Jade Teta ND, CSCS
One of the Metabolic Effect blog posts was recently passed around several forums. It made its way through the Atkin’s diet discussions and also through discussion boards where people follow low fat and vegetarian programs. The consensus on these forums reflected the particular diet approach. Atkin’s dieters eat lots of fat and lose weight. Low fat dieters eat plenty of carbs and instead avoid fat and also lose weight. I have seen both types of dieters in my clinic for years and as long as they stick to their programs they lose weight regardless of which plan they follow. However, the problem to me is that their focus is on weight loss, NOT fat loss.
Time and time again I see Atkin’s dieters and the Weight Watchers crowd and have watched their weight go down while their body fat percent remained the same or went up. Sure, they lose some fat, but they also lose muscle and that is why their shape does not change much. If they are an apple or a pear, they lose weight and become smaller apples and pears. However, they rarely are able to break the fat loss code and develop the true body change they are after until they learn to maintain muscle and burn primarily fat. This is a trick the requires the control of both fat and carbs with an emphasis on protein a vegetables. However, this change in diet alone will not always do the trick. Exercise with weights is required.
The weight loss game consists of a low calorie diet and lots of aerobic exercise. But if you want fat loss, this is the last approach you want to take. Atkins dieters eat all the fat they want and avoid carbs. Low fat dieters eat all the carbs they want and instead avoid fat. If either group does any exercise, it is usually running. Fat loss is about lowering carbs AND fat while increasing weight training.
Here are 5 tips to turn weight loss into fat loss:
1) Find your “carb tipping point”. This is the amount starch you can eat to maintain high energy in your exercise sessions, but continue to burn fat. In other words, you need enough carbohydrate for a controlled insulin release to maintain and perhaps gain muscle, but not so much to impede fat loss.
2) Lower fat and get selective with the fat you do eat. Decrease your fat intake overall, and focus the fat you do eat on omega 3 fish oils.
3) When you think fiber, dont think whole grains but rather vegetables.
4) Increasing your carb intake post workout and avoiding excessive carbs preworkout will help maintain or build muscle while still burning fat.
5) Lift weights a minimum of three times per week, walk as much as possible, and if your going to do cardio try intervals instead of long duration steady state aerobics.
April 19, 2010 - 1:20 PM
Thanks again. I have a question on #4. You are saying to increase your carb intake Post workout – and avoid excessive carbs PRE workout -will help maintain or build muscle while still burning fat?
So don’t eat more carbs before my workout? Just to make sure.
Thanks so much – Your articles and blogs are the best I’ve seen – easy to read & make so much sense.
April 20, 2010 - 11:25 AM
Yes, it is best to avoid carb heavy meals several hours before a workout and increase the carbs after an intense workout if you are looking for muscle gain. If you are after fat loss, then you can still be more flexible with carb post workout, but want to work to find the right kind and amount to maximize recovery and still burn fat. We have a article coming on this
Thanks for your interest
April 19, 2010 - 1:42 PM
How do I find my “carb tipping point”?????
April 20, 2010 - 11:23 AM
We will be writing an article/blog on this soon. Essentially, this tipping point refers to the amount for carb that sustains every and allows you to workout intensely, but does not impede fat loss. To find this you need to do two things. First, measure your fat loss weekly and second, pay close attention to cravings, hunger and energy levels. We talk about the later in our book The New ME Diet. We have found most peoples carb tipping point ranges from 5 to 15 bites (level tablespoon) of complex carbohydrate or 3 to 7 small bites of refined carb (best to avoid altogether). If you are having sustained energy, no cravings or hunger and still burning fat you are right where you should be. If your not burning fat, reduce the bites by a 2 to 3 at a time until the fat loss increases and/or energy, hunger and cravings return. There is much more to this which we will touch on in a future blog.
April 20, 2010 - 11:56 PM
When you refer to “We have found most peoples carb tipping point ranges from 5 to 15 bites (level tablespoon) of complex carbohydrate…” is this per meal or in one day?
So if I have lean protein, brown rice and green veggies I should watch how many bites I take of the brown rice?
April 20, 2010 - 11:00 AM
Yet ANOTHER great article!