Fat Loss / Diet Questions and Answers
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Question

Lee,

I have been losing weight for three years. I started at 305 and 47% body fat. Today I am 194 and 19% bodyfat. The first two years I dieted alone. Come to find out, I probably lost alot of muscle along with fat. For the past year I have been training with weights and cardio. (Lost 35 lbs in the past year) I am left with my body looking pretty good, with the exception of my stomach area and lovehandles. I have not made any progress in 2 months trying to get this stuff off. I tried extreme low caloric intake (1200 per day), and now I am about 1900-2000 per day. This is low-fat and split evemly between carbs and protien. I lift 3 times per week, and do cario 3 times per week. I am afraid that what I have left is not just fat, but is thickened skin, and "old" fat that is my body doesn't recognize as fuel. Maybe I am just grasping at straws. Any advice?

Answer

You have made excellent progress, losing over 100 lbs. is not an easy task.

You should focus more now on building muscle to increase your metabolism and tighten up your body. Eat at least 250 grams of protein each day. Extra protein will increase your lean muscle mass and speed up your metabolism.

Do at least 45 minutes of cardio every morning before eating. Doing your cardio at this time will help you burn more bodyfat, your body will resort to burning fat because there is no food in your system to be used as fuel.

For your weight training follow the 12 week program that I have outlined on my website. This will help to increase your strength and lean muscle mass.

You should also try using the ECA stack before cardio and weight training (if you are not already). Take 25mg of ephedrine, 200mg of caffeine, and 1 regular strength coated aspirin about 15 minutes before working out. This will increase your metabolism, boost your energy levels, and curb your appetite. I use this personally when dieting and it works great.

You can get ephedrine at: http://musclebod.safeshopper.com/54/233.htm You can get caffeine at: http://totfit.safeshopper.com/89/651.htm You can get regular strength coated aspirin at any drug store.

Question

Hi! Lee...

I tapped into your website, and really enjoyed the information I received...However, I was wondering if you could answer a question for me...it would be greatly appreciated....I am 34 year old female....I am currently 50lbs over weight..When I say overweight..it doesn't mean I am a couch potato..I am a working Mom,( a job that consist of being on my feet and active all day long) and I have 3 small children...I have joined up in a gym in Feb./04...and am currently doing a combination of cardio and walking exercises...I have also started some weight lifting...I am not looking to gain all kinds of muscle, just to tone...What is the recommended weight lifting I should do? Meaning can I do weights everyday the week or several days a week...I am seeing a difference in inches, but not much in weight....Should I stop lifting weights if I want to loose weight, or can I continue to lift them and eventually I will loose?Please help....I am desperate to lose this weight....are there some exercises with weights that I could lift at home...With a husband that works a lot of nights...and no one to stay with the kids to get to the gym everyday.....it's difficult to find time to do things for myself.....

Thank - You..Connie

Answer

Hi Connie,

The best way to lose fat and tone up is to combine both weight training and cardio. The weight training will build and tighten up your muscle, the cardio will burn off the excess bodyfat. Don't worry you will not get muscular from weight training, muscle just doesn't grow that fast. If it did then every skinny teenage boy who ever worked out with weights would look like Arnold :-)

A good fat loss workout schedule to follow would be daily cardio and weight training every second day. For cardio this can be as simple as going outside for a 30 minute walk, or it can be using cardio machines at the gym or at home.

To help you lose bodyfat you should do your cardio exercise first thing in the morning before eating. Do 30 minutes of cardio (i.e. walking, cycling, treadmill, etc.) first thing in the morning when you get up. Doing your cardio at this time will help you burn more bodyfat, your body will resort to burning fat because there is no food in your system to be used as fuel. It is a good idea to buy a stationary bike, treadmill, or some other type of cardio equipment for doing your early morning exercise (that is if you don't already have some cardio equipment at home).

One of the best fat loss programs available today is "Tom Venuto's Burn the Fat Feed the Muscle". This is an awesome program that covers exercise and nutrition for fat loss in great detail.

Question

Hi Lee,

I am 5'9 230. My body fat is at 12.9%. I am getting leaner I can feel it. I will have my BF taken again April 1st. I have one question; no one has been able to answer for me. I am real lean now. I can see veins in my forearms and biceps. And I can see striations in my pecs and the outline of my abs. But my abs ALWAYS comes last now matter how lean I get and not a 6 pack, the best I ever had was 4.

