Bodyfat breakthrough: bust out of your diet plateau with these 8 nutrition strategies - breaking through a bodybuilding plateau, with emphasis on dietary considerations

Muscle & Fitness/Hers, June, 2002 by Lara McGlashan

(4) Calories per meal vs. calories per diem. Your body resorts to fat storage either because it thinks it's starving or because you're eating too many calories. To avoid either excessive or deficient caloric intake, shoot for 350-400 calories per meal. "The amount of calories you get in one day is less important than how many you get per meal," Sassin notes. "You could easily ingest all your daily calories in one huge meal, but your body will take only the 400 calories it needs right then, and will store the other 1,000 as fat to be used later! Totally counterproductive if you're trying to lose bodyfat."

(5) Check your balances. Each meal should have a solid nutritional balance of about 25% protein, 55% carbohydrate and 20% fat. Pay attention to your nutrient ratios to get just the right amount of each to feed your brain, repair your muscles and fuel your metabolic systems--no more, no less. "If you're getting everything you need nutritionally in the correct ratios, your body isn't likely to store fat," states Sassin. "In fact, it's more likely to use fat for fuel when your brain and tissues are nutritionally sated."

(6) Feed on fat ... Contrary to pop-culture claims, eating fat doesn't necessarily make you fat. "Dietary fat is not the same as bodyfat, and it won't go from your mouth to your hips, although it may seem to!" laughs Sassin, Fats and fatty acids are essential for metabolic function and nutrient absorption. Consciously include a little bit of unsaturated fat in each meal; natural peanut butter, nuts, olive oil and flaxseed oil are all healthful, cholesterol-free options.

(7) ... And flee from fat-free. Although they sound utopian, fat-free foods are your foes when eating to get lean. Sassin points out: "These foods are fat-free--until you eat them. Most of them contain high amounts of sugar, which causes your body to overproduce insulin, which may drive you to store that excess sugar as fat." So if you absolutely have to have that sweet treat, have a small portion of one that's fat-full.

(8) Write now! Keeping a food journal will help identify any glitches in your daily dietary regimen. For each entry, write down the day and date, time of the meal, what you ate and the amounts of the foods. Be honest in your journaling, and over time, you'll be able to identify what's working for you and what isn't, and you can evaluate where you can tighten up your program.

* DON'T FORGET THE OTHER HALF

Food is only half the fight. Check your training routines to help troubleshoot what's causing your fat-loss plateau. Strength training helps increase your lean body tissue, your metabolic rate and your fat-burning potential. Lift at least 3-4 days a week, and change your program every 6-8 weeks to prevent boredom and keep your body from adapting. Always use proper positioning, full range of motion, and slow, controlled repetitions for all exercises. And don't skip the cardio; three to four 40-minute sessions per week will keep the fat furnace burning.

When all is said and done, remember that food is your friend. So shake hands, play nice and set your sights once again on forming a phenomenal physique. Wise nutritional choices and dietary consistency will give you energy, strength and focus, and buy you a ticket on the plateau-busting bus out of fat city.