Tricks to increase fat-burning hormones

Strategic overeating during this holiday season can allow you to enjoy your holiday parties without sacrificing all of the calorie-rich foods, and when done right, can even help you get leaner instead of fatter this holiday season.

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The Most Important Hormone You've Never Heard Of   
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It’s name is Leptin (derived from the Greek word leptos, meaning “thin”), and it’s without a doubt the most important hormone you probably never heard of.

You see, leptin was only first discovered just over 10 years ago, and as far as weight loss is concerned, that’s extremely recent.

Leptin’s function? To communicate your nutritional status to your body and brain.

Leptin levels are mediated by two things. One is your level of body fat. All else being equal, people with higher levels of body fat will have higher leptin levels than those with lower levels of body fat and vice versa.

Because leptin is secreted by fat cells, it makes sense that under normal conditions there is a direct correlation between leptin levels and the amount of fat you are carrying.

Unfortunately, when you’re attempting to lose fat and begin to restrict calories, conditions are anything but “normal” and the body responds accordingly by lowering leptin levels.

This is because the second mediator of blood leptin levels is your calorie intake. Lower your calorie intake and leptin will fall, independent of body fat.

So, yes, you can be overweight and still suffer from low leptin levels – just go on a diet.

So what happens when leptin levels fall and why the heck does it matter?

Again, under normal conditions leptin levels are normal and the brain gets the signal loud and clear that nutrition intake is adequate. Metabolism is high and the internal environment of the body is one very conducive to fat burning.

Until you start dieting.

Go on a diet and leptin levels quickly plummet (by 50% or more after only one week), sending a signal to the body that you’re semi-starved and not consuming enough calories.

This puts the breaks on metabolism and creates a hormonal environment extremely conducive to fat storage. Thyroid hormones (hormones extremely important to metabolism) respond by taking a dive and the abdominal fat-storing stress hormone cortisol skyrockets measurably.

HELLO belly fat.

And if that wasn’t bad enough, the appetite stimulating hormones ghrelin, neuropeptide-Y, and anandamide all hop on board to make your life even more miserable.

You don’t have to remember any of those names, just remember that when leptin drops, you get seriously hungry.

Despite having a pretty good reason for its reaction, it’s pretty ironic that our bodies are primed for fat loss at every other time except when we are trying to burn fat.

Wouldn’t it be great if we could maintain high leptin levels and a body primed for fat burning while dieting? It would seemingly solve all of our problems.

But in order to do this, we’d have to somehow keep leptin levels high as we attempt to lose those extra pounds.

“HOW ABOUT “SUPPLEMENTING” WITH LEPTIN?”

A couple of problems here: First, leptin is a protein based hormone, which means that it can not be taken orally (otherwise, it would simply be digested). So that rules out a leptin pill.

This leaves the method of “supplemental” leptin administration to injection. And leptin injections DO indeed work, reversing the metabolic adaptations to dieting and “starvation” even while continuing to restrict calories.

In 1996, Ahima et al. used leptin injections to reverse starvation-induced neuroendrocrine adaptations in mice.

“Well, that’s nice and all, but I’m human.” Point taken; research with rodents doesn’t always correlate to similar findings in humans, however…

In 1999, Heymsfield et al. performed a double-blind placebo controlled study analyzing weight loss over a 24-week period in 73 obese humans. Subjects either injected daily with leptin or a placebo (i.e. bogus alternative). At the end of the 24-week period, the leptin group lost significantly more weight than the placebo and a higher percentage of fat vs. muscle.

In 2002, Rosenbaum et al. administered low-dose leptin to subjects (male and female) who had dieted to a 10% decrease in body weight. During the diet period, thyroid hormone levels, 24-hr energy expenditure, and other metabolic markers substantially decreased. The result of the leptin replacement therapy?

“All of these endocrine changes were reversed…”Thyroid output and daily calorie burn increased back to pre-diet levels.

In 2003, Fogteloo et al. showed that leptin injections “tended to reduce the decline of energy expenditure associated with energy restriction, whereas the tendency of energy intake to increase back to baseline levels in placebo-treated subjects was largely prevented in subjects treated with leptin.”

Yeah, that’s a mouthful. Let me put in simple terms: not only did the leptin group experience less of a decline in metabolism, but they were also less hungry, allowing them to more easily stick to the prescribed diet.

