Losing the Last Ten Pounds of Stubborn Fat

Losing the Last Ten Pounds of Stubborn Fat

Introduction

For anyone who begins their body transformation program with a significant amount of fat to lose, the initial stages can be deceptively easy; just by eating healthier and/or exercising makes excess body fat magically vanish. However, as a person approaches the range of single-digit body-fat-percentages, it is the human body's natural inclination to attempt to hold onto the last stores of body fat. I have been stuck in this seemingly impossible situation, and it required years of trial and error experimentation until I found out what works for me. I wrote this article to help other people who are experiencing the same difficulties. I cannot ensure that what has worked for me will also work for you, and I strongly encourage you to consult with your physician before changing up your diet or exercise regimen.

Alternate Different Types of Cardiovascular Exercise

Our bodies are biomechanical machines, and the more our bodies repeat the same physical activities, the more efficient our bodies will become at performing these activities. Unfortunately, there are only so many different types of exercises that we can do to train the same muscles, so the best we can do is to occasionally change it up a little bit to keep our bodies challenged. When I approach the last ten pounds of fat-loss, I keep my strength training constant, but I routinely alternate my cardiovascular exercise between high-intensity and low-intensity cardiovascular exercises.

There are two reasons for alternating different types of cardio: high-intensity cardiovascular training targets fast-twitch muscles and accelerates my metabolism for 24-48 hours following the exercise, and low-intensity cardiovascular exercise targets slow-twitch muscles and uses large amounts of energy during the actual exercise. I have found the greatest success by alternating these two types of cardio (every other day), partly because my legs are too sore to do high-intensity workouts every day, but I can also ride the metabolic boost for 2 days following a high-intensity workout, whilst doing long distance, low-intensity calorie-burners (hiking, walking, etc.) in-between.

High-Intensity Cardio: Accelerates the metabolism for 24-48 hours following the workout, and can be great for building leg muscles (if the workout includes squats, lunge-jumps, squat-jumps, high stepping, etc.).

Low-Intensity Cardio: Uses a lot of energy during the exercise and is a good stretch for the legs on the days following high-intensity workouts.

Stop Drinking Alcohol

Many trainers tell their clients to avoid alcohol in order to lose weight, but they do not usually explain why. This is unfortunate, because their advice would be much more persuasive if they provided some basis. Here are few reasons: Alcohol is empty calories; alcohol can suppress testosterone production in men; the presence of alcohol prevents the liver from sourcing body fat from the body's fat stores, because alcohol is toxic and is therefore processed by the liver before anything else; and, alcohol can impair good judgment regarding dietary choices. This list is by no means exhaustive, but it should be sufficiently persuasive.

Increase Water Intake

Water is important for several reasons: joint lubrication, kidney function, liver function, fat metabolism, and much, much more. Sometimes when the body needs water, we mistake thirst signals as hunger pangs. Staying hydrated will prevent this mix-up from occurring. I try to drink at least one gallon of water every day, and sometimes more during intense cardio phases. Although it is possible to drink a toxic amount of water and cause some serious damage, most people do not get anywhere near water intoxication (Google "Water Intoxication").

Increase Fiber Intake

Fiber is beneficial to the digestive and circulatory systems; and can help to balance blood sugar levels. Controlling blood sugar levels is vital to fat loss, because blood sugar triggers insulin release. When insulin levels are constantly elevated, the body can become stuck in fat-storage mode. When I approach the last phase of fat loss (cutting), I eat a lot of fiber (beans) to control blood sugar/insulin levels. For fiber, the USRDA (Recommended Daily Allowance) is somewhere in the range of 20 to 30 grams per day for adults; I increase my fiber intake to 60 to 80 grams per day. This is difficult and painful for many people- talk to your doctor before you try this.

Decrease or Eliminate Refined Carbohydrates and Other Processed Foods

eliminate all sugars during a cutting phase.  limit carbohydrates to very simple, unprocessed foods, such as brown rice, potatoes, beans, and other unprocessed vegetables. This is primarily to manage blood sugar/insulin levels, but it is also to aid in digestion. Overall, I have found that the body functions better when it does not have to un-process, or reverse the chemical processes that went into, many processed foods- this goes for proteins and fats as well as carbohydrates.

Keep a Food Journal

If you are not already doing this, then start now. Keeping a food journal, even for a week or two, will help you gain insight into your actual food intake. Many people are surprised when they look back over their journal and discover how much [and what] they are actually consuming. After keeping a food journal for a short time, most people become adept at remembering everything that they eat and the food journal becomes unnecessary. I still do it sometimes to track my protein intake.

Reference

R. West