Reducing Body Fat
Carolyn Classick-Kohn,MS,RD
"Several
factors modify the level of body fat and
body composition, including gender, age,
level of physical activity, and hormonal
status."(Bray, 1998). However,
nutrition is by far one of the most
important factors contributing to the
success or failure for the body builder.
It is very
often responsible for either success or
failure for those trying to succeed at
bodybuilding and most fitness programs.
If you are
just interested in losing weight, a
reduced calorie, low fat diet plan
tailored to your needs along with a
practical regimen of exercise is likely
the recommended course of action. But if
you want to lose fat and keep that hard
earned muscle at the same time it
requires a little more diet planning in
conjunction with your fitness plan.
Energy and
Daily Caloric Intake-
The four
nutrients that provide the sources of
energy (Alcohol, Carbohydrate, Protein,
Fat) have very different energy values
and storage capacities in the body.
This means that as you eat foods
containing these energy sources they are
used up by your body at far different
rates (fat has a very large storage
capacity and is therefore used up very
slowly). It is
wise therefore to consume a balance of
these energy sources and in a
combination that leads both to optimal
nutritional intake while simultaneously
minimizing the storage of fat.
There are many viewpoints regarding the
optimal diet and even how best to
calculate caloric intake.
Many different diets have been
marketed and go in and out of style…
(low fat versus high fat, etc).
Since most of you already have a
good idea of how many calories you
should be eating, this article will be
directed to how your calories should be
distributed. You
should have a diet that distributes your
calories into effective percentages of
protein, carbohydrates, and fat for
optimal nutrition.
A diet plan should typically
consist of 18-20 % Protein, 50%
Carbohydrate and 25-30% Fat (These
percentages work for most people, but
vary somewhat depending upon health
status, and as previously stated- are
custom designed for you in my
PersonalDiets™
plans).
Protein-
What is
protein and why is it important?
Protein
contains nitrogen and provides amino
acids that are essential for building
body proteins. Protein is used to build
muscle and maintain/repair lean tissue,
including muscle and body organs.
There are nine
essential amino acids: histidine
(essential for children), isoleucine,
leucine, lysine, methionine,
phenylalanine, threonine, tryptophan,
and valine. These amino acids must be
supplied by food; the body cannot make
them. There are also 12 nonessential
amino acids, which are important, but
called nonessential because the body can
make them from the essential amino
acids.
Proteins come from
plant and animal sources. Animal
proteins more closely match the amino
acid composition of human proteins,
however people who do not consume animal
foods can get all of the protein needs
from plant sources, (they just need a
larger amount of plant protein versus
animal protein to fulfill the body's
requirement for protein).
According
to the Food and Nutrition Board of the
National Research Council (who establish
dietary recommendations for the
population),
the body's need for protein is met when
protein intake is at .8 grams of protein
per kilogram of body weight. (Divide
your body weight in pounds by 2.2 to get
the equivalent in kilogram weight). This
meets the needs of about 90% of the
population of adults. In general this
translates to about 63 grams of protein
per day for men, and about 50 grams of
protein per day for women. But there are
factors that will increase the need for
protein, two of them being very
strenuous physical activity, and reduced
caloric intake.
Protein needs increase for severally
injured or seriously ill people, and
athletes.
Athletes
need to pay special attention to their
protein intake. However, the typical
diet consumed in industrialized
countries already contains more than
enough protein to cover the needs of
most athletes and any additional protein
above the body's needs is either used
for energy or converted to body fat. A
typical diet should contain between
10-20% of calories as protein. What
athletes and others expending great
amounts of physical energy need are
additional calories, (in the proper
balance of fat, protein, and
carbohydrate, not just protein).
Why then are high
protein diets popular right now? In the
past few years, there has been a swing
towards a fear/avoidance of
carbohydrates, and carbohydrates are
being blamed for the obesity problem.
The option on low-carbohydrate diets is
to increase fat and/or protein in the
diet to make up for a low-carbohydrate
intake. What's wrong with this is that
high protein, high fat diets may
severely limit sources of carbohydrates
that provide essential vitamins,
minerals and other protective factors
against serious diseases such as cancer,
heart disease, and high blood pressure.
And, at very low levels of carbohydrate
intake, the body produces ketones, which
is a potentially dangerous condition.
Beside the dangers of a very low
carbohydrate intake, a high protein
intake produces waste products
containing nitrogen that require a lot
of water to flush out of the body.
Excess protein taxes the liver and
kidneys, and does nothing to increase
muscle mass because the excess that is
not used for energy is converted to fat.
The fact
is, the body needs all of the nutrients
that supply energy: fats, proteins, and
carbohydrates. Each have a unique
purpose and are essential in the right
amounts, and taxing to the body in the
wrong amounts. Too much of any of these
nutrients will lead to an increase in
body fat!
Carbohydrates -
Carbohydrates are the
body's primary source of energy, and are
quickly and easily converted to blood
glucose, the body cells' preferred
source of fuel. In particular, the brain
must have glucose as a source of energy.
The brain will not use other sources of
energy except in the extreme case of
starvation, in which ketone bodies (from
the breakdown of body fat) are used by
the brain. The body cannot store a large
amount of carbohydrate; there is only a
short supply available as glycogen in
the liver and muscle. Therefore,
carbohydrates must be supplied on a
regular basis.
So, we need a certain
amount of carbohydrate to prevent
ketosis, but where does it come from?
Carbohydrates include sugars, starches,
and fiber. Foods that contain mostly
carbohydrate are grains, cereals, beans,
fruits, and vegetables. Sugar and flour
are forms of carbohydrate, so any food
made with sugar (like soda pop) or flour
(breads, pasta, bakery goods, cookies,
crackers, etc.) are sources of
carbohydrate as well.
Certainly,
it is very easy to eat too much
carbohydrate: it is in so many foods,
and so available! An excess of calories
from any source (fat, protein,
carbohydrate, or alcohol) will lead to
weight gain if you do not increase your
activity to match the excess food
intake. For most people, the recommended
amount of carbohydrate in the diet is
that at least one-half of your total
calories should be in the form of
carbohydrate. Certain people, such as
those with high triglyceride levels or
diabetes have special concerns with
carbohydrates and fats and should follow
a diet that addresses those needs in
particular upon the advice of their
physician. Choosing carbohydrates that
also provide important vitamins,
minerals and other nutrients (such as
vegetables, fruits, whole grains), and
limiting the "junk" carbohydrates to
special occasions will help with keeping
carbohydrate intake in proper
perspective. Choosing carbohydrates that
digest more slowly or eating quickly
digesting carbohydrates with other foods
is another consideration and has to do
with the glycemic index, which is
addressed as a separate topic.
Fats
-
Fats, also called by
their chemical name triglycerides, are
an essential part of the human diet.
Beside being the most concentrated
source of energy, fats carry vitamins
A,D, E, and K. They are made of a
combination of various fatty acids,
which give our foods their flavor.
One of them, called linoleic
acid, is essential to ensure the
synthesis of major hormone-like
substances, the normal growth of cells,
and the functioning of the nervous
system.
Different
Forms
Fats come in different
forms according to the fatty acids they
contain. They are:
