Fact check: Dieting is hard. More so, a lot of people who diet end up failing most of the time.
This is a reality that the majority of people face or have faced. It can also be a challenge to keep your weight in check especially that most of us are locked down at home.
Then again, there are a lot of home exercises you can try to keep yourself physically active. Also, there are various diet plans that helps burning fat that you can also try depending on your lifestyle.
The truth about dieting and muscle gaining
There are many reasons why people diet. Some do so as a way to control their weight. On the other hand, people diet to help improve their health. For example, those with diabetes or other health conditions need to adjust their usual food intake as well.
Regardless of the reason, one thing can be sure: dieting can either work or fail. On the one hand, dieting works depending on your food intake. Less carb intake and more veggies and protein can lead to weight loss.
Our bodies burn more fat when it consumes fewer calories. When there is no more calorie source to burn, our bodies burn stored fat instead. However, our metabolism changes depending on our food consumption. Therefore, you can burn fewer calories if there are fewer calories consumed and vice versa.
Fat burning can also accelerate if you adopt a low-carb diet. At the same time, your insulin levels will drop. However, your metabolism will eventually stall due to low insulin levels.
In case you are not aware yet, insulin helps in muscle growth and repair. Diabetics have to monitor their insulin levels to avoid its side effects. But for those who are aiming for a lean and muscular physique, you need to have enough insulin levels.
So, how to diet effectively?
One word: cheating.
Cheating is a generally negative thing. It’s what people do to get ahead of others. Students cheat to pass exams easily than those who actually studied hard for it. Cheating can also be a common thing in the world of sports.
But when it comes to dieting, cheating can actually be a good thing. Experts say that it is a good thing to break your diet every once in a while. This can break your usual eating pattern and prevents slowing down your metabolism. However, you should “cheat” properly, or it will backfire on you.
How to cheat effectively
This is the next question. As mentioned, our metabolism can adjust according to our diet plan. “Cheating” every once in a while can disrupt your metabolism and even promote faster fat burning. Here are some ways to cheat well.
3-day method
For example, your average daily calorie intake target is 2,500. Instead of aiming for 2,500 calories every day, you can adjust it lower or higher on different days. For example, you can lower your calorie intake to 2,000 on one day. The next day, you can stick to your 2,500-calorie diet. The day after, you can indulge in 3,000-calorie food intake.
This method will help prevent plateauing on your weight loss journey. This can be a more effective weight-loss method unlike sticking to the same number of calories per day. This method will also drive up anabolic hormones and encourage muscle growth.
High-carb, low-carb method
Going on a low-carb diet won’t be outdated anytime soon. In fact, a lot of bodybuilders turn to low-carb diet dieting as a quick way for fat burning. A low-carb diet also lessens insulin production. This method is also considered as a form of carb cycling.
Going on a low-carb diet for at least five days can also allow carb influx during cheat days. Because the carbs are stored into the muscle, it can prevent fat storage and weight gain. There are no restrictions as to what type of carbs to consume, whether it’s a cookie or bagels. The main key here is to plan which days to high-carb and days to low-carb.
10-day diet method
Here is an example of a 10-day diet method:
- 1 and 2 – 2,500 calories per day
- 3 and 4 – 2,200 calories per day
- 5 and 6 – 1,200 calories per day
- 7 – 2,000 calories
- 8 (cheat day) – 4,400 calories
- 9 – 3,000 calories
- 10 – 2,500 calories (baseline)
The main key here is the cheat day. The low-calorie days can trigger a metabolic slowdown. On the other hand, the cheat day prevents metabolism to drop and also exerts anabolic edge.
Conclusion
These are some of the most popular ways for fat burning. With so many diet plans right now, choose one that will suit your preference and lifestyle.
Keeping in shape is very important especially during this time that we are stuck at home. At the end of the day, a regular diet and exercise are important for better overall health while on lockdown.
Comments
Loading…