(ThyBlackMan.com) Body fat is the single most bothersome problem with the American physique. Rolls and rolls of fat adorn a large percentage of Americans and it can all be reduced down to one factor: diet. What are we consuming with such alacrity that our hips are expanding at such an excessive rate of speed?
Well, here’s one key: if we are eating what the animals are eating (read: corn-based foods and drinks), and if what the animals are eating is intended to fatten them up, then it follows that humans will end up the same way. And we are! Obesity levels are at epidemic levels.
What can we do? Get the fat out of our bodies!
The Lean Mean Fat-burning Machine.
The goal of exercise should be to get fit, not solely to lose weight. Weight-loss is the result of a healthy lifestyle. Focus on reducing your body fat. In other words, get lean. ‘Lean’ is a combination of nutrition, hydrating and exercise. The point is to transform your body into a ‘mean, lean, fat-burning machine’. That’s a principle that works both in and out of the gym. When you have a higher percentage of muscle weight than fat weight in your body, you’re ‘leaning up’. Your metabolism increases, which means your body is going to indeed burn calories like a machine.
The Benefits of Lean.
A weak body gains pounds while a strong body sheds pounds. There are so many benefits to a lean body: fewer risks for cancers, heart disease and Type II diabetes. Studies also prove that people with less body fat usually have greater energy, are less susceptible to depression and show a greater resistance to illnesses such as the common cold.
And you feel so much better without the all of the extra weight! It literally changes the way you feel. When you look good you feel good. When you feel good you look good. So feel good!
If you are serious about improving your health, get your body fat measured. Your body fat percentage will give you an idea of your muscle versus fat weight. Most health clubs offer the service free. It is important to know this number as a way of gauging your progress.
The Lean Kitchen and Lean body.
The best way to a lean body is through a lean kitchen. I instruct my clients to ‘detox’ their pantry. An unhealthy kitchen or pantry – one loaded with whites, processed foods and other sugar-based products – will not produce a lean body. As the saying goes, ‘You can’t out-exercise a bad diet’. Avoid yo-yoing, losing weight by starvation dieting is counter-productive and only brings back the weight with interest.
Instead of starving yourself, change your relationship with food. Program your mind to ‘think lean’ in the kitchen and you will see so many positive outcomes. You will begin eating more fresh fruits and veggies; drinking more water, and eating more lean meats. You will begin to see the difference in ‘food’ and stuff that looks like food but isn’t. Your diet will gradually shift to plant-based edibles and a reduction in red meats.
It’s all part of ‘seeing’ the body you desire. Strive for a balance of exercise, clean eating, perfect hydration (three to four liters of water per day) and recovery.
You can get the fat out of your body!
Staff Writer; W. Eric Croomes
This talented brother is a holistic lifestyle exercise expert and founder and executive coach of Infinite Strategies LLC, a multi-level coaching firm that develops and executes strategies for fitness training, youth achievement and lifestyle management. Eric is an author, fitness professional, holistic life coach and motivational speaker.
In October 2015, Eric released Life’s A Gym: Seven Fitness Principles to Get the Best of Both, which shows readers how to use exercise to attract a feeling of wellness, success and freedom (Infinite Strategies Coaching LLC, 2015) – http://www.infinitestrategiescoaching.com.