Rapid Fat Loss

[pagangoddess]

I was reading this article on how to lose fat fast:
http://stronglifts.com/how-to-lose-fat-fast/ and came across this "Fat is emergency storage for your body. Forcing your body to lose fat isn’t a healthy condition to stay in. Fat loss must happen fast.

First I wasn't aware that fat loss was not a healthy condition to stay in. If someone could elaborate on that I'd appreciate it.

So based on that it would be better to cut calories drastically in the short term and then maintain after the loss. Is that a correct interpretation?

To be honest I'm a bit confused as to which is the better approach. In three months of stronglifts I've managed to go from 33% bf to 30% bf. Not exactly the progress I was looking for. My lifts have progressed beautifully but the fat loss not so much.

[atypical1]

OK, so I am by no means an expert and my results are based off of my experiences. They may or may not work for you. OK, now that we have the disclaimer out of the way.

I agree with some points of that article and not with others. I'm a firm believer in diet being the major influence on your body composition. When I really want to lean out I remove almost all carbs from my diet regardless of source. That's been the technique that works best for me. Adding cardio has minimal value in regard to my fat loss (especially the elliptical which I find near worthless for cardio development). I will say that it's a tough diet to go on because you can't eat rice, grains, starchy veggies like carrots, and a myriad of other foods. You also need to eat on a very regular basis. Every three hours is a good measure for me. During this time my diet consists of meats and veggies. Period. It's extreme but it will get your fat loss kicked into high gear. Once you're there it's relatively easy to maintain as you simply won't have the desire to eat a lot of the "junk foods" that you were eating before (I consider things like potatoes, white bread, pasta, etc to be in that category too).

I think that the comment about losing fat not being a healthy condition isn't one that you can take at total face value. Your body is going to want to keep a minimum of fat for its own use, emergency storage, protection, etc. Once you get into the low double digits (teens and lower) then it becomes a bit unnatural for your body to lose that fat because it thinks that it needs it. But until then I think that fat loss is perfectly healthy and normal.

Good luck and definitely do some more research before taking any of my advice at face value. It worked for me but we're all different.

james

[johnjohn]

Good points atypical1, but as you point out, people are very different in these matters. The most basic thing to do to lose fat is to keep a negative calorie balance, which can be achieved either by burning more calories (i.e. cardio) or ingesting less calories (i.e. diet). The best advice is probably to experiment and see what works for you, as the two will have different effects on different people.

Cutting calories drastically kicks in the starvation response, meaning that your metabolism slows down rapidly. As such, the effect is temporary at best. 15-20% less calories than your maintenance level is recommended, any more and the metabolism "dries up". A way to counter this is to use the zig-zag tactic, meaning two or three days of (very) low calories, and then one day at our above your maintenance level.
EDIT: Then rinse and repeat.

(From "Burn the Fat ,Feed the Muscle" by Tom Venuto)

As for the unhealthiness of low body fat, I think I read somewhere (could be in Venuto...) that about 10% body fat is sustainable and quite healthy for men. For women it's around 12%. I can't remember the source of this though, so don't trust me on that one.

[pagangoddess]

Thanks for the input.

My goal is to get bf % somewhere between 15-20%. It's currently at 30%. I just need to make a game plan and stick with it. I like what Mehdi said in the article about eating the same thing every day. I was thinking about figuring my caloric intake, putting together 3 days worth of meal plans and then just rotating them. That way I know what calories I'm getting. No brain involved (at this point that is a good thing) and will allow for a small amount of variety. I'll stick with it for a month and see where I up. After that I'll adjust up or down.

[lovestolift]

I think you are on the right track with your "eating the same thing" idea. I find it easier to plan meals ahead of time, rather than trying to get what I need throughout the day.

Run your numbers through the equation in my sig. It's the most accurate way to get your maintenance level. Then you cut 250 cal, and stick with it for two weeks and reassess. I put all the info in the first post, and if you scroll down someone made a spreadsheet to make it easy.

From what I can tell you are a prime candidate for Precision Nutrition. It's kind of expensive ($100 with the discount) but it comes with all you need to set up a good, personalized diet. There are audio CD's, DVD'S, set up guide and a book with over 100 recipes (most are great, some are so-so, I love the Lamb Kebabs and Kung Pao Chicken). Some of Berardi's stuff is a bit technical, but you're an intelligent person, so you'll have no problem applying it.

[pagangoddess]

Thanks LTL. I'll go through the Cunningham equation when I have a little more time. I've got to get to bed soon. Tomorrow is gym day so the alarm will go off at 4:30am.

Once I get my maintenance level I will cut 250 cals and see what progress comes about after the first 2 weeks. If no progress occurs then I will cut further.

I'd love to purchase PN but for now it will have to wait. I've read quite a bit on Berardi's website along with Lyle McDonald and Krista Scott-Dixon (http://www.stumptuous.com). It's not the knowledge part that I lack it's the follow through. That damn consistency thing again.

[lovestolift]

Glad I could help.

If you find a way to stay consistent you could probably make a lot of money selling your secret.