The Best Meal Plan To Lose Fat Faster
If you have read my past nutrition articles or attempted a diet, then you are likely aware of the concept that, in the end, weight loss is about calories in versus calories out as long as you are consuming fewer calories than you burn and have adequate protein. Scientifically, this is accurate and is based on the basic law of thermodynamics. However, this simplistic model overlooks the impact of different foods on these two variables. Research shows that while calories are crucial, to lose fat effectively and efficiently, you need to consider the types of foods that make up those calories and how you consume them. In this article, I will explain three swaps you can make in your diet to take these variables into account and lose fat faster. I will also provide a sample meal plan that incorporates these changes.
The first swap you should make is to stick mostly with minimally processed foods. For example, choose oats and multigrain bread instead of refined options like cereal and white bread, which lack important nutrients and fiber. These unprocessed foods provide more nutrients, keep you full longer, and also have a higher “thermic effect of food”. This refers to the amount of calories your body burns to metabolize and use the food you consume. Unprocessed foods typically burn significantly more calories in digestion and metabolism than processed foods. For example, a study compared the caloric burn of digesting two minimally processed sandwiches (whole grain bread and real cheddar cheese) to two highly processed sandwiches (white bread and processed cheese). Although both meals had virtually the same amount of calories and protein, the more processed sandwich had a 50% lower thermic effect, resulting in fewer calories burned during digestion.
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In a similar manner, a six-week randomized controlled trial had subjects stick to either a diet of less processed whole grain foods like oats, brown rice, and whole grain bread or a calorie and macronutrient equivalent diet of more processed refined grains like cereal, white rice, and white bread. The results showed that the group consuming whole grain foods burned an average of 100 more calories per day just from digesting and metabolizing their food than the processed food group. To put this in perspective, the average person burns 100 calories jogging a mile. So, simply by incorporating less processed whole grain foods instead of more processed foods for most of your meals, you would essentially be jogging an extra mile each day. Over three months, this simple change would make a significant impact.
Theoretically, making a switch can enable you to burn 2.5 pounds more fat. Wild calories are the most important factor, and you will still burn fat even if you eat processed foods, as long as you maintain a calorie deficit. To further influence the calories and potentially speed up the fat loss process, you can swap processed foods for whole grain, less processed options. Now, let’s dive into how to distribute your meals throughout the day. Although your total daily calorie intake is crucial for fat loss, it appears that the way you distribute these calories is even more important than previously thought. This is illustrated by a recent 2020 paper and another similarly designed paper from 2015.
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A 2020 study compared the impact of two calorie distribution methods: front-heavy, which consumes more calories at breakfast, and back-heavy, which consumes more calories at dinner. The results showed that the front-heavy approach reduced hunger, sweet cravings, and overall energy levels, making it easier for people to stick to their diets and potentially increasing calorie burn through physical activity. The front-heavy approach was also tested in a weight loss study over time, with subjects losing more weight, having smaller waist measurements, and feeling less hungry.
The control over a period of 12 weeks indicated that allocating more calories to breakfast (front heavy approach) resulted in greater weight loss, reduced waist circumference, and increased energy levels compared to a group that used a back heavy approach (allocating more calories to dinner). This shift towards a front heavy approach has also been noticed by the author personally, who used to save their calories for evening meals to curb cravings, but found that moving more calories to breakfast improved energy levels and reduced cravings at night. Although the effect may vary for individuals and depend on their workout schedule, there does seem to be indirect fat loss benefits to allocating more calories to early meals in the day.
I would highly suggest experimenting with shifting more of your calories to your first meals of the day, even if you’re practicing intermittent fasting, as this seems to have unique benefits in terms of enabling you to control your cravings, burn more calories, and potentially achieve greater fat loss results in the long run. The last swap is to choose mostly unprocessed foods that are highly satiating and proven to suppress your appetite, allowing you to better adhere to your diet and minimize excess snacking that may sabotage your calorie deficit. Based on the findings from the satiety index, which examined the effects of 38 different common foods on hunger levels, some options are better than others on a calorie-to-calorie comparison.
When it comes to controlling your appetite, for example, even when calories are equated, simply swapping whole grain bread for oats will provide a 25% greater effect on suppressing your hunger. Similarly, swapping brown rice for whole grain pasta or boiled potatoes will provide a 30% or 60% boost in satiation, respectively. So, what I suggest is looking over the satiety index and experimenting with swapping some of these more satiating foods into your diet to see how your body and appetite respond.
To start, we’ll allocate most of the calories towards breakfast with protein pancakes made completely of highly satiating, minimally processed foods. To make these, blend the oats to make oat flour, then add the rest of the ingredients into the blend. Cook the pancakes over a pan and top with peanut butter, sugar-free syrup, sautéed apples, or any other preferred toppings. For lunch, we’ll taper down the calories slightly but still stick with satiating, unprocessed foods with baked salmon, boiled potatoes, and a side of sautéed asparagus. To keep you going until dinner, have an orange, and you can even have a protein shake, depending on when your workout is. Finally, for dinner, we’ll continue tapering down the calories slightly with baked chicken.
Not only will the program optimize your weekly workouts for you, but it will also show you how to structure and set up your diet with the right foods in the right amounts to burn fat as efficiently and easily as possible, based on science. Simply go to exipure.com and take the analysis quiz to discover which program is best for you, based on your current state. That’s it for today, guys. Thank you so much for read this article. I hope you’re all doing well. Please don’t forget to show your support by liking the video, leaving a comment to let me know what you’d like to see me cover next, follow me. This all really helps me out. Thank you so much, everyone, and see you next time.
