1.
Burn more calories than you consume. If this
makes you go: “D-uuuh!!”, snap out of it and consider that this
elementary aspect of dieting excapes countless clueless — and doomed —
dieters. Tabloids may claim to have the “miracle foods” that’ll allow
you to eat like a pig and have the pounds melt off, but it’s a load.
2.
Establish your base metabolism, and set a target calorie goal
approx. 500 calories below it. I wrote an article dedicated to
establishing your metabolism earlier, so look it up in the article
archive if you need a refresher.
3.
Keep an honest log. Make estimates of how many calories you stuff
yourself with every meal and tally up the total to make sure you stay
within your target calorie goal. Convenient “mistakes,” under-estimates
and forgetfulness allows you to eat more now, but you’re defeating the
whole point of dieting.
4.
Actively choose good sources of fat. This may sound like stupid
advice — shouldn’t you AVOID fat when dieting? Well, yes and no. You
have to keep consuming some fat, just not going overboard. Avoid butter,
bacon, whole milk, coconuts and such like the plague. Instead, make use
of olive oil (virgin) and fatty fish. Peanut butter is an interesting
topic. I used to put it in the same category as the “bad” fats. It
belongs there, packing saturated fat as well as artery-clogging trans
fatty acids. However, based on highly unscientific testimonies by others
as well as personal experience, it seems like a handful of peanuts once
in a while when dieting can do wonders in keeping energy levels up
while not wreaking havoc with your overall diet. Strange and illogical?
You betcha. But it just so happens to work anyway, kind of like
bumblebees flying though they technically shouldn’t be able to.
5.
Eat small but frequent meals throughout the day. You’ve heard it a
million times, I’m sure, but facts remain: In order to keep an even
level of blood sugar, you have to eat small, balanced meals.
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6.
Don’t go wimpy on the weight training. When you diet, you’re in
the danger zone for losing muscle mass most of the time. To avoid this,
keeping pumping iron, and be diligent about it!
7.
Avoid alcohol. Given that barbeque-season is upon us, this can be
tough when your friends bring out the ice-cold brewskis. The solution is
simple: Only associate with other bodybuilders, so you at least won’t
be the lone dweeb sipping a diet soda! For those of you who have the
ridiculous idea that your life should not revolve around bodybuilding:
Snap out of it.
8.
Do cardio in moderation. Doing 45 mins on the stairmaster every
day is a great way to get the pounds off quicker. 2 hours is not so
great, since you’re bound to start losing muscle mass. When and how much
is individual (and depending on what you’ve had to eat earlier in the
day) but avoid cardio sessions in excess of 1 hour. If you need the
punishment do one session in the morning and one in the evening. Also
remember to stay in the 65%-70% heart rate zone for optimal fat burn.
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9.
Schedule “cheating” days to stay sane. Dieting is no fun. No
matter how gung-ho and motivated you are when you start out, you’ll have
days when everything is darkness and the world is out to get you. Make
sure to get a treat once a week on a set day (Saturday is good) as it
gives you something to look forward to. A juicy burger is fatty and
calorie-dense, but if you prepare by doing extra cardio for three days
in advance you’ll come in right on target for the week.
10.
Don’t be afraid of soy. I used to avoid fake-meat products, but
having been married to a vegetarian for 3+ years I’ve tried soy hot
dogs, burgers, chicken patties, even riblets that taste just like the
real thing. And here’s the kicker: Soy products is mostly protein!
Granted, soy protein is not the highest quality out there, but if you
drink a glass of milk or have some other high-quality protein source
with it you can bump up the overall quality in a hurry. Besides, soy has
a number of great health benefits when eaten in moderation and contains
very little fat.
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