A Fat Burning Meal Plan

Fat Burning Meal Plan for Men


By: Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS

This is the fat burning meal plan I would follow to burn fat.

(This is almost identical to the meal plan I eat now to gain muscle and strength, except my lunch is higher in carbohydrates and calories and so is my after dinner snack...so to burn fat I'd just cut a few things out.)...


Here are the guidelines for a fat burning meal plan for men.

- 6 meals per day. If you can't do that, combine a couple of meals to get down to 4 meals per day. Even most busy people can do 4 meals/snacks per day.

- Remove all sugar from diet.

- Have at least 1g of protein per pound of bodyweight (to a maximum of 250g per day)

- Have 3 servings of fruit per day (sticking to high-fiber fruits such as apples or grapefruit and high-antioxidant fruits such as berries)

- Drink at least 4 cups of Green Tea

- Follow Dr. John Berardi's 90% rule -> if you eat according to the guidelines 90% of the time, you can go off track 10% of the time and still make incredible body changes.

This is the exact meal plan & training plan I follow to get ultra-lean.

I'd probably only need 3 weeks before I would be ripped - this approach is super fast and effective. Plus, I'm already very lean because I avoid the Western Lifestyle and live the Turbulence Training Lifestyle everyday.


Meal 1:

3 Omega-3 eggs

1oz cheese

1 cup raw broccoli

1/2 raw pepper

4g fish oil

2 cups Green Tea


Meal 2:

1/2 cup pecans

1/2 cup blueberries

1 apple

1 cup Green Tea


Meal 3:

1 chicken breast

2 cups mixed green salad or spinach

1 cup raw peppers & broccoli

2 cups Green Tea


Meal 4:

Post-workout chocolate milk (2 cups)


Meal 5:

2 oz almonds

1 apple

1 cup Green Tea


Meal 6:

6oz steak

1/2 avocado

1 cup asparagus

1 cup swiss chard

1/2 cup strawberries

4g Fish Oil

* Bonus snack late: *

1 apple

1 tbsn peanut butter

Now, if you are chained to a desk with a taskmaster of a boss, here's what you do...

Cut back from 6 meals to 4 meals. Everyone can do breakfast, lunch, after work, and dinner. Add in a post-workout meal if you need it and you're up to 5 meals.

The reason why I like multi-meals for fat loss is that it keeps people from going berserk at lunch or dinner b/c they are starving. You know how it is, when you're too hungry to stay disciplined and you rationalize grabbing take out (or take away for our european readers) after work rather than preparing your chicken and vegetables.

For guys that need to gain muscle, the more meals the better, and the reason is obvious (more calories).


Follow up questions about the Fat Burning Meal Plan

1 - Why so many green teas?

Answer:

Green tea is just healthy. Nothing more, nothing less. Most of the time I drink naturally decaffeinated green tea since I am not a real big caffeine fan.

But if you are worried about losing your caffeine kick when switching from coffee to Green Tea, I think you might be pleasantly surprised that Green Tea still has a fair bit of caffeine...then again what do i know, since I've never, ever had a coffee.

PS - I have nothing against people drinking 1-2 coffees per day. Just not 3-4 super-mega-whatever you call those big ones from Starbucks.


2 - Are raw vegetables better than cooked?

Answer:

You will get more nutrients from raw vegetables. Its not the end of the world if you cook them, but obviously steaming is much better than boiling.

Raw vegetables are also much easier to transport/prepare and eat when busy.

Bottom line: Just get some vegetables first of all, then worry about the details.

PS - Deep fried vegetables do not count. Ever.

3 - Why no starchy carbs?

Answer:

Getting rid of starchy carbs is a guaranteed way to lose more fat. Low-carb diets (they don't have to be dramatically low, but still lower than normal) are proven to work.

I've written in the past about how when clients (and myself) have eliminated all carb sources except for fruits and vegetables that the fat burning results were remarkable. Fast and effective.

I also feel much more mentally alert without them in my diet.

Nutrition is the MOST important component of fat loss,

Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS

About the Author

Craig Ballantyne is a Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist and writes for Men's Health, Men's Fitness, Maximum Fitness, Muscle and Fitness Hers, and Oxygen magazines. His trademarked Turbulence Training fat loss workouts have been featured multiple times in Men’s Fitness and Maximum Fitness magazines, and have helped thousands of men and women around the world lose fat, gain muscle, and get lean in less than 45 minutes three times per week. For more information on the Turbulence Training workouts that will help you burn fat without long, slow cardio sessions or fancy equipment, visit  Turbulence Training for my review.