In 2004, Welt et al. reported that leptin given to a group of women with thyroid disorder immediately raised circulating concentrations of the thyroid hormones T3 and T4.

In 2005, Rosenbaum and company were at it again, again showing that energy expenditure and circulating concentrations of T3 and T4 all returned to pre-weight-loss levels with regular leptin injections.

So, as theorized, keeping leptin levels high during a diet does indeed solve our dilemma by avoiding the negative metabolic (and perhaps behavioral) adaptations that calorie restriction perpetuates.

The problem?

Daily leptin injections are far too expensive, costing thousands and thousands of dollars per week. So, we can pretty much forget about supplemental leptin as a solution (which is probably moot anyway considering that not too many people are going to voluntarily plunge a needle into their skin daily).


A REAL Solution

Now that we know that leptin injections aren’t going to save us, let’s talk about the possibility of manipulating your body’s natural leptin production.

And I’ve got good news – this can indeed be done, and without involving needles or thousands of dollars. In fact, we’ll swap the injections and mounds of cash out for two things I can guarantee you’re absolutely going to love: more calories and more carbs.

We know that leptin levels decrease by about 50% after only one week of dieting, but fortunately, it doesn’t take nearly that long for leptin to bump back up with a substantial increase in caloric intake.

In fact, research has shown that it only takes about 12-24 hours.

So, the answer to the fat loss catch-22? Strategic high-calorie, high-carb CHEATING.

By strategically cheating with high calorie foods (and yes, even stuff like pizza, ice cream, wings, cookies, burgers, fries, etc), you can give leptin and metabolism a major boost mid-diet which sets you up for plenty of subsequent fat loss when you resume your reduced calorie eating regimen.

This means greater net fat loss week after week, and ultimately, a much more realistic, maintainable way to bring you to the body you truly want and deserve.

So what’s so special about carbs?

Well, leptin, carbohydrate and insulin have been shown to have very strong ties.

Calories alone don’t get the job done, as research shows that overfeeding on protein and fat has little effect on leptin.

In order to get a strong leptin response from overfeeding, there needs to be plenty of carbs in the mix. In fact, the relationship is SO strong that research conducted by Boden et al. at the Temple University School of Medicine shows that leptin levels will not fall even in response to all-out fasting so long as insulin and blood sugar are maintained via IV drip. That’s CRAZY.

Because of this carbohydrate/insulin-leptin relationship, it makes sense that foods combining both carbs and fat (like pizza, burgers, cookies, ice cream, etc) work best for reversing the negative adaptations caused by dieting because of the BIG-TIME insulin response they produce.

THIS is why strategic cheating with your favorite foods is so powerful. THIS is why you truly can use your favorite foods to lose fat faster than you ever could with restrictive dieting. THIS is freedom.

Essentially, it’s everything “typical” dieting isn’t.

With regular dieting, come week two, you’re screwed.

With strategic cheating, you can literally use ANY food you want to *ensure* that you never go a single day without a body primed for fat loss.

The cheat or not to cheat? I think the choice is clear.

Enjoy, and have a great day!

Mary
Certified Nutrition Specialist

The Benefits of a Weight Loss Dietary Supplement

The benefits of a weight loss dietary supplement in the world of bodybuilding are huge. Bodybuilding, after all, isn't about gaining weight - it's about losing body fat and building lean muscle mass. Therefore, the benefits of a weight loss dietary supplement for bodybuilding should be obvious.

Unfortunately, not all weight loss dietary supplements are created equally. Some are absolute junk. Others are absolutely dangerous over the long term, and only one comes out an absolute winner. That one is called creatine.

There are 'experts' who suggest that creatine does not help one to lose weight. Science has proven them wrong - time and time again - and in most cases, they are touting the benefits of a different weight loss supplement. One must question whether they are experts on bodybuilding or weight loss, or experts on selling products related to weight loss or bodybuilding.

Again, science has proven over and over again that an increase in creatine helps to burn fat, while increasing your ability to gain lean muscle mass - which is exactly what you want when you are trying to sculpt the perfect body.

