Most people are going about this weight reduction thing all wrong. They simply want to reduce the pounds giving no thought as to what it is they are losing. I'm about to give you the most powerful dieting formula on the planet.
If you were to quickly lose pounds in a few days, consider this scary thought.
You might be losing:
* fat
* muscle
* water
If you start to lose muscle, you'll slow down your metabolism at a very minimum. The effects of that can be devastating to a person who's trying to burn fat and keep muscle. You'll feel weaker during your workouts as well. One key many people don't consider is; the more muscle you
have, the higher your metabolism will be and the greater amounts of fat you'll burn. More muscle = leaner you!
If you lose too much water, you risk dehydration dangers. Dehydration is simply the loss of water from the body and a depletion of electrolyte levels (sodium and potassium).
When you become dehydrated, your body fights back by slowing down the elimination of water. This restriction in fluids stimulates your body to retain even more water.
Depending on the context, eliminating water weight is temporary and can lead to dehydration. This is no good for a person who's going to be physically active. Plenty of water is essential to healthy and efficient athletic performance.
Pay close attention:
1- How many people really take the time to figure out their body composition?
2- How many people really understand what they are losing when they 'drop 10 pounds?'
3- How many more people actually know how long it will take for their expected results?
You know what I mean don't you?
Then it hit me again, how about I show you right now, in a few simple steps, how you can take your body fat percentage and figure out the number of weeks required to reach a specific goal! You can also ensure it's fat you will be losing and not temporary water weight or even worse... muscle.
You are about to learn the secret:
* How your weight reduction goal (percentage of body fat reduction) translates into pounds
* How long does it take to reach your weight reduction goal based on the body fat you want to be (a chart is provided at the end of this letter)
- Keep in mind that your body is made up of lean body mass (which is muscle and bone) and overall body fat. If you take a person who is 40% body fat, you can determine that
60% is lean body mass. -
Fact: Ideal weight reduction should be defined as losing body fat while maintaining lean body mass.
Example Person: Luke Jackson
Male, 33 years old, 240 pounds, 40% body fat (as measured with a body fat caliper)
Step 1: Find Your Lean Body Mass (LBM)
Let's say Luke weighs 240 pounds. Multiply the total number of pounds by body fat percentage (40% in our example) to reveal the number of pounds Luke carries as fat. 240 x 0.40 = 96 pounds of fat. To find the number of pounds due to LBM, you can either subtract "fat" pounds from total weight (240 – 96 = 144) or multiply total weight by 60% (240 x 0.60 = 144).
Step 2: Calculate Your Body Fat Goal Weight
Simply take Luke's current LBM in pounds and divide it by 1.00 minus the body fat percentage goal. (1.00 represents 100% of body weight expressed as a decimal number — just as 0.40 represents 40% expressed as a decimal number.)
In our example, Luke's LBM is 144 pounds. The body fat percentage goal is 35% (5% body fat reduction). 1.00 – 0.35 = 0.65. To calculate goal weight, divide 144 by 0.65. 144 ÷ 0.65 = 222 pounds. With a goal of 35% body fat, Luke's goal weight would be 222 pounds.
Step 3: Calculate How Long It Will Take To Reach Your Goal
Comparing this number to the starting weight of 240 pounds reveals an 18-pound body fat reduction.
Losing one pound per week, it would take 18 weeks to go from 240 pounds at 40% body fat to 222 pounds at 35% body fat while maintaining the 144-pound LBM!
* 1 lb per week is the average healthy weight reduction as determined by the ISSA and many top personal trainers. You could lose more or less depending on your personal
situation. *
Now, here's the next step...
You can input your own numbers and your goal body fat percentage and figure out your personal timeline for achieving your goals.
Rather then saying "I just need to drop 10 pounds," plan on weight reduction based on body fat.
Translation: "I'm at 25% body fat right now and I think it would be healthier for me if I was at least around 20%."
Now you have a clear and reasonable goal which you can work with to find your ideal goal weight at that percentage and approximately how long it will take to reach your goal
which maintaining muscle.
Here are ranges of body fat levels for women:
Essential Fat= 10-12%
Athletes= 14-20%
Fitness= 21-24%
Acceptable= 25-31%
Obese= 32% plus
Here are ranges of body fat levels for men:
Essential Fat= 2-4%
Athletes= 6-13%
Fitness= 14-17%
Acceptable= 18-25%
Obese= 25% plus
*These numbers are according to The American Council on Exercise
Make your goal based on body composition. Once you do that, you should instantly realize how powerful this little formula really can be. While all your friends will have no idea, you clearly will be able to mark your calendar. You have just created a timeline for losing the fat and keeping
the muscle!
