Let me begin by saying that most people I know wish to lose some body fat. I know some very thin people who still insist that they are fat!  That being said, I will tell you what I have learned in the past year that has helped me to lower my body fat levels.

The reason I started this "fitness" lifestyle is actually quite a simple one, and it just might just be a motivating factor for many people.  You see, I had a 15 year high school class reunion coming up in August 1998, and I thought I would try to look my best.  I figured that if I lifted some weights real hard, (a month from the reunion… HaHa) that I would get a "buff" look.  Little did I know the actual dedication and time it would take to get anywhere near what I wanted.  I bought some 20 LB dumbbells and started lifting, in the normal beginner way.  I lifted only to make my arms and chest grow, knowing nothing of what I "should" have been doing.  This was the beginning.  I lifted my dumbbells up to, and through my reunion, not changing much physically but feeling good about myself.  After 4-5 weeks of this, I longed for more.  I knew I would need a way to motivate myself further and for me, that meant looking for help.  I went to my local health club that has free weights and many machines.

I liked what I saw, so I got a membership, and talked to the owner about setting me up with a workout program.  I am pretty good at doing what I am told, and that is what got me going.  I started a beginner program and it developed from there.  I quit smoking, started learning about diet and nutrition, and later on became a certified trainer, so that I might be able to help others meet their fitness goals. I wasn’t too big, but there was a layer of fat that I wished to lose, so I could see my newly developed muscles.  So away I went learning how to do just that.

All that brought me to where I am today.  I feel great about the goals I have reached as well as my future goals.  I only wish others could reach their goals as I have so far. I believe education is the key to this.  The methods I describe are what has worked for me, and many others.  I will give you a set of "rules" to follow.  The more of these "rules" you follow the faster the results will come.
 

Rick’s Rules

Stop supplementing your foods with sugar!

Sugar is a simple carbohydrate, which will almost immediately be stored as fat when you eat or drink it.  Foods that are high in sugar, like cakes and cookies and so forth as well as  sugared drinks can and will make you fat!  They also keep you from losing fat.  The less sugar in your diet the less fat you will store or maintain.  I have, instead of sugar, been using Aspartame to supplement my "sweet tooth."  You may also wish to consider Stevia, which is a NATURAL sweetener that comes from the Stevia tree leaf. It is very sweet and has no calories.  There are other supplemental sweeteners as well, such as Splenda, which you can cook with.  What supplement you decide to use will be up to you, but sugar(s) will make you fat!

"You eat fat, you wear fat."

That is the exact thing my trainer used to tell me.  Although fat in itself is not terrible, (everyone needs fat in their bodies) we should strive to keep the bad fats down to a minimum.  Trim the fats from your meat, watch your butter intake, and stay away from greasy foods such as deep fried and the like.  A general rule is that if the fat is solid at room temperature, you should avoid it.  Good fats are those from fish, nuts, some oils like olive, sunflower, peanut and other nut oils, light sesame, and to a lesser extent, canola

Eat small servings of food (meals) every three hours.

Instead of the typical "three squares" a day, it has been discovered that a body does much better on a "nibblers" diet.  You should be eating small meals, to keep your metabolism up, at least 5 times a day. This will help you to burn fat very nicely.  A small meal can be described many different ways: a protein shake, a half of a sandwich, even an apple can be a meal.  It does not have to be a sit down dinner with all the trimmings. Never gorge on foods, and teach your body to use the food wisely by spreading out your feedings.  Remember to eat light as well, no more second helpings.  At first you will be hungry.  You will, over time, become accustomed to the smaller servings.  Then it will take less food to fill you up, and effectively help you keep the fat away.

Keep the carbohydrates down.

I think this is the single most important rule I followed that helped me to achieve 7% body fat.  Excess carbohydrates, will be turned to fat, it is that simple.  If you gorge on carbohydrates as a main staple of your diet you will gain fat.  A good rule to start out with in general is 33% Carbohydrates, 33% Proteins and 33% Fats per day.  Remember there are many hidden calories in drinks as well.  Fruit juices contain many carbohydrates and calories.

Get educated about what you eat!

Read the labels!  Find out the levels of Carbohydrates.  Find out the level of Fats.  Become educated!  If you know what you are eating you can much better regulate what you put into your body.

Drink more water!

I can not stress this enough.  Without enough water in your system, your body’s metabolism will slow down and take priority on helping you to survive the drought.  With a slower metabolism you will not burn fat as well.  Without enough water, your body will also retain the water you do get (for the lean times) and retained water looks like fat.  You should drink at least 8-10 glasses of water a day, even more if you work out, are stressed, or if it is hot out.  I try to drink a gallon of water every day.  Too much water does not seem to be the main problem here.  The typical person drinks way less water than their bodies need.  Change that!

Watch your salt intake.

Salt helps your body retain water.  Retained water looks like fat.  I don’t put salt on anything anymore, and have never been sick because of that.  I think many people depend way too much on salt.  If I had my way I would make this rule say "Use No Salt" but I do realize that some salt is nice sometimes, just go easy!

Get some exercise!

You will do nothing better for your overall general health than to get some extra exercise.  Lift weights, play basketball, go bowling, walk, run, ride a bike, do SOMETHING.  Do not sit around on the couch all day wishing for better. Grow some more muscle.  The more muscle your body has the more calories you naturally burn just "owning" the extra muscle.  Eating correctly and exercising will help you grow muscle at any age.  Simply stated, more muscle = less fat, eventually.

Get plenty of rest.

If you are not properly rested it will tax your body just making it stay awake.  The extra stress will take away from your body's abilities to burn fat.  You should be getting approximately 8 hours of sleep a day.

Rid yourself of mental stress!

The less mental stress you have in your life the better.  If you are mentally stressed your body cannot build muscle as well and it will not be able to burn fat, or do anything as well.  Your body will take priority on trying to rid itself of the stresses rather than doing the things you need it to do when you are trying to stay or become healthy.

*****

*These rules are not set in stone.  The rigors of daily life make it real hard to do all of these things all of the time.  Lord knows I often have trouble myself.  Just remember the more of these rules you follow the better results you will get from anything you try to do.  A healthy body is what we should all strive for in life.  When you are healthy you can direct your strengths towards your goals much better than when you are not.
 

Get healthy!
Set your goals high!
Do not set your goals unreachable!
Feel great about yourself!
Above all Be Happy!

Special Thanks to all my friends
 at alt.sport.weightlifting