THE FAST WAY TO A LEAN BODY
If you want fast results, and you want to start today, there’s no easier way than this 4-week diet and exercise plan. It’s based on the scientific research of Jeff Volek, PhD, RD, one of the world’s top nutrition scientists.
In a recent study at the University of Connecticut, Volek and his colleagues found that the combination of a low-carb diet, workout nutrition, and weight training is an incredibly potent formula for shedding fat and quickly improving health. Study participants lost up to 10 pounds of pure fat per month, and many reported that, after just a week or two on the plan, they had higher energy levels and slept better.
More important, the study subjects slashed their risks of heart disease and diabetes—even more so than those who followed a low-fat diet. Case in point: The low-carb lifters dropped their total cholesterol by 12 percent, reduced triglycerides by 32 percent, decreased insulin by 32 percent, and lowered C-reactive protein (CRP)—a marker of inflammation—by 21 percent. And they did all of this simply by following a diet and exercise plan like the one in this chapter.
Consider this your 4-week quick-start guide to losing your gut and getting healthy for life.
The way this diet works is simple: Cutting back on carbs reduces your calorie intake, causing weight loss. But it also triggers your body to use its fat stores—instead of sugar—as its primary source of energy. Research shows this helps people better control blood sugar, hunger, and cravings. So you’ll eat less without feeling deprived. The end result is that you’ll lose fat faster and more easily than ever before.
Eat any combination of the foods from the three categories listed in the following chart, until you feel satisfied but not stuffed. It’s likely that this simple approach will regulate your appetite. The upshot: You’ll automatically eat less and lose fat—without having to count calories.
The Guidelines
Consume high-quality protein at every meal. Eating protein ensures that your body always has the raw material to build and maintain your muscle, even while you lose fat. It also helps you feel fuller, faster.
Go ahead, eat fat. Dietary fat is a crucial factor in helping you control the total number of calories your body craves. That’s because it’s very effective at keeping you feeling satisfied after you’ve eaten. So know this: As long as you’re losing fat, you’re not eating too much of it.
Indulge in vegetables. When researchers at SUNY Downstate Medical Center in New York City polled more than 2,000 low-carbohydrate dieters, they found that, on average, those who were most successful consumed at least four servings of low-starch vegetables each day.
Avoid foods that contain sugar and starch. These are the foods that are high in carbohydrates. The list includes bread, pasta, potatoes, rice, beans, candy, regular soda, and baked goods—as well any other foods that contain grains, flour, or sugar. An easy way to gauge: Read the ingredients label. If a food contains more than 5 grams of carbohydrate per serving, skip it. And don’t obsess either. When ordering food at a restaurant, just worry about the main components of the meal. Sure, there could be hidden sugar or starch in a dish, but if the recommended foods are the major players, you’ll be fine. Just use your best judgment.
Limit your fruit and milk intake. In the study, participants were told to avoid these two foods as well, in order to keep their total carbohydrate intake below 50 to 75 grams a day without having to count carbs. However, you can consume milk as well as low-calorie fruits, particularly berries and melons, if you don’t overdo it and you monitor your overall carb consumption.
As a general rule, limit yourself to two total servings of fruit and milk combined. A serving of fruit is ½ cup; a serving of milk is 1 cup (8 ounces). Each contains about 10 grams of carbohydrate. So in a day, you might have ½ cup of berries and a cup of milk, or just 1 cup of berries.
LOW-STARCH VEGETABLES* |
|
ARTICHOKES | MUSHROOMS |
ASPARAGUS | ONIONS |
BROCCOLI | PEPPERS |
BRUSSELS SPROUTS | SPINACH |
CAULIFLOWER | TOMATOES |
CELERY | TURNIPS |
CUCUMBERS | ZUCCHINI |
NATURAL FATS |
AVACADOS |
BUTTER |
COCONUT |
CREAM |
NUTS & SEEDS** |
OLIVES, OLIVE OIL, AND CANOLA OIL |
FULL-FAT SOUR CREAM AND SALAD DRESSINGS |
* These are just a few common examples of low-starch vegetables, but you can consider any vegetable besides potatoes, peas, and corn to be fair game.
