Did You Know…
Apply These 9 Principles For Fitness & Body Composition Success
By Dr. Rick Kattouf II
Did you know…
...Getting the proper sleep (at least 7 hours) each night is a big key to reducing body fat and body weight. If we do not get enough sleep, this can lead to reduced serotonin levels. Serotonin is a hormone that affects mood and appetite. When serotonin levels are low, food cravings increase; and when food cravings increase, this can lead to over-eating, which can of course lead to weight/fat gain. Let's be sure to make sleep a big focus.
… Food cravings are not a result of a lack of willpower (well, willpower obviously plays a big role; but there are other factors as well); rather, food cravings are a result of a hormonal imbalance in the body created from improper nutrition and/or not enough sleep. When our nutrition is off (interestingly enough, we may be eating healthy, but, if it is not right, nutrition is off) and/or we do not get enough sleep, as mentioned above, serotonin levels will drop and this leads to food cravings.
… Fueling the body immediately upon awakening will help to jumpstart your metabolism. Think of food like kindling wood for the fire. As long as we continue to throw kindling wood on the fire, the fire will continue to burn. Keep that burn high and keep wood on the fire. This fire is your metabolism; let’s keep it burning hot.
… Eating every 2-3 hours will help to keep your blood sugar, insulin and serotonin levels stable. This will help to keep your energy levels high all day long, and, this will help to significantly reduce, if not eliminate, food cravings.
… Eating right is different than from eating healthy. Sure, we all instinctively know that fruits, vegetables, whole grains, etc., are healthy. But, just eating healthy is not the key to success; rather, eating right is the key to success. Eating right involves the following… Fueling the body immediately upon awakening and then every 2-3 hours thereafter. In addition, at every meal/snack, have the right balance of carbohydrate-protein-fat. For example, a piece of fruit is a healthy snack, but it is not right; why? It’s because it is not balanced. A piece of fruit provides carbohydrate, but, no protein or fat. So, in order to make this snack right… Add some Greek yogurt as a good protein source, and then, add a few almonds for your dietary fat. In addition, be sure to add some additional carbohydrate to this snack, such as oatmeal; as this will help to create an ideal C-P-F balance. Now you just made a healthy snack… Right! This will allow you to turn the corner from unconscious eating to conscious eating. When we are conscious, we are not just grabbing something healthy. Rather, we are putting together something right and properly balanced.
… Fueling after dinner is okay; it is all based on timing, time of day you wake up, time of day you go to bed, etc. As mentioned above, we have to fuel the body every 2-3 hours thereafter. So, for example, let's say you eat dinner at 6:30 PM and you plan to go to bed at 10:30 PM. This is a 4-hour window; therefore, since we have to continue to throw kindling wood on the fire to keep the fire burning and we need to do this every 2-3 hours; we need to consume a snack at approximately 8:30-9 PM.
… Building muscle is a major key in order to burn body fat and lose weight. Time to hit the gym and start throwing some weights around. No weights? No problem; you can rock out some great body weight strength work and build muscle. Not sure what strength workouts to add in? We have you covered, visit https://leandownfitness.com/. Let's get to work! Build the muscle and burn the fat.
… Carbohydrates are the key macronutrient for body composition success. That's right, carbohydrates! All too often, one food fad and diet after the next comes along and tells you to omit or reduce carbohydrates and increase your protein; not good. Always remember this statement; fat can only burn in the presence or in the flame of a carbohydrate. What are some examples of carbohydrate? Fruit, oatmeal, bread, potatoes, rice, quinoa, couscous, cereal, pasta, etc.
...Dietary fat is both good for you and a key component for body fat loss and weight loss. We never want to get caught up in the “low-fat” food fads or diets. It is all about the proper balance of carbohydrate-protein-fat. Here are some good sources of dietary fat… Peanut butter, almond butter, cashew butter, sunflower butter, almonds, avocado. Now, keep in mind, while fat is good for us, it’s calorically dense. It does not take much for the calories to skyrocket. For example, 2 tablespoons peanut butter contains approximately 18g fat and close to 200 calories. So, when people say, ‘Yes, I eat healthy snacks; I just grab a couple handfuls of nuts.” YIKES!! This is a train wreck in the making. First off, it’s not balanced. Next, a couple of handfuls, whoa! This can easily climb to 500, 600, 700+ calories and far too much fat. So, just go back focusing on eating right (not just eating healthy), and this will not be an issue.
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Rick Kattouf II, O.D. is a 2x Best-Selling Author and Fitness & Nutrition expert and has been named one of America’s PremierExperts® and one of the World Fitness Elite® Trainers of the Year. Rick is a Sports Nutrition Specialist, Heart Rate Performance Specialist, Master Personal Trainer & Triathlon Coach. He has been seen on ABC, NBC, CBS and Fox affiliates around the country as well as in the USA Today, Chicago Tribune, National Examiner, Ironman.com, My Fitness Pal, Livestrong.com, Runner’s World, Bicycling Magazine, Men’s Health UK, FIGHT! Magazine, Florida Cycling Magazine and The Independent in the UK. Rick is the CEO/Founder of TeamKattouf® Inc, CEO/Founder of TeamKattouf® Nutrition LLC, CEO/Founder of Virtual Gym LLC, Creator of TeamKattouf® Nutrition Supplements, Host of Rx Nutrition, author of Forever Fit, Creator of 5-Round Fury® Nutrition Supplement, 5-Round Fury Fitness® workout app, Creator of Coach2CEO, Creator of Fuel Keeper®, Entrepreneur and Inspirational Speaker. Dr. Rick has personally coached individuals in 30+ states and 10+ countries.
