Fat loss can be tricky, especially for women. As a researcher, physique-enhancement consultant, and professor, the biggest mistake I see women making is getting caught up in the minutia of dieting and exercise and missing the bigger picture as a result. When they lose sight of the proven scientific principles of fat loss, and their efforts suffer, they often grow frustrated.

I encourage anyone reading this to step back from the microscopic focus you may have on particular foods, ingredients, exercise programs, and supplements. Make sure you’re following a strategy scientifically proven to work on improving your physique.

It should be based on these three rules:

Lose fat slowly.

Never decrease protein intake when dieting.
Resistance train when dieting.
When trying to lose weight, it’s important to focus just as much on retaining lean body mass as you do on dropping fat. Use this as your guiding philosophy as you embark on improving your physique.

RULE 1 LOSE FAT SLOWLY

This is the most difficult principle for people to adhere to; after all, everyone wants results yesterday! Going in with the mindset of “I need to lose 10 pounds by next Thursday” or “I must exercise 3 hours per day to lose fat fast” only sets you up for fat-loss failure.

I won’t lie to you; if you drastically cut your calories, you’ll lose fat, but this type of approach can come at a cost.1-3 Specifically, when rapid fat loss is achieved by severely restricting your calories, you lose not only fat, but also the muscle you’ve worked so hard to build.

Severe calorie restriction can also lead to a chronically slow metabolism, which may not be easy to reverse.7,8 This is what we want to avoid at all costs—a loss of muscle mass and metabolic damage.

Guideline: While everyone’s ideal rate of weight loss will differ slightly, aim for a loss of 1 percent of your body weight per week. For example, for a 140-pound woman should lose 1.0-1.5 pounds per week. Anything greater than this could compromise your lean body mass.

RULE 2 NEVER DECREASE PROTEIN INTAKE WHEN DIETING

Do you need to reduce calories when attempting to lose fat? Yes, but the one macronutrient you should never reduce is protein. In fact, in my consulting work, I increase a client’s protein intake during a fat-loss phase. Some of them even gain muscle as a result!

Elevating protein intake has been shown to result in greater maintenance of lean-body mass during weight loss in both overweight and athletic populations.8-11 In each of these studies referenced above, protein intakes were 20-100 percent higher for the group that experienced significant improvements in body composition, compared to groups that consumed lower amounts of dietary protein.

Guideline: Daily, aim for about 1 gram of high-quality protein per pound of body weight. For a 125-pound female, this equates to 125 grams of protein.

RULE 3 RESISTANCE TRAIN WHEN DIETING

The final rule is likely the easiest one for you if resistance training is already a defining characteristic of your lifestyle. When undergoing an energy-restricted diet to induce fat loss, the body responds to remain in a stable and relatively constant manner by decreasing lean body mass, lowering your body’s metabolism, and decreasing maximal strength.

The incorporation of an appropriate resistance-training program will offset each of the negative outcomes that dietary restriction induces. It’s important to make sure you are doing the right kind of resistance training. It’s common for women to solely engage in high-repetition workouts during a fat loss phase, but this is a mistake.

Guideline: Follow a periodized resistance-training program that emphasizes strength and hypertrophy. (Don’t make high-repetition, endurance-based training your priority.) Make sure to pick at least one exercise to target each major muscle group, and perform 3-4 sets of 6-12 reps.

If you follow each of the rules, fat loss can be accomplished without going to drastic measures. Stop listening to the horror stories about competition prep and dieting. You can certainly maintain your muscle mass and not damage your metabolism while dieting—as long as you do it the right way.

But all of this is just advise. You can do whatever the fudge you wanna do!

