Certain foods are extremely difficult for the human body to convert into body fat—not impossible, but damned near impossible. By consumingcals derived from these foods, the anabolic margin of error is extended dramatically, which means it will be easier to lose fat and gain muscle, if you choose.
Key Points
Lean protein, protein devoid of saturated fat, has been the staple, bedrock nutrient of elite athletes for 50 years. Why? You can eat a lot of lean protein and not get fat, assuming you train with sufficient intensity to trigger muscle growth. Lean protein is difficult for the body to break down and digest. As a direct result of this digestive difficulty, the body kicks the metabolic thermostat upward to break protein down into subcomponent amino acids.
The human body wants to preserve stored body fat as a last line of defence against starvation. If overworked and under-fed, the body will preferentially eat muscle tissue to save precious body fat.
Obese people that go on crash diets, precipitously slashing calories, might lose 100 pounds of body weight yet still appear fat. Despite losing, say, 350 pounds to 250 pounds, they still appear fat because they are still fat. The body has cannibalised muscle tissue and saved fat. Though they might weigh 100 pounds less, they still possess a 25–40% body fat percentile.
Lean protein is the bedrock nutrient in the physical renovation process because it supplies muscle tissue battered by a high-intensity weight workout with the amino acids needed to heal, recover, and construct new muscle tissue. Lean protein is a bedrock nutrient in the physical renovation process because it causes the basal metabolic rate (BMR) to elevate; the metabolic thermostat, the rate at which our body consumes calories, increases when digesting protein. Lean protein is a bedrock nutrient in the physical renovation process because it is damned near impossible for the body to convert it into body fat.
The other bedrock nutrient in the physical transformation process is fibrous carbohydrates: carrots, broccoli, green beans, bell peppers, spinach, cauliflower, onions, asparagus, cabbage, salad greens, Brussels sprouts and the like. Fibrous carbohydrates, like lean protein, are nearly impossible for the body to convert into body fat. Fibrous carbohydrates require almost as many calories to digest as they contain.
A green bean or carrot might contain 10 calories yet be so dense and difficult to break down that the body has to expend nearly as many calories to break down that bean or carrot as the vegetable contains.
Fibrous carbohydrates have a wonderful “Roto-Rooter” effect on the internal plumbing: as they work their way through the digestive passageways, they scrape mucus and gunk off intestinal walls and help keep sludge buildup to a minimum. For this reason, fibrous carbohydrates are the perfect compliment to a lean protein diet. Too much protein can cause bile buildup: fibre is the Yin to protein’s Yang. The two nutrients should be eaten together.
Both protein and fibre have a beneficial dampening effect on insulin secretions. It is no accident that professional bodybuilders, the world’s best dieters, capable of reducing body fat percentiles to 5% while maintaining incredible muscle mass, construct their eating regimen around protein and fiber.
The best way to eat is to eat often. If you eat 3,000 calories a day, the best way is to have five 600-calorie meals or six 500-calorie meals instead of a breakfast containing 400 calories, a lunch of 1,000 calories, and a late dinner of 1,600 calories. Avoid calories easily converted into body fat.
Eat multiple small meals in the 400-600 calorie range, comprised exclusively of foods that are nearly impossible for the body to convert into body fat. Plus, these foods cause the metabolism, the BMR, and the body thermostat to elevate in order to digest them. Optimally, you should eat every three hours: at about the time the nutrients from the previous meal have dwindled, been expended and exhausted; at about the time the elevated metabolism is “settling back down to normal,” eat another small protein/fiber meal. This reestablishes anabolism, kicks the metabolism upward once again, and gives the body more practise at assimilating and distributing quality nutrients.
They say that practise makes perfect, and eating small, power-packed, difficult-to-digest meals every three hours keeps the metabolism elevated, anabolism established and maintained, and the individual never feels hungry.A person who is not hungry is far less inclined to binge on sweets and treats, junk and trash than the crash diet/calorie cutters who always feel hungry, deprived, listless and lacking energy.
The small meal/protein/fiber approach has been used successfully by elite athletes for decades and is not some untested dietary abstraction; rather, it is the tried and true method of choice, one that has stood the test of time, one that has been used for decades and has been proven effective time after time.
Physical transformation is a biological certainty if a person is able to establish a multiple meal schedule consisting primarily of lean protein and fibre eaten every three hours, and then add to this eating schedule some serious weight training and a cardiovascular regimen.
Fiber Is Important for Weight Loss
Fiber is an important part of a healthy diet, but did you know it can help you in your weight loss efforts? Filling up on fiber can help you to feel full for longer, therefore causing you to eat less overall which will result in healthy weight loss.
In addition to helping you lose weight, fiber also has many positive health effects. Fiber has been linked to managing diabetes, cutting cholesterol, and limiting heart damage. One Swiss study found that eating a high-fiber meal reduced hunger more than a meal which was low in fiber.
How Much Fiber Do You Need?
You should consume between 25 to 35 grams of fiber a day. While that might not sound like a lot, most Americans only get about 15 grams and many much less. Fiber can be found in most fruits and vegetables including carrots, peas, broccoli, spinach, and cauliflower.
In addition, there are many cereals and breads that have a good amount of fiber, but you must read the labels to determine which ones. Typically anything made with whole wheat or whole oats or bran will have fiber – plus these cereals tend to be natural and low in fat and sugar which also help with your weight loss and are better for you overall.
How Can You Eat More Fiber?
There are some easy ways that you can increase your fiber intake. Think about adding garbanzo beans to a salad or soup, or add a tablespoon of bran to your cereal. Leaving the skins on fruits and vegetables will also increase your fiber intake. The actual fiber content of each individual food isn’t that much so it is best if you simply eat more types or servings of fiber rich foods each day.
Consider eliminating meat from some of your meals. Meat has no fiber, and it doesn’t give you the benefit that you get with fiber-rich food. Instead, try eating more grains, fruits, and vegetables. In this way, you can be sure your meal has a healthy concentration of fiber.
Add Fiber Gradually
It might be difficult for your body to become accustomed to a diet that is rich in fiber. It is indeed counter-cultural, since many families grew up consuming a great deal of meat.
However, if you’re really want to lose weight and be healthy, you’ll give fiber-rich meals a try. Fiber rich foods, combined with sensible eating, can help you lose weight and keep it off.
Don’t try to totally change to a high fiber overnight. It may require a great deal of trial-and-error before you hit upon the right amount of fiber. However, in the end, you may be amazed at the positive role that
fiber plays in your diet.
And it may inspire you to encourage your loved ones to add more fiber to their own diets as well. A diet high fiber diet can help you to manage the amount of food you eat and has many health benefits. So load up on fiber-and watch your waistline shrink as a result!
