Nutrition

Our resident bodybuilding nutrition expert, Chris Aceto, gave us these easy-to-follow tips for ripping up.

1)DOUBLE YOUR CARBS
Fix daily carb intake at two grams and protein intake at one gram per pound of bodyweight split over six small meals. Count only the protein from your main sources and disregard inconsequential protein levels in vegetables and other carbs. Your best carb choices are potatoes, rice, pasta, bread, Cream of Wheat and fruit.

2) CARDIO AT 4 x 40
Do 40 minutes of high-intensity cardio four times a week. That will burn 1600 calories, the equivalent of working off half a pound of fat per week. For fat-burning, shoot for aerobic activity at 70% of your maximum heart rate.

3) EVALUATE YOUR PROGRESS
Since your goal is to get rid of ½ to 1½ pounds weekly, after the first few weeks, here's how to decide whether to change variables.

* If you are reaching the goal, stay with the plan.

* If you are not losing enough weight, decrease daily carbs to 1½ grams per pound of bodyweight and add another cardio session to total five per week.

* If you are losing too much weight, increase your carbs to three grams per pound of bodyweight every third day. This will help you retain muscle mass as you shred.

4) LOWER GLYCEMIC INDEX TO SHAKE PLATEAUS
All diets are prone to decrease in efficiency after a while, where fat loss grinds to a halt. The fat will continue to disperse if you increase your intake of low-glycemic carbs, except after a workout, when you should continue to eat higher glycemic index carbs to replenish glycogen stores. Low glycemic carbs (oatmeal, beans, yams, buckwheat noodles and pancakes, cherries, peaches) release less insulin than other carbs. Lower insulin levels with a reduced caloric intake should stimulate continued fat loss.

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