What do I really need to do to lose a few excess pounds and tone my body?

Losing weight and getting lean results from two must-do habits. The first is exercising regularly. To maximize fat burning and weight loss, combine cardiovascular (eg, walking, jogging, cycling, aerobics) and resistance exercise (eg, weight training, yoga, pilates). But exercise is only one part of the fat-loss equation. The other part is your nutrition and supplementation program. Read on to learn more about how simple — but essential — changes in your daily food choices and the inclusion of certain supplements can help promote a lean body.

Essential changes for healthy weight loss

  • Cut out the junk. Instead of stocking your cabinets with potato chips, cookies and pastries, choose fresh fruits and veggies, non-fat yogurt, nuts and seeds, granola bars, trail mix and high fiber cereals with skim milk for healthy snacks.
  • Make healthier food choices, especially when you eat out. You know the drill, but are you doing it? Choose marinara sauce instead of alfredo. Prepare foods steamed, baked or broiled instead of fried, battered or breaded. Serve up lean meats such as chicken, turkey, shrimp and fish more often than red meat and ribs.
  • Bulk up on fiber. Fiber fills you up so you’re likely to eat less, so eat fiber-rich foods at every meal. Fiber rich foods include: fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans, nuts and seeds.
  • Include lean protein & healthy fats. Protein and fat give your meals staying power and make you feel full longer. Include them at every meal. For lean protein think chicken, turkey, fish, cottage cheese, yogurt, boiled eggs and lean roast beef. For healthy fats think nuts and seeds, nut butters, beans and avocados.
  • Don't skip meals, especially breakfast. Skipping meals will cause your body to go into a starvation mode — it will start to hold on to fat rather than burn it.
  • Consume more dairy. Some research indicates that consuming at least three daily servings of dairy can significantly reduce body fat mass.1 Although this association is not fully understand, researchers believe that dairy contains a variety of components that can potentially reduce the storage of body fat.2,3
  • Select sensible portions. Choosing sensible portions has never been more difficult with over-the-top, huge food portions becoming so commonplace. It’s worth the extra effort as eating large portions are one of the easiest ways to eat more calories than you need or want. What’s sensible? A serving of rice or pasta should fit into the cupped palm of your hand. One serving of meat is about the size of a deck of cards.


Supplement for a lean body

In addition to taking a daily multivitamin for nutritional insurance, consider adding Tonalin® CLA or Omega 3 Fish Oil to your supplement program. Research indicates when used as part of a reduced-calorie and exercise program, Tonalin® CLA can help reduce body fat mass and improve lean tissue mass in overweight individuals. 4,5,6

Preliminary animal research suggests that fish oil may help decrease body fat stores7,8,9,10 while some human research suggest fish oil may help improve fat metabolism.11,12 Consider a daily fish oil supplement that provides up to 2 grams of EPA and DHA omega-3 fats. Also, aim to eat two to three servings of baked, grilled or broiled fish weekly to help provide the omega-3 fatty acids your body needs. Think salmon, haddock, mackerel and other fatty fish that are rich in omega-3 fatty acids.†

References

  1. Zemel MB. The role of dairy foods in weight management. J Am Coll Nutr. 2005;24:537S-546S. PMID: 16373953
  2. Zemel MB. Regulation of adiposity and obesity risk by dietary calcium: mechanisms and implications. J Am Coll Nutr. 2002;21:146S-151S. PMID: 11999543
  3. Heaney RP, Davies KM, Barger-Lux MJ. Calcium and weight: clinical studies. J Am Coll Nutr. 2002;21:152S-155S. PMID: 11999544
  4. Pinkoski C, Chilibeck PD, Candow DG, et al.The effects of conjugated linoleic acid supplementation during resistance training. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2006;38:339-348. PMID: 16531905
  5. Gaullier JM, Halse J, Hoye K, et al. Supplementation with conjugated linoleic acid for 24 months is well tolerated by and reduces body fat mass in healthy, overweight humans. J Nutr. 2005;135: 778-784. PMID: 15795434
  6. Gaullier, JM, Halse J, Høye K, et al. Conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) supplementation for one year reduces body fat mass in healthy, overweight humans. Am J Clin Nutr. 2004; 79:1118-1125. PMID: 15159244
  7. Parrish CC, Pathy DA, Angel A. Dietary fish oils limit adipose tissue hypertrophy in rats. Metab Clin. Exper. 1990;39:217-219. PMID: 2308514
  8. Belzung F, Raclot T, Groscolas R. Fish oil n-3 fatty acids selectively limit the hypertrophy of abdominal fat depots in growing rats fed high-fat diets. Am J Physiol. 1993;264: R1111-1118. PMID: 8322963
  9. Parrish CC, Pathy DA, Parkes JG, Angel A. Dietary fish oils modify adipocyte structure and function. J Cell Physiol. 1991;148:493-502. PMID: 1655818
  10. Ballie RA, Takada R, Nakamura M, Clarke SD. Coordinate induction of peroxisomal acyl-CoA oxidase and UCP-3 by dietary fish oil: a mechanism for decreased body fat deposition. Prostaglandin Leukot Essen Fatty Acids. 1999;60:351-356. PMID: 10471120
  11. Couet C, Delarue J, Ritz P, et al. Effect of dietary fish oil on body fat mass and basal fat oxidation in healthy adults. Int J Obes. 1997;21:637-643. PMID: 15481762
  12. Huffman DM. Chronic supplementation with fish oil increases fat oxidation during exercise in young men. JEP Online. 2004;7:48-56. Available at: http://www.asep.org/jeponline/issue/Doc/Feb2004/HuffmanV2.pdf
† These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.