Keep growing Strong,

Crystal aka Barbell Barbie NY

REFERENCES
Bryner, R. W., Ullrich, I. H., Sauers, J., Donley, D., Hornsby, G., Kolar, M., & Yeater, R. (1999). Effects of resistance vs. aerobic training combined with an 800 calorie liquid diet on lean body mass and resting metabolic rate. Journal of the American College of Nutrition, 18(2), 115-121.
National Task Force on the Prevention and Treatment of Obesity, National Institutes of Health (1993). Very low-calorie diets. JAMA, 270(8):967-74.
Tsai, A. G., & Wadden, T. A. (2006). The Evolution of Very-Low-Calorie Diets: An Update and Meta-analysis. Obesity, 14(8), 1283-1293.
Sénéchal, M., Arguin, H., Bouchard, D. R., Carpentier, A. C., Ardilouze, J. L., Dionne, I. J., & Brochu, M. (2012). Effects of rapid or slow weight loss on body composition and metabolic risk factors in obese postmenopausal women. A pilot study. Appetite, 58(3), 831-834.
Sweeney, M. E., Hill, J. O., Heller, P. A., Baney, R., & DiGirolamo, M. (1993). Severe vs moderate energy restriction with and without exercise in the treatment of obesity: efficiency of weight loss. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 57(2), 127-134.
Rosenbaum, M., & Leibel, R. L. (2010). Adaptive thermogenesis in humans. International Journal of Obesity, 34, S47-S55.
Doucet, E., St-Pierre, S., Alméras, N., Després, J. P., Bouchard, C., & Tremblay, A. (2001). Evidence for the existence of adaptive thermogenesis during weight loss. British Journal of Nutrition, 85(06), 715-723.
Gordon, M. M., Bopp, M. J., Easter, L., Miller, G. D., Lyles, M. F., Houston, D. K., … & Kritchevsky, S. B. (2008). Effects of dietary protein on the composition of weight loss in post-menopausal women. The Journal of Nutrition, Health & Aging, 12(8), 505.
Leidy, H. J., Carnell, N. S., Mattes, R. D., & Campbell, W. W. (2007). Higher protein intake preserves lean mass and satiety with weight loss in pre-obese and obese women. Obesity, 15(2), 421-429.
Garrow, J. S., Durrant, M. E., Blaza, S., Wilkins, D., Royston, P., & Sunkin, S. (1981). The effect of meal frequency and protein concentration on the composition of the weight lost by obese subjects. British Journal of Nutrition, 45(1), 5-15.
Mettler, S., Mitchell, N., & Tipton, K. D. (2010). Increased protein intake reduces lean body mass loss during weight loss in athletes. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, 42(2), 326-37.

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It’s the trend that just won’t die. Have a few conversations at a few parties, and you’ll get an earful about how consuming carbs will inevitably lead to obesity, type 2 diabetes, double chins, double bellys and, ultimately, death. Carb phobia is even more pervasive among active women. Men say I cant eat carbs. I blow up. Women say I cant eat carbs I gain weight. I cant eat, I do cardio for hours and hours and still don’t loose weight!!!!

This is a shame, because in my experience, active women and men have the least to gain by going low-carb—and the most to lose. Carbs also provide many benefits, particularly to those who train with intensity. Like me

The key is to know the difference between different types of carbs and when to consume them. Here are six reasons you shouldn’t fear carbs, and my personal tips on what you should do to get the most from this maligned macronutrient. So sip on those BCAAs and enjoy the following tips.

1 CARBS CAN FUEL INTENSE TRAINING

Intense training leads to immense gains. But you can’t have a dance party without any dancers—and carbs are, without a doubt, the partiers of your body. They provide most of the energy you need to really dial it up, and without them, intensity quickly becomes misery. Cutting carbs too severely can leave you feeling lethargic, perhaps even miserable.

INTENSE TRAINING LEADS TO IMMENSE GAINS. BUT YOU CAN’T HAVE A DANCE PARTY WITHOUT ANY DANCERS—AND CARBS ARE, WITHOUT A DOUBT, THE PARTIERS OF YOUR BODY.

