Diet & Weight Loss Questions
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Question

Hi Lee,

My name is Nick and I have a question that no one has given me a direct answer to, and i wanted to know the truth. You said that if you have no calories to burn, you burn fat as energy. Such as doing cardio first thing in the morning before a meal will burn your fat directly. But you also said that if you dont eat regularly, or starve yourself, your body starts burning and eating away your muscles as energy. Wouldnt the body start feeding itself on the fat reserves and not the muscle? As you said, "our body still thinks we are in the jungle" so wouldnt we need our muscles more than our fat? So do you burn fat or do you burn muscle for energy if you dont have enough calories to feed on through the day?

Thank you for your time, please reply.

Nick

Answer

Hi Nick,

You are getting into paralysis by analysis, basically you are reading too much into it and making things more complicated then they really are.

You need to burn off more calories then you consume in order to burn bodyfat. You accomplish this by a combination of eating less and exercising more.

One of the best times to do cardio exercise for fat loss is first thing in the morning before eating. Doing your cardio at this time will help you burn more bodyfat because there is no food in your system to be used as fuel. I’m not saying that you won’t burn fat from doing cardio later in the day, but the best “bang for your buck” is first thing in the morning.

Right after your morning exercise you should eat a good healthy high protein breakfast. And you should continue eating small healthy high protein meals every few hours during the day. This will keep your blood sugar stable, keep your metabolism running faster, and provide you with a steady supply of nutrients throughout the day.

By eating extra protein while training for fat loss you’ll help to preserve your lean muscle tissue and you’ll also increase your metabolic rate because protein requires more energy to digest then carbohydrates or fats.

A good protein intake to aim for when training for fat loss is between 1 and 1.5 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight per day. Divided equally between 5-6 small meals.

To monitor your fat loss progress you need to keep track of your bodyfat percentage and your bodyweight. A good goal to aim for is losing 1 lb. of bodyweight per week. As long as you are losing at least 1 lb. per week then you are on the right track for fat loss. If you are not losing any weight then it means that you are not eating less calories then you are burning off. So you will need to either increase your exercise or lower your caloric intake further in order to tap into stored bodyfat for energy.

Question

Im 20 yrs old and Im currently bulking just a bit by putting on a little fat and mostly muscle and then in a few months I plan on training to get ripped. Any suggestion or tips on how to get hard abs and get as ripped as you do for bodybuilding contests.

Answer

One thing that I'd suggest is to not let yourself get fat while bulking up. Keep your food clean, don't use bulking up as an excuse to eat junk food. This will just lead to excess fat that you'll only have to diet off later.

Also do 30 minutes of cardio 3-4 times per week to keep yourself aerobically fit and leaner. You are much better off gaining less weight while bulking up and have that weight be high quality lean gains. Rather then just getting fat and then having to diet it off when you want to get lean.

Question

Hey Lee,

I wanted to know what sort of cardio u perform when ripping, for how long, at what intensity, and how many times a week?

I am trying to rip up but I’m struggling. Please give me some key advice to get shredded.

Thanks,
Steve

Answer

Hi Steve,

My personal favourite forms of cardio include; walking and bicycle riding out doors. I also have a stepper and an elliptical machine at home that I use quite a lot. You don’t have to stick to the same thing day in and day out. In fact I actually recommend to people that they varying their cardio workouts so that they can prevent repetitive strain on the joints, tendons, and ligaments from doing the same movements excessively.

I personally get better results from longer, moderate intensity cardio sessions. When I’m dieting for a bodybuilding contest I will do 60 minutes of cardio each morning before breakfast. It does get a bit monotonous at times, but by varying the cardio it is much more tolerable, and the fat loss results are well worth the effort.

Question

Hi Lee,

Thank you for your e-mail newsletters. I really enjoy them.

My dilemma is that I have just lost very close to 80 pounds over the last 18 months. I am at the crossroad of lowering the weight more to lose the fat or muscle up a bit and lose the fat later. Using the Accu-measure bodyfat tester, it typically registers 14.5 -15% at 206 pounds.

In reading through all of the information available and being new to the idea of lowering fat further and gaining muscle at the same time, it appears that losing the fat should be the priority. My goal is to get it under 10%, which may be hard to attain at the age of 50.

I feel good when I bulk up a bit and being a big boned person, can handle the weight well. I believe my diet is finally cleaned up to where I can lose the fat quickly enough.

What would you suggest?

Thanks again for taking the time to email me,
David

Answer

Hi David,

I’m glad to hear that you enjoy the newsletters. As for your question of gaining muscle or losing fat. I would suggest that you switch gears for a while and focus on muscle building instead of fat loss.

The reason for this is that you have recently lost 80 lbs. and it seems that you may be at a fat loss plateau. By taking a couple months now to focus on muscle growth you’ll be able to make some really good lean muscle gains and fire up your metabolism.

For the next couple months cut back to doing cardio no more then 3 days per week and increase your calories so that you consume at least 500 calories above your maintenance levels. Still eat clean healthy foods (don’t use this as an excuse to eat junk food), just increase your portion sizes to make up the extra calories.

