FAST FAT LOSS WHILST MAINTAINING MUSCLE
We love losing fat - but hate losing muscle.
Luckily, with the right protein intake during a fat loss diet and consistent weight training, you can do just that.
But further to that, tip number one consists of a formula I'm about to outline, to ensure the fastest possible fat loss without losing muscle.
So if you're carrying 10 kilograms of excess fat, then it's simply 10 x 69.31 which works out to be 693 calories.
This means your calorie deficit everyday can be as high as 693 calories, to ensure the fastest fat loss possible WITHOUT sacrificing muscle mass.
Now I will point out that just like our total daily energy expenditures and basal metabolic rates - these are just estimates. However, they are accurate ones.
This approach is NOT for the faint hearted and if your performance is lacking in the gym, you may want to make your deficit a little smaller.
It's just a starting point - maybe try by decreasing the deficit by 150 calories and trying again.
After just 30 days though, you'll notice a dramatic difference.
If you want me to set this diet up for you with the perfect macros - click here for more info.
FAT LOSS - HOW MANY CALORIES IN A KILOGRAM?
Whilst it's hard to have a "one size fits all" approach to numbers and fat loss, it's accepted that a deficit of 7,700 calories is required to lose 1 kilogram of fat (2).
So if you do the maths there with the weight you want to lose, you'll be able to map our approximately how many days it takes to lose a kilogram.
Tip: Don't forget to recalculate your calorie deficit as you lose more weight, because as you know (and hate!) fat loss stalls as you progress on a diet.
SUPERMARKET FAT LOSS - GREEN TEA AND COFFEE
Yeah I know, I know. You hear about these two all the time.
But it's not about them as individuals, but rather about how well they go together.
A recent study (3) looked at 12 subjects who were given 250mg of caffeine + 400 mg of a green tea extract that contained 50% epigallocatechin gallate (EEGCG - a polyphenol found in green tea). I'll note too that the green tea also had 5mg of caffeine per serving.
The researchers examined the effect this had on fat oxidation and metablic rate at rest, as well as after some HIIT sprint intervals.
The subjects consumed the blends in a fasted state after sleeping for 8 hours, and the strengths of the research was that it was a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, crossover study.
The sprint intervals consisted of 4 x 30 second periods of maximum intensity on a stationary bike, with periods of low-intensity cycling in between for 5 minutes. The resistance was set to 7.5% of body weight for the men and 7.2% for the female.
Factoring in the warm up and cool down at the end, the session was 30 minutes all up.
So what did they find?
The caffeine and green tea blend was superior for burning calories at rest by 7.99%
The blend was superior to the placebo during the sprint for burning calories by 10.66%
FAT OXIDATION
At rest, the fat oxidation was superior from the blend by 10.60%
And during the sprints, the fat oxidation was superior by 9.76%.
So 10% isn't all that bad, and is certainly worth your time.
Just make sure you're getting the green tea dosages right!
Whilst some people might react differently to this protocol, it's certainly worth you giving a try.
So there's 2 handy tips that might help - best of luck if you plan on putting them into practice!
"Stay Fit, Stay Flexed!"
References
(1) Alpert SS. A limit on the energy transfer rate from the human fat store in hypophagia. J Theor Biol. 2005 Mar 7;233(1):1-13.
(2) Hall KD. What is the required energy deficit per unit weight loss? Int J Obes (Lond). Mar 2008;32(3):573-576. Published online Sep 11, 2007. doi: 10.1038/sj.ijo.0803720
(3) Jo et al. "Dietary Caffeine And Polyphenol Supplementation Enhances Overall Metabolic Rate And Lipid Oxidation At Rest And After A Bout Of Sprint Interval Exercise." Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research: Post Acceptance: November 23, 2015. doi: 10.1519/JSC.0000000000001277
Author
Dayne Hudson