The Best Weight Loss Diet

Most of us could stand to lose a few pounds, and the best way to do it is through exercise and diet. So maybe you already work out a lot, but the weight simply isn’t coming off?  You’re probably thinking to yourself: “what is the best weight loss diet? Please help me lose weight!” We’ve been getting a ton of inquiries about the 40-30-30 ratio diets ratio diets. When implemented properly, the 40% carbohydrate, 30% protein, and 30% fat nutritional program will help most people make significant progress in shedding excess pounds in the form of fat tissue.  It is potentially the fast way to lose weight.

The gist of my variation on this program is relatively simple. You figure out your daily maintenance calorie requirements. That is, how many calories, given your level of activity, you need to consume to maintain your current weight. If you don’t already have an idea of your maintenance calorie needs, one way to figure it out is to keep a calorie intake journal for 5-7 days. If your weight stays constant, then you simply divide the total calories consumed by the number of days and you’ll get your daily intake.

Once you have your maintenance level (let’s say for example it’s 2250 calories), get your calculator out and  subtract 20% from that number to find your target level. So here’s how to calculate calories – in our example it’s 2250 – 20% = 1800. If we follow this example through, then you should shoot for 1800 total daily calories at a 40-30-30 ratio. Doing the math, you’ll find that this translates into 720 calories from carbohydrates, 540 calories from protein, and 540 calories from fat.

At this point, you need to remember that there are 4 calories in every gram of carbohydrate and 4 in every gram of protein, but there are 9 calories in every gram of fat. The next step is to translate your calorie intakes into gram amounts. 720 divided by 4 = 180 grams of carbohydrates. 540 divided by 4 = 135 grams of protein. And 540 divided by 9 = 60 grams of fat. The final step is to take your gram numbers and divide by the total number of meals you can fit in per day (should be in the 4-6 meals range). We’ll use 5 meals per day as our example.

So our final numbers end up being 36 grams of carbohydrates, 27 grams of protein, and 12 grams of fat. These are your target numbers for each meal you eat. Of course, you may not be able to end up exactly on target each time, but you should use these numbers as solid guidelines. I’ve found with many clients that using prepared meals and/or 40-30-30 nutrition bars and protein shakes is a great way to help meet your targets. This diet is possibly the best way to lose weight… burning calories can’t get much easier if you follow the blueprint!

Fast Ways to Lose Weight – Based on DNA

Everyone is interested in learning about fast ways to lose weight.  In an article listed yesterday on ThePittsburghChannel.com, experts report that DNA may play a big part in weight loss and dieting strategy.  What will work for you?  A low carb diet plan, weight loss pills, a fat burning diet?  What is the best way to lose weight based on your genetic makeup?  The story:

BOSTON – Many dieters said they’ve tried everything and just can’t find a diet that works. Now, a Boston-area company may be able to help.  They’ve come up with a DNA test to help you figure out which diet will work for your body.

“I’ve always been on diets my whole life,” said dieter Amy Katsis.  Katsis said she’s finally figured out how to lose the weight and keep it off.  “My goal weight was around 150, and I ended up at 138,” she said.  She first took a new genetic test developed by Interleukin Genetics of Waltham, Mass. She sent in a swab of her cheek and received a diet and exercise advice based on her own DNA.  “I know that I need to be on the reduced carb diet, and I know that I need to work out, as well,” Katsis said.

She admittedly doesn’t understand the science behind the test, but Ken Kornman does. He’s the president of the company behind the test.  “This is well-documented genetic information that says individuals absorb more fat because of their genes, burn carbohydrates differently and respond to exercise different,” he said.

The test pulls out which version of DNA you have, and a diet and exercise plan is designed to fit your genetic makeup.  Katsis said knowing that she need to stay away from carbs and do more exercise helped her stay on track and keep the weight off for more than one year.  “This is what works for me,” she said.