By Mike Whiteley, Professional Trainer
Finding the correct combination of exercises, food and supplements to reduce excess body fat is a focus for many people, and usually more so as we get older.
From magazine articles to infomercials there are tons of companies looking to capitalize on this desire to lose weight and we are constantly bombarded with sales pitches for the new magic fat-loss/weight-loss product. With the marketing promise of the perfect body and more sex appeal these companies make billions of dollars selling half-truths and full lies to the public. Today, we are going to cut through the lies and give you the straightforward basic facts to reduce your excess unwanted body fat.
There are 3 primary reasons you may be having issues with reducing your body fat and they are unbalanced hormones, excessive caloric intake, and a lack of exercise. Using the correct form of exercise, a proper diet and supplements like L-Carnitine and Alpha Lipoic Acid can all help you shed that extra layer of unwanted body fat fast. If you want to successfully reduce excess body fat quickly you will need to perform a combination of all three.
The right exercise program is very important to maximize your weight reduction. In the past many people thought that the best way to reduce body fat was to do long cardio sessions like running or riding a bike. While these activities burn fat cells, they are NOT the fastest way to reduce fat. The most effective way is through high-intensity interval training.
High-Intensity Interval Training (HIT) causes your body to go into the upper maximum heart rate faster and brings your body into the anaerobic lactic energy system that causes muscles to work harder thereby allowing more energy to be expended (more fat burning). The fat burning effects from HIT can last for up to 6 days after the training. Examples of HIT that work well are wind sprints, weight-training circuits, or a combination of running, lifting weights and calisthenics.
To perform interval training effectively you have to keep the rest very short between exercises (5-10 seconds rest) and sets (15-60 seconds). Your heart rate should be 70 to 80% of your maximum heart rate (you can find how to calculate this online). Typically, circuits would last a minimum of 20 minutes to a maximum of 60 minutes; anything longer can increase risks of injury.
Some individuals that do high intensity training still have issues with reducing body fat percentage. In these cases, it is almost always a hormonal imbalance; my recommendation is to get proper blood work to determine where the imbalance is accruing. These problems can easily be corrected with removing specific foods and adding complementary nutritionally dense foods.
It is important to keep your body’s insulin levels balanced as insulin regulates the metabolism of carbohydrates, fats and proteins. Large meals spike insulin levels in the bloodstream and excessive insulin will shut down the body’s fat burning; therefore, consuming small meals every 3 to 4 hours helps balance blood sugar.
Small meals should be approximately 300 to 400 calories depending on your activity level and body weight. Meals should have high nutritional minerals and vitamin density with adequate protein based on your lean body weight. Protein intake should be a minimum of 60 percent of your lean body weight—this is calculated by measuring your body fat using fat calipers, then subtracting the calculated fat weight from your total body weight.
You will need to reduce carbohydrates to 100 to 400 grams per day, as well as adding plant-based liquid omega-3 and -6 essential fatty acids, such as hemp oil to your diet. Your body can’t produce these fats and they are needed to assist in all of the body’s processes; take 1-2 tablespoons of liquid EFA per day. An appropriate food intake coupled with 3 to 5 days of training will almost guarantee to maximize your results.
Eating “clean” is of utmost importance, and to be clear, supplements are not absolutely necessary for your success, but they can accelerate your results. Two supplements I recommend are L-Carnitine and Alpha Lipoic Acid (ALA). Both of these supplements help transport fatty acids across the mitochondrial membrane in each cell of the muscle where your body processes fat for fuel. Think of the mitochondria as similar to a motor for a car which burns fuel to create energy allowing your muscles to work.
Alpha Lipoic Acid is both a fat- and water-soluble antioxidant that turns glucose into energy, balancing your insulin. ALA helps boost your body’s own antioxidants, such as Glutathione, which is important for proper liver function and the body’s fat processing. When the liver is working at its best your body is capable of burning fat much easier.
To be clear, there is no magic bullet to reduce body fat. Creating a properly balanced combination of exercise, diet and supplementation will always give the best results. Also, please note, before starting any exercise or supplement regimen consult with your health care practitioner to find the combination that is right for you.