When you saturate your body with creatine, a proven weight loss dietary supplement among many other beneficial things, something miraculous happens. First, your muscles start to attract water. This makes the muscles bigger - bigger muscles need more energy, but because you haven't increased the size of your organs, such as your stomach, you aren't eating any more than you normally would. When this happens, the muscles start using your stores of body fat for the extra energy that they require. 

With this bit of information, any woman who does not want to bulk up may run screaming from creatine. However, you really shouldn't. While the muscles get bigger - they only get slightly bigger, and if you paid attention, you noticed that they got bigger due to the fact that the cells are filling up with water. You can think of this like water weight, which eventually falls off. The muscles will eventually decrease back to their normal size without continued usage (after you've lost the fat that you wish to lose).

For bodybuilders, however, this could be considered a problem. It isn't though. Unlike a woman who is trying to lose weight - and not trying to bulk up - you are trying to bulk up. When you drench your muscles with creatine, not only are you getting the weight loss dietary supplement benefits of creatine, but you are also enabling your muscles to work harder and longer during your workouts - which means that despite the muscle 'water weight,' you are still actually building muscle.

When it comes to creatine as a weight loss dietary supplement, whether you are trying to build muscle or not makes no difference - everybody wins.

Weight Loss Supplements - Totally Worthless!

I'll teach you exactly how to lose fat without supplements, drugs, or equipment!
"Weight loss plainly wants right eating habits, and please do not hear to anybody who tells otherwise!"

Does permanent weight loss require supplements or equipment?

I wish there was a way for me to shout "no!!!" loud enough for all to listen my weep. Discontinue investing in a flock of supplements that will ne'er work, regardless how long or often you utilise them (read on to discover why). Never buy gimmicked exercising machines that assure miracle results (whether it be for the tummy, buns, hips, thighs, or any body part), but in the long run, simply serve as an cheap giveaway at your next garage sale.

Abdominal machines assuring to firm your stomach and assist you reduce stomach fat completely in a mere thirty days, don't raise the appearance  or flatten your waistline, and will not burn down single ounce of extra fat. However, they do add nicely to your weight loss related junk collection.

This is just a small sample of the numerous misconceptions concerning permanent weight loss, and in the coming paragraphs I'll try to end whole of the needless confusion.

Realize that body fat not just attaches itself to our stomach, hips, thighs, and arms, but also to our face...losing fat improves the way we look from head to toe! Believe me, I know...as I at one time had an chubby everything...

Why is weight loss so confusing?

In my efforts to become a naturally large muscle-builder, I did numerous dietary mistakes that left me with over fifty pounds of extra fat and a grotesque forty-three inch waist. All individual who's in need of weight loss has got a goal of finding out the perfect formula to permanently lose fat without committing themselves to difficult, unsafe, impractical dieting and exercising routines.

Throughout my first months, I read several books and articles on nutrition, putting the diverse ideas, theories, and plans to the test -- on myself. Few worked better than others, but none worked very well. However, I had a lot weight to lose, and so I continued trying out on different dietetic schemes.

Along with attempting several popular fad diets, I too spent tons of money and time trying out on legal dietary supplements that assured quick, supernatural weight loss. I figured that with so many "fat burners" on the market claiming to quickly and effortlessly get rid of excess weight; at least one had to work as advertised.

After spending countless dollars on best-selling supplements with the words "thermogenic" and "metabolic" printed on the label, I found nothing that came in a tablet, powder, or spray that assisted in getting rid of any excess weight (fat).

What actually upset me was that these companies legally and continually promoted astonishing results, yet delivered nothing but the status quo. I even attempted "stacking" many products at the same time hoping for a hint of progress, but I was left with utter disappointment.

The weight loss supplement lie

How can these supplement companies continue to deceive the public with their outlandish, unproven claims, when pharmaceutical companies must undergo rigid testing prior to releasing publicly consumable drugs? The sad fact is, although the government regulates these supplement providers, claims are rarely examined.

Therefore, well known companies can release a new supplement monthly, advertise results that aren't even possible with illegal drugs, and suffer no adverse impact. They benefit, but we continue to suffer.

Unfortunately, weight loss supplement providers could not continually profit if they offered a product that actually produced permanent results! If you lose weight, you won't buy their next "new, amazing fat absorber", but will keep sending them $200 per month to try the next bottled fad. Amazingly, their goal is to keep you fat! The less weight you lose, the more supplements you will buy! Never forget this!