To have enough fuel to light up your workouts, I recommend drinking a shake with protein and powdered carbohydrates before or during your workouts. Another tried-and-true approach is to eat a small meal of carbs such as potatoes or yams an hour or so before training.

However you get them, consuming carbs during this window will help power you to better workouts.

2 CARBS HELP SPARE PROTEIN FOR BUILDING MUSCLE

One thing you may not know about protein is that it can be converted into blood glucose. I said “can be,” not “should be.” In fact, the last thing you want is for valuable protein to undergo this conversion because there aren’t adequate carbs around. Sure, you might lose some weight, but much of it will be from a loss of muscle. You need to have a lot of muscle mass to make a long-term, low-carb diet worth the effort.

The best way to prevent this from happening is to consume an adequate amount of carbohydrates each day. I recommend about 2 grams per pound of body weight when the goal is to maintain body weight or add muscle, and closer to 1 gram per pound when dieting.

I usually eat the majority of my carbs at two times: around workouts and when I’m really hungry. When I’m hungry, I eat fibrous veggies in big servings.

So unless you have a very good reason to do it, think twice.

3 VEGGIES PROVIDE YOUR BODY WITH CRUCIAL MICRONUTRIENTS
I have a rule about diet plans: If it recommends you cut out all carbs, including vegetables, don’t follow it—ever!

While most versions of what people call the paleo diet includes fibrous vegetables, other diets recommend cutting even highly nutritious carbohydrates. Even if you’re not cutting them out entirely, you’re often limiting them or weighing them out using complicated ratios.

Limiting fibrous veggies is for the birds! Aside from being filling, these are among the best sources of many vitamins and minerals. Your body needs these micronutrients to fight free radicals, the damaging chemicals caused by stressors such as intense training.

I HAVE A RULE ABOUT DIET PLANS: IF IT RECOMMENDS YOU CUT OUT ALL CARBS, INCLUDING VEGETABLES, DON’T FOLLOW IT—EVER!
Your sweat carries away vital minerals such as calcium, magnesium, zinc, and potassium when you work out, all of which are needed for growth, recovery, exercise performance, and overall health.

4 CARBS PROVIDE FIBER FOR ENHANCED HEALTH AND FITNESS
Regardless of whether your current goal is building muscle mass or losing fat, you need fiber—and plenty of it.

Fiber not only helps improve overall health, it also fills your stomach (and your toilet) and provides satiety between meals. It’s crucial for building and maintaining a healthy environment in your gut, as well—all of those healthy microbes eat fiber, too!

While you can take fiber supplements, they’re not a suitable replacement for the fiber you get from whole foods. In addition to fruits and vegetables, eat enough root vegetables, beans and legumes, and nuts and seeds. This is non-negotiable!

5 CARBS BOOST POST-WORKOUT RECOVERY
So you consumed enough carbs that you felt great going into your workout. Long story short, you crushed it—and now you feel crushed!

This is when more carbs can help you. Insulin gets a bad rap these days, but the truth is that at certain times, it definitely has its uses. For instance, post-workout, the insulin that gets released in response to the carbs you eat acts as an anabolic hormone, helping to drive protein to muscle tissue for better growth and faster recovery. This is why bodybuilders often consume sugar after they work out.

You don’t have to go that far, but you should definitely refill your carb tank with glycogen—the form of sugar your body stores up for energy—after depleting it through hard training. After all, you still have to make it through the rest of your day and to your next workout!

6 CARBS ARE DELICIOUS

This is news to nobody! Aside from what they do for us, carbs are popular because we all love to eat them. Women who train intensely often underestimate this aspect of carb consumption. We often cut carbs too drastically because we love being disciplined in our approach, but we end up feeling awful. Our bodies need to feel good to maximize growth and performance. This isn’t about being miserable!

Of course we’ve all experienced that tasty, regretful evening with Ben, Jerry, and all of their delicious mixed-in friends. Have they helped expand waistlines across the world? Of course! But newsflash: This isn’t the only way to get your carbs.

