In the last 3 parts, you learned all the fundamentals of proper and effective fat loss nutrition and exercise. So now in this last section, you're going to learn now to put this altogether into an action plan.
This is a quick 5-step process where you'll follow to put together a fat blasting program. You can use this plan for all your future weight loss efforts because results are repeatable.
This is what I call the law of repetitive success. If you've succeeded wit ha program in the past, you can apply a similar program in the present and for the future (with some minor adjustments) for greater results.
If you have 30 lbs to lose and you've already lost 15 lbs in 4 months, what's stopping you from losing another 15 lbs in the next 4-6 months? All it takes is time and your commitment to actions for implementing all the steps.
Now, let's move to the 5 steps,
1)First, calculate the amount of calories you need to start losing weight
Recall we talked about creating a negative energy balance by eating only slightly less than maintenance calorie requirement. The equations are as follow,
For men, to find MCR (maintenance calorie intake) , multiply 16 by current body weight
- 16 X BW = MCR
For women, multiply 14 by current body weight
- 14 X BW = MCR
Now to find calories needed to lose weight, simply subtract 400 from MCR,
- MCR – 400 = Calorie Deficit Requirement for Fat Loss
So use those formulas and start plugging numbers to see how many calories you need to eat to start losing fat. First, find your MCR, then find the calories need to lose weight.
2)Make a diet following the nutrition rules from the nutrition section
Refer back to the first 2 articles in this series for a list of the fat loss nutrition rules. Remember you'll be taking the calorie deficit requirement to come up with a diet.
Use the recommended food choices listed in the nutrition section. Include complete proteins, low GI carbohydrates, and essential good fats sources in your diet.
Split your diet into 5-6 meals per day. Use either a 50/30/20, 40/40/20, or 33/33/33 carb, protein, fats ratio.
Don't worry about coming up with a perfect diet. Avoid perfection because perfection can sidetrack and confuse you. For example, if you calculated that you need 2,457 calories to lose weight, you don't need to eat exactly 2,457 calories. Round that number off to 2,450 or 2,460.
Make things easier for yourself. And don't worry too much about not following your diet to a T. You'll doing well if you follow your 80-90% of your diet. A bag of chips once a week will do little to no harm. If you screw up, don't abandon your diet and start over. It is much better to do 80% of the things right than not starting at all. Starting over if you just screw up a bit will only hinder and delay your progress.
The real goal here is to start a diet, put it into action, and see results. There is no such thing as a perfect diet.
3)Exercise using a combination of body weight exercises, strength training, and high intensity interval cardio, HIIT.
Do 3 high intensity (HIIT-like) workouts per week in whatever exercise modality you choose. All 3 workouts could be weights, body weight training, or distance cardio. It's your pick. Do one workout every other day.
For example,
- Workout 1, Monday- Strength Training (I highly recommend using a circuit routine approach)
- Workout 2, Wednesday- HIIT cardio (high intensity interval conditioning with the exercise modality of your choice: running, jumping rope, swimming, etc.)
- Workout 3, Friday- Bodyweight Exercise or Strength Training (if strength training, use different exercises
- Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday are rest days. You can also do some very light cardio or jogging for 30-40 minutes.
Follow the guidelines set from the exercise section in part 3. For more information on how to structure high intensity workouts for fat loss, check out the following articles as well,
- Short Workouts for Fat Loss: Lose Fat with HIIT Cardio
- Weight Loss Cardio the Right Way: High Intensity Interval Cardio for Fast Fat Loss
- How to Lose Body Fat with the 100 Burpees Challenge
- 100 Burpees Fat Loss Challenge: A No-Nonsense Bodyweight Routine at Home
- Lose More Fat by Lifting Weights
- Lose Fat Easily with High Intensity Interval Workouts
- The Ultimate Exercise For Losing Body Fat
Consult bodybuilding.com's exercise database section for full text and pictorial instructions on how to do each exercise.
http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/exercises.htm
Also, come back to ProjectPhysique.com and visit the exercise database section when it is updated. I've also added a list of exercise databases you can consult at the end of this report.
So take out a piece of paper and start writing and drafting your exercise program based on what we've just covered.
4)Sleep and Naps
For sleeping and napping, there's not much to it. Just make a commitment that you'll get at least 6-8 hours of good sleep a night. This is effortless. Make sleep a priority.