Lose Unwanted BodyFat 3 Keys To Lose Stomach Fat

Stomach Fat - 3 Key's For Lean Rock Hard Abs


Okay you are tired of looking down and not seeing your shoes. That overabundance of stomach fat has
finally got your attention. So now what? Hopefully you know that to get rid of your belly fat, hitting the floor and doing endless crunches and sit-ups is not the answer. Any knowledgeable fitness expert will tell you that crunches and sit-ups aren't enough to get rid of stomach fat and get lean rock hard abs.

Instead you must focus on your diet along with fat burning exercises, cardio and strength training workouts to develop your abs and burn stomach fat.

* Let's Talk Healthy Eating *

It is very important to keep yourself well hydrated, drink plenty of water daily. Next, focus on consuming enough protein to keep your appetite under control, supplemented with healthy fats for satiety and fruits and veggies for energy. It is important, however, that you reduce your calorie intake, because regardless of the food you eat, if you are consuming more than you burn, you aren't going to lose stomach fat and have lean rock hard abs.

By eating less, you can cut the fat that settles in your midsection. Losing this stomach fat is a
matter of watching your diet closely. Failing to eat a good balance of carbohydrates, proteins, and fat
can wreak havoc on your plans to get flat lean rock hard abs, so monitor your diet closely.

* Fat Burning Exercise - Cardio *

With your diet under control, it's time to focus on the right fat burning workout. Working on your abs
means doing both cardio and strength training exercises. The most effective cardio requires only a few
quality sessions a week of high intensity activities such as interval training, kettlebell exercises, sprints, jump rope and hill running. You want to tackle anything your body is not efficient at.

High intensity fat burning cardio will deliver results a thousand times faster than plodding along on the treadmill at a moderate pace for an hour. So crank that intensity up for twenty to forty seconds and then back it down again for another minute. Repeat this process eight to ten times and you'll have a workout that'll shed that stomach fat in no time.

* Strength Training Equals Fat Burning *

Never discount the power of strength training for fat burning 2-3 days a week. Strength training exercises are one of the best ways to boost your metabolic rate, which will then help you burn off body fat all day long. Do keep in mind though that all strength training activities are not created equal.

For example, a heavy set of squats is going to ramp up the metabolism (and work your abs) a great deal
more than a set of bicep curls.

To utilize this principle, include in your strength training so that only core, compound lifts, fat burning exercises are included. This would include movements such as squats, lunges, deadlifts, bent over rows, shoulder presses, and the bench press.

Not only will this provide you with a far better whole body fat burning workout without wasting too
much time on useless exercises, but it will also help you burn stomach fat and get lean rock hard abs to get the look you want.

These are the 3 key components to lose stomach fat and get lean rock hard abs, make sure to alternate
your exercises every few weeks or so because your abdominal muscles adapt to change very quickly. And,
as soon as they adapt, you are going to stop seeing results. By keeping your abs guessing as to what's coming, you keep the results coming as well.

To lose stomach fat, you'll need a comprehensive program complete with detailed meal plans and fat burning exercise workouts. Find reviews of some of the best products designed to help you lose body fat, stomach fat and get lean rock hard abs fast at ===> Fat Burning Diets And Workouts


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Lose Unwanted BodyFat A Fat Burning Interview

A Fat-Loss Interview with Charles Staley from Escalating Density Training and Craig Ballantyne of Turbulence Training. You can click the links for my reviews of each program. Pay close attention to this interview there is some great fat loss and muscle building information here.


We covered the behavior-modification end of the equation quite thoroughly, and I think you’ll find some valuable nuggets below, especially if you’ve got a few pounds to lose…

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CB: Charles, what is your general fat loss training philosophy for the average man and woman?

CS: Find and implement a sustainable system for increasing metabolism and building muscle. This involves both training and nutrition, but under the surface, the habits and behaviors that support them. I’ll take a modest but sustainable approach over an aggressive but non-sustainable approach any day of the week.

Long-term fat loss is about your everyday habits and patterns - how much you move and what you eat, specifically.

It’s worthwhile to take an honest assessment of your habits, both in the gym and in the kitchen, and then sit down and do some hard thinking. Many people are not honest with themselves about how much they eat and move - they tend to underestimate the former and overestimate the latter.

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CB: Did you come across any research or training methods in the past year that you added to improve your programs?

CS: God I wish I had! I really don’t think there’s anything new out there in terms of methodologies, nothing significant anyway.

I think collectively, we basically know how to train and eat. But I’m always interested in finding ways to implement all the boring, tried and true methods that are well understood, but under-appreciated and implemented. Honestly, it’s hard to circumvent the law of thermodynamics (which is why it’s a “law” as opposed to a “theory” or “rule of thumb”). If you consistently expend more energy than you take in, you’re pretty much assured of losing bodyfat.