** Limit yourself to two servings a day (a serving is about a handful).
Don’t complicate your eating plan. Just think of it as a meat-and-vegetables diet. Here’s a sampling of what you might eat throughout your day.
Breakfast: Any type of eggs, whether scrambled, fried, boiled, poached, or made into an omelet (with all the fixings). You can add cheese, of course, and serve with any type of meat—even bacon and sausage.
Snacks: Just about any type of cheese makes a great snack, as do nuts and seeds—almonds, peanuts, sunflower seeds, and pumpkin seeds are ideal. So are fresh vegetables dipped in ranch dressing. And, of course, a protein shake works at any time of day.
Lunch: A great choice is a big salad that includes chicken, turkey, or tuna—for example, a chicken Caesar or a Cobb salad. But you could also eat a burger without a bun, or you could have leftovers from the previous night’s dinner.
Dinner: This should be your easiest meal of the day. Just pair any meat with any approved vegetable and you’re sticking to the plan. A great meal might be a sirloin with a Caprese salad of tomatoes and mozzarella, or roast chicken with steamed broccoli.
You can consume any beverage that has 5 or fewer calories per serving. What’s on the list? Water, of course. But also unsweetened coffee or tea (you can use cream), and no-calorie beverages such as diet soda and Crystal Light.
As for alcohol, it’s fine in moderation. Limit yourself to two drinks per day of wine, light beer, or hard liquor. Just make sure any liquor you down isn’t combined with a mixer that contains calories, such as juice or regular soda.
Use these guidelines, as study participants did, anytime you perform the workout. Here’s what to do: Consume at least 20 grams of protein anywhere from an hour before to 30 minutes after your workout. A protein shake is ideal at this time. Use a product that’s mostly protein, with only small amounts of carbs and fat. For instance, At Large Nutrition Nitrean (www.atlargenutrition.com) is an excellent choice. One serving has 24 grams of protein, 2 grams of carbs, and 1 gram of fat. So use that for comparison shopping. You can also eat regular food, of course. Here are some easy options:
• A small can (3.5 ounces) of tuna
• 3 to 4 ounces (three to four slices) of deli meat, such as turkey or chicken
• A serving of any kind of lean meat that’s about the size of a deck of cards
• 3 eggs: hard-boiled, scrambled, fried
Troubleshooting
1. If you’re not achieving the results you want, monitor your calorie intake. Simply multiply your target body weight by 10 to 12. The total is the number of daily calories you should shoot for.
2. Don’t be surprised if you’re irritable or tired for the first 3 to 4 days. Your body typically needs a few days to adjust. If it’s been 5 or more days and you still feel tired, make sure you’re getting adequate salt and drinking enough water. A good rule of thumb: Consume 8 to 12 ounces of water for every 2 hours that you’re awake. And don’t avoid fat. This diet increases your body’s use of fat for energy, so you absolutely need to eat fat.
3. If you’re having GI discomfort, try taking a fiber supplement—such as Metamucil or Benefiber—once a day.
Now you can lose fat your way, thanks to Craig Rasmussen, CSCS, who has designed a cutting-edge flab-busting workout that allows you to choose the exercises. Think of it as DIY fat loss: Just plug and play—and watch your gut melt away.
• Select your exercises using the guidelines provided. Then refer to the charts Workout A and Workout B for the prescribed sets, reps, and rest.
• Three days a week, alternate between Workout A and Workout B, resting for at least a day after each session. So if you plan to lift on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, you’d do Workout A on Monday, Workout B on Wednesday, and Workout A again on Friday. The next week, you’d do Workout B on Monday and Friday, and Workout A on Wednesday.
• Do the exercises in the order shown. For each exercise, use the heaviest weight that allows you to complete all of the prescribed repetitions. (See “How Much Weight Should I Use”? in Chapter 2, for more detailed instructions.)
• Perform Exercise 1 as a straight set. That is, complete all of your sets of that movement before moving on to Exercise 2A. Rest for 1 minute after each set.
• Perform Exercises 2A and 2B as a pair. Do one set of Exercise 2A, rest for 1 minute, then do one set of Exercise 2B. Rest for 1 minute again, then repeat until you’ve completed all three sets of both exercises. Then move on to Exercise 3A.