If supplements can claim to offer an "easy, fast, legal aid to weight loss", we're all going to try the product in hopes of finally achieving rapid and permanent weight loss. Guess who benefits? Not us. This is scary, but very true. Don't fall for it! I did, and am disappointed that it took me years to determine that I was not buying a legal, safe weight loss agent, but rather an overpriced, hard to swallow capsule that added to my confusion.

The key to a flat stomach

Can you obtain a rock hard stomach from a plastic pillow? What about a wheelbarrow? It would be nice if you could, which is why so many people bought those frightening abdominal "rockers" and "wheels". On one box, I saw something like "over 250,000 sold", which means that over 250,000 individuals wasted their time and money on an overblown bird feeder.

First off, fat is the only reason why the abs (stomach muscles) are invisible. Case closed! Even if you perform thousands of crunches each day, or even all day, you will never have a firm mid-section when fat hides the underlying muscle! The key to losing this stored fat is proper diet -- you can even neglect exercise completely, and if you follow an effective diet routine, you will burn body fat (exercise simply enhances the rate of fat loss when you follow a proper diet)!

The makers of these machines are well aware of this fact, which is why they include a diet program with each of these contraptions. They hope the user follows the diet plan, and attributes any improvement in their appearance to the dummy machine. Wow! It's nice to see ethical behavior has taken the world by storm! But let's now examine why the machine doesn't work.

Each of these contraptions, by nature, is designed to make a stomach crunch easier, which does nothing to increase firmness and improve tone in your mid-section! In fact, to make crunches effective, you need to increase, not decrease, resistance, which is the exact opposite of what these gadgets offer. Unfortunately, there is no machine in existence today that can offer you such stimulation, so stop searching.

Remember, you need to lose fat from the mid-section to display a firm, athletic stomach, and toy store items like these abdominal chairs and wheels will only eat up your hard earned money. Lose the fat through proper diet (which is the primary factor), and correctly perform crunches (that require no special equipment), to tone your abs. But remember -- you can't define your mid-section without losing fat, thus crunches without proper diet are worthless!

Many perform crunches while following an ineffective diet routine, and achieve nothing, so never forget that proper diet is crucial! No special machines -- no awkward, uncomfortable exercises -- it's not as difficult as people think!

The bottom line on supplements and equipment

I could not even consider naming every available weight loss product that falsely promises rapid, dramatic physical improvements, as the list is endless. This is not taking into consideration the thousands of products not yet introduced -- a new batch of weight loss fantasy gadgets and supplements are released every 1-3 months, and they all fall into the same category (waste of time and money!). If you learn only one lesson from this web site, let it be the following:

Proper diet and exercise is the only road to permanent and consistent weight loss -- there are no short-cuts! No "miracle" exercise device or supplement can burn fat, as the key to transforming an overweight, flabby body is proper diet/exercise techniques.

The above may be difficult to digest, but it is nevertheless the absolute truth. Physical fitness enterprises make their billions by appealing to your inner most senses, creating the appearance of a "do-nothing" approach to achieving dramatic physical improvement. Despite their deception, never forget -- there is no product available now or in the future that substitutes for proper diet/exercise techniques. If you remember this, you've learned more than 95% of the people who are currently pursuing weight loss. Knowledge is key!

Must I exercise to lose fat?

The only required element for consistent fat loss is proper diet, thus exercise is not an essential factor. Yet, if one chooses to engage in regular exercise, fat loss accelerates. For example, if you lose 15 pounds in one month through proper diet techniques (no exercise), you will enhance results by 5-15 pounds (losing 20-30 pounds) through introducing proper exercise variables in conjunction with diet.

Thus, if you wish to enhance the rate of progress, adding exercise to proper diet is a worthwhile technique. Yet, if you are satisfied with the speed of weight loss using proper diet only, exercise is not necessary.

Weight loss clinics?

I don't have any specific gripes with weight loss clinics, but I firmly believe that anybody can lose weight without their symbolic hand-holding. They charge a mint for being a coach while you are putting forth maximum effort, not them. They should be paying you for working your tail, not taking a dollar a pound, or whatever their current promotion absorbs. Once you learn the proper diet and exercise methods, it's unnecessary to spend $200/month for somebody to watch.

