Many natural bodybuilders and figure competitors fall under the powerful spell of specific types of dieting especially when it comes to losing body fat.
Some bodybuilders say the ketogenic diet is the only way to lose fat while some say that the low-fat diet is the only way to eliminate body fat. You even have some bodybuilders who say that the most effective ways to lose fat are using the carnivore diet or even the vegan diet.
The truth of the matter is this: the fat loss diet you use or choose will not work without you being in an energy deficit and consuming the properly calculated macronutrients.
The Trick To Losing Body Fat
Many natural bodybuilders love popular fat loss diets because when they initially start them, they see fast results.
For example, if you are currently overeating and change over to a ketogenic diet, you will definitely lose weight fast during the first week. The average natural bodybuilder then thinks the diet is responsible for their weight loss.
The reason why you lost body fat was not because the diet is some magical way of eating. The reason that this ketogenic diet worked for you is because you eliminated all of the carbs. And when you removed the carbs, you removed a lot of calories. You do not have to eliminate carbs or fats to get lean but there are two other things that you must do to lose body fat.
1) Lower Your Overall Caloric Intake
If you were on any type of diet, but you were still eating in a caloric/energy surplus then guess what? You will not lose the body fat that you want to.
You have to adhere to the rule of reducing your energy intake or using more energy so that you are in a slight caloric/energy deficit. And you do this by eating less and moving more. While being in a caloric/energy deficit is very important, this does not mean you can eat whatever you want to.
You will absolutely lose weight while in a caloric/energy deficit. The energy deficit is so powerful that you will lose weight even if you were eating like you were starring in the Supersize Me sequel. But the caloric/energy deficit is not the Infinity Gauntlet. If the majority of what you eat is low quality food your body will not look or perform well.
2) Get Your Macronutrients In Order
Some natural bodybuilders think that the caloric deficit is the end all be all in terms of losing body fat.
They cut calories hard and while they lose weight, they look flabby and sick at the end of the diet. This will always happen when your diet is high in carbs and fat and very low in protein.
Macronutrients are broken down into three categories. Carbohydrates, fats, and protein. This is how we identify the foods we eat.
Your macros matter when it comes to retaining muscle mass and improving your performance. Using a hypothetical male natural bodybuilder who is consuming 2000 calories a day to lose body fat, here is how I would set up his diet.
Daily Caloric Consumption: 2000 Calories
Calculate protein requirement by taking 2000 x .35 = 700 calories
Then take 700 calories and divide it by 4 = 175 grams of protein
Calculate carbohydrate requirement by taking 2000 x .35 = 700 calories
Then take 700 calories and divide it by 4 = 175 grams of carbohydrates
Calculate fat requirement by taking 2000 x .30 = 600 calories
Then take 600 calories and divide it by 9= 67 grams of fat
His daily calorie intake would look like this:
Total Calories = 2000 calories
Total Carbohydrates = 175 grams
Total Protein = 175 grams
Total Fats = 67 grams
Notes:
- 1 gram of protein and carbs are equivalent to 4 calories. 1 gram of fat is equivalent to 9 calories.
- The formula for determining how many grams of carbs, protein, or fat that you need is: total calories multiplied by the percentage / 4 or 9.
Conclusion
If you eat whatever you want and as much as you want, you will get exactly what you deserve: a bad body. Success requires sacrifice.
I’ll holla at you next time.
The People’s Trainer
Fitman
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