Finishing touches

Summer is the reason I abandoned the blog (and my diet). However, this past week I have been putting the initial plan in action: I have cut all carbs (even fruit/vegetables). In the past, we have discussed the reasons why a low-carb diet leads to fat loss. This extreme version I have been following magnifies the results.

Here are some guidelines for this type of diet:
1. Cut all carbs: breads, rice, potatoes, pasta, whole-wheat products, legumes, sugar, honey, soft drinks, fruit, vegetables, milk, and yoghurt.
2. The only foods that are allowed are: meat, poultry, fish, seafood, eggs, and cheese. The good thing is that you can eat as much as you like from these foods.
3. Take a multi-vitamin/multi-mineral supplement. Without fruit and vegetables, it is very hard to find these ingredients elsewhere.
4. For the same reason, take a fiber supplement, to avoid constipation.
5. Do not follow this diet for more than two weeks. At the end of this time, resume eating fruit and vegetables.

This diet is very powerful and the results adverse. You can follow it at once (to ready yourself for the beach), but it’s even better to ease into it, by following a low- (not zero) carb diet for 2-3 months before.

As for your training, do what you can. Obviously it’s hard to adhere to a schedule these days, but try to work out in the gym 2-3 times weekly. Apart from that, do your morning workout as frequently as possible.

One change that I have made these days is to add some exercises to the morning workout (besides running/walking). I usually look for an overhead bar in the park, and do 10 pull-ups, 10 dips (you have to find a spot for these), and 10 leg raises for the abs. With that kind of volume, these exercises will not build muscles, but they will help keeping on to what you already have, especially if you tend to miss gym workouts.

Another good idea is to walk at nights (the weather is ideal for that). This is very important if you overeat at dinner, or if you are forced to eat carbs.

If you do all that, bodyfat doesn’t stand a chance!