NUTRITION: THE DOMINANT FORCE IN FAT LOSS

In this post, I’ll be showing you how to transform your body into a lifelong Fat Burning Machine. It’s about the 80%.

That’s the 80% which determines your body composition. It’s about the WHAT, the WHY, and the HOW MUCH of the right foods you should be eating to effect your Fat Loss efforts.

You’ll know from Part 2 of this series, that what I’m sharing with you is the polar opposite of what conventional wisdom advocates. I’m taking about the governments, the vast majority of dieticians and nutritionists, and even your local doctor.

I’m completely comfortable with this. I’m not out to get validation or permission from others. I’m here to educate and help you get the results you want….

What we’ve all been told for the past 50 years or so has been utter bullshit.

I’d rather focus my principles on a solid scientific foundation…. and not some bullshit pseudo science that falls foul to the first round of rational questioning.

We’re going to challenge a few widely held beliefs in this post including….

• Dietary cholesterol is bad for you.
• There’s a direct link between saturated fat and heart disease.
• Healthy fats make you fat.
• You need to eat every 2 to 3 hours.

My friend, a full English breakfast of bacon and eggs cooked in coconut oil is a far better way to start the day than bowl of cereal with skimmed milk. Interesting don’t you think… but I digress.

So here’s what you’ll learn in this post….

• How we’ve evolved to eat fat preferentially to carbs.
• The real foods you should eat to lose the fat effortlessly.
• The amount of carbohydrate you should be eating daily to support optimum fat loss.
• How to manage your food shopping as a Fat Burning machine.

HOW WE’VE EVOLVED TO EAT FAT PREFERENTIALLY TO CARBS

Okay, let’s get straight to it. Your body actually prefers to burn fat over carbohydrates. There! I’ve said it. This is quite a nasty surprise for most people who still think that carbs should from the basis of a healthy diet – and that probably includes you.

I did too until a few years ago. But you’ve got to shift from this paradigm if you’re going to become a lifelong fat Burning Machine.

We humans have been hard-wired through evolution to prefer fat as the primary fuel source – both from a dietary, and storage perspective.

We’ve burned fat as the primary energy source throughout human evolution until the agricultural revolution 10,000 years ago.

The modern high-carb diet creates a dependency on external carbs (those that we eat) for energy at the expense of an efficient fat metabolism.

We’re always reliant upon a steady source of ingested calories for energy.

As we found out in Part 2, a high carb eating pattern stimulates chronic insulin production which locks away the abundant source of internal energy we have stored in fat cells.

This promotes a lifelong accumulation of excess body fat and emotional challenges – we’ve all had them – related to eating and balancing calories-in versus calories-out.

Since the metabolism of your stored fat has been inadvertently stopped by repeated high insulin producing meals, the major driver for energy becomes your next meal….

… this is not the case if you become fat-adapted….. but more on that shortly.

Breakfast’s the most important meal of the day, right? Don’t think so!

Most people consume a cereal- or grain-based start to the day, which has inevitable consequences.

That so-called healthy grain-based breakfast stimulates elevated blood insulin levels which lead to playing a blood-sugar balancing game throughout the day (ever wondered why you’re starving a couple of hours after eating your breakfast cereal?).

Let’s call it strategic snacking. It’s led to the conventional paradigm that we should eat every 2 to 3 hours to manage our blood sugar and energy levels. It’s more like a rollercoaster.

This perpetual carb dependency and regimented eating patterns can have a massive impact on our emotional relationship with food….

• Think comfort eating.
• Think over-indulging in your favourite junk foods.
• Think food…. all the time!

Does this ring any bells?

Our modern eating habits have created a massive disconnect with our natural appetite such that meals and food trigger a bunch of negative emotions and even an unhealthy obsession with eating habits.

Time for a change?

So what happens when we increase the fat intake and lower the carbohydrates?…

• We ‘switch on’ the genes involved in metabolising stored and ingested fat, and….
• Normalise appetite and hunger patterns.

Isn’t that exactly what you’ve been looking for?… to become a fat burning machine (i.l.o. fat storage machine)?