Consume enough carbs every day to feel good and fuel your body to smash your goals, and it’ll be easier to resist the lure of the freezer case! That’s a win any way you slice it.

But all of this is just advise. You can do whatever the fudge you wanna do!

Keep Punching and growing strong,

Crystal aka Barbell Barbie NY

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You may have heard some variation of this statement before: Your commitment to improved nutrition has to be a total, sustainable lifestyle change. WRONG!!!!

When people say this, they’re often doing it with the best of intentions. They’re trying to make eating better seem easier and more approachable. But what comes across is often the opposite. After all, there are an infinite number of nutrition-related variables you could change, and they would all impact your enjoyment, progress, and willingness to continue.

So let’s break it down and focus on doing fewer things better. Here are four techniques you can use to make real progress without getting overwhelmed.

1 DON’T MICROMANAGE YOUR MACROS

Repeat after me: protein, vegetables, water. If you forget everything else after reading this article, at least remember these three words. They’re the nutritional foundation of fat loss.

Don’t get me wrong—fat has its place, and it’s an important one. But if your goal is to lose weight, eating more protein and vegetables and drinking more water are the priorities. Focus on getting more of all three, and you can solve a lot of problems.

IF YOUR GOAL IS TO LOSE WEIGHT, EATING MORE PROTEIN AND VEGETABLES AND DRINKING MORE WATER ARE THE PRIORITIES. FOCUS ON GETTING MORE OF ALL THREE, AND YOU CAN SOLVE A LOT OF PROBLEMS.

Why u might ask Dear Watson? Let me break it down to you one at a time.

Protein: Aside from its ability to help you add muscle—which, in turn, helps to burn more fat—protein has several other benefits. It is slow to digest, which can help keep you feeling full throughout the day. It also has a high thermic effect, which means your body actually has to burn energy to digest and absorb protein. Yes, you understood that correctly: Protein can help keep you feeling fuller while eating less. To keep calories in check and encourage muscle-building at its highest, I recommend using lean animal proteins a majority of the time.

Veggies: After you’re finished pummeling your protein, it’s time to feast on veggies! Aside from the nutrient density and abundant antioxidants most vegetables have to offer, they also help to promote fullness due to their high water content. Fresh, frozen, or canned, each offers few calories per serving, which leads to larger portions and more fullness without the caloric overload or guilt trip.

Water: With all of the hoopla around macronutrients, it’s easy to forget that water is an essential nutrient, too. After all, we’re at least 70 percent water, which means we’re more water than protein! Aside from the cognitive and performance benefits associated with proper hydration, it’s crucial to drink water consistently throughout the day to further promote fullness, prevent dehydration, and boost recovery from exercise. Of course, this calorie-free fluid also takes up ample space in your stomach, preventing you from trying to fill it with candy and cookies.

These priorities can even extend to the order in which you eat things on your plate. Try filling up on proteins and veggies first, with ample sips of water throughout the meal. If you still have room afterward, that’s when to eat your carbs and fats.

2 FIX ONE MEAL AT A TIME

Look at some fitness-related Instagram feeds, and you might get the impression that you have to prep every meal every day to get results. You don’t.

Identify the one meal that is the most troublesome for you each day. Maybe you often skip lunch because you’re overloaded with meetings and projects all day, or you frequent the fast-food drive-thru for dinner on the reg. Maybe you still eat the breakfast of an overactive 6-year-old, and your wavering energy level throughout the day shows it. Tackle whatever meal gives you the most difficulty in consistently making sound nutritional choices.

First, make a plan. Plot out what you will eat for that specific meal each day of the week. Not just today, or tomorrow—every day of the week. If it’s lunch or dinner, iron out your lean protein and vegetables (and carbohydrates, depending on the meal,) and decide which ones you will include in that meal. Maybe it’s salmon and broccoli tomorrow, and grilled chicken with green beans the next.

