Lean For Life

Lately, I have had a lot of questions regarding weight loss. Currently there is a lot of weight loss programs sold on TV. most of these are types of starvation diets that require certain types of foods not to be eaten. Starvation types of diets do not work and only result in an overall increase in fat.

The following is a summery of Dr Michael Colgan's Lean For Life program. It is one of the best basic weight loss program that I have seen. If followed with a change in life style, you can be lean for life.

1. Lose no more than a half a pound of FAT per week.
The amount of fat you carry is not ordained by your genes. It is habitual and the result of a lifestyle. You can change it if you want to.

Your body has only a habitual level of fat. When you remain at a particular level of fat for a year or more, the body develops all the adipose cells, capillaries, enzymes, nerves, hormones, and connective tissues. The body will recognize this as self. This is known as your "fatpoint."

The body will monitor this continuously. It will defend this state vigorously. If your weight loss is to quick, the body will release a hormone like glycerol. This basically slows down your metabolism and stores more fat. there is no way around this if you try too loose weight fast.


When losing weight it is important to remember that you gained weight slowly. You will have to remove it slowly. To achieve this, do not reduce your caloric intake by more than 20%. This is 400 calories based on a 2000 calorie diet.

2. Measure body fat once a month
Most people are concerned with their weight. To be honest this is not the appropriate way to look at it. Your actual weight does not mean much, and is not a good measurement. It fluctuates from day to day based on water retention, food you ate, and more. In order to insure that you are losing fat, and not water or muscle, it best to have a body composition measurement taken. This should be done no more than once per month.

3. Eat a low fat diet
By low fat, I do not mean no fat. Also I do not mean to eat foods labeled "Reduced Fat, " " Lite," "Low Fat," or any other marketing slogan that may be on food

4. Do not eat foods that contain more than 20% fat calories.
The total mount of fat calories is the important aspect. If the total calories per serving divided by the number calories from fat. If this is less than 5, do not eat it.

5. Trust only the nutrition fact label on food.
The nutrition fact label on the packaging is the only label that needs to be correct by law. Terms such as light or lite do not guarantee that the food is low fat. Beware of these hidden fats. An 8oz glass of 2% milk still gets a third of its calories from fat.

6. Cut the sugar and eat complex carbohydrates instead.
As a rule of thumb, we should avoid all processed foods with added sugar or artificial sweeteners. This is very difficult this day and age when corn syrup and sugar is put in everything, but the effort to avoid such foods is worth it. Most people would not sit and eat 6 apples in one setting. The bulk of these complex carbohydrates would not allow it. However, a lot of people could drink a cola in 5 minutes and have the same amount of simple sugar.

7. Don't skip meals, Eat 5 small meals throughout the day.
This important. We need to give the body food. this will help keep the body from thinking that it is starving and enter that survival mode I spoke of earlier. So eat 5 or more small meals even if one meal is just a piece of fruit.

8. Take a high quality Multi-vitamin and Multi-mineral supplement daily.
Today's foods are void of the required nutrients. It is important that we insure that are bodies have all the necessary nutrients to build good healthy cells.

9. Avoid popular diets
As discussed before, these diets are scams to take your money. You do not need this to loose weight.

10. Use a chromium-picolinate everyday.
Studies have shown that chromium in the form of chromium-picolinate can improve insulin metabolism, reduce bodyfat, and increases muscle mass. It best to take between 200 to 600 mcg per day with exercise.

11. Take a flax oil essential fatty acid supplement everyday.
Research has shown that nearly everyone is deficient in essential fatty acids(EFA) such as Omega-3. These have shown to improve insulin efficiency in using carbohydrates and fat for fuels. You should use about a tablespoon or equivalent in capsules daily.

12. Use an l-carnitine supplement everyday.
Fat is stored in adipose cells, but only burned in the mitochondria of muscle cells. Fat is transferred from the adipose cells to the muscle cells by the nutrient l-carnitine. The more l-carnitine in the muscle, the more bodyfat can be transfered. Your body can make l-carnitine, but if you are overweight and do not eat a lot, it probably does not make enough.

Typical supplementation with l-carnitine is usually 2 - 4 grams per day with exercise. it is important to avoid the cheaper toxic Racemic-carnitine or dl-carnitine. these may increase bodyfat.

13. Eat 40 grams of mixed fiber daily
Fiber can assist in slow,even food absorption from your intestines. this helps steady insulin levels and promotes the use of food for energy and not fat storage.

14. Do high repetition, wide-variety resistance exercise
Muscle is where fat is burned. This means that the more muscle you have, the more fat you can burn. Aerobic exercise is great for the heart, but if not accompanied with weight training, it can result in muscle loss.

15. For maximum fat-loss do one set of each exercise with a weight that exhausts you in 20 - 25 repetitions.
By doing this, you will burn a lot fat, but gain little muscle.

16. Exercise five mornings weekly for a minimum of 30 minutes.
No more to say on this. It needs to be done. Exercise is an essential part of health and wellness.

17. Exercise in the morning.
The raised metabolic rate from exercise can last up to 18 hours. If you exercise at night, you will loose benefit because sleep lowers your metabolic rate.

18. Take a multiple antioxidant daily.
Exercise cause oxidation that can damage the body. It is important to take antioxidants.

19. Use the right herbal supplements for fat-loss everyday.
They are many supplements that can assist with weight loss. I will not list them all here, but much has been written about them.

20. Set goals.
Goals keep you focused. They are important. I will give more about goals in a future article.

The above information has was taken the book "The New Nutrition" from Dr. Colgan. I highly recommend reading this book.