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Featured Fitness Professional

"Low-Carb Craziness"

By Jimmy Smith

Much of my reading and research recently has been spent on fat metabolism and carbohydrates. It would make sense, we're only a few short weeks from Memorial day, the day to show it all off. While it certainly may not be news to anyone out there, we lose more weight when we eat a diet LOW in carbs. We're talking fat loss.

Everyone needs to pay attention to the word LOW, low doesn't mean no. This a topic of much confusion among both average Joes and those in the "know". I've heard all crazy types of figures thrown out there to define what a low carb diet really is, 50 grams, less then 100 grams, 20% of your total daily calories. Quite honestly, I don't care about the exact number, I'll define low carb dietsas anything less then 100 grams per day. I don't count calories nor do I have clients count calories, I control calories, which is extremely different.

Here in lies in the problem, everyone in the gym is in "precontest mode" from March to August. Precontest mode is basically a no carb diet that bodybuilders and fitness competitors use in the final days going into their contests. Just like we shouldn't follow the training advice of bodybuilders, we without a shadow of a doubt should not follow the dieting information of any bodybuilder or fitness competitor since they most likely got their body through the use of drugs, which make it a whole lot easier when things shut down.

I'm working with a fitness competitor right now, we is 8 weeks out of her contest and at this point she is leaner then 99% of people out there and I can tell you she consumes a boatload of carbs centered around her breakfast and pre/post training times.

Do I think a no carb diet is helpful? Without a doubt provided that you get a significant amount of fruits and vegetables in your diet. There is no way that you can sustain prolonged fat loss on a no carb diet without drugs. It will work for about a week then the combination of hormonal decreases and lost lean muscle will only make you a much smaller and worse looking version of yourself.

Almost every female I know refuses to include extra protein into her diet, sure you'll stay lean because your body is eating away at muscle but is it doing anything to make you look better? Hell no. I know guys who refuse to eat carbs throughout the day yet go and get wrecked with beer at night, only to do aerobic work with a "fat loss" belt around their waist at the gym. How ass backwards is that?

Here's the formula for the best body ever:

- Consume carbs at breakfast and pre/post training. Don't want to consume it on all three occasions? Fine but you better be eating your oatmeal post workout
- Cycling your carbs, you'll hold onto your lean muscle, have better workouts and get leaner
- Read my latest article "Advanced cutting strategies for physique perfection" right now and email me with A LOT of questions.

About the Author:

Jimmy Smith, CSCS is a fat loss expert who is featured in Maximum Fitness magazine as well as numerous online websites. For more information and to sign up for a FREE newsletter please visit www.jimmysmithtraining.com