Incidentally, you’ll always find people who swear to their dying day that they burn more than they eat and still can’t lose weight. From my experience, what happens is that people will eat in a hypocaloric manner for maybe 4-5 days, and then binge for a day, and so on. The binge tends to be just enough to cancel out the previous deficit, but they don’t remember the binge - they only remember the “good” days so to speak.

---

CB: In your experience, what’s the biggest obstacle that men and women need to overcome to succeed with their training – no matter what their goals? Does it differ between men and women?

CS: Women really have it tough today, let’s start with that.

There are a lot of obstacles, but first and foremost among them is the fact that western civilization is literally designed to make you fat. It’s never been easier to eat massive amounts of calories and avoid movement than it is today.

And it’s a catch-22 because the fatter people get, the more than society adapts to support and enable fat people. Which makes it easier and more socially acceptable to be fat. More than ever before, being lean means being on the fringe of society. And THAT’S probably the most significant obstacle to losing fat.

---

CB: How do you “get inside someone’s head” to motivate clients who are either just starting out (and dreading it) or at a fat loss plateau (and thinking of abandoning it all)?

CS: I think you’ve gotta get REAL clear about not only where you’re trying to go, but more importantly WHY. A goal is only a benchmark, or an indicator, that tells you if you’re moving closer to your ideal life, your ideal self, right?

I mean, when you say “I wanna lose 20 pounds” or “I wanna bench 405” or whatever it is, there’s an underlying assumption that if you achieve that goal, your life will be better somehow.

But a lot of people never really stop to ask themselves if that assumption is accurate or not. Are you really going to be happier is you lose 20 pounds? It seems that way when you initially conceive the goal, because your motivation is high and you haven’t done any work yet. But 6 weeks of training, calorie deprivation, and no ice cream (OK, that’s just a personal problem, sorry!) and you’ve lost 20 pounds but maybe you’re not so happy.

At the “inspiration phase” as I call it, people find it easy to visualize the positive outcomes of their goals, but it’s not as instinctive to also ponder the downside - the work, deprivation, self-discipline, pain, whatever it is. This is why any diet works for the short term. But the problem is, once you pass through the inspiration phase and enter the “perspiration phase,” reality sets in and most people just fall off the wagon.

---

CB: And Charles, what training methods have you found to be just plain fun and worthwhile incorporating into a program for variety, while still getting results?

CS: First off, don’t be a perfectionist and don’t be rigid. Variety is the key word for long-term fat loss, not only for psychological reasons, but also for physiological reasons- particularly injury prevention.

I tell people to just move - ride the bike, walk the dog, do some hill sprints, play recreational sports, lift, do it all. I also always urge people to get involved in competition on some level. When you put yourself on the line, you find out what you’re really capable of- it’s a mirror on yourself in many ways.

And by no means do you need to be great or even competitive - I compete in master’s Olympic weightlifting (in the comedy division!) and believe me, the current National champions have nothing to worry about!

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CB: And finally, tell us about the EDT system and how one might use it in the context of a fat loss program?

CS: Well, fat-loss is what EDT was designed for. It’s quick, fun (if you enjoy pain that is) and purpose-driven. Performed 3 days a week, EDT workouts form the core of a successful fat-loss program, because it’s essentially a cross between weights and aerobics - it features the best of both worlds. In fact, when people start EDT, they invariably stop whatever cardio they were previously doing. It’s that efficient.

---

Hope enjoyed the interview and some good ideas for your fat loss training! And if maybe EDT is not the program for you but you're still interested in some excellent fat loss information and programs, I highly recommend Craig's "Turbulence Training" program.

It's very good stuff - science-based and real-world proven.

Here again are the links to my reviews.

Escalating Density Training 

Turbulence Training

Lose Unwanted BodyFat Lead By Example

I wanted to post this as a follow up to yesterday's post.

3 Things You MUST Do This Week for Inspiration and Motivation


I want you to start it off "Leading by example." I want you to be LOUD and PROUD of your decision to live a healthier life.

Step 1) If you don't have social support, take charge as the leader.

Lead by example. Bring in healthy food to work. Tell everyone that you are starting a new exercise program. Ask others if they want help or support.

Eventually, a lot of people will come to you for advice and support.  And you'll have built a powerful network of social support to help keep you and everyone around you on track.

Step 2) Be confident in your choices.

Don't be ashamed or embarrassed when you say "no" to donuts or pizza at work. If it's not in your diet plan, stay strong and say no thanks and then eat what you prepared.

NO ONE has the right to make you feel bad for eating healthy.

Step 3) People will respect your decisions, even if it seems at first that they don't.

