| Hi Friend,
When weather experts predicted the “Beast from the East” was sweeping its way from Siberia, few Brits envisaged the chaos the storm would bring to UK shores.
Many parts of Britain witnessed vast snowdrifts and gridlocked motorways. Then there were the stranded trains and planes, along with the shut shops and office buildings. And now, as the thaw starts its slow march across the country, analysts believe the freezing weather is costing the UK £1 billion per day.
In the aftermath of this wintry weather, it’s therefore hard to imagine how springtime is just around the corner - yet a quick glance at your calendar reveals this to be true.
This year, springtime occurs between March 20 and June 21, if you use the astronomical method. But if you follow the meteorological calendar, spring has already sprung - with the season spanning March 1 – May 31.
But what does any of this have to do with your strength training?
Good question.
Well, it just so happens spring is the best time to start shedding some excess body fat in readiness for the summer...
But perhaps more importantly, you can make your body transformation happen much faster when you follow the latest scientific studies.
Fat Facts
So what’s new?
Anyone who has ever been dieting knows the standard prescription for fat loss is to reduce calories. But a new study published in JAMA, may turn that well-worn advice clean on its head.
The study found calorie consumption isn’t necessarily the white hat hero when it comes to fat loss. Research instead shows, people cutting back on added sugar, refined grains and highly processed foods produced the greatest fat loss results.
That’s right… People lost significant amounts of body fat over the course of a year, WITHOUT worrying about calorie counting or portion size.
This latest research was published in JAMA and was led by Dr. Christopher Gardner, the director of nutrition studies at the Stanford Prevention Research Centre. The trial was carried out on more than 600 people and emphasised eating whole or “real” foods - as much as the participants needed to avoid feeling hungry.
Dr. Gardner said, “The unique thing is, that we didn’t ever set a number for them to follow.”
The doc continues: “We really stressed that we wanted them to eat high-quality foods. We told them, that we wanted them to minimise added sugar and refined grains and eat more vegetables and whole foods.”
A year later, and figures show focussing on food quality, not calories, really works.
Results revealed: on average, group members lost over 13 pounds.
But that’s not all…
Most excitingly, participants saw improvements in other health markers, such as reductions in waist size, body fat, blood sugar and blood pressure levels.
And the take-home message?
Diet quality is important for both weight control and your long-term well-being.
So maybe cutting calories isn’t the best fat-loss solution to slim down for summer.
Instead, we should focus on a diet with more veggies, more whole foods, and less refined grains and added sugar.
Until next time,
Keep Squatting!
Lee
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