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Fat Burning Food - Food that burn fat

You may have good muscle size but your muscles won't look very impressive if they are hidden under a thick layer of fat. Developing well-defined muscles requires paying as much attention to your fat burning food and diet as to your fat burning training program. No amount of training in the gym will give you a rippling six-pack unless you combine it with the right sort of fat burning eating program. That does not mean 'dieting' though. The term 'dieting' is often laden with negative advice and creates a negative mind-set, setting you up for failure rather than success. Use the nutritional advice from our Diet and Nutrition Section on the basis of your eating plan. In addition, through this article we will help you decide on your body-fat goal and make a plan of action to achieve it. This article gives you a clear fat-burning strategy to shedding body fat without losing muscle. To help you devise your fat-burning eating plan, we also provide step­by-step guidance - based on cutting-edge science - to calculate your calorie, carbohydrate, protein and fat requirements. Finally, we will provide you three nutritionally balanced fat burning eating plans that you can use as the basis for your personal fat burning diet plan.

What is my optimal body-fat percentage

It is impossible to set an optimal body-fat percentage that applies to everyone. The body-fat level that your body comfortably reaches without strict dieting is dependent on your genetic make-up as well as your diet and activity. Your natural body type dictates to some extent how much fat you carry and how readily you store it. For example, if you are an ectomorph (narrow frame, long limbs) or mesomorph (athletic frame, well muscled), you are naturally lean and will be able to achieve a lower body-fat percentage than an endomorph (stocky frame, rounded build) who stores fat easily. But, whatever your natural body type be, you can still achieve a lower body-fat level and more defined physique through consistent hard training and healthy eating. The important point is to decide on a level that is realistic for your build and shape.

How low can I go?

Healthy ranges for the general population are 18%-25% for women and 13%-18% for men. But if you are a strength trainer or bodybuilder, you may desire lower levels. Between 10 and 20% for women and between 6 and 15% for men are common among well-trained athletes - levels that are generally associated with peak performance - but these percentages should be regarded with some caution. If you try to attain a low body-fat percentage that is unnatural for your genetic make-up, you may encounter problems.

For women, a body-fat percentage that is under their individual threshold for menstruation (14-20%) can be risky. Below this, a deficiency of oestrogen and progesterone similar to those levels experienced during and after the menopause can result in amenorrhoea (cessation of menstruation). This can lead to infertility, a loss of bone density, stress fractures and premature osteoporosis. Most experts therefore recommend a lower limit of 14% body fat for women.

If a man's body-fat percentage dips too low, there are health risks too. Studies have shown that when men reach a body-fat level of 4-6%, their bodies start to feed on muscle tissue as a
source of energy and to allow them to maintain their fat stores at a minimal level. It is definitely unwise, if not impossible, to reduce your body fat below this level. Other studies have found that testosterone levels plummet below 5% body fat, causing reduced sexual drive and fertility!

How to design your fat-burning food plan

The following steps show you how to calculate your calorie, carbohydrate, protein and fat needs to lose body fat.

Step 1: Estimate your calorie needs

1. Estimate your resting metabolic rate (RMR) using the appropriate equation in the table below. This is the number of calories you burn at rest over 24 hours maintaining essential functions such as respiration, digestion and brain function.

Example:
For a 28-year-old 70 kg man

RMR = (70 x 15.3) + 679 = 1750 kcal

2. Calculate your daily energy expenditure (without exercise) by multiplying your RMR by one of the numbers below

• if you are mostly sedentary (mostly seated or standing activities during the day): RMR x 1.4
• if you are moderately active (regular brisk walking or equivalent during the day): RMR x 1.7
• If you are very active (generally physically active during the day): RMR x 2.0

Example:
For a 28-year-old 70 kg man who is mostly sedentary:
Daily energy needs (without exercise) = 1750 x 1.4 = 2450 kcal

3. To lose body fat, reduce your maintenance intake by 15%. Simply multiply the figure from 1. by 85%.

Example:
For a 28-year-old 80 kg man, mostly sedentary, who spends 3 hours/week weight training and 1 hour / week running:

RMR = (80 x 15.3) + 679 = 1903 kcal

Daily energy needs (without exercise) = 1903 x 1.4 = 2664 kcal

No. of calories burned during exercise per week = (3 x 492) + 840 = 2316 kcal

Daily energy needs (with exercise) for weight maintenance
= 2664 + (2316/7)
= 2995 kcal

Daily energy needs to lose fat = 2995 x 0.85 = 2546 kcal

Step 2: Calculate your carbohydrate needs

For moderate-intensity training lasting up to one hour, you should aim to consume 4-5 g carbohydrate/kg body weight/day.

Example:
For a 28-year-old 80 kg man, mostly sedentary, who spends 3 hours/week weight training and 1 hour / week running:

Carbohydrate needs = (4 x 80)-(5 x 80) = 320-400 g/day

Average = 360 g/ day

Step 3: Calculate your protein intake

The protein requirement for strength training during weight loss is 1.8-2.0 g/kg body weight/ day.

Example:
For a 28-year-old 80 kg man, mostly sedentary, who spends 3 hours/week weight training and 1 hour / week running:

Protein needs = 2.0 x 80 = 160 g/ day

Step 4: Calculate your fat needs

Fat should contribute 15-20% of your calorie intake. In effect, your fat calories are the balance remaining after you have subtracted your carbohydrate and protein calories from your total calorie intake.

Example:
For a 28-year-old 80 kg man, mostly sedentary, who spends 3 hours/week weight training and 1 hour / week running:

Carbohydrate calories:
= 360 x 4
= 1440 kcal
= 160 x 4
= 640 kcal

Fat calories = (total calories) - (calories from carbohydrate and protein)
= 2546 - 1440 - 640 = 466 kcal
= 466/9
= 52 g

Fat Burning Diet providing 1750 Kcal

Fat Burning Diet providing 2000 Kcal

Fat Burning Diet providing 2500 Kcal

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