Dieting for Maximum Fat-loss Vs Maximum Performance

Dieting For Maximum Fat-loss or Maximum Performance?

Dieting for maximum fat-loss is quite different than dieting for maximum performance.

While opinions are very different as to what the healthiest diet is- research over time- does point to which diets maximize fat-loss and which diets maximize performance.

Every time I see people reaching in their pockets to pay for this diet e-book or that diet e-book I want to shout out to them- Don’t spend your money!  I’ll help you for FREE!  It’s really quite simple and I’m happy to do it.

On a basic level- whether dieting for fat-loss or dieting for performance– it all boils down to calories.  When dieting for fat-loss- it’s about creating a calorie deficit– Simply put- that you are eating less than you are burning.

There are only 2 ways to create a deficit– 1.) through eating less and  2.)  through exercising more– and the best way to go is a combination of both!

You need a 3500 calorie deficit to lose 1 lb in a week.  That’s 500 less calories you need to be putting in your mouth each day or 500 more calories you need to be burning through exercise each day.  And preferably a combination of both.

Obviously,  if your objective is a maximum performance diet– you don’t want to be operating in a calorie deficit.  You want to maximize your energy with enough calories, vitamins, mineral, and photo-nutrients which comes from a variety of foods and a healthy balanced diet.

Dieting for Maximum Fat-loss requires a little more specialized knowledge than just reducing calories to lose weight.

Reducing calories will result in weight-loss regardless of the diet you follow.  Eating 1200 calories, whether on Weight Watchers, Nutri-system, Jenny Craig, Atkins, The South Beach Diet, or even the Twinkie Diet have all been shown to result in weight loss.  Yes I said it- you will even lose weight with 1200 calories on the Twinkie diet. (not that I recommend it).

Dieting for maximum fat-loss, however, means maintaining muscle  while losing as much fat as possible.  A 1200 calorie a day diet is a a very low calorie diet which will likely result in some muscle loss along with fat-loss.

In order to maximize fat-loss while maintaining muscle– calories need to be reduced minimally and gradually over time- with an increasing reduction in carbohydrates while keeping protein high and fat moderate- and preferably to split it up in small meals through out the day.

I recently went into great detail with my Faraday’s Top 11 Fat-loss and Diet Tips.  Please refer to my blog for all the details to maximize fat loss.

Dieting for Maximum Performance is achieved with a well-balanced diet that provides all the energy and nutrition necessary for optimal growth and development.  In short, a maximum performance diet is achieved with an appropriate balance of carbohydrates, fats and protein.

Balance

Carbohydrates provide 40 to 50 percent of your energy requirements during the early stages of physical activity.  For vigorous activities lasting longer than 90 minutes your body begins to draw from your fat reserves. Consequently, a maximum performance diet will require a greater percentage of carbohydrates than a maximum fat-loss diet.

Some studies suggests that athletes need to consume about 70 percent of their calories from carbohydrates, which is slightly higher than the recommendations for the average person.

Protein requirements for athletes are thought to be higher than for the average person.  Recommendations for athletes have been suggested to be at  1.2 to 1.4 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight. Strength-training athletes need slightly more at 1.6 to 1.7 grams per kilogram.  Fat intake has been recommended at 20 to 35 percent of your daily calories.