I only sore fat in the front of my stomach with more of it in the lower abs. It never goes away. Also I have a slight extended stomach. When relaxed it kind of bulges out but when flexed it is solid. I am not comfortable with that, people tend to notice and comment on it. I have done AS in the past but have not for a year now. Could that be the cause? My main goal is to bring my waist down from 36" to less than 33" and to fix that extended look.

How would I go about doing that? Suggestions? Again my body is weird even when I am below 10% BF my abs do not come in good at all. This summer I would really like to finally have a 6 pack.

Answer

There is nothing wrong with your body or anything, you just need to lose more fat in order to get ripped abs. In order to get lean 6 pack abs you need to get your bodyfat down to about 5% bodyfat. I have a great article that explains how I go about losing bodyfat and getting in shape for a bodybuilding contest at: http://www.leehayward.com/art12.htm

The Transverse Abdominus (TVA) muscles are used to keep the stomach pulled in, making the midsection appear smaller. We all know of people who are lean, but they have a pot belly that sticks out quite a bit. This is because they have weak TVA muscles.

Training the TVA is very easy. Simply blow all of your air out and suck your stomach in and hold it for 15-30 seconds. You can do this several times throughout the day by simply sucking your stomach in. That may seem rather simple, but it works for creating a slimmer waist line.

Question

hey lee --

i recently read a bodybuilding article that claims sprinting (for 6 intervals with jogging; total of 10 min) is more effective at burning fat than running for 30 min. this makes a lot of sense, seeing as how sprinters are much more muscular than runners, but if it were true, wouldnt all bodybuilders use sprinting intervals rather than running to tone up??

which is better at burning fat and preserving muscle?? sprinting intervals or just running??

thanks for your time,

tim

Answer

Hi Tim,

Both methods will work for burning bodyfat. I personally do longer, moderate pace cardio when dieting to lose fat. Usually walking, bike riding, or using cardio machines at the gym. It is just a matter of personal preference, people have gotten excellent results by doing both forms of cardio. If you like sprinting as a form of cardio then go for it. As long as you burn off more calories then you consume, you'll lose bodyfat, regardless if you burn those calories sprinting or walking.

A big reason why sprinters are so muscular is because they do a lot of heavy weight training in order to develop speed and power. I remember several years back seeing a video of Ben Johnson doing full rock bottom squats with 600 lbs. for reps! Sprinters build muscle the same way that bodybuilders do, lifting heavy weights in the gym.

Back in the days when athletes were afraid that lifting weights would make you slow and muscle bound, sprinters had slim builds much like today's marathon runners.

Question

Dear Lee Hayward,

i was just wondering when you go on a cutting diet and you start doing more cardio and stuff, you usually do this for about 6 weeks or so and that should get you pretty ripped. my question is how long will that body fat stay off? is there a way you can keep it off for good? and will i just gain it all right back when i go back to eating as much as i did? but, my diet is very good, i do not eat anything that is bad for me at all, all i drink is water and eat good wholesome foods everyday of my life. and if there is a good cutting diet you can suggest for me that would be great. im 6'2 200 pounds at about 15% bodyfat.

Thanks
Sincerely,
Justin

Answer

Hi Justin,

Depending on how lean you want to get, it could take a lot longer then 6 weeks to get ripped. I personally start preparing for a bodybuilding contest 6 months out (i.e. 26 weeks). A long slow fat loss is the way to go in order to get as ripped as possible while maintaining lean muscle.

You need to keep your diet in check and do regular cardio in order to keep the fat off. But you don't have to be quite as strict as when you are dieting to lose the fat in the first place.

I have some good fat loss articles that you should check out.

Question

Lee,

I love your site. I am 32 years old, 6'0" and currently weigh in at 190 pounds. About a year ago, I was over 340 pounds. I've gone from a 52" to a 32" waist size. I've lost a lot of weight the good old fashioned way: proper diet, lots of cardio, and strength training. I FEEL GREAT! I'm in the best shape of my life. I have good muscle definition, but here's my problem: I've got some sagging skin and stretch marks around my midsection and under my arms. Most of the body fat is gone (I'm down to 17% fat) but is there anything I can do - aside from surgery - to deal with this problem? Do you know of any techniques or products that can actually tighten the skin?