Once you’ve got your foods picked, make the meal happen! Carve out the time to cook, portion, and pack the ingredients for this meal for the next few days. I’m not asking you to pack a week’s worth of food, or even a day’s worth—just one single meal per day.

ONCE YOU’VE GOT YOUR FOODS PICKED, MAKE THE MEAL HAPPEN! CARVE OUT THE TIME TO COOK, PORTION, AND PACK THE INGREDIENTS FOR THIS MEAL FOR THE NEXT FEW DAYS.
If you can replace a few fast-food or vending-machine meals each week with some quality protein, vegetables, and water, that’s a big step. You’ll eliminate plenty of excess calories, improve your overall nutrition, and start building the habits that will lead to long-term progress.

3 LOOK FOR SIMPLE SWAPS

Steps 1 and 2 can be game-changers on their own, so by all means start there. Then, turn to the other caloric black holes that might be hiding in your life.

These don’t always have to be attacked with the wholesale “replace a meal with a different meal” approach. Often, a simple ingredient swap can boost your intake of healthful nutrients while slashing fat and calories in half. You’d be surprised how effortlessly you can cut calories throughout your day. Here are a few places to start:

USUAL FOOD CHOICE SIMPLE SWAP POSITIVE CHANGE IN NUTRITION
1/2 cup sour cream 1/2 cup low-fat Greek yogurt -160 calories, +10 grams protein
1/2 cup mayonnaise 1/2 cup low-fat Greek yogurt -395 calories, +10 grams protein
Soda Diet soda -200-300 calories
Coffee creamer Low-fat milk -35 calories, +4 grams protein
Sugar Artificial sweetener -50 calories
Regular Potato Chips Baked Potato Chips -7 grams of fat

4 DON’T START TOO FAST

The biggest diet mistake is cutting calories too rapidly. This is because your metabolism is dynamic. It adapts to your current level of food intake and exercise, and it will respond to dramatic changes by trying to slow them down.

If you begin including regular exercise as well as reducing caloric intake by 1,000 or more calories per day, you will place your body in a rather large negative caloric balance. You’re undoubtedly going to lose weight, and lose it fast. Initially, you may lose 2-5 pounds per week. However, this won’t last.

YOU’RE UNDOUBTEDLY GOING TO LOSE WEIGHT, AND LOSE IT FAST. INITIALLY, YOU MAY LOSE 2-5 POUNDS PER WEEK. HOWEVER, THIS WON’T LAST.
Soon, your weight will plateau, and the next logical step is to further increase your treadmill time or to further reduce calories. But do this, and you’ll only end up losing muscle and messing with your hunger-related hormones, both of which will do more harm than good to your results in the long term. It can also set you up for rapid weight gain when—not if—the hunger wins and you engage in an epic caloric splurge.

Losing 50 pounds isn’t going to happen overnight, or in the next week, or even the next couple of months, and that’s a good thing. That rate of loss wouldn’t be sustainable, nor would it likely be healthy.

Here’s what is healthy and sustainable: 1-2 pounds a week. Some weeks it will be more, some less. It probably won’t be linear. But it’s the rate to aim for, and it’s how lasting change is achieved.

But all of this is just advise. You can do whatever the fudge you wanna do.

Keep punching and growing stronger,

Crystal aka Barbell Barbie. NY

REFERENCES
Casa, D.J., Armstrong, L.E., Hillman, S.K., Montain, S.J., Reiff, R.V., Rich, B.S.E., Roberts, W.O. & Stone, J.A. (2000). National Athletic Trainer’s Association Position Statement: Fluid Replacement for Athletes. Journal for Athletic Training, 35(2), 212-224.
Casa, D.J. & Clarkson, P.M. (2005). American College of Sports Medicine Roundtable on Hydration and Physical Activity: Consensus Statements. Current Sports Medicine Reports, 4, 115-127.

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