Fat-Burning Diet and Nutrition Guide

the diet leads to a 30 percent drop in T3 levels, and that means
a slower metabolism and more fat-burning plateaus. If you
want to jack up your metabolism, think zinc—on second
thought, don’t just think it, supplement it. Zinc also helps the
body build testosterone, the key muscle-building hormone and
one that has been shown to burn bellyfat.
How we use zinc:Studies suggest that you should get
about 50 milligrams of zinc a day and no more than 100
milligrams. Check your meal replacement to see how much
you’re getting from it before you supplement. When we switch
f rom Muscle Meals meal replacement, which is fortified with
vitamins and minerals (including zinc), to Pro-Fusion, we start
supplementing with zinc. We use Muscle-Link’s ZMA-T, three to
four capsules at bedtime.
6) Creatine monohydrate.This nutrient has been found
to boost the energy capacity of the muscle cells. That’s great
for speeding up the muscle-growth process, but keep in mind
that more energy expenditure equals more calorie use and the
possibility of more fat-burning activity. Creatine is especially
helpful to those who don’t eat red meat, as they can develop a
creatine deficiency, which, in turn, causes the body to function
at less than optimal levels. That may be one reason dieting
bodybuilders report such amazing results with this supplement.
How we use cre a t i n e :We add five grams of titrated
creatine (Muscle-Link’s CreaSol) to our postworkout drink after
almost every training session. We like to cycle it, using it for
around 12 weeks and going off for two. We do that throughout
the year.
7) Te a .Recent studies show that drinking green tea may
help increase bodyfat oxidation, and another shows that oolong
tea may do the same. The study involving oolong tea suggests
that it’s not just the metabolic stimulation that makes the tea
effective—it actually may thwart the addition of bodyfat (J Nutr,
131:2848-2852; 2001). Researchers in Taiwan studied more
than 1,100 people for 10 years and found that those who drank
t e a — g reen, black or oolong—several times a week had 20