I need to talk to the men about something. Something that you're going to read and balk at. Something that might seempreposterous even.
And it has to do with your body weight, your body fat and more importantly your testosterone levels, which indirectly effects your body fat, your energy and your muscle mass. Here it is.
You probably aren't eating ENOUGH.
I share this with you because I fight the same battle, the same struggle, the same mental roadblocks.
Or at least I did.
A few years ago, I was of the eat a little less, exercise a little more mindset and thought that's what it would take to get down to the 10-11% body fat range. After doing some research and applying the G-Flux Theory to my workouts and nutrition, I found my way to 12% down from 18%!
You see, many men have taken the "eat like a bird" fat-loss approach. They make the move to lose weight and get their head around the idea that they'll have to make some eating changes.
However, they far too often drop food intake and calories to devastatingly low levels and they do it for months, sometimes years! And they don't lose any fat! They lose a few pounds but eventually their metabolism comes to a screeching halt!
Now if you're obese or over 20% body fat, the "eat less, exercise more" approach will probably work until you get down to that 20% level. But you know what it's doing to your metabolism?
Strangling it.
Your metabolic engine goes from a roaring V-8 supercar to a moped in no-time flat.
As men, testosterone and growth hormone (GH) drives our metabolism. And those hormones need energy and yes, dietary FAT to build them. So when we go cutting our calories to low levels, we starve our metabolism.
Funny thing is, when we do this, we actually gain fat. So most of us will just try to train harder and eat less. And how effective do you think that is?
You might lose an extra few pounds. But I promise you it is NOT fat. It's most likely muscle or water. How can you tell? You'll feel weak, chronically fatigued and absolutely drained. You'll look soft, you'll be grumpy and you will not be very motivated to exercise.
This will turn into a never ending story as your body starts to break down, injuries show up and even 10-hours of sleep per night will not feel like enough.
So how do you prevent or even fix this?
The short version, train less, sleep well and start eating more veggies and protein with each meal. Most guys need between2500-3500 calories for maintenance. Do you know what most guys who are trying to lose weight are getting? Around 1500. That's less than an 8-year old child needs!
Yes, 3000 calories seems like a lot. But if you're stuck in that flabby but not fat stage, you need to eat a little more and ease up on the workouts to help stimulate your metabolism. Exercising more and eating less will only result in more frustration, more injuries and an even slower metabolism. It's just the way hormones work.
Now don't go jumping straight from your 1500 calorie a day diet to a 3000 calorie a day diet. Your body will still be in energy conservation mode and you'll just gain weight.
Instead there is a different route you need to take. Ease up on the exercise to 3 times a week of moderate intensity strength work, cut out the cardio and gradually increase your calories by about 250/day for 1 week. Then repeat for 3-4 weeks until you're up in the 2500-3000 calorie range.
Much of this has to do with feel. Pay attention to your body. Are you always tired? Are your workouts going backwards? Are you feeling more energized? Are you progressing with both workout intensity and movement quality each workout? Counting calories is almost fruitless. Once you get below 20%, it's time to start really dialing things in. You can't just keep cutting calories. There are some other important details that I just don't have the space to elaborate on.
However, for an in-depth video course on what nutritional and exercise strategies men need, check out Precision Nutrition's 5-day Fat-Loss Course for Men! It's eye opening to say the least. And besides, whats the worst that could happen? You take 10-minutes a day for the next 5-days and learn a few new things?
If you're still not motivated, just ask yourself the QUESTION BELOW:
Check out Precision Nutrition for Men.You'll be glad you did.
And it has to do with your body weight, your body fat and more importantly your testosterone levels, which indirectly effects your body fat, your energy and your muscle mass. Here it is.
You probably aren't eating ENOUGH.
I share this with you because I fight the same battle, the same struggle, the same mental roadblocks.
Or at least I did.
A few years ago, I was of the eat a little less, exercise a little more mindset and thought that's what it would take to get down to the 10-11% body fat range. After doing some research and applying the G-Flux Theory to my workouts and nutrition, I found my way to 12% down from 18%!
You see, many men have taken the "eat like a bird" fat-loss approach. They make the move to lose weight and get their head around the idea that they'll have to make some eating changes.
However, they far too often drop food intake and calories to devastatingly low levels and they do it for months, sometimes years! And they don't lose any fat! They lose a few pounds but eventually their metabolism comes to a screeching halt!Now if you're obese or over 20% body fat, the "eat less, exercise more" approach will probably work until you get down to that 20% level. But you know what it's doing to your metabolism?
Strangling it.
Your metabolic engine goes from a roaring V-8 supercar to a moped in no-time flat.
As men, testosterone and growth hormone (GH) drives our metabolism. And those hormones need energy and yes, dietary FAT to build them. So when we go cutting our calories to low levels, we starve our metabolism.
Funny thing is, when we do this, we actually gain fat. So most of us will just try to train harder and eat less. And how effective do you think that is?
You might lose an extra few pounds. But I promise you it is NOT fat. It's most likely muscle or water. How can you tell? You'll feel weak, chronically fatigued and absolutely drained. You'll look soft, you'll be grumpy and you will not be very motivated to exercise.
This will turn into a never ending story as your body starts to break down, injuries show up and even 10-hours of sleep per night will not feel like enough.
So how do you prevent or even fix this?
The short version, train less, sleep well and start eating more veggies and protein with each meal. Most guys need between2500-3500 calories for maintenance. Do you know what most guys who are trying to lose weight are getting? Around 1500. That's less than an 8-year old child needs!
Yes, 3000 calories seems like a lot. But if you're stuck in that flabby but not fat stage, you need to eat a little more and ease up on the workouts to help stimulate your metabolism. Exercising more and eating less will only result in more frustration, more injuries and an even slower metabolism. It's just the way hormones work.
Now don't go jumping straight from your 1500 calorie a day diet to a 3000 calorie a day diet. Your body will still be in energy conservation mode and you'll just gain weight.
Instead there is a different route you need to take. Ease up on the exercise to 3 times a week of moderate intensity strength work, cut out the cardio and gradually increase your calories by about 250/day for 1 week. Then repeat for 3-4 weeks until you're up in the 2500-3000 calorie range.
Much of this has to do with feel. Pay attention to your body. Are you always tired? Are your workouts going backwards? Are you feeling more energized? Are you progressing with both workout intensity and movement quality each workout? Counting calories is almost fruitless. Once you get below 20%, it's time to start really dialing things in. You can't just keep cutting calories. There are some other important details that I just don't have the space to elaborate on.
However, for an in-depth video course on what nutritional and exercise strategies men need, check out Precision Nutrition's 5-day Fat-Loss Course for Men! It's eye opening to say the least. And besides, whats the worst that could happen? You take 10-minutes a day for the next 5-days and learn a few new things?
If you're still not motivated, just ask yourself the QUESTION BELOW:
Check out Precision Nutrition for Men.You'll be glad you did.
Let's say you are one of these guys that is stuck. What do you do? You need some help, someone to coach you through the process. Send me an email at aaron@pairmarotta.comand we'll get you from start to finish!
Have a great week!
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