Richard Rost

Answer

Hi Richard,

Congratulations on losing so much weight, that is a huge achievement. However, a common problem with people who lose a lot of weight, such as yourself, is that they have excess loose skin. While it will tighten up a bit on its own, most likely the only way to really get rid of it is through surgery.

Question

Hello Lee.

If I did 20min. of cardio before my workout, and then 20min. after, will that hurt my muscle growth or strength????? I'm trying to lose a bit around the gut, but I don't want to lose the muscles size I have now. (not saying I have big muscles) I'm not trying to get huge just in shape, you know, a good appearance.

Thanks for your time,
Adam.

Answer

Hi Adam,

You can still make good muscle gains by doing cardio. But you would be better off doing a separate cardio workout each day rather then combining your weight training and cardio together. To help you lose bodyfat you should do aerobic exercise first thing in the morning before eating. Do 30 - 45 minutes of cardio first thing in the morning when you get up. Doing your cardio at this time will help you burn more bodyfat, your body will resort to burning fat because there is no food in your system to be used as fuel.

By doing a cardio workout in the morning and then later in the day doing a weight training workout you will burn more bodyfat because you are boosting your metabolism 2 times per day. Your metabolism remains high for several hours after you workout, this accounts for a lot of the calories you burn from exercise.

Also, by keeping your cardio and weight training workouts separate, you will be able to lift heavier weights during your weight training.

Question

Hello Lee.

I would just like to start off by saying you are one of the most impressive people I have ever seen. I was just hoping to get some advice.I am a 22 year old female and I started bodybuilding about a year and a half ago. During that time I was working two physical jobs( took care of most of the cardio). I was working out 5-6 days a week seperating my workouts in muscle groups and changing the intensity of them. Recently I have moved to a different city and I now work at a desk where I am sitting all day long. I have started doing more cardio... lane swimming and speed walking... eliptical trainer at least 3 days a week for 20 minutes or more. I still weight train 5-6 days a week as well. I am having a really hard time maintaining my weight. I am 5'6 and weigh about 135. Since I have stopped moving around my weight has gone up to 147 down to 140. I can't seem to maintain a steady weight. I have tried cutting calories, adding calories and nothing seems to be working. My nutrionalist recently joined the RCMP so he hasn't been able to advice me on this. Before I moved here I was intaking arund 1800 calories/day.50% of those being carbs and the other 50% proteins. I am so frustrated on what to do about this and its really discouraging me. Any advice or suggestions would be really awesome.

Thanks alot,
Armande Weller

Answer

Hi Armande,

Thanks for your e-mail. Having a less active job will certainly cause you to burn less calories over the course of the day. I suggest that you start your day with at least 30 minutes of cardio before eating breakfast. If you have some cardio equipment at home this will work out great. But if you don't you can walk, jog, or bike ride outdoors. You can even go to the gym and do some early morning cardio.

Doing your cardio before breakfast will help you burn more bodyfat, your body will resort to burning fat because there is no food in your system to be used as fuel. It will also boost your metabolism so you are burning more calories over the course of the day.

When I am dieting for a bodybuilding contest I will do 1 hour of cardio every single morning before breakfast. I find that it works awesome for fat loss.

Question

Mr. Hayward,

My name is Andrew and I am 19 years old. My question has to do with muscle definition. I am 5'10", 180lbs -- I am pretty big muscle wise, but I lack definition. When I wear clothes it looks like I am in pretty good shape, but when I take my shirt off (for example) it's nothing great. I have potential, and I just want to know how to reach it. My entire body is like this, the muscle mass is great and is hard when I flex, but it's just not defined...Please let me know what I should do.

Thanks,
Andrew

Answer

Hi Andrew,

Muscle definition is simply having a very low bodyfat levels. I am not saying that you are fat and out of shape, but at this stage your skin is not thin enough to see the muscle hardness underneath. At your age and current size, you should be focusing mainly on getting as big and strong as you can. Once you have bulked up to 200+ lbs. you could then switch your training focus to more of a fat loss program to get really lean and show off the muscle that you have worked so hard to build.

Bodybuilders do this all the time, they will bulk up and get as big and strong as possible in the offseason. Then for several months before a contest they will change their training and focus totally on getting as lean as possible while maintaining the muscle mass they built during their bulking up phase.

Question

hello,

is it possible for me to burn fat while doing 10 reps for each exercise?
whats the best way to burn fat?
should i drink protein everyday, or only after i workout?

