Question from mickey: I trains 5-6 days a week...with a mix of cardio, weight training and yoga, and is constantly on my feet throughout the day. Is mainitaining a diet higher in good protein and fat and minimal carbs beneficial to loosing body fat? I am muscular,and happy with my size, but trying to loose the last 3-5 pounds is the most difficult. I am also always hungry and try to eat often. Do i need to cut my calories or cut out certain foods?
Answer from Linda O'Byrne: Hi Mickey, Thanks for your message and I'd be happy to help. Its most important that you don't cut out whole food groups and follow a fad diet, yes it might help you lose the last 3-5lbs but you'd put it all back on as this type of diet is not sustainable, plus you'd probably gain more in the long-run. I'd take a slower approach and aim for 1lb a week of fat loss - "fat loss" being the operative words, instead of "weight loss". In other words, take a full month to lose the fat but you'll find that you'll not put it back on. My basic suggestions would be to never go longer than 2 1/2 hrs without eating something, always include a protein & complex carb in your snack or meal. i.e. breakfast could be oatmeal with protein powder added & some fruit and a mid-morning snack could be an apple with all natural peanut butter (1 tbsp). Also portion sizes are very important so make sure you don't eat oversized portions of any food, including healthy foods. I'd highly recommend that you cut all alcohol out of your diet whilst trying to lose these last few pounds and then limit to minimal amounts after the fat is lost. I hope this helps! Linda O'Byrne