Transitioning from being a sugar-burner into a fat burning machine isn’t an overnight process, however.

You’ve been consuming an excessive amount of carbs from an early age, which has basically made you dependent on a regular supply of them.

Your body is conditioned to burning carbs as fuel instead of the stored fat. The result is that you crave the carbs more and more.

It leads to the perpetual cycle of weight gain through adulthood.

The good news is that you can change all that!

It is possible by eating the right foods to reset your body… the pros call it re-programming your genes – to its factory condition and become a fat burning machine.

Now here’s something that may come as a surprise to you. The body doesn’t actually even need dietary carbohydrate. Let me make that a little clearer…

You can live on ZERO carbs. Why?

Because your perfectly evolved body can manufacture glucose from fat and protein, and in amounts that’ll keep your brain in top shape and your energy levels stable.

There are NO insulin spikes here my friend. The pros believe that your body can produce up to 150 grams of glucose in any 24-hour period.

So who said you need regular meals to stabilise your blood sugar?

Now I’m not advocating a carb-free diet. I’m just trying to make a serious point.

If you choose to transform your body, you can selectively derive most of your energy from stored fat!

How?

By allowing your body to provide its own source of glucose from ingested fats and protein.

For this to happen, you need to become fat-adapted… this means eating the right foods, along with reducing your carbohydrate intake.

By simply cutting out the excess grain-based carbs and replacing them with more desirable nutrient-dense carbs such as vegetables, your body will naturally arrive at an appropriate carb intake that minimises fat storage whilst setting you up for life as a fat burning machine.

Remember – fat and protein have been the dominant macronutrients for 2 million years. Carbs only got a look-in with the onset of the agricultural revolution 10,000 years ago.

This isn’t up for debate.

Our ancestors often went for days without food…. and this wasn’t through choice!

This lack of access to food and, in particular, a low carbohydrate intake led to efficient pathways to access body fat for energy.

This was the only way our species could survive day-to-day and generation-to-generation.

Our genes have not changed.

We’re still the same. We’re still programmed to rely on fat metabolism as our primary energy source……

… if we’re adapted to doing so!

Here’s something for you to think about as you get aligned with this new paradigm.

Our bodies have a ridiculously low storage capacity of glycogen – only 100 grams in the liver which is used for the brain and for other organs… this is less than a day’s worth.

Your muscles hold between 350 to 500 grams….. that’d be exhausted after only 90 minutes of exercise.

So if glucose was our ‘preferred’ fuel source and our ancestors have lived for 2 million years in a low carb environment how could we have ever have survived?

It’s just not possible.

But we have an unlimited fat storage potential.

Just look around you for the evidence.

Excess glycogen storage has been unnecessary because we have a tremendous capacity to store fat, to burn fat and to produce glucose internally.

Here’s a key takeaway for you….. limit your carb intake to between 50 and 100 grams per day and make up the difference with healthy fats and proteins, and you can hit the reset button on your factory settings!

It takes between 2 to 3 weeks for this transition to occur…. and that time is dependent on your current level of insulin-resistance.

And the end game? You become a lifelong fat burning machine.

RECOMMENDED DAILY CARB INTAKE LEVELS TO SUPPORT FAT LOSS

It’s time for some detail about typical carb ranges that we consume and the associated impact on fat loss potential.

Before getting started, let me be quite clear on one thing….

… I don’t want you to start getting anal about this. Yes you’ll need to know how many grams of carbohydrate your eating daily, and you’re going to need a nice little app for doing this (especially in the beginning), but once you get familiar with what foods contribute to your daily carb intake and by how much, you’ll quickly learn how to stick within a certain carb guideline.

My preferred carb-monitoring app is Carb Manager. You can find it in iTunes. There are other decent ones out there in the market. It’s your choice.

Don’t over-analyse. Food is about nourishment. It should be enjoyed.

And please don’t start counting bloody calories either. Otherwise I’m coming after you!

Remember – I’m not advocating either eliminating carbs, or even a low carb diet…. it’s more a case of quit sugar, quit grains.

I can’t take the credit for this, but what I’m going to share with you is derived from Mark Sisson – author of the brilliant Primal Blueprint.

