Many factors combine to determine a person’s physique, and they can be divided into (i) factors that we can influence or alter (including the amount and type of physical activity, the quantity and quality of  food that you eat, your body’s ability to store or burn calories), and (ii) those that cannot be changed at all (for example, bone structure, gender and genetics).

Generally, there are three main body types (called somatotypes): ENDOMORPH (fat), MESOMORPH (muscular), and ECTOMORPH (thin).  It is likely that most people will possess some characteristics of each of these three body types, rather than being categorized fully in one of the three extremes.  When considering somatotype, remember that only body shape or form should be taken into account, not body size.

Remember that you cannot change the skeletal structure that you were born with.  With hard work and discipline, however, you can lower your percentage of body fat by combining the right amount of exercise with improved eating habits.  A safe, well-designed program of lifting weights can help to significantly alter your somatotype, both directly by increasing your muscle mass and indirectly by raising your body’s metabolism.

It is imoportant to note that somatotype should not be used as anything more than a very basic measure of health.  In order to obtain an accurate assessment of your physical fitness, we recommend that your visit Phoenix Fitness West Hamilton to have a fitness assessment done for you by their Fitness Consultant, Leslie.

Select a green vegetable or fibrous vegetable such as asparagus, green beans, broccoli, brussel sprouts, cauliflower, salad vegetables, etc., and then combine that with one of the lean proteins mentioned on Part One.

That is the foundation of your fat burning meal (lean protein + fiborous carb). From there, add:

Starch carbs or grains – natural only – such as brown rice, oats, or sweet potatoes – in the amount your calorie needs dictate and to the degree your body can tolerate starches and grains (some people are carb -sensitive).  Fruit is also acceptable, although focus more on the green and fibrous vegetables due to the lower caloric density.

Also, here’s a idea for optimal fat burning and maintenance of your lean body mass:  Take advantage of “nutrient partitioning” by eating most of your concentrated carbs (starches, grains and simple sugars) early in the day and right after your weight training, the two times when insulin sensitivity is at it’s highest.

Tom Venuto, Fitness Coach

If you’ve caused metabolic damage as a result of following starvation diets, losing weight too rapidly in the past or just plain poor nutrition, it can be extremely difficult to achieve any further fat loss at all.  The good news is, metabolic damage can be repaired.  All it takes is the right combination of metabolism stimulating exercise and metabolism stimulating nutrition (Not just a diet), all done consistently over time.

The big irony is that most of the diet programs that claim to help you get rid of excess weight, only end up making it harder for you in the long run because they use harsh metabolism-decreasing diets and not enough exercise (almost never any weight training).

It may take longer if your metabolism is  really messed things up with less than optimal eating habits in the past, especially if you’ve lost a lot of lean body mass, but it is never hopeless.  Anyone can increase his or her metabolism.  Most people get an almost immediate boost in metabolic rate when they start repairing the damage.  However the results are not going to be overnight.  It takes a little time…

Eat 5-6 small meals per day, approximately every 3 hours, with a substantial breakfast and post workout meal.  Maintain a small calorie deficit and avoid starvation level diets (2100-2500 calories per day for men and 1200-1500 for women). Select natural, unprocessed foods with high thermic effect , lean proteins like chicken, turkey, egg whites and fish are highly thermic, as are all green vegetables, salad vegetables and other fibrous carbs.

When doing cardio, push up the intensity a bit if you really want  to get a metabolic boost.  Walking and low intensity cardio is fine,  but higher intensity is more metabolism-stimulation. When doing  weight training the basic exercises that include the largest muscle groups or even call into play the entire body as a unit, squats, front squats, split squats, deadlifts, stiff legged deadlifts, overhead presses, all kinds of rows and core activation exercises, will have a much greater metabolism simulating effect than isolation exercises (concentration curls, calf raises, tricep extension, etc.)