Answer

The number of reps you do has no impact on fat loss. You burn fat by eating less calories then you burn off during the day. By eating less (i.e. dieting) and doing more activity (i.e. extra cardio) in addition to weight training you will be able to lose fat.

Drink 3 protein drinks per day. One in the morning, one after your workouts, and another in the evenings.

Question

Hi Lee,

I love your site, very informative. My name is Rick Im 35, 236, and 6'2". I started walking about 2 months ago at 253 pounds because I was tired of being overweight and want to actually have a great healthy body for once in my life. During the first 2 weeks I would walk 1 to 2 miles a day, week 3 I did 3 miles each day, and week 4 up to about a week ago I was doing 4 miles a day. I recently joined a gym to do weight training to build muscle and continue to lose weight. The problem I am having is that I am now confused...I have been reading tons about working out and cardio, etc. and some people are saying that more than 20 mins. of cardio every other day will burn up muscle and is actually counterproductive.What do I do ? Should I up my cardio sessions to a daily routine again ? Maybe 30 mins. a day? (4 miles would take me about 1 hr 15 min) Please help.

Thank You,
Rick

Answer

Hi Rick,

As long as you are eating a good high protein diet and weight training you will not lose muscle by doing cardio. I personally do a minimum of 1 hour of cardio per day when dieting for a bodybuilding contest. That is in addition to my weight training workouts. Cardio is a must in order to burn fat and get lean. You have already seen the results first hand that regular cardio works for losing fat, you have lost almost 20 lbs. in just 2 months which is fantastic!

The only time I would recommend less cardio is for a skinny person who is trying to gain weight. But for someone looking to lose weight and get lean the more cardio you do the better results you will get.

I have an good article on my website that you should check out at: http://www.leehayward.com/how_much_exercise.htm This article will help clear up any confusion about how much exercise you should be doing.

Question

Lee, my name is joshua and i am in the united states army. i was stationed in fort bragg north carolina for three years. i used to do alot of airborne operations there. i injured my right knee and it is very difficult to do alot of running/cardio activities now. since being injured i gained about 15 unwanted pounds. i was recently selected to attend another specialty military school and have to cut at least 8 of those pounds in the next 3 weeks to be in tip top shape. but for once i dont want that minimum to be my goal. i would like to cut down to a healty, cut 155 lbs. i am not a regular gym goer but i do the regular military excersices and it just isnt enough anymore. i have already changed my diet and started to just grin and bear the pain so i can get at least 20 minutes of cardio twice a day, and about an hour in the gym each day focusing on abs (love handles especially) and upper body. so far so good. i just dont want to get frustrated and give up when i dont see results right away like i used to do. my question to you is what should my average meals/calories be like each day and is there anything i can do to focus on losing the belly in about three weeks. if there is any information you could help me out with i would appreciate it. AND PLEASE TELL ME I DONT HAVE TO COMPLETELY CUT OUT THE BEER.

Ps, what are some examples of goood stuff to eat. I.E., tuna, veggies, milk, chicken, rice, that kind of stuff?

my stats are 25 years old, 171 lbs, 5 foot 6 inches, 15 and a half inch neck and 33 waist, pant size but around the belly button about 36.5 inches.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.

Answer

Hi Joshua,

To help you lose bodyfat you should do aerobic exercise first thing in the morning before eating. Do 20-30 minutes of cardio first thing in the morning when you get up. Doing your cardio at this time will help you burn more bodyfat, your body will resort to burning fat because there is no food in your system to be used as fuel. Experiment with different forms of cardio and try to find those that do not aggravate your knee. Walking, bike riding, cardio machines in the gym, swimming, etc. are all good forms of low impact cardio.

For your nutrition, you have to eat at least 1 gram of protein per pound of bodyweight per day. A high protein diet raises your metabolism, allowing you to burn more fat, it doesn't cause water retention like a high carb diet can, and protein will satisfy your appetite more and make you feel less hungry. As well, protein supplies the nutrients needed to build lean muscle. For protein eat foods such as: lean beef, skinless chicken, skinless turkey, fish, eggs, skim milk, protein shakes, high protein bars, etc.

Reduce the amount of starchy carbohydrates that you eat (i.e. breads, rice, potatoes, pasta, etc.) and eat more fibrous carbs (i.e. vegetables).

