Fat Burning Foods

Are there fat burning foods?  The answer to that is yes, and no.  No in the sense that  there are no foods that you're going to eat and that will magically burn body fat.  Yes in the sense that there are foods that will help your fat burning goals by helping your body set up a foundation that will turn it into a fat burning machine.  Some foods will help more than others. 

For starters, if you want to burn body fat, a boosted metabolism is essential.  In order to have a revved up metabolism and burn body fat efficiently, you need to have a solid foundation of muscle.  Muscle doesn't only help you burn calories during your workout, but muscle will also burn calories after you workout and while you rest.  Part of this is due to what's referred to as After Burn or EPOC (excess post-exercise oxygen consumption). For more on After Burn or EPOC check the article Exercise After Burn: Research Update at About.com.

In order to build and maintain this solid foundation of muscle, you need to feed the muscle properly, especially after intense workouts. Foods high in protein will feed your muscle, which in turn will keep you metabolism revved up, and which will help burn body fat and assist in your fat burning goals during and after workouts.  So therefore, foods high in protein, are fat burning foods. 

Most clients that come to me tend to have a diet extremely low in protein. Increasing that protein content is usually one of the biggest adjustments that I have them make.  I attribute this adjustment to their diet as one of the main reasons they get such great fat burning and fitness results.

Here is a short list of foods high in protein:
Chicken breast
Tuna
Salmon
Steak
Eggs
Turkey Breast
Talapia

After a workout, a protein smoothie is a good idea as the protein will quickly be absorbed and utilized by the body to begin the building and maintenance of muscle tissue.

Once you add these fat burning foods to help build and maintain muscle, there are others foods that will also help your fat burning goals.  The next most important list of foods that will help set up you body to become a fat burning machine are foods high in nutrients, yet low in calories.

By limiting excess calories, your body will be forced to break down body fat for energy.  But the key is not just to lower your calories, the key is to find foods low in calories but high in nutrition (vitamins, minerals, fiber, anti-oxidants). Your body needs the nutrition to continue to run it's metabolic processes optimally so that it helps you burn fat efficiently and keep it off long term.  These foods that are low in calories, but high in nutrition, therefore are fat burning foods.

Here is a list of these foods low in calories, but high in nutrition:
Broccoli
Spinach
Cucumber
Bell Peppers
Wheat Grass
Mushrooms
Blueberries, but generally all berries fit this category

A lot of people confuse the Fat X Diet with a no carb or low carb diet because I don't mention carbs (carbohydrates).  The reason I don't mention carbs is because with the Fat X Diet I decided to simplify the subject.  Vegetables contain carbs, they just happen to be considered "good" carbs.  The consumption of "good" carbs and a solid amount of protein are the engine that drives the Fat X Diet, and the reason that when combined with the Fat X Workout Program, the fat burning and fitness results are what some refer to as amazing. 

There's another list of foods that I consider fat burning foods. I'll post that soon on the Fat X 101 Facebook page.  Make sure you "like" the page so you stay updated. 

A Fitness Fat Burning Project Has Begun

Every once in a while I put together a public Fat X Project.  A Fat X Project is what I call a run through the fat burning and fitness 12 day Fat X Program.  By public, I mean that the subject or client is willing to have me post their before and after pictures.  I do this to help motivate others, and to show that if you focus and work hard, ordinary people can achieve great results in a short amount of time.

I started this new Fat X Project a few days ago and code named it Cake and Ice Cream.  I always give my public Fat X Projects a code name because I don't reveal their identity until they are done with the fat burning and fitness Fat X Program. When they're done, I post the pictures so that everyone can see the results. I do this as a motivational tool, not just for others, but for that particular person to continue on a road to better health and fitness. 

As I put Cake and Ice Cream through the fat burning and fitness Fat X Program, I thought it would help others if I posted some of the details, tips and other things I've been coaching Cake and Ice Cream with.  Here are a few things:

We've warmed up for each of the fat burning workouts so far by doing five minutes of shadow boxing and or working on the punching bag.  Cake and Ice Cream expressed an interest in learning some MMA, so I implemented it as a warm up to the workouts.  If you're doing the Fat X Program, here's a tip: You can choose whatever method to warm up that you find fun and or interesting. 

On the diet front, I've advised C&K to begin limiting excess carbohydrates and or sugar.  Cereal was C&K's breakfast of choice, so my tip on this topic has been to choose something more Fat X Diet approved.  Breakfast can be difficult, but I find a protein berry smoothie, or a veggie omelette better for fat burning and fat loss results.

Using the heaviest weight possible during the exercises and specified rep range is extremely important to get great fat burning, fitness and fat loss results. I've made sure that Cake and Ice Cream chooses a proper weight.  I actually think that I've been going to light with some of the exercises and I'm looking to crank up the weight a we progress through the Fat X Program. 

I'll be posting more updates on the Fat X 101 Facebook page.  "Like" the page to get more tips and info on, health, fitness and the Fat X Program.

Fat Loss Increasing Tips

One of the things I remind my private clients and my FX Boot Camp participants is that fat loss follows fitness.  What I mean by this tip is that it is easier to burn fat a.k.a achieve weight loss (fat loss),a better looking, toned and athletic body if you're actually physically fit, or by increasing your personal fitness level.  These aren't fancy tips, but they're very important in achieving your weight loss (fat loss) goals.

Many of the fad weight loss diets, and fad workout programs fail long term because they forget that fitness and health should come first. When you concentrate on becoming healthier and more fit, the natural side effect is that your body will naturally look healthier, more toned, fit and athletic.  Becoming healthier and more fit is the basis of the Fat X Diet and the Fat X Program. 

It is important to remember that just because you start a diet and you lose weight, that alone doesn't mean you're healthier.  In fact, you can be doing things to hurt your health, which in the long run can make it difficult to become fit and lose body fat.  What are those things that can cause weight loss but are unhealthy?  Well, for starters, you can be losing lean body tissue (muscle), which will slow down your metabolism.  A slow metabolism makes it easier for your body to store calories as body fat. 

If you go on one of these fad diets, you can also be depriving your body of essential nutrients which can cause low energy levels along with other health issues.  If you're not feeling good, and you're energy levels are down, what are the chances you're going to get a productive fitness boosting workout in?  And what's the point of looking at the numbers on the scale drop, if you're still flabby and now feel crappy as well.

The point of all this is that you should strive to become healthier.  Don't worry about the numbers on a scale.  Get more fit and increase you're fitness level by tracking your workouts and stats during these workouts.  Those numbers will tell the truth about how healthy and fit your are.  They will also tell the truth about how fit and healthy your are becoming.  Fat loss will follow fitness!

To recap, there are two tips here to improve fat loss.  Tip number one is to become healthier and more fit.  Tip number two is to track your workout numbers and stats as in the Fat X Program so that you stay on track to becoming healthier, more fit and or increasing your fitness level.