How I discovered the proper method for permanent weight loss

From low carb high protein, to high carb low fat, to the strangely popular high fat diet, I experimented with all available options. I found that certain meal plans have some very effective ideas, but none offered all of the necessary ingredients to quickly, permanently, conveniently, and safely eliminate fat.

Low carbohydrate diet?

For example, the low carbohydrate diet plan will cause a reduction in body weight within the first 1-2 weeks, but the majority of weight lost is water / muscle, and not fat. Fat loss will follow, but unfortunately it is accompanied by a metabolic slowdown.

The initial reduction of water/muscle actually decreases the rate at which you burn calories and, as a result, you will gain back every lost pound once you integrate carbohydrates back into your diet! It is not possible to follow a no-carbohydrate diet long term (it is unhealthy to do so), and inevitably you will find yourself introducing them into your regular eating plan after several weeks.

Never forget -- losing body fat is your only goal, as reducing muscle tissue and water weight does not improve your appearance, and in fact greatly slows or even prohibits the fat loss process (which is why so many are "stuck" with no further results).

In addition, weight loss on a low carbohydrate plan produces a smaller version of your former self rather than enhancing your physical appearance (due to muscle loss, which eliminates tone, and creates a sagging, unappealing body structure).

Lastly, once you begin to follow a normal, carb based diet (a low carb plan such as the atkins diet is impossible and dangerous to follow long term), within several months, you will likely find yourself fatter than before you started the diet, and you'll quickly search for a new routine. Low carb diets are not a permanent fat loss solution!

Not just weight loss.... Fat loss is key!

Always remember that weight is composed of water, muscle, and fat -- your only goal is to shed excess fat, as muscle is essentially a calorie burning furnace (and will help you to quickly and permanently eliminate all excess body weight, even while resting). Any diet that restricts carbs in favor of high protein or excessive fat intake is counterproductive, and does not permanently eliminate body fat. In fact, most find themselves fatter due to carbohydrate depriving diet plans.

Controling insulin with carbohydrates!

One of the many keys to permanent weight loss is controlling the hormone "insulin". Through proper caloric division, food selection, and protein/carb percentages (where carbs are a part of diet, but properly balanced with protein), coupled with a potent exercise routine (if you wish to accelerate results), not only will you reduce overall insulin secretion, but also cause an immediate release of stored calories (fat) into the blood stream.

Insulin is essentially a fat storage hormone and, if not properly manipulated through dietary variables, will prevent fat loss, even on a low caloric intake (which is the main reason why high carbohydrate diet plans will never promote fat reduction, regardless of what many "dietary experts" have claimed). In addition, suppressing insulin reduces both blood pressure and cholesterol readings, while preventing/curing diabetic symptoms.

High carbohydrate diet?

High carbohydrate diet plans produce a different, yet equally ineffective, response. In cases of high carbohydrate ingestion, the body actually suppresses fat burning hormones, preventing the release of stored calories (fat). In fact, the only enzymes produced through a high carbohydrate focus are fat storing in nature (insulin), meaning unless calories are very low, you will actually gain fat on a high carbohydrate plan!

Even if you were to sharply reduce calories, the excess carbohydrate concentration will continue to prevent the release of stored fat, but will gladly burn up muscle tissue (as protein content in such diet routines is extremely low). 

Thus, common diet philosophies that concentrate on a high carbohydrate, low protein/fat basis provide results similar to that of low carbohydrate / high protein structures -- muscle is lost, and fat percentage increases!

Foods That Burn Fat, Foods That Turn To Fat

Foods That Burn Fat, Foods That Turn to Fat This recommended list of “fat-burning foods,” also known in the Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle (BFFM) program as “the terrific twelve,” might be the most valuable resource you’ve ever laid your hands on. Although the possible variety is your food choices is nearly infinite, these twelve are the staple foods that should make up the foundation of your program. Variety is important, but these are the foods you can’t go wrong with and the ones you’ll keep coming back to time after time.

1. Oatmeal

If I could only choose one source of complex, starchy carbohydrates for a fat loss program, this would be it! Oatmeal is the one carbohydrate food that virtually 100% of all bodybuilders and fitness models eat on a daily basis. What makes it so great? Well, although it’s a starchy carbohydrate, oatmeal has a nice balance between carbs, protein and good fat.

