The Lean, Mean, Fighting Machine Diet

A few weeks back I posted about how to get "Jacked Up." I often get hit up with a lot of request about how to shed body fat, and here is what works in the REAL world.

RULE #1: To burn fat, you need a caloric deficit. You must burn more than you take in, BUT this difference can only be slight.

RULE #2: You need to eat a lot of Protein. Try and get AT LEAST 1/lb of bodyweight daily. Try and get as much protein as you can from natural sources (meat, eggs, nuts, etc) but definitely use a quality whey protein product to SUPPLEMENT (note I said "supplement" not replace) the quality proteins you are ingesting. Especially when in a caloric deficit, protein is of utmost importance, as it spares lean muscle tissue. A little trick I like to use is to have a double serving of whey protein after a workout, and a double serving of lean meat with dinner. Just cut your normal carb serving in your post workout shake in half, and do not eat any carbs with dinner. This will keep the calories in those meals "equal" but will change the macronutrient profile, which will make all of our other meals during the day more effective.

RULE #3: Since we are cutting calories, and keeping our protein intake high, we must be mindful of our intake of the other macronutritents (carbs and fat). I am not saying do not eat them, I am simply saying we must be conscious about how much we are putting into our body.

RULE #4: Eat a MEAL every 2-3 hours. A "Meal" has a protein source, and a carb source. If you are an endomorph (gain bodyfat easily) then stay away from carbs during dinner, and keep the meal "lean and green."

RULE #5: Cheat 4X/week. Go ahead, indulge yourself to something not on this list 4X/week, it will help you stay on track, and will even help "zig zag" your calories a bit.

RULE #7: SLEEP! I know this is not DIET related, but sleep is extremely important for optimizing hormonal levels, so get AT LEAST 8 total hours.

Rule #8: Perform a 30 minute brisk walk first thing in the morning on an empty stomach. DON'T do this on the same day that you train your lower body. Instead, perform sprints or some Interval Training immediately after your lower body sessions. Perform this type of training after lifting an additional 2-3X/Week, but just be aware of performing them too close to your lower body sessions.

Rule #9: Focus on WAISTLINE MEASUREMENTS NOT BODY WEIGHT! Measure your waist around the navel, and record it 3X/week at the same TIME of day. While the scale is an indicator, THIS is the number we really care about!

So there you have it, simple, effective, and time tested. Eat as many fruits and veggies as you want, and use condiments MODERATELY!

MEAL PLAN: EAT A PORTION OF PROTEIN & PORTION OF CARBS FOR EACH MEAL (Adjust serving portions to bodysize)

 SAMPLE DIET FOR A 240lb MALE TRYING TO LOSE BODY FAT:

Breakfast: Oatmeal, Splenda (for taste) with Sliced Strawberries, 3 Eggs, Water

Mid Morning Snack: Handful of Nuts, Banana

Lunch # 1: 6 Inch Grilled Chicken Sub, No Cheese, Lettuce, Tomato, Light Mayo, 1 Apple

Post Workout: 10oz Gatorade, 2 Scoops Whey Protein

Lunch # 2:  6 Inch Grilled Chicken Sub, No Cheese, Lettuce, Tomato, Light Mayo, 1 Apple

Dinner: 2 Grilled Lean Hamburgers, Side Salad with Oil and Vinegar

Dessert: Fruit or Fat Free/Sugar Free Jello Pudding

If you aren't losing fat, eliminate the carbs from the meal before dinner, and STAY disciplined!

Train hard, eat well, and get after it!

Matt