The Fat Loss Equation

In my practice, men and women come to see me because they’re frustrated and concerned about the state of their health. They tell me they no longer wake up feeling refreshed even after a decent night’s sleep. They complain of an extra 5-15 kilos (especially around their middle) and an overall feeling of ‘sluggishness’.

There's a simplicity to fat loss, and it starts with this equation.

Fat metabolism is at the mercy of hormones, namely Adrenalin, which switches fat burning on and Insulin, which switches it off.

High insulin in your blood stream will prevent fat from being broken down for energy.

Carbohydrates raise your insulin greater than protein or fat.

Also, by storing less carb we are reducing the glycogen stores in our muscle which our body will use first to burn as fuel. This will help maximise fat burning every time we exercise.

The trick is not to restrict carb so that exercise intensity and energy generally is impaired, because we all know we need carbohydrate as fuel for high intensity exercise and longer duration exercise.

A trained athlete tend to use more fat as fuel, and from their muscle fat stores over their adipose tissue. The rest of us just need to focus on protein, healthy fats and plenty of vegetables - all of which are the best nutrition basis for your diet before reaching for bread, pasta, cereals and alcohol.

Another top tip: eat your carbs (sweet potato, brown rice, quinoa) at the end of your meal as it will have less impact on your insulin and you're likely to feel fuller and eat less.

Deborah McTaggart is a Nutritionist specialising in men’s health and sports nutrition. Drop me a line at hello@deborahmctaggart.com to book a free health strategy call to talk about your health.