- . Before starting the fat-loss program, measure your waist girth and fat pinch
and/or body composition, and your bodyweight. You will be taking these
parameters regularly through the program. Be sure to take them at the same
part of the day each time, and use the same method. Even if the bodyfat
determining system you are using with calipers is not perfect, and even if
you (and an assistant—depending on the instructions that accompany the
fat calipers) cannot carry out the instructions perfectly, so long as you keep
doing things the same way each time, that is all that really matters. is will
give you the comparison, and that is what you need. Keep accurate written
records in a book, not on pieces of paper that are easily mislaid.. Follow the guidelines given earlier in this chapter to find out how many
calories you need to maintain your bodyweight.. Reduce your energy intake by calories a day relative to your mainte-
nance caloric intake. Any greater reduction risks causing the body to alter
metabolism in a way that will hurt your fat-loss plans—the last thing you
need. Drop the calories from refined and heavily processed food, should you
be eating any. If you are only eating healthful food, and thus have no junk
to cut out, trim the caloric reductions across the board by slightly reduc-
ing helping sizes. With some intelligent planning you can still eat a filling
amount of nutrient-dense food without going to extremes like a very-low-
fat diet.. For the macronutrient composition of your caloric intake, follow the same
basic framework as given earlier in this chapter: about fat, enough
protein calories to provide at least one gram of protein per pound of lean
body mass, and the balance of calories as complex fiber-rich carbohydrates.
You could even try a higher fat intake, up to of total caloric intake (all
good fats, of course), and a corresponding reduction in carbohydrate intake.
Some people get better results with a moderate fat intake than a lower fat
intake. e additional fat helps to keep hunger pangs at bay, and provides
more eating pleasure, together with some possible biochemical benefits.. Take a quality broad spectrum vitamin and mineral supplement to be sure
you are not short on micronutrients—the less food you eat, the greater the
chance of not getting enough nutrients. Be sure to chew the tablets before
you swallow them, or else they may leave you body as they went in—whole,
and wasted.