A half a cup contains 3 grams of fat, 27 grams of carbs and 5 grams of protein. The low glycemic index, combined with the presence of protein and fat makes oatmeal a very slowly released carb – exactly what you’re looking for when you want to get lean. Make sure you choose the all-natural oats; either old-fashioned oats (such as Quaker) or the quick oats. Stay away from the sweetened and or flavored oatmeal packets. Oatmeal is delicious with natural (sugar free) applesauce and cinnamon. Or, try some crushed walnuts or flaxseeds in your morning oats, which will give your “porridge” a nice crunchy texture while adding those desirable “good fats” we all need. For a complete meal, try a couple scoops of Vanilla Praline flavored protein powder in your oatmeal. If you get tired of oatmeal, there are plenty of other cooked whole grain cereals in the “oatmeal family.” Look in your local health food store (or a gourmet supermarket) for barley, wheat, titricale, rye, oat bran and flax cereals (or a multi grain combination of the above).

2. Yams (and sweet potatoes) 

Right behind oatmeal, yams (and sweet potatoes) are probably my second favorite starchy carbohydrate. Flavorful, all-natural, low in calories, and packed with nutrients and antioxidants like beta-carotene, it’s no wonder yams are a favorite carbohydrate among bodybuilders, fitness competitors and health-seekers alike. According to Brian Rowley, science editor for FLEX magazine, “Bodybuilders use yams when cutting bodyfat because they are low on the glycemic index. Waxy white potatoes (boilers) are high on the glycemic index, so they make an excellent postworkout meal, but nothing compares with a yam the rest of the time.”

Although the glycemic index is a secondary factor when making carb choices on the BFFM program, if you’re carb sensitive or if you’re on a very strict diet (like a contest diet), then the glycemic index should be given more weight in your choices. Yams are one of the best. Sweet potatoes are not exactly the same thing as yams (they’re slightly higher on the glycemic index), but they’re otherwise similar, which also makes them good choices for fat burning diets. You can identify a yam by its darker orange color, pointier ends and unusual sizes/shapes. Combine a yam with a green veggie, a chicken breast, lean red meat or fish, and you’ve got yourself a perfect fat-loss-for-idiots-diet fat-burning, muscle building, metabolism boosting meal.

3. Potatoes (white or red) 

Potatoes have earned an undeserved reputation as a food to avoid on a fat loss program. But think about it; Potatoes meet every criteria of a great carbohydrate: potatoes are a complex carb. They are all-natural. They contain fiber, vitamins and minerals. They are filling. They are low in calories. So why do people avoid them? One reason is because they confuse a dry potato with a loaded potato. Smother a potato with butter, sour cream and bacon bits and then you’ve got yourself a fattening, calorie-dense ensemble. Eat it dry or top it with Butter sprinkles, salsa or your favorite low fat, low calorie topping and you can’t go wrong. Another reason people might avoid the potato is because they are using the glycemic index as their primary gauge for choosing carbohydrates. Potatoes are high on the glycemic index, which means they are absorbed as blood sugar very rapidly.

What most people don’t realize however, is that when you eat your potato as a whole meal with your favorite lean protein, the glycemic index of the entire meal is much lower. Most people also don’t realize that some white potatoes are higher in the GI than others. Baking potatoes are higher in amylose, a slow releasing starch, so the glycemic index is lower. Russet potatoes are also moderate on the GI. Waxy potatoes or boilers are high GI foods. If you’re extremely carb sensitive or hypoglycemic, then you might want to eat more yams than white potatoes, but generally speaking, white potatoes make a superb addition to almost any fat burning diet. I personally eat white potatoes right up until the day of a bodybuilding contest and I have no difficulty reaching 3-4% body fat.

