Two Things to Get Right Daily for Long Term Fat Loss

Starting the day right for fat loss

Here's where a lot of people go wrong: they start the day with a super high calorie breakfast packed with calories.

I'm talking about a whole avocado, two pieces of toast, salmon, and maybe some tasty sauce to boot.

And don't get me wrong, such a breakfast is packed with many micronutrients. But this is about weight loss!

So, by the time breakfast is over, some have already consumed around 500-600 calories! 

And if you need to eat just 1500-1700 calories a day for weight loss, you can see how such makes it difficult.

That's why a great way to get a head start on weight loss daily is to start with a whey protein shake.

Because you're kicking off the day with 24-30 grams of protein, which is the best for satiety, for less than 200 calories!

Coupling that with a coffee (with skim milk where you need it), is also a great way to suppress your appetite.

That means you're kicking the day off with ~200 calories that are mainly from protein.

And given proteins' high thermogenic rate (you lose 30 percent of the calories just digesting it) it makes for a smart move.

Moreover, protein powder, due to its high thermogenic rate, means its consumption doesn't lead to fat gains easily.

This study gave resistance-trained subjects whey protein to the tune of an 800-calorie surplus. They literally had 800 calories MORE than their bodies burned from whey protein powder and didn't gain any weight! 

This is why such a breakfast is advised; you're kicking the day off in a way that makes your weight loss easier as the day goes on!

Anecdotally, what I see a lot from the general population is that each meal needs to be "as big as the last." So, a big breakfast is then followed with a high-calorie lunch -- and people are normally at their maintenance calorie intake by the first two mouthfuls of dinner.

Factor that in with limited exercise, and you've got a solid recipe for weight gain!

This brings us to point number two; ensuring your lunch is also somewhat calorie controlled.

Lean lunches for weight loss

You can always tell who is serious about weight loss by taking a look at their lunch; those who get the side of hot chips over the salad don't tend to be in the business of counting macronutrients!

Now, of course, having a higher calorie breakfast and lunch is fine in the sense you can make up for it at dinner, but it's just a lot harder to do. 

However, if you're running near 10 kilometres a day and burning a lot more calories than your average gym visitor, then obviously your calorie intake can be higher.

But again, come lunchtime, lean protein is the go. We want minimal fats here, so we're looking at choosing protein sources like:

- Barramundi or canned tuna
- Turkey
- Kangaroo
- Chicken breast
- Beef jerky
- Egg whites
- Whey Protein Isolate 

And the below protein sources are low in carbohydrates and fats. This is in comparison to protein sources that are quite high in fats:

- Fried chicken
- Pork Belly
- Beef mince
- Ribeye steak
- Lamb
- T- Bone steak
- Porterhouse steak

Now, of course, these sources can still be consumed for lunch, just as long as you're aware of the fat content and track it properly!

Couple that with a salad, and it's not unusual (remembering your lean breakfast) to finish with a macronutrient intake of roughly:

Protein: 65 grams

Fat: 20 grams

Carbohydrates: 15 grams

This means you have more calories for dinner and dessert, when your mind (might be) off work, and you're more likely to want to eat more as you settle into some relaxation.

But there's a strong scientific strategy behind all of this I've saved for you until now! 

This strategy obviously means you're consuming the bulk of your carbohydrates towards the end of the day. 

And this is a good thing; research has found that when subjects ate 80% of their carbohydrates at night, they lost more fat and had higher levels of the hormone leptin.

Now, this is important because leptin is a hunger regulating hormone. The more of it you have, the less hungry you are.

The bottom line is that a lean breakfast and lean lunch is a great way to kick off the day to ensure your calories are low until dinner time. If your dinner turns out to be calorie-dense, you've created a buffer that can serve you every time. 

You should aim for lean sources of protein like whey protein powder, kangaroo, barramundi, and chicken breast, etc. More calorie-dense sources like pork belly and lamb can be consumed at lunch if you're tracking the fat content adequately. Consuming the bulk of your carbohydrates for dinner means higher levels of the hunger regulating hormone leptin, and better fat loss results.