• Perform Exercises 3A and 3B as a pair. Do one set of exercise 3A, rest for 1 minute, then do one set of Exercise 3B. Rest for 1 minute again, then repeat until you’ve completed all three sets of both exercises. Then move on to your Cardio Workout.
• Do the Cardio Workout immediately after each Weight Workout.
• Prior to each workout, complete a 5- to 10-minute warmup. Use the “Create Your Own Warmup” guide in Chapter 12 to design a routine you enjoy.
EXERCISE | SETS | REPS | REST | |
1. | Core (Chapter 10) | 3 | 12 | 1 min |
2A. | Glutes and hamstrings (Chapter 9) | 3 | 12 | 1 min |
2B. | Upper back (Chapter 5) | 3 | 12 | 1 min |
3A. | Quadriceps (Chapter 8) | 3 | 12 | 1 min |
3B. | Chest (Chapter 4) | 3 | 12 | 1 min |
• Exercise 1: Core
Choose any core exercise (Chapter 10) from the section labeled “Stability Exercises." The plank, side plank, mountain climber, and Swiss-ball jackknife are all great choices. Note: If the exercise—such as a plank or side plank—is done for “time” instead of “reps,” simply hold it for the amount of time suggested in the exercise instructions. That’s one set.
• Exercise 2A: Glutes and Hamstrings
Choose any glutes/hamstrings exercise (Chapter 9) in which you work one leg at a time. This might be a single-leg barbell straight-leg deadlift, a single-leg hip raise, or a dumbbell stepup.
• Exercise 2B: Upper Back
Choose any back exercise (Chapter 5) from the section labeled “Upper Back." So that’s any variation of the dumbbell row, barbell row, or cable row.
• Exercise 3A: Quadriceps
Choose any quadriceps exercise (Chapter 8) in which you work both legs at the same time. This will be a version of the squat, such as the dumbbell squat, goblet squat, or barbell front squat.
• Exercise 3B. Chest
Choose any chest exercise (Chapter 4). For example, you might choose a variation of the pushup, a dumbbell bench press, or a Swiss-ball dumbbell chest press.
CARDIO |
• Choose any “Finishers” from “The Fastest Cardio Workouts of All Time” (Chapter 14) or any of the cardio workouts that accompany other routines in this chapter.
EXERCISE | SETS | REPS | REST | |
1. | Core (Chapter 10) | 3 | 12 | 1 min |
2A. | Quadriceps (Chapter 8) | 3 | 12 | 1 min |
2B. | Lats (Chapter 5) | 3 | 12 | 1 min |
3A. | Glutes and Hamstrings (Chapter 9) | 3 | 12 | 1 min |
3B. | Shoulders (Chapter 6) | 3 | 12 | 1 min |
• Exercise 1: Core
Choose any core exercise (Chapter 10) from the section labeled “Stability Exercises.". The plank, side plank, mountain climber, and Swiss-ball jackknife are all great choices. Note: If the exercise—such as a plank or side plank—is done for “time” instead of “reps,” simply hold it for the amount of time suggested in the exercise instructions. That’s one set.
• Exercise 2A: Quadriceps
Choose any quadriceps exercise (Chapter 8) in which you work one leg at a time. This will be any version of the barbell or dumbbell lunge, barbell or dumbbell split squat, or a single-leg squat.
• Exercise 2B: Lats
Choose any back exercise (Chapter 5) from the section labeled “Lats." For example, you could choose any version of the chinup, lat pulldown, or pullover.
• Exercise 3A: Glutes and Hamstrings
Choose any glutes/hamstrings exercise (Chapter 9) in which you work both legs at the same time. This might be a barbell deadlift, a dumbbell straight-leg deadlift, or a Swiss-ball hip raise and leg curl.
• Exercise 3B: Shoulders
Choose any shoulder exercise (Chapter 6), such as the dumbbell shoulder press, lateral raise, or scaption and shrug.
CARDIO |
• Choose any “Finishers” from “The Fastest Cardio Workouts of All Time” (Chapter 14) or any of the cardio workouts that accompany other routines in this chapter.