Turn Your Body into an Ecosystem Hostile to Fat
Most fitness approaches treat fat loss like a temporary period of restriction and intense effort designed to attack fat until it’s gone. However, the most sustainable results don’t come from punishing the body; they come from changing its internal environment.
By focusing on the pillars of nutrition and fitness, it’s possible to create a biological ecosystem that’s hostile to fat storage and efficient at energy utilization.
The most effective way to turn your body into a harsh environment for fat cells is to increase your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR). Your BMR is the amount of energy (calories) your body burns at rest when you are doing nothing.
Muscle tissue is the primary contributor to increasing your BMR. Unlike fat, which is stored energy sitting in reserve, muscle is metabolically active. To maintain itself, muscle requires a significant number of calories, therefore by prioritizing strength training, you are upgrading your body’s metabolism into a fat burning furnace.
To maintain this high metabolic performance, your nutrition must serve a specific purpose. A strong metabolic environment relies on the strategic use of macronutrients:
Protein: Protein has the greatest Thermic Effect of Food (TEF). This means the body burns more energy just digesting protein than it does fats or carbohydrates. Furthermore, a high-protein environment ensures that the body has the necessary building blocks to repair and grow muscle.
Carbohydrates: Rather than being viewed as something to avoid, carbohydrates are the ingredient needed to fuel high-intensity performance. When musculature is the priority, carbs are transported into the muscles as glycogen to fuel workouts, rather than being stored as fat. Carbs are most useful when consumed prior to exercise for fuel and just after exercise to assist in restoring muscle tissue.
Fats: Healthy fats are essential for hormonal health. An ecosystem with balanced hormones (like testosterone and growth hormone) is one that favors muscle retention and fat utilization. Fats are also the building blocks of the nervous system providing energy to the brain and supporting nervous system activity.
In a sedentary, low-muscle ecosystem, the body is viewing every extra calorie as a potential resource to save for later. When your body is accustomed to regular physical demands and consistent nutrient timing, it becomes more efficient at nutrient usage. If your goal is to shed fat while becoming stronger, increasing your BMR is the simplest way to do so. Follow these steps to implement the strategic use of macronutrients and increase your BMR:
Protein as the meal base and consumed first to promote satiety
Consume nutrient dense organic foods
Timing carb intake to fuel strength training, feed muscle recovery, and reduce fat storage
Caloric banking with fasting or reducing portions
Strength training to increase metabolism and improve body composition (45-60 minutes of strength training keeping heart rate below 135bpm).
Adopt the long-term approach to health by dropping overly restrictive diets and cardio intensive workouts. Instead increase your Basal Metabolic Rate to create a body where fat has nowhere to hide.
