really pretty simple: focus on lean protein, healthy fats and non-starchy vegetables first. Then sprinkle in some grains and fruit throughout the day. By slightly decreasing carbohydrate intake (even if it is a whole grain), it trains your body to shift its energy source from carbs to fat. This means your body will use more body fat as energy and that means a leaner you! I’m sure you’re asking how many carbs should you be eating in a day? That is very much dependent on a lot of variables and to find out, set up an appointment for an individualized plan!

Take home plan:
1.    Focus on more on protein, healthy fats and vegetables at meals instead of carbohydrates
2.    Incorporate weight training 2-3x/wk
3.    Incorporate HIIT training 1-2x/week

HIIT Training Sample:
Using treadmill/outside; total 21 minutes
•    3 minute walk to warm up
•    sprint as fast as possible for 1 minute
•    walk 30 seconds
•    repeat sprint/walk intervals 10 times
•    3 minute walk to cool down

If you’re not comfortable lifting weights, doing high-intensity exercise or putting all of this together, let Elite Nutrition & Performance help you! Visit our website to schedule a No Obligation Consultation and check out our best selling program Be the Boss of Your Weight Loss!

For more tips and help with your own personal nutrition plan, visit www.EliteNutritionandPerformance.com   

Kristen Tice, MS, RD, CSSD, LD
Registered Sports Dietitian, Certified Personal Trainer
[email protected]
803-200-2506
www.EliteNutritionandPerformance.com

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