Keep your fat intake as low. Avoid foods all junk foods and fried foods. And yes you are going to have to stop drinking beer if you want to get lean. Beer contains pure garbage calories that are easily stored as bodyfat. That is like asking can I still eat cookies and ice cream and lose fat.

Here is a sample days eating:

- bowl of oatmeal
- protein drink (i.e. Optimum Nutrition Whey Protein at:http://totfit.safeshopper.com/81/570.htm)

- can of tuna
- garden salad

- 2 chicken breasts
- 1 baked potato

- protein drink

- steak
- steamed veggies
- 1 cup of rice

- protein drink

Question

Obviously since I'm writing you I need help! I recently quit my new workout because I gained 8.5 lbs in less than 3 weeks- the opposite of what I want to achieve. The workout breaks down each muscle group into a phase (7 phases in all) with cardio in between. I loved the workout but hate the results. I emailed the creator of the workout and was told perhaps it was my diet. So let me tell you a little about myself. I'm 5'4", currently 136 lbs (I want to be around 115) and a lacto-ovo vegetarian. I eat very healthy- better than anyone I know- and I don't eat junk food, drink soda or coffee. I've been veggie for 8 years, so I'm pretty well versed in the do's and don'ts and I refuse to eat meat to lose weight. I was doing that particular workout 3 times a week each lasting about an hour. In between days I would concentrate on my abs and do pilates. I also walk for an hour most nights. The weekends are off days, though I usualy end up doing some form of physical activity like hiking. So what do I need to do to lose weight? According to all the articles I'm doing everything right, but I keep getting bigger. Help!

Thank you,
Erica Thomas

Answer

Hi Erica,

Even though you are eating "healthy" you can still be eating too much to lose weight. If you eat more calories then you burn off you will gain weight, even if you are only eating vegetarian foods. To lose fat you need to eat less calories then you burn off during the day. It is really as simple as that.

When you weigh yourself you need to be consistent. Weigh yourself once a week at the same time (i.e. every Saturday morning) your bodyweight can easily fluctuate up or down 5 lbs. over the course of the day just from water and food in your system. If you eat more then usual one day your weight may be higher then normal for a few days just from extra water retention. Also your period will affect your bodyweight due to water retention.

Make sure that you use the same scale to weigh yourself each time, different scales can vary by several pounds.

Dress the exact same each time you weigh yourself (or weigh yourself while wearing nothing) clothing varies in weight and through off your reading.

Working out will not cause you to gain weight. The only way to gain weight is over eating. If you really did gain 8 lbs. over the last 3 weeks it was from over eating. Not your workout routine.

To lose weight you need measure and write down everything you eat and keep track of your calories you are eating every day. Start off eating 12 calories per pound of bodyweight each day. So at your current bodyweight 136 lbs. x 12 will equal 1632 calories per day. Space your meals apart so that you are eating about 4-5 small meals per day. A good book to help you keep track of your calories is "The Complete Book of Food Counts" you can get this at http://www.amazon.com

Stick with this amount of food for 2 weeks and keep track of your bodyweight. If you are losing at least 1 lb. per week then keep doing what you are doing because it is working. If you do not lose at least 1 lb. per week you will need to increase your exercise to burn off more calories, or cut back on your food intake until you are consistently losing at least 1 lb. per week.

Question

Dear Mr. Hayward,

My name is Chris, and I am eighteen years old. Over the summer i started a diet and went from 270 pounds to 186 pounds, and i am six foot tall. My problem is that i have some stubborn fat on the lower part of my abs. When I am standing, it is not noticeable, but when I sit, it turns into a flabby jelly-roll. I work out at the gym five days a week, doing cardio for about 20 minutes, then lifting weights for about an hour, and then doing abs for about twenty more minutes. In my ab workout, I do three sets of fifteen hanging leg raises, then some weighted crunches with a twenty five pound plate, and some other workouts that i can't remember the names of. I try to eat approximately 2000 calories per day. Most of it is protein. The only carbs i eat come from whole grains, a lot of fruits, and nonfat yogurt. I limit my fat intake and dont eat any junk foods whatsoever. I also take a supplement called CLA because i've read that it help get rid of the stubborn abdominal fat.

Can you please tell me if i am doing anything wrong that is making me retain this fat, because i really want abs?

Thank You,

Chris.

