Eat More Diet (Biggest Loser)

 

The “Eat More Diet” is the diet plan outlined for the Blue team on The Biggest Loser. “I believe you must eat to lose weight,” says Bob. The logic behind this plan is that if you eat smaller portions and more meals throughout the day, your body will not go into starvation mode and rather than hold on to fat, it will burn it more efficiently in response to exercise. This works to effectively boost metabolism!

You’re supposed to consume 4-6 planned meals per day that are low fat and low carb.  Eating more will ensure that your body has energy throughout the day to more effectively use as fuel for working out.

7-Day Sample Meal Plan

Breakfast (1st meal)
5 egg whites or egg beaters 2 slices turkey bacon
Mid-Morning Snack
1 slice deli chicken slice wrapped around 1 stick of string cheese. Add mustard if desired
Lunch (2nd Meal)
1 can of Albacore solid white tuna in spring water on top of a bed of Spinach Salad (the salad can be large up to 2 handfuls of lettuce) 2 Tbsp Balsamic Vinaigrette or other low sugar prepared dressing 1 sugar-free Jell-O (they really are good)
Mid-afternoon Snack
Laughing Cow Light Cheese on a large celery stalk. (I like keeping a supply of different cheeses in my refrigerator and change it up)
Dinner (3rd Meal)
Grilled Salmon (George Foreman Grill 4-5 minutes) Steamed asparagus Small tossed salad (mixed greens, cucumbers, tomatoes) 2 Tbsp low sugar dressing.
Dessert
Sugar free Popsicles (1-2)

Breakfast
5 egg white omelet with mushrooms and 2 slices chopped turkey or Canadian bacon
Midmorning Snack
1 skim milk mozzarella cheese stick
Lunch
1 Cheeseburger with lettuce tomato (no bun-Protein Style) Tossed Salad with Olive oil and vinegar
Mid-afternoon Snack
Laughing Cow light cheese and 1 large stalk of celery
Dinner
1 large Grilled Chicken Breast Steamed broccoli Cucumber Salad (sliced cucumbers, snow peas) 2 Tbsp low sugar dressing
Dessert
Vanilla ricotta Crème (I got this from “South Beach Diet”) 1/2 cup part-skim ricotta cheese 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 package sugar substitute I put mine in the freezer because it takes me a little longer to eat and that is always a good thing. Savor!

Breakfast
4 hard boiled eggs (only the whites) 2 Bonne Bell low fat cheese rounds
Midmorning snack
4 oz. Low sodium deli chicken slices
Lunch
1 can Albacore Solid White Tuna in Spring Water on top of romaine lettuce (add celery and tomatoes if desired) 2 Tbsp Balsamic Vinaigrette 1 Sugar-Free Jell-O
Mid-afternoon Snack
1 part-skim mozzarella cheese stick
Dinner
1 Large piece of Grilled Halibut (George Forman 4-5 minutes) Steamed Spinach Tossed Salad with 2 Tbsp low sugar dressing
Dessert
2 “no sugar added” fudgesicles (helps with chocolate cravings)

Breakfast
5-6 scrambled egg whites with fresh herbs and mushrooms 2 slices of turkey bacon
Midmorning Snack
Chicken wrapped around a low fat cheese stick with mustard
Lunch
Chicken Caesar Salad (no croutons) 2 Tbsp Caesar Salad dressing, light
Mid-afternoon Snack
1 cup low fat cottage cheese with 10 cherry tomatoes
Dinner
Tuna Steak Oven Roasted Veggies (I like to get my amount of veggies and place them on pan and put them in the oven at around 400 degrees for about 8 minutes using a fat free non stick oil spray on the pan and veggies)
Dessert
2 sugar-free popsicles

Breakfast
5 egg whites or egg beaters 2 slices turkey bacon
Midmorning Snack
1 slice deli chicken slice wrapped around 1 stick of string cheese with mustard
Lunch
1 can of Albacore solid white tuna in spring water on top of a bed of Spinach Salad 2 Tbsp Balsamic Vinaigrette or other low sugar prepared dressing 1 Sugar free Jell-O
Mid-afternoon Snack
1 part-skim mozzarella cheese stick
Dinner
Grilled Salmon Steamed Asparagus Small tossed salad (mixed greens, cucumbers, tomatoes) 2 Tbsp low sugar dressing
Dessert
Mocha Ricotta Crème (Again a South Beach thing) THIS IS GOOD! 1/2 cup part-skim ricotta cheese 1/2 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 package sugar substitute Dash of espresso powder 5 mini chocolate chips… could you die?!!!!!

