In the US roughly 300,000 deaths per year are directly related to obesity. Why is such a global epidemic and multi billion dollar diet industry advancing so rapidly? There are many reasons including:
- Misinformed about the right nutrition
- Unwillingness to change ingrained poor eating habits
- Governments’ support of unhealthy agricultural, nutritional, health & welfare policies and practices
- The diet / weight loss industry’s greed for more profits by selling misleading dietary advice
The above have caused many diet programs to focus on weight loss rather than fat loss. This focus is incorrect and is a key reason for so many failed, frustrated dieters.
Weight and Fat Loss are NOT the same
You see, weight loss and fat loss are NOT the same. Weight loss is the loss in your body weight - the sum weight of your bones, muscles, organs, body fat and water in the body.
Fat loss is the loss in your body fat - the amount of fat your body carries. Focus needs to be on losing ‘storage’ fat not ‘essential’ fat. Essential body fat is necessary to maintain life and reproductive functions.
In fact we need good i.e. unsaturated fats with the right proportion of Omega-3, 6 and 9 in our diets for cell production and satiety. Fat is a major component of your cell membranes. Your brain is mostly made of fat. Fat is also critical to help your body absorb certain vitamins and nutrients - such as CoQ10 and vitamins A, D, E, and K.
Have you noticed that most ‘Low Fat’ products replace the fat with large quantities of sugar to make them more palatable? It’s not fat that makes you fat: rather it’s excess sugar and processed, empty foods. These poor nutritional choices lead to an increase of stored body fat.
Some storage fat is good because it consists of fat in adipose tissue which protects internal organs in the chest and abdomen. The rest, excess body fat, is the big problem. Having excess body fat, increases your risk of heart attack, stroke, diabetes, hypertension and many other serious diseases. Unsuccessful weight loss programs focus on weight loss and result in loss of lean body tissue (muscle) rather than of excess fat. Loss of muscle, drives your metabolic rate down and reduces your energy.
In contrast, successful fat loss programs center on reducing excess body fat using the right nutrition and exercise, with minimal disruption to your metabolic rate and energy levels. There is no need for the starvation diets or the "all liquid" diets. Starvation diets slow down your metabolism in the long run, making it harder for you to keep the weight off long term.
Fat Loss Tips
If you want to lose fat permanently, focus on excess fat not weight loss with these tips:
- Balance complex carbs, lean proteins and unsaturated fats at a ratio of 3:2:1 - complex high fiber carbs should be organic green veggies and fruits, whole grains and beans…lean proteins include contaminant-free tuna, salmon, and tilapia, chicken breast, wild game, raw eggs, beans, nuts, spinach and kale…unsaturated fats include avocados, olive oil, coconut oil, fish oil, nuts, eggs, wild salmon, sardines and grass fed animals.
- Supplement with our pure Omega 3 Premium fish oil which combines optimal levels of beneficial Omega-3 oils DHA, EPA, DPA, and Omega 6 and 9
- Avoid processed, simple carbohydrates, refined grains and sugars.
- Supplement with our Total Balance Range to get all the nutrients you need. The purity and synergy of these nutrients should also help to reduce wayward food cravings!
- At least twice weekly, combine cardiovascular, weight, aerobic and interval training which will help to build strength and muscle and to shed fat.
To lose weight properly (burn fat) you must increase your metabolism (weight, cardio, interval training) and your need for oxygen (aerobics), while eating enough calories (nutritious diet) to give you energy and to maintain the protein in your muscles to burn fat. The result may be increased weight courtesy of your greater muscle mass, but you will also have lost fat....and look and feel better to boot!
So which is better: weight or fat loss? I’ll take fat loss and muscle/weight gain any day! You?