His fundamental premise is that your carbohydrate intake is the decisive factor in your success or failure in fat loss.

Let’s start at the upper end of the range…..

Anything in excess of 300 grams per day is downright dangerous over time. Think standard Western diet. This zone undoubtedly leads to weight gain and is a primary catalyst for long-term chronic diseases such as obesity and Type-2 diabetes.

Want to know my recommendation? Quit Sugar, Quit Grains. NOW! Immediately.

Moving down the range to between 150 to 300 grams of carbohydrate per day….

This zone is the recommendation of many popular diets and governmental health guidelines, but leads to a steady progressive weight gain of around 1-2 pounds per year.

This zone is where many chronic exercisers and young adults live their lives…

…and can continue to do so for an extended period without dramatic weight gain.

But over time, your body will eventually give in to the excessive carb intake.

Want to get yourself calibrated? A bowl of cereal, a slice of toast and a glass of orange juice racks up 100 grams of carbohydrate!

Great breakfast? Think again!

Next, we have the maintenance range of between 100 to 150 grams per day….

This zone allows for optimal fat burning, muscle development and effortless weight maintenance…

… and is supported by our human ancestors eating within, or below, this range for 2 million years.

When grains and sugars are eliminated, there’s a dietary emphasis on animal fats, vegetables, fruit, nuts and seeds – exactly what our ancestors ate.

The sweet spot for fat loss is between 50 and 100 grams of carbs per day.

In this zone, insulin production is kept to a minimum whilst accelerating fat loss.

You can lose a couple of pounds per week in the sweet spot by eating adequate protein from high fat sources such as meat, fish, eggs, nuts and seeds… along with copious amounts of veggies.

So, in summary, keep your carbs in the 50 to 100 grams of carbs per day range and you’ll start losing weight effortlessly.

But there’s one thing missing – getting absolute clarity around the foods you should be eating to stay within the fat loss sweet spot. And that’s what we’re going to discuss in next.

REAL FOODS YOU SHOULD EAT FOR EFFORTLESS FAT LOSS

Here’s a link to a useful PDF resource. It details the foods you should eat, and those to avoid in order to stay in the sweet spot for fat loss.

In a nutshell….

Animals in the form of meat, fish, poultry and eggs, and plants in the form of vegetables, nuts and seeds, should represent the entire composition of your diet.

Pretty simple don’t you think? So I could just stop right there.

If you choose to follow exactly what I’ve told you, you’re not going to go far wrong, but there’s plenty of opportunity to screw this up, so I think a little more detail is called for.

And, I’m going to open the lid on a couple of huge misconceptions surrounding saturated fat and cholesterol.

You’re not going to want to miss this.

Animal foods are calorie dense, stimulate minimal insulin production and offer the best forms of healthy protein and fat.

They help you reduce excess body fat and build lean muscle. And for those who demonise the eating of animal flesh, let me just say that no culture or society has ever survived for an extended period on a meat-free diet.

But what about all that saturated fat you find in a steak?

Simple answer – there is absolutely no direct correlation between saturated fat and heart disease.

On the contrary, saturated fat helped drive evolution and the advancement of brain function for 2 million years.

It helps weight control, promotes efficient fat metabolism and stabilises energy levels. Hardly something to avoid right!

But not all animal fats are created equally, however.

First, avoid all packaged and processed meats. They’re just full of chemicals and other junk.

Second, select local, pasture-raised, grass-fed, or organic sources of meat.

Avoid the typical meats you find stacked on the supermarket shelves. This meat is typically from cattle and chickens that have been grain-fed (and the grains have a similar affect on the bodies of cattle and chickens as they do on ours).

Next we have fish, which are an amazing source of protein and the vitally important omega 3 fatty acids and a bunch of other super healthy micro-nutrients.

Again, try and avoid farmed fish, since they are often raised in unsanitary conditions similar to those of farmed animals.

Best choices are salmon, shellfish, trout, sardines and mackerel.

How about eggs? We’ve constantly been told to eat just the whites and ditch the yolks because of the high levels of cholesterol in the yolk.