Breakfast
Egg White omelet with Canadian bacon and Mushrooms
Midmorning Snack
1 Laughing Cow Light Cheese
Lunch
Chicken Chop Salad (consist of Chicken breast, iceberg lettuce, tomatoes, onions, 2 olives, 2 Tbsp feta cheese, peppers) finely chopped 2 Tbsp Balsamic Vinaigrette 1 sugar free Jell-O
Mid-afternoon Snack
4 oz. Low sodium chicken or turkey deli slices
Dinner
Chicken Stir-Fry This is my favorite….chicken breast, broccoli, snow peas, cut ingredients into bite size and place on top of stove on a skillet sprayed with fat free, non stick olive oil add 3 Tbsp of light soy sauce and stir fry to taste. I could eat this every day until I get sick of it and want to throw it out the window. Small side salad
Dessert
2 sugar-free creamsicles

Breakfast
Asparagus and Mushroom egg white omelet 1 cup of decaffeinated coffee or tea
Midmorning snack
1 skim milk mozzarella cheese stick
Lunch
1 Hamburger Protein Style (i.e.: no bun) Tossed Salad with Olive oil and vinegar
Mid-afternoon Snack
1 slice deli chicken slice wrapped around 1 stick of string cheese
Dinner
Grilled Chicken Breast Roasted Eggplant and Peppers (prepared like the previous mentioned, roasted veggies) Tossed Salad (mixed greens, cucumbers, cherry tomatoes) 2 Tbsp Balsamic vinaigrette or low sugar dressing
Dessert
Mocha Ricotta Crème (see recipe, Day Five)

Can I lose belly fat or have a flat belly by starving and not exercising?

 

No, you cannot get a flat stomach by starving yourself. Semi-fasting long term can mess up your metabolism and cause all sorts of health issues. The longer you go, the more problems, sometimes not reversible, will occur. Your belly is likely to balloon out in the final stages of starvation and the internal organs start to shut down.

A well balance diet and sensible exercise will do it. However, you must remember, you did not gain that weight in a day, or a week or even a month. It can take as long to lose it as it did to gain it. Think long-term health, not short term looks.

Instead of starving yourself start eating healthier. Eat smaller meals, eat more meals a day, eat more vegetables and fruit, drink more water, less sugars and empty calories (less soft drinks, cakes, cookies). Switch to whole-wheat versions of your bread and pasta, brown rice instead of white rice.

Losing or maintaining an ideal weight is not a difficult task if you follow a healthy lifestyle including low GI eating, regular aerobic exercise and suitable supplements. Whatever you do, do not starve yourself. Talk to a doctor or a family member. You need to lose body fat if your BMI is over 25. Excess body fat, or obesity, will affect not only your appearance but also your health and can lead to heart disease, diabetes, and more.

Nutrition is important. In the pursuit of a flatter stomach, many people diet or starve themselves. Little do they know that by starving themselves, they are slowing down their metabolism and forcing their body to go into starvation mode as a defence mechanism.

Guide To Body Fat (Adipose Tissue)

 

Body Fat Explained

What Is The Purpose Of Storing Body Fat?

Storage of fat on the body is a critical defence mechanism. Remember, the human body has not changed essentially since the Stone Age. At that time starvation and famine were ever-present dangers to survival, while over-consumption and obesity were unheard of. To enable Stone Age humans to survive periods of food scarcity, the human body was designed to store energy which could then be drawn upon in times of famine. Thus for example, people could overeat during the hunting season, or when food was plentiful, and the surplus would be stored as fat tissue (adipose tissue). And when food was short, the body would burn the deposite fat as energy. Of course Stone Age life and body chemistry was/is much more complicated than this simple explanation suggests, but it suffices to explain why we have a built-in fat storage facility.

How Are Carbs, Protein And Fat Absorbed And Stored?