PS: Thamk you for creating your website because it is very helpful to a lot of people.

Answer

Hi Chris,

That is awesome. A weight loss of over 80 lbs. is quite an accomplishment!

What you have been doing is obviously working for you. So keep with your diet and workout routine. The fat loss now will be slower then when you first started, simply because you have less fat to lose. I would suggest that you add in an extra cardio session each day. For example, if you workout in the evening add in an extra cardio session in the morning (or vise versa). By exercising 2 times per day you will increase your metabolism more and burn more fat and calories. This will help you get rid of that last bit of bodyfat covering your abs. The extra cardio session doesn't have to be anything too fancy. A 30 minute walk, bike ride, cardio machine, etc. It really doesn't matter what you do for cardio as long as you keep moving for 30 minutes.

Question

Hi,

my names Andrew I am 17. Recently I lost a lot of weight on a diet and went from a 40 waist to a 32. Most of my body wasn't toned so I started weight training and exersising. Most of my body is quite toned now and I am really impressed with the progress i have made, but i still have male breasts. I was considering surgery but I decided i would rather work on it. I really could do with some help or exercises to get rid of them. I want to be confident when wearing a t-shirt and taking my top off in the summer. Please give me some help and tips

Thanks

Answer

Hi Andrew,

Great job on the fat loss, losing 8 inches off your waist is awesome!

One of the best exercises that I have found for tightening up the chest is push ups. Everyday do 2 sets of as many push ups as you can do. Each day try to get at least 1 more rep then you did the day before. By doing daily push ups you will be pumping blood in the muscles on a regular basis and literally force your chest to improve. Give this a try and you will start to see improvements in your chest development within 1 month.

Question

how do you get your veins to show so much in some of your photos...i was watching some show on mtv about some bodybuilder and he said right before his competition he drank less water or something about elss sodium or something to make his veins show more

Answer

The first step to getting more veins to show is getting really lean. If you are carrying any excess bodyfat at all this will cover up your veins and muscle definition.

I have a good fat loss article that explains what I do to get in top shape for a bodybuilding contest at: http://www.leehayward.com/art12.htm

Question

Hi lee,

I need some advice as this whole fitness thing is beginning to screw up my brain!

Im following your weights routine of heavy as possible monday wednesday friday - squats /deadlifts/bench press - the lot - i am becoming stroner im sure - I take whey isolate twice a day every day of the week (mornings and evenings) - now lee my body fat percentage measured with the accu measurer you advised me to get is 15%. Im currently 13st and 4 lb. Now lee the thing is my chest is big, but not firm - it is floppy and doesnt look like pecs but more like floppy manboobs - get me - now lee if i perform 1 hour of cardio on the days i dont do weights - half an hour after the day i do weights what will happen to me??????? - i wanna become lean but im scared ill become skinny if i dont carry on doing my weights - i just want a firm chest and body with good definition - as you already know, muscles always look bigger on lean people due to the illusion created by the curves seen! So lee 3 days of heavy weights and cardio every day with a high protein and some carbs diet will achive what???????should i be taking creatine with this routine also - Just dont wana lose my muscle becoz its taken some time for me build some up - i used to weigh 12st 2 lb -

Also lee does that accu body fat measurer really work - is i important to monitior body fat every week? or month??

Thanks lee , kind regards

Many thanks, Jaz

Answer

Hi Jaz,

You are not going to lose your muscle mass if you are training regularly and eating a high protein diet (i.e. a minimum of 1 gram of protein per pound of bodyweight each day).

I am currently dieting to get ready for a bodybuilding contest and I am doing 1 hour of cardio every morning and doing weight training in the evenings (2 days on, 1 day off).

I currently weigh 215 lbs. and am going to diet down to 195 lbs. for the contest which is on December 4.

I am eating 5-6 small meals per day. On average I am eating 250 grams of protein, 200 grams of carbs, and 75 grams of fat per day. My diet consists mostly of lean meats, fish, chicken, egg whites, fat free cottage cheese, protein drinks, green veggies, potatoes, rice, oatmeal, etc. I drink at least 1 gallon of water per day. I mix a teaspoonful of creatine with each of my protein drinks (I usually have 3 protein drinks per day). Creatine is good when dieting because it helps maintain strength and muscle size.