This assumption is fundamentally flawed. It’s a huge myth that dietary cholesterol leads to elevated blood cholesterol levels and an elevated risk of heart disease.

Far from it – cholesterol is an essential metabolic nutrient.

There’s no direct correlation with heart disease risk.

So start eating your eggs whole.

The yolk is one of the most nutrient dense foods available. Go for eggs that have been pasture-raised due to high levels of omega 3 versus battery farmed chickens.

Next are vegetables. We all know they’re good for you, so learn to love them.

Select locally grown-in-season organic vegetables whenever possible. Avoid vegetables typically found in supermarkets which are genetically modified and overdosed in pesticides.

Don’t limit the amount of veggies you put on your plate. Load them up. Eat them raw, steamed, baked or cooked in butter. I recommend eating… avocado, broccoli, sprouts, carrots, cauliflower, onion, peppers, spinach and squash.

Virtually all vegetables offer excellent levels of micronutrients, especially anti-oxidants.

Finally on the approved list we have nuts.

Top of the list are macadamia because of their superior nutritional value – they are a rich source of mono-unsaturated fat and contain all essential amino acids and only a trace amount of carbohydrate.

Other nuts on the OK-to-eat list include pecans, Brazilian, almonds, hazelnuts and walnuts. It’s best to eat only a few as a snack.

So that’s the summary of the best foods to eat as part of the Rebel Male Fitness and Fat Loss Framework.

When you see the PDF resource, you’ll see that there’s a whole bunch of ‘eat in moderation’ and ‘avoid like the plague’ foods. I could spend the next 5 hours or so explaining the ‘whys’ of this list, but I’m not. Not right now.

I just want to give you with something you can get started with right away.

And now you have it. I can’t force you to eat this way. I’m just pointing you in the right direction. I just know that this way of eating is a massive game changer.

And let me recap why…..

• You’ll have effortless fat loss of up to 2 pounds per week.
• You’ll never feel hungry or deprived of eating great foods.
• You’ll have constant energy levels, and better focus and attention.
• You’ll get much better quality sleep…..

MANAGE YOUR FOOD SHOPPING AS A FAT BURNING MACHINE

Now it’s time to get creative in the final section of this post – shopping to support your new dietary lifestyle.

Today the masses typically shop in just the one place – the supermarket. It’s incredibly convenient.

You need to change that paradigm. However convenient and low cost an all-in-one shop is, it’s not necessarily going to support your fat loss lifestyle.

For grass-fed meat and poultry, you need to start hunting for better quality.

Start with your local butchers and local farms to see what they have available.

Still struggling? Just do an online search… if you’re in the UK, type in ‘grass-fed beef UK’ and see what shows up in Google. You’ll see what I mean.

There are some amazing companies shipping grass-fed meat and fish to your door in refrigerated packaging. How amazing is that!

Open your mind to a whole new eating paradigm. Once you’ve started eating grass-fed meat, you’ll never look back. It tastes magical.

For vegetables, see what’s available locally either at a market or farm shop.

Some supermarkets do stock up on organic pesticide-free and seasonal produce, but be cautious.

Macadamia nuts or any of the other nuts on the approved list aren’t too difficult to come by.

Go for nuts that have not been treated in any way such as roasting, and have no additives or flavourings added.

Yes we all know that chilli flavoured honey-roasted cashews taste great…. but don’t eat them.

HERE’S YOUR ASSIGNMENT

Now it’s time for your homework assignment. It’s time to stock up your fridge and your cupboards with the foods that’ll transform you into a fat burning machine.

The sooner you get started, the sooner you’ll start seeing and feeling the difference.

Check out your local supermarkets, farm shops and butchers.

See what options you have for home delivery by checking the online resources.

This is where the rubber hits the road my friend.

We’ve covered a huge amount in this third post. I hoped it’s helped. And I hope you’ve made copious notes. Read it again in its entirety as soon as you can.

In Part 4 of this series, we’ll be shifting the focus from nutrition to exercise. You’re going to learn the 3 elements to an effective exercise program that promotes maximum fat loss.

FROM OH SHIT TO AHA!

I’m sharing everything on my journey
I’m learning, and so will you