The Ultimate 5 Step Approach to Fat Loss One of the best ways to approach a goal for fat loss is to set up methodically and be prepared. If you go in with a game plan, whether you are a competitive bodybuilder, or a novice, intermediate, or advanced member, your chances for success will be greater following these 5 key steps. 1: Assess Your Body Fat % The first step to getting lean is to see where you’re coming from initially by means of measuring your body fat. For women, a body fat percentage greater than 22% is on the high level and for men; greater than 15% is high. 2: Get Your Diet on Track Next, your calorie intake must be determined and reduced by anywhere from 500 to 800 calories. A percentage breakdown of 50% carbs, 40% protein and 10% fat is the best ratio at the beginning as your body begins to shed fat. Food intake should be spread over 5 to 6 meals, with a large amount of your total carbs consumed right after training preferably in the form of a post-workout drink consisting of 30g-60g of simple carbs and 20g-50g of Whey Isolate. The majority of what you eat regularly should come from clean foods like chicken breast, turkey, tuna, sirloin, low fat cottage cheese, protein powders, Meal Replacement Product’s (MRP’s), brown rice, vegetables, sweet potatoes, shredded wheat, oatmeal, and any other unprocessed whole grains. There have been numerous studies showing that eating low glycemic carbs promote weight reduction by promoting satiety. So by minimizing intake of sugars, re. ned grains and potatoes, while sticking with the aforementioned foods, you will promote post meal fullness and thus reduce subsequent hunger. Good Multivitamins and Antioxidants like Vitamin C and Vitamin E are crucial in eliminating macronutrient de. ciencies and maintaining good heath. 3: Proper Cardio Training & Weight Training Increase cardiovascular training to a minimum of 30 minutes after weight training at least 3-4 times per week, and increase the intensity of your weight training by adding supersets, dropsets, etc. The increased output of energy coupled with decreased calorie intake make a potent combination for fat loss. Use BCAA’s to spare muscle tissue during cardio, and antioxidants to clear free radical formation, and further promote fat utilization. 4: Use Thermogenics Heat up the internal furnace. Adding a Thermogenic (a.k.a. Fat Burner) to the mix will stimulate your central nervous system to give you the boost you need to keep your training intense, as well as decrease your appetite to control those increased cravings. Dieting naturally slows down the activity of the thyroid gland, which is your metabolism regulator. Gugglesterones are particularly effective during periods of reduced calories because they will re-set your thyroid to pre-diet levels, so you can keep shedding body fat without having to resort to extremes. Chromium is also another good addition which helps insulin to metabolize fat, turn protein into muscle and convert sugar into energy. 5: Increase Protein Intake In the last steps of achieving ultimate amount of fat loss, you will have to increase your protein intake and decrease your carb intake. Protein is less likely to be stored as fat by the body and requires a large amount of calories to digest. Aim for a total calorie intake of 65% protein, 25% carbs and 10% fat. This is where protein powders become a necessity. Having a scoop of whey isolate with your first meal, one after training, combined with a mixed whey or nighttime protein before bed or any meal without a whole food protein source, you can attain the amount of protein needed. Adding flax oil or other essential fats (EFA’s) will keep your body healthy and further burn fat by supplementing with the fat your body needs. This increased protein intake will also require you to drink more water to remove toxic buildup in your muscles from training, as well as prevent dehydration that can accompany a lower carb diet. L-Glutamine and BCAA’s are also essential to fat loss because as your training frequency and intensity increase, the body’s stress response, a hormone called cortisol, begins to rise. This could put the breaks on your fat loss and be the end of all your hard earned muscle. While on a lower carb, low fat diet, testosterone levels also begin to fall, which can lead to a decrease in training performance. You can prevent this by choosing a supplement that has Tribulus and other pro testosterone ingredients in its formula. This boost in androgens will have an anabolic effect on muscle tissue, and will help to preserve vital muscle tissue and strength levels. < Back to Info Centre SupplementsCanada, or the operating limited company, authors or any personnel contributing to this document do not assume any liability, or no responsibilities, for any products results, personal results, all information, directions, advice, or recommendations on this document. As a result of this document evaluating, recommending, and providing all information contained expressed opinions are the companies own opinions, and the companies own opinions only, and are not meant to be interpreted as conclusive. This document is sole and in part to educate people about natural supplementation and helping create a drug free environment. Always consult a medical doctor, or get a medical opinion first, if you are unsure about any new sports nutrition, exercising, or any kind of dietary supplement use, even though supplements are natural and safe to use, there have been few cases of people getting some harmful effects from different supplements whether it being from regular use, reaction, misuse, or abuse. Sport supplementation should be used by persons 18 years and older. The information on this document is pending copyright SupplementsCanada 2006.