I weigh myself at the same time each week. As long as I am losing a minimum of 1 lb. per week then I keep my diet and training the same. If I do not lose at least 1 lb. per week then I will cut back on my carb intake slightly until I am losing a minimum of 1 lb. per week.

You can follow a similar diet and training approach for yourself to get lean.

Yes, the accu-measure bodyfat tester works. You should measure your bodyfat every couple of weeks.

Question

What are your opinions on cheat meals? I am going to start having one a week starting next month.

Mike

Answer

Hi Mike,

If you have a cheat meal have it after a workout. This way your metabolism will be higher and the food will less likely be stored as bodyfat. It is ok to have a cheat meal once a week to help make dieting a bit easier and it will also help to prevent your metabolism from slowing down.

If you have been dieting for a while and you find that your fat loss is slowing down. You should also try cycling your carb intake. For example, lets say that you have been eating 200 grams of carbs per day for the last several weeks.

You would cycle your carbs by eating:
- 300 grams of carbs for 2 days
- 100 grams of carbs for 2 days
- 200 grams of carbs for 2 days
- Repeat...

By doing this you are still averaging 200 grams of carbs per day. But because you are cycling high and low carb days your body will respond with greater fat loss, espically when you go down to 100 grams of carbs for a couple days. And your metabolism will remain high because of the high carb days. If you do use the carb cycling technique you can incorporate your weekly cheat meal into one of the high carb days.

Question

Hi Lee,

I checked out your website and found it very imformative. I am 33 years old and gave birth to my daughter on 3/10/2004. I started out at 117 and ended at 173. I am currently at 125 and I am stuck. I want to get back to my pre pregnancy size and lose the fat around my belly. Please help me. I try to watch what I eat. I never touch fast food and very little sweets. I try to attend the gym where I ride a stationary bike for 30 minutes and I do weights as much as I can. Could you give me some tips?

I also find that I don't have any energy to work out and I have to force myself to the gym. It is almost like I have muscle fatigue. Should I be drinking more water and what types of food should I be eating? Would you recommend a supplement and does fasting work for the last 8 pounds?

Thank you for any advice.
Sue Davis

Answer

Hi Sue,

Congratulations on your weight loss, you are almost back to your pregnancy weight! I have outlined a few tips to help you lose those last few pounds.

For your nutrition, you have to eat at least 1 gram of protein per pound of bodyweight per day. A high protein diet raises your metabolism, allowing you to burn more fat, it doesn't cause water retention like a high carb diet can, and protein will satisfy your appetite more and make you feel less hungry. As well, protein supplies the nutrients needed to build lean muscle. For protein eat foods such as: lean beef, skinless chicken, skinless turkey, fish, eggs, skim milk, protein shakes, high protein bars, etc.

Protein supplements will make it a lot easier and cheaper to get extra protein in your diet. I personally use Optimum Nutrition Whey Protein because it is cheaper then the other brands and it is very good quality. I use this just like any other protein food. For example, you could have 2 chicken breasts and you would get approx. 40 grams of protein. Or you could have 2 scoops of protein powder and get 40 grams of protein. One is not really better then the other, except protein drinks are much more convenient and cheaper then most high protein foods. I usually have 3 high protein food meals per day and 3 protein drinks per day.

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Reduce the amount of starchy carbohydrates that you eat (i.e. breads, rice, potatoes, pasta, etc.) and eat more fibrous carbs (i.e. green vegetables).

You should be drinking at least 10+ glasses of water everyday. An easy way to do this is to keep a bottle of water close by at all times and sip water during the day (as I am writing this I have a bottle of water on my desk). This will help with fat loss, rid your body of toxins, improve your skin tone, increase energy levels, etc.

To help you lose bodyfat you should do aerobic exercise first thing in the morning before eating. Do 30 - 45 minutes of cardio (i.e. walking, cycling, treadmill, etc.) first thing in the morning when you get up. Doing your cardio at this time will help you burn more bodyfat, your body will resort to burning fat because there is no food in your system to be used as fuel. Daily cardio exercise is the key to successful fat loss, it will keep your metabolism high and prevent any excess calories from being stored as bodyfat.

I highly recommend that you check out Tom Venuto's Burn The Fat, Feed The Muscle Program. This is one of the best fat loss programs available. There have been literally thousands of people make incredible progress using the Burn The Fat, Feed The Muscle Program. You can check it out for yourself at: http://www.leehayward.com/burn_the_fat.htm

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