4. Brown Rice

Brown rice is another staple food of bodybuilders and you often see the “muscled ones” chowing down platefuls of rice, both in season and out of season (in smaller quantities during the “cutting-up” season). Prior to contests, bodybuilders sometimes reduce the amount of rice (starchy carbs) and add in more green veggies (fibrous carbs), but rice is a solid year round staple, as long as you keep your calories in check. Obviously, this means avoiding fried rice or other rice dishes that have added fat and calories. Steamed or boiled rice is the way to go. Of the many types of rice, slow-cooked brown rice or basmati rice are your number one choices. Instant (pre-cooked) rice is fine when you’re in a crunch for time, but the instant rice digests much more quickly and is processed in the body more like a simple carbohydrate. The same goes for white rice, especially the sweet variety that’s usually served in Chinese and Asian restaurants (including sushi rolls). White rice is the processed version of brown rice. Although it’s still technically a starchy complex carbohydrate, the white rice burns faster and has been stripped of much of its nutritional value. When you’re on a very strict fat loss diet, stick with the slow-cooking brown rice for best results.

5. 100% whole wheat and whole grain products

The “baseline diet” can and should contain a wide variety of bread products with one condition: They must be made from 100% whole grains (and the label must say, “100% whole wheat” or “100% whole grain” as the first ingredient). White bread and anything made out of white flour is not allowed in any quantity on this program (except the occasional planned “cheat meal”). If you’re particularly carb-sensitive, then bread – even the whole wheat variety – is one of the first things to go.

A small handful of people – usually one in 200, depending on what source you listen to – have sensitivity to the gluten in the wheat. Gluten is a protein found in wheat products and, much like lactose intolerance from dairy products, gluten intolerance can cause digestive difficulties and bloating in certain individuals. Most competitive bodybuilders drop out all the pasta and bread products for the 12-16 week dieting period before a contest, then usually put them back in for off-season maintenance. On very strict fat loss diets, wheat and bread products are usually eliminated completely. Generally speaking, however, 100% whole wheat and other whole grains are perfectly acceptable additions to a healthy diet for long term body composition control, it just depends on how “strict” you want or need to be with your nutrition.

6. Green fibrous vegetables (broccoli, green beans, asparagus, lettuce, etc) 

Fibrous carbs are your number one choice for fat burning carbohydrates. Green vegetables, also known as fibrous carbs, hardly contain any calories (they have a low calorie density). It’s virtually impossible to overeat green vegetables. Eat them liberally and eat more of them late in the day. A diet of green vegetables combined with lean proteins is one of the best methods of getting lean as quickly as possible.

7. Fresh Fruit 

Whole fruits are a fantastic, healthy food suitable for nearly any fat loss program. Although there are some “guru’s” in the bodybuilding industry who claim, “fruit is fattening,” this statement is somewhat misleading. It’s true that a diet of mostly complex carbohydrate will give you better results than a diet of mostly simple carbohydrates, but that’s not the same thing as saying “fruit is fattening.” Although fruits are simple carbohydrates, they are natural simple carbohydrates. Most fruits are low in calories, low in carbohydrate grams (compared to starches) and high in fiber.

Some fruits such as raisins are extremely calorie dense and best avoided when you’re on a strict fat loss program and your calorie allotment is small. Fruits like apples, peaches, grapefruits, and oranges, at only 60-80 calories apiece (or less), are a great addition to almost any nutritional plan. Just make sure the majority of your carbohydrates are of the complex type. An all-fruit or mostly fruit diet won’t be as effective for fat loss as one that is mostly green fibrous carbohydrates with lean protein.

8. Skim milk & nonfat dairy products

“Dairy products” cover an entire category of foods including milk, cheese, yogurt, sugar free frozen yogurt, and cottage cheese. To make it on the BFFM “approved” list, a dairy product must be labeled “fat-free,” “skim,” or 1% lowfat. Whole milk dairy products are not allowed, as they are high in fat. Even 2% low fat milk is still 37.5% fat by calories.

Dairy products are a “combination food” – they contain carbohydrates and proteins. Because the protein found in dairy products is high quality, complete protein, a high protein dairy product can count as an exchange for a protein food. For example, you could have non-fat cottage cheese as a protein instead of a serving of lean meat. Non-fat cheese can also boost the protein content of a meal. Yogurt tends to have less protein than cottage cheese, so a single container of yogurt wouldn’t count as a full protein serving. In fact, yogurt would count more as a simple carbohydrate exchange than a protein (although, you could mix in a scoop of protein powder into your yogurt to make it “high-protein yogurt).