5)Measurements Tracking
This last step has to do with measurements and tracking. Each week, weigh yourself on an empty stomach. Go relieve yourself at the bathroom first, then drink a glass of water and weigh yourself on the scale. Make sure the scale is calibrated to 0 first. Record your weight. And keep this schedule consistent every week.
Weigh yourself on the same day each week on similar times, give or take an hour. In fact, to start this program, start it on a Monday and weigh yourself on a Monday morning before school and/or work. This starting weight will be your base point to analyze results for over the course of your fat loss program.
Next, buy a body fat caliper and record your body fat percentage. I recommend a the Accu-Measure Fitness 3000 caliper available at http://www.accumeasurefitness.com. It's only $20.
The percentage that you get from manual body fat calipers are only approximate figures and rough estimates. They're not 100 % accurate. But you can get an idea of where you stand on the body fat % scale.
Finally, buy a notebook and use it as a workout and diet journal. Each workout, take a few minutes to record what you did in the gym and the number of reps you completed for each exercise. Take a few minutes to also record your diet and the foods you're eating daily. It's not too much work. Jot down your thoughts as well. It can serve as a daily life journal.
So that's it. Take all the information in this series and roll with it. I recommend setting both short and long term goals. Set a time limit for each goal. Let's say you're aiming to lose 30 lbs. Losing 30 lbs would be your long term goal because it's not going to happen over night. Your short term goal would to be lose your first 10 lbs in a short time. Let's take 2 months for example. Set a short term goal of losing 10 lbs in 2 months. And let's say you do lose your first 10 lbs successfully. Now, you'll have to repeat the entire fat loss process 2 more times in 4 months. Mission accomplished.
Refer back to your goals at least twice a day to remind yourself of your initiative. Make daily dieting and training a habit. The result lies in the journey first of developing a fitness lifestyle habit which will then translate into long term results for a lean, slim, and fit body.
So take action today. Follow all the guidelines in this series. Set a plan, write it down, and train.
Train Hard. Train Safely. Train Smart.
If you have any questions or comments, don't hesitate to leave a comment below or email me at ZQH245@gmail.com or ZQH250@gmail.com
Resources
Exercise Databases
Bodybuilding.com's exercise database offers expert instructions with pictures of over 300 strength training and body weight exercises
Muscleandstrength.com's video database offers video instructions of over 600 different exercises,
ExRx.net has an extensive exercise database of every exercise you can think of,
I also recommend Stuart McRobert's “The Insider's Handbook on Weight Training Technique” guide for expert instructions on executing and performing the compound weight lifting exercises safely and efficiently for maximum gains and results. You can pick up a used copy at Amazon.com
For any questions, comments, and inquiries on consultations for my fitness coaching and personal training services, you can contact me directly at or leave a message at ZQH245@gmail.com or ZQH250@gmail.com
http://www.ProjectPhysique.com/blog
Here's a list of the recommend books to further your fat loss and fitness education,
- The Abs Diet: The Six-Week Plan to Flatten Your Stomach, David Zinczenko
- Starting Strength, Mark Rippetoe and Lon Kilgore
- Supertraining, Mel Siff
- The New Encyclopedia of Modern Bodybuilding, Arnold Schwarzenegger
- The New Rules of Lifting for Women: Lift Like a Man, Look Like a Goddess, Lou Schuler
- Infinite Intensity, Ross Enamait
- Never Gymless, Ross Enamait
- Full Throttle Conditioning( guide and DVD), Ross Enamait
-all three Ross Enamait products can be found at RossTraining.com
- Bodybuilding Revealed, Will Brink at BodybuildingRevealed.com
- Everything You Need to Know About Fat Loss, Chris Aceto
- The 7 Principles of Fat Burning: Get Healthy, Lose Weight, and Keep it Off, Dr. Eric Berg
- Strength Training Anatomy
- , Frederic Delavier
- Nutrient Timing System: The Science of Sports Nutrition, Dr. John Ivy
- The New Rules of Lifting: Six Basic Moves for Maximum Muscle, Lou Schuler
Here's a list of helpful online message boards, communities, and forums pertaining to bodybuilding, fat loss, and general fitness. These sites are also great sources of bodybuilding knowledge and information,
photo credits:
digital sophia photography
Steve Keys
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