Often, the folks who are most resistant to your changes are the ones who want to make those changes themselves!

So stay strong, and lead by example.

YOU are the one making the right decision. Never forget that!

I'm very proud of your hard work. And more importantly YOU should be proud of yourself.

Fat Burning Diets And Workouts Where Is Your Head At?

Okay maybe it is a strange title but I think it's an important one. Let me ask you a question:

Do You see yourself as being thin and fit?

 I mean in your own mind can you sit back close your eyes and see yourself 20lbs. lighter?

Answer honestly!! And if the answer is No then why not?

Look we live in a society that bombards us with what we should look like, what we should be doing, what's wrong with us etc. Right or wrong we are faced with it everyday. And in most cases people that I talk with always say:

 " But I could never look like that" and I'll tell you what, it just bugs me to no end to hear that, And my response usually is something like

" Why The Hell Not "  I hate a defeatist attitude I do understand it sometimes but rarely.

And I do understand that when you are starting out your goals can seem insurmountable but they are not. I do believe in small steps every small step you conquer is a victory. Will you stumble along the way? More than likely, but it's not the end of the world. It is how you get back up after that stumble that counts.

What You Believe You Can Achieve

If you don't really truly believe you can reach your fat loss goals then you might as well go back to eating junk food and spending all your waking hours on the couch. I am no motivation expert but I do believe that if you really want something in this life you need to sincerely believe that it is going to happen.

I say go look in the mirror and say " Why The Hell Not Me " Look I try to help you by giving you healthy eating and exercise advice but I can't make you do it or convince you it Can and Will happen for you. Sometimes we are our own worst enemy.

Here is a 7 Step Plan to Reach Your Fat Loss and Fitness Goals.

If you see alot of yourself in what I have been talking about here pay paticular attention to #1

1. Sit down and plan out your complete body transformation – everything from end goals, to getting started with nutrition changes, to overcoming all of the obstacles in your way. Sit and daydream about this for 15-30 minutes.


2. Spend time planning your workouts to save you time when you go to do you workouts.

3. One of the biggest mistakes people make is not having a plan. That leads to wasted time (“what should I do today”) and no results.

4. Surround yourself with social support to have people do the work for you. Surround yourself with people who are smarter and fitter than you.

5. Script your day.

6. Be ruthless with your time. Time spent on cardio robs your family of you.

7. Get in to your workout, get out, and get on with your life.


Start today and add a healthy habit to your life every day - an extra glass of water, an apple a day, extra serving of vegetables, replace processed snacks with an ounce of raw nuts, drink Green Tea instead of soda, get up on time instead of hitting snooze, plan ahead instead of winging it, & set goals instead of daydreaming.


YOU CAN DO THIS!!!

Is Diet More Important Than Exercise?

I don't know if I ever showed you this video before about "diet vs exercise"

If you haven't watched it, you can see it at the end of these diet tips.

It points out the futility of the cardio confessional and shows you that diet is much more important than exercise.

And since diet is more important than exercise, I've decided to spend a lot time sharing nutrition tips this week, starting with these 3 diet secrets:

1) Your nutrition program doesn't have to be extreme.

Hold up on the insane New Year's changes. Make sure the nutrition plan you've chosen is sustainable. Simple diet changes go a lot farther than you might think.

Why not just eat more whole, natural foods rather than trying to go on an impossible-to-stick-to ultra-low carb extreme plan?

2) Get the junk out of the house.

If it's in your house, you'll eat it...and trust me, this goes for me too. When I visited my mom's house for Christmas, I ate all the chocolate I could find. But I keep it out of my house here in the big city.

So whatever your weakness is, keep it out of your home.

Success is that simple.

3) Fill in the "diet-killing" gap.

For some folks, the diet-killing gap is between work and dinner. For others, it's between dinner and bedtime, but for almost everyone, there is a point in the day when we suffer from mindless eating.

So make sure you have alternatives...as soon as you come home from work, cut up vegetables and dip them into hummus. That will keep you full on a small amount of calories.

After dinner, if you need something sweet, stir up chocolate protein powder into a small bit of plain yogurt. That will satisfy you.

BONUS Tip #1 - Chew your food 20 times before swallowing. Most people eat so fast they only about 5 times. You'll really notice a difference and you'll slow your eating so you feel full.

I was reminded of this tip while reading a book called, "Mr America", about one of the first ever fitness gurus.

BONUS Tip #2 - Have a bowl of broth-based vegetable soup before a meal. American researcher Barbara Roll has published a lot of studies showing that this will help you reduce the food you eat. Surprisingly,
consuming just water doesn't seem to do the same trick.




Thanks to Craig Ballantyne of Turbulence Training for the video.