9. Chicken Breast (and Turkey Breast)

Chicken and turkey are probably the number one most popular protein sources among bodybuilders and fat loss seekers. Remove the skin and get the light meat found in the breasts. The thighs are higher in fat and calories. Naturally, your poultry should be broiled, grilled, or roasted and not fried.

Also, we’re talking about the real bird here, not the sliced lunch meat you find at deli’s or pre-packed in supermarkets. Lunch meats are processed proteins. Some nutritionists call them “fabricated foods” because they are made from a mix and poured into a mold before being cooked and wrapped. While these are acceptable occasionally, don’t make them a staple in your regular daily diet. Lunch meats are loaded with sodium, preservatives, binders, fillers and other nasty chemicals that you don’t want floating around in your body!

10. Egg whites 

The name of the game in fat-burning, muscle-building nutrition is to eat a lean protein with every meal. With zero fat, egg whites are as lean as lean proteins get. Egg whites are right up there with chicken breasts as one of the top three lean proteins of choice for losing fat and gaining muscle. Eggs are a super-high quality protein. The problem with whole eggs is the high fat and calorie content. Fortunately, 100% of the fat is in the yolk, while the protein is split evenly between the yolk and the white. This doesn’t mean you have to throw out all your yolks, but it does mean you should limit your yolks. I’d recommend one yolk for every six whites you eat. Just crack them open, and separate the yolk from the white using the edge of the shell. Or, even easier, simply use “Egg Beaters” or another packaged egg white product. There must be hundreds of ways to make eggs, so use your imagination: Omelets, frittatas, scrambled, fried (in nonstick spray), over easy, sunnyside up, hard-boiled or any other way you like them, use egg whites liberally!

11. Fish and shellfish

Many people complain about the lack of variety in a bodybuilding-style fat-burning diet, which typically has you eating egg whites, tuna and chicken day in, day out. What most people don’t eat enough of is fish and seafood. By using different types of fish and shellfish as protein sources, you can add an incredible amount of variety a well as getting those valuable good fats. Here is just a partial list of fish to consider: salmon, tuna, haddock, flounder, mackerel, trout, snapper, sea bass, swordfish, mahi mahi, perch, orange roughy, sole, Halibut, herring cod and catfish.

As with other meats, eat your fish baked, grilled or broiled and avoid fatty, high calorie sauces and butter. Most fish are very low in fat and high in protein. Some fish, such as salmon, mackerel, sardines, herring and trout, are high in fat. However, because fish is so high in Omega 3 fatty acids, these fish can and should be used liberally. Shellfish have many of the benefits that fish have and it can add some variety to your diet if you’re getting bored of egg whites and chicken. This category includes shrimp, crab, lobster, mussels, etc. By the way, when you’re eating in restaurants, fish is a great choice, as long as you make sure there are no hidden bad fats or extra calories.

12. Lean red meat 

Bodybuilders are quite famous for loving their red meat. Many bodybuilders believe that red meat helps muscle growth, and there may be much truth in that statement. Red meat is high in protein, B-12, iron and creatine. The problem with most cuts of red meat is the high fat content. However, not all cuts of red meat are the same. It’s a mistake to label the entire red meat category as a no-no because of high fat content. If you carefully choose the leanest cuts possible and keep your portion sizes small, red meat can be a great addition to a fat burning program. For example, a 6 oz serving of lean, trimmed top round steak has only 9 grams of fat, while a 6 oz of untrimmed porterhouse has 37 grams of fat (and the 18 oz porterhouse you’re often served in a steak house has over 100 grams of fat!)

About the Author: Tom Venuto is a lifetime natural bodybuilder, personal trainer, gym owner, success coach, freelance writer and author of "Burn the Fat, Feed The Muscle" (BFFM): Fat Burning Secrets of the World's Best Bodybuilders and Fitness Models. Tom has written over 160 articles and has been featured in IRONMAN magazine, Natural Bodybuilding, Muscular Development, Muscle-Zine, Olympian’s News, Exercise for Men and Men’s Exercise. Tom’s informative and inspiring articles have been featured in literally dozens of websites and e-zines worldwide. You can visit Tom on the web at Fitness Renaissance (www.fitren.com) or www.burnthefat.com. You can subscribe to his monthly E-mail newsletter at www.fitren.com/listserv.cfm

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