Note: you can calculate your caloric needs at: http://www.leehayward.com/calorie_calculator.htm

Then after a couple months of higher calorie eating, change back to your current fat loss plan with less calories and more cardio. When you switch back to focusing on fat loss you’ll burn fat even faster because your metabolism will be higher and you’ll have more lean muscle mass then before.

This is why competitive bodybuilders purposely plan out phases in their training where they focus on bulking up. And phases where they focus on getting lean and ripped for a contest.

The Bio-Genetic Muscle Gain Program is an excellent system for gaining lean muscular bodyweight. You can get a copy for yourself online at: http://www.drugfreemuscle.com

Question

hey lee i have a question.i started cutting in november it's been about a month i lost 6 lbs and an inch off my waist.but i also lost alot of strength and muscle. how can i cut down without losing muscle or strength.

jimmy

Answer

Hi Jimmy,

A small initial strength loss is normal when dieting simply because your muscles are not as full of glycogen and your not retaining as much water. Just stick with it and once your body gets accustomed to your new eating plan, etc. your strength gains will also improve.

The hardest part of a diet is at the start because you feel smaller and weaker, but don’t look any different. And this is where most guys quit. But if you just stick with it for at least 3 months and get past this initial starting phase you’ll see physical changes from week to week as you get leaner, more muscular, and you’ll also be able to make some strength gains with your workouts.

Question

Hi Lee,

I was just wondering could you tell me how many Calories are in 1 kg and how many km would I have to ran to loose 1kg

James

Answer

Hi James,

There are 3500 calories in a pound of bodyweight. There are 2.2 pounds in a kilogram. So there are 7700 calories in a kilogram of bodyweight.

The number of calories you burn doing any activity varies greatly based on your body size. Just like a bigger car will burn more gas then a smaller car, a bigger person will burn more calories then a smaller person. But a rough estimate for most people is that you'll burn about 100 calories for every 10 minutes of moderately intense aerobic exercise (i.e. jogging, cycling, using the cardio machines at the gym, etc.)

So to answer your question, it would take about 12 hours of cardio to burn a kilogram of bodyfat.

Question

Hey Lee,

I am about 5"11 230 pounds and not too strong. I need to get stronger for my senior year of football while not gaining too much more fat. I estimate i am about 45 pounds overweight (just a guess). I was wondering what would be the smart combination of your two diets in order to lose body fat quickly while gaining muscle mass?

Joel

Answer

Hi Joel,

You can't get lean (lose weight) and gain size (gain weight) at the same time. To get lean you need to eat less calories, do more cardio, in addition to weight training. To bulk up you need to eat more calories, do less cardio, and of course weight training. These are two contradictory goals. You will make much better progress in the long run if you focus on one thing at a time and train in cycles. That is why competitive bodybuilders have phases in their training where they focus on bulking up. And phases where they focus on getting lean and ripped for a contest.

If you are 45 lbs. overweight then I'd suggest you focus on losing bodyfat first. You can still make strength gains while losing bodyfat, in fact I often have some of my best workouts when I’m ½ way through a pre-contest diet because at this stage I’m leaner, more energetic, and I don’t feel heavy and sluggish as often happens when you are bulked up and carrying some excess weight.

There are some great fat loss articles that you should read at:
Fat Loss For Beginners
Fat Loss For Intermediates - (Stepping up to the next level)
Fat Loss For Advanced - (The most effective fat burning tactics)

Question

Hey Lee,

I have been getting your news letter and tips for almost a year now. I think they are great and keep them coming. I have learned a lot from reading your news letters and I appreciate you sharing your knowledge. I do have one question though about the recent news letter on April 4th. When talking about keeping muscle and shedding fat I was under the impression that long duration of low intensity was the best. To my knowledge the higher the intensity is you won't be using fat as a fuel but rather protein and CHO. In your letter you said to do higher intensity cardio workouts of about 15 minutes which I thought would not be using fat as a fuel source if the goal is cutting fat off. I would appreciate if you could get back to me on this .I'm about to start the shedding fat phase soon and would like to know if I'm wrong on this. Thanks again,

Craig

Answer

Hi Craig,

That article was written by my colleague, Sean Nalewanyj.

Sean recommends short duration, high intensity cardio as it does help increase your metabolism and aid in fat loss. The main caloric burning effects are from the increase in metabolism, not the actual cardio itself.

While I tend to base the majority of my fat loss cardio around longer duration cardio workouts like walking, bike riding, and using cardio machines at the gym. I’ll also incorporate some shorter higher intensity cardio workouts in my routine as well such as running, punching the heavy bag, jump rope, etc.

Just like you can vary your weight training workouts to help provide new training stimulus to your muscles, you can vary your cardio workouts to help build up your endurance and speed up fat loss.

Question

Lee, i need your help quick im cutting right now and Im loosing the weight good no platues but i have one of those scales that measures bodyfat and it says my bodyfat is goin up while im dropping lbs is this possible i think the scale is bull **** lee please respond quick im worried.

Chris Gaudino

Answer

Hi Chris,

It is virtually impossible for you to lose bodyweight and gain bodyfat if you are following a good diet and exercise routine.