The weight training is extremely important in cases of metabolic damage because this is the stimulus to keep the muscle you have and begin re-building  new muscle tissue, which is the engine that drives your metabolism.  The men don’t usually have a problem with the wight training, but some women don’t want to lift weights as part of their fat loss  program.  Well those who won’t lift weights can expect a very, very long metabolism repair process (weight loss) if the achieve it at all.  Consistency is the key.  Nothing will undermine the rebuilding of your metabolism like inconsistency.  If you stop and start, or skip meals and workout often, you will not even get off the ground.

After you metabolism is back up where it should be, it takes continued stoking of the furnace to keep it there.  Once you get your metabolic engine running, you’ve got to keep feeding it fuel or the fire will die down.  You have to keep putting small amounts of wood (the right type of fuel) on the fire at regular intervals or the fire burns out.

It’s also difficult  to get the fire lit again.  In the case of metabolism, it’s like going through that initial few weeks of overcoming inertia all over again.  Your goal is to get your metabolism burning hot and keep it burning and this cannot be achieved by missing meals, missing workouts or with sporadic infrequent training.

Attempting to starve the fat with crash diets is what causes the metabolic damage in the first place… If you’re interested in the healhty, sensible way to take off the fat, while keeping all your muscle and actually increasing your metabolism in the process, then follow these guidelines..  No gimmicks or false promises.  You have to work at it and you have to be consistent.

HAPPY TRAINING !!

If you’ve caused metabolic damage as a result of following starvation diets or losing weight too rapidly in the past, it can  be extremely difficult to achieve any further fat loss at all,.  The good news is, metabolism damage can be repaired.  All it takes is the right combination of metabolism stimulating exercise and metabolism stimulating nutrition (NOT just a diet), all done consistently over time.

Its ironic that most diet programs claim to help you get rid of excess weight…Unfortunately only ending up in making it harder for you in the long run because they use harsh metabolism-decreasing diet and not enough exercise (almost never any weight training).  It may take a little longer if you have really messed thing us with severe starvation dieting in the past, especially if you’ve lost a lot of lean body mass, but it is never hopeless.  Anyone can increase their metabolism.

Many people get an almost immediate boostin metabolic rate when they start the program.  However, the results are not going to be overnight.  Give it time… Within three weeks your metabolism will already be more efficient.  Within 6 – 8 weeks, it’s burning hot.  Give me 12 weeks of consistent diligent effort, sticking with all the metabolism boosting strategies I teach, and your metabolism will become like a recharged battery.  Whats most important for upping your metbolism is CONSISTENCY in applying the Burn The Fat nutrition and training principles every single day.

That Includes:

*Meal frequency

*Meal timing: eat approximately every 3 hours, with a substantial breakfast and a substantial post workout eal.

*Sufficient Caloric Intake:  maintain a small calorie deficit and avoid starvation-level diets (suggested safe levels for fat loss:2000 – 2500 calories per day for men and 1400-1800 calories per day for women; adjust as needed).

*Food choices:  Select natural, unprocessed foods w3ith high thermic effect (lean proteins like chicken, turkey, egg whites and fish are highly thermic, as are all green vegetables, salad vegetables and other fibrous carbs)

*Cardio training:  Push up the intensity a bit if you really wnt to ge a metabolic boost.  Walking and low intensity cardio is fine, but higher intensity is more metabolism-stimulating.

* Weight training”  The basic exercises that include the largest muscle groups or even call into play the entire body as a unit (squats, front squats, split squats, and others) eill have a much greater metabolism stimulating effect than isolation exercises (concentration curls, calf raises, etc)

The weight training is extremely important in cases of metabolic damage because this is the stimulus to keep the muscle you have and begin rebuilding new muscle tissue, which is the engine that drives your metabolism.

The men don’t usually have a problem with the weight training, but I still hear women say they don’t want to lift weights as part of their fat loss programs.  Well, people who won’t lift weight can expect a very, very long metabolism reapair process… If, they achieve it at all.