The human body needs energy to power muscles and to fuel the millions of chemical and biological reactions which take place throughout our system every day. This energy comes from the food we consume in our diet. Food consists mainly of water and three types of nutrient – protein, dietary fats and carbohydrate – which are found in varying proportions in most foods. These nutrients are broken down, digested and absorbed by the body in the gastrointestinal tract, running from the mouth to the anus. Each of these macronutrients is processed and absorbed by the digestive system in different ways.

How Are Surplus Carbs Used And Stored?

Carbohydrate is the major source of energy for the body. This is because, of all nutrients, it converts most readily to glucose which is the body’s preferred fuel. When we eat carbohydrate, it is converted to glucose in the digestive tract and distributed via the liver to cells throughout the body for use as energy. Once our immediate energy needs are satisfied, the remaining carb glucose is handled in one of two ways. Either it is converted to liquid glycogen (a temporary source of readily available energy) and stored in the liver or muscles. Or, it is converted into fatty acids by the liver and stored in adipose cells (fat-cells) around the body.

How Is Surplus Protein Used And Stored?

Protein is broken down into amino acids in the stomach and small intestine, then distributed via the liver to cells throughout the body for a variety of uses included cell formation and repair. Some surplus protein amino acids are kept circulating in the bloodstream, the remainder is either converted into a type of simple sugar and used as energy, or (like carbohydrate) is converted to fatty acid and stored in adipose cells.

How Is Surplus Dietary Fat Used And Stored?

Dietary fat is broken down into fatty acids and glycerol by the stomach and small intestine. It is then distributed (in the form of triglycerides) via the lymphatic system and bloodstream to the cells for a variety of specialized uses or, in the absence of sufficient carbs, for energy. However, since dietary fat cannot be converted into protein and only about 5 percent (the glycerol part) is convertible into glucose, and because dietary fat is not the body’s preferred choice of fuel, a significant amount ends up being stored as body fat in the adipose tissue.

Conversion Of Body Fat To Energy

If energy is required suddenly, the body first uses up its glycogen reserves. After this, it converts the body fat in the adipose cells into energy by a catabolic process called lipolysis. During lipolysis, triglycerides within the adipose cells are acted upon by a complex enzyme called hormone sensitive lipase (HSL). This converts the triglyceride into fatty acids and glycerol. The fatty acids are then transported via the bloodstream to tissues for use as energy, or (along with the glycerol) taken to the liver for further processing.

Adipose Tissue

Adipose cells which make up adipose tissue are specialized cells which contain and can synthesize globules of fat. This fat either comes from the dietary fat we eat or is made by the body from surplus carbohydrate or protein in our diet. Adipose tissue is mainly located just under the skin, although adipose deposits are also found between the muscles, in the abdomen, and around the heart and other organs. The location of fat deposits is largely determined by genetic inheritance. Thus it is not possible to affect where we store fat. Nor is it possible to influence from which area the body burns fat for energy purposes.

Why Do We Get Fat?

Most of us develop body fat because we eat more calories than we burn in exercise. Given a culture which emphasises "value for money food portions" and "super-sizing", along with an steady increase in serving size, an upsurge of new tasty high-calorie foods and energy drinks, such over-consumption is perhaps only to be expected. Lack of exercise is also a major contributory factor. However, overeating and lack of fitness is not the whole story.

Why Are So Many People Obese?

The prevalence and incidence of obesity (the disease of excess body fat) has risen considerably over the past 25 years, both in the developed and undeveloped world. Why is this? We don’t know for sure. Despite extensive research into the causes and predictors of obesity, they remain unquantified. In other words, although we know that (eg) excessive calorie intake, lack of exercise, metabolic disorders and genetic inheritance all impact on the incidence and symptoms of obesity, experts still don’t know the relative contribution of these causal factors. The only thing that most experts agree on, is that the recent upsurge in obesity cannot be attributed in any major way to the influence of genes, since genetic changes typically take millennia to appear, not two decades. Even so, the connections between type 2 diabetes, raised blood fats, obesity and insulin insensitivity – a cluster of symptoms which form the condition known as insulin resistance syndrome – is evidence of a progressive deterioration in the body’s metabolic efficiency, which may be a growing underlying factor in the development of excess body fat among many people.