Those scales that supposedly measure bodyfat percentage are not accurate. I had one and it would literally vary by the minute. I could stand on it get a reading. Then stand on it again a minute later and get a totally different reading. The best and also the cheapest way to measure your bodyfat percentage is with a bodyfat caliper such as this:

Question

Hi Lee,

Thanks for the customized diet plan that you made for me. Overall, my energy level has really improved and I’m losing bodyfat. But I have a question for you. Some days it is hard for me to take in 180 grams of protein. I just get really full. This usually happens about 3 x per week. On these days when I am feeling more full and less hungry, what should I do? Can I drop down to about 150 grams of protein and 150 grams of carbs?

Do you have any suggestions for controlling carb / sugar cravings during "that time of the month" I did crave sweets for about a day and a half, I had about 200 grams of carbs on 2 days and one of those days I had a snickers bar.

Looking forward to your feedback,

thank you,
Angela Quinn

Answer

Hi Angela,

Try your best to get all your meals and eat 180 grams of protein each day. But if you are feeling full and do not get the entire 180 grams of protein, don't sweat it, just eat as much as comfortable, don't force feed yourself.

Having the occasional sweet treat will not hinder your progress, just don't let it get out of hand. But to help get through the carb / sweet cravings try eating some fruit or have a protein bar, this should help satisfy your hunger and sweet tooth.

There are also a couple little tricks that you can use such as brushing your teeth when you crave carbs. The act of brushing your teeth and the taste of tooth paste will usually get rid of your cravings. Another trick is to pinch your ear lobes hard and hold it for a minute. This is an acupressure point that will help signal the brain to stop the food cravings.

Question

Hi Lee,

Hope you are doing well.

I have a query, I have done body building before but it was light. But from the last one year i havent picked up any weights. NOw i again i want to join the gym and i want to have a physique like brad pitt that is lean, with cutting and fat free.

The question is, should i start with ur 12 week workout program? or should i spend some months in the gym and then start with it.

The second question is that with your 12 week workout can i have a physique like brad pitt.

Thanks,
Asch

Answer

Hi Asch,

Start off with a basic fat loss routine such as the one that I have outlined at: http://www.leehayward.com/art17.htm before moving on to a more advanced workout such as the 12 week program. You can follow pretty much any type of weight training workout routine and get lean as long as you follow a good fat loss diet and do regular cardio as well.

Question

Hi Lee,

I had a couple questions to ask you. First I am doing cardio in the morning on and empty stomach. Do I need to eat something immediately after cardio or should I wait an hour? When I do eat is it okay to eat egg whites, oatmeal, and a tbsp of flaxseed oil for my meal?

Would you recommend me doing a 3 day low carb cycle and a 1 day high carb day? I just finished lipo 6 and I was wondering if I should take another fat burner? I was going to take eca stack once a day but I don't know when to take it and I don't know if it will even benefit me if I only take it once a day. What should I do about taking a fat burning stack, what brands would you recommend and how should i take them along with the eca? I like the eca but the price change is a little too high for me to take it 3 times a day.

Do you have any suggestions for a weight routine as far as how often a week and when? I want to put size in my delts so I am working shoulders twice a week- Mondays and Thursdays. I usually do 3 to 4 exercises each day. Would you recommend this and if so when should I stick in the other body parts so that I am giving them enough time to rest before I work them again?

Ryan

Answer

Hi Ryan,

After your morning cardio just have your normal breakfast afterwards. You don't need any special post workout drink after doing cardio.

Egg whites and oatmeal and flaxseed oil is a great meal to have when training for fat loss.

It is really up to you how you go about cycling your carbs. 3 days low and 1 day high will be fine. I find that most people that I work with like to stick to a lower carb diet during the week days and then eat more on the weekends. But either way will work.

As for the fat burners, I recently read the latest version of Will Brink's e-book of "Diet Supplements Revealed". Will really knows his stuff and has basically taken every fat loss supplement that you can think of and ranked them according to real world results that people have gotten from these products. Below I have listed the highest ranking fat burners. Any of these supplements would help be a good investment and help you with your fat loss program.

- Ephedrine and Caffeine (by far the best fat burning supplement)
- Green Tea Extracts
- Guggul
- Tyrosine

Most others are basically useless or you would have to take so much to get any results that it would not be feasible to use them. If you are interested in learning more about fat loss supplements I suggest that you can get Will Brink's "Diet Supplements Revealed" e-book. It is a great read and will help you make sense of all the hype and crap that has polluted the whole supplement industry.

As for your shoulder workouts you can do them twice per week. Just monitor your progress. If you feel that it is too much or you get any prolonged pain or soreness in your shoulders then cut back to training them once per week.

Here is a good schedule.

Monday
- shoulders
- chest

Tuesday
- back
- biceps

Wednesday - rest

Thursday
- shoulders
- triceps

Friday
- legs
- abs

Saturday & Sunday - rest

I've paired shoulders with chest for the first workout, you can do more isolation exercises for the shoulders on this day as you will be doing a lot of pressing moves with your chest workout. And shoulders with triceps for the second workout, you can do more power moves on this day such as over head presses.