Foods That Burn Fat: The Top 10 Lists

Here a guest post from strength and conditioning specialist (CSCS), certified personal trainer (CPT), and author Tom Venuto explaining the types of food dieters should eat to burn fat. For more info about "how to burn fat", check out Mr. Venuto's site BurnTheFat.com

By Tom Venuto, NSCA-CPT, CSCS
BurnTheFat.com

Tom Venuto

Anytime the topic of discussion in my blogs, articles or newsletters has turned to my own personal grocery shopping list, there has always been a spike in interest. It seems that many people are not only curious about what foods a natural bodybuilder eats to maintain single digit body fat, but they also want to be taken by the hand and told exactly what foods to eat themselves while on fat-burning or muscle building programs. That’s why I decided to put together four separate “top 10” lists of healthy foods that burn fat and build muscle.

Exact quantities and menus are not listed, just the individual foods, and of course my food intake does vary. I aim to get as many different varieties of fruits and vegetables as possible over the course of every week and there are a lot of substitutions made, so you are not seeing the full list of everything I eat, only what foods I eat most of the time.

I also want to point out that while I don’t believe that extreme low carbs are necessary or most effective when you look at the long term, research has shown that there are some definite advantages to a low to moderate carb and higher protein diet for fat loss purposes. These include reduced appetite, higher thermic effect of food and “automatic” calorie control.

Personally, I reduce my carb intake moderately and temporarily prior to bodybuilding competitions. Specifically, it’s the foods that are on the starchy carbs and grains list that go down during the brief pre-competition period when I’m working on that really “ripped” look. I keep the green and fibrous veggie intake very high however, along with large amounts of lean protein, small amounts of fruit, and adequate amounts of essential fats.

This list reflects my personal preferences, so this is not a prescription to all readers to eat as I do. It’s very important for compliance to choose foods you enjoy and to have the option for a wide variety of choices. In the past several years, nutrition and obesity research - in studying ALL types of diets - has continued to conclude that almost any hypocaloric diet that is not completely “moronic” can work, at least in the short term.

It’s not so much about the high carb - low carb argument or any other debate as much as it is about calorie control and compliance. The trouble is, restricted diets and staying in a calorie deficit is difficult, so most people can’t stick with any program and they fall off the wagon, whichever wagon that may be.

I believe that a lot of our attention needs to shift away from pointless debates (for example, low carb vs. high carb is getting really old… so like… get over it everyone, its a calorie deficit that makes you lose weight, not the amount of carbs).

Instead, our focus should shift towards these questions:

* How can we build an eating program that we can enjoy while still getting us leaner and healthier?

* How can we build an eating program that helps us control calories?

* How can we build an eating program that improves compliance?

Here’s one good answer: Eat a wide variety of high nutrient density, low calorie density foods that you enjoy which still fit within healthy, fat-burning, muscle-building guidelines!

Here are the lists of foods I choose to achieve these three outcomes. This eating plan is not difficult to stick with at all, by the way. I enjoy eating like this and it feels almost weird not to eat like this after doing it for so long.

Remember, habits work in both directions, and as motivational speaker Jim Rohn has said, “Bad habits are easy to form and hard to live with and good habits are hard to form but easy to live with.”

These are listed in the order I frequently consume them. So for example, if oatmeal is on the top of the list, it means that is the food I am most likely to eat every single day.

My 10 top natural starchy carb and whole grains

1. Oatmeal (old fashioned)
2. Yams
3. Brown rice (a favorite is basmati, a long grain aromatic rice)
4. Sweet potatoes (almost same as yams)
5. Multi grain hot cereal (mix or barley, oats, rye. titricale and a few others)
6. White potatoes
7. 100% whole wheat bread
8. 100% whole wheat pasta
9. Beans (great for healthy chili recipes)
10. Cream of rice hot cereal

My Top 10 top vegetables

1. Broccoli
2. Asparagus
3. Spinach
4. Salad greens
5. Tomatoes
6. Peppers (green, red or yellow)
7. Onions
8. Mushrooms
9. Cucumbers
10. Zucchini

My top 10 lean proteins

1. Egg whites (whole eggs in limited quantities)
2. Whey or Casein protein (protein powder supplements)
3. Chicken Breast
4. Salmon (wild Alaskan)
5. Turkey Breast
6. Top round steak (grass fed beef)
7. Flank Steak (grass fed beef)
8. Lean Ground Turkey
9. Bison/Buffalo
10. Trout

My top 10 fruits

1. Grapefruit
2. Apples
3. Blueberries
4. Canteloupe
5. Oranges
6. Bananas
7. Peaches
8. Grapes
9. Strawberries
10. Pineapple

Note: I DO include healthy fats as well, such as walnuts, almonds, extra virgin olive oil, flaxseeds, flaxseed oil (supplement - not to cook with), avocado and a few others.

Also, I do eat dairy products and have nothing against them, nor am I lactose intolerant. I simply don’t eat as much dairy as the rest of the stuff on my lists. When I eat dairy, its usually skim milk, low or non fat cottage cheese, low or non fat yogurt and low or non fat cheese (great for omelettes).

Last but not least, I usually follow a compliance rate of about 95%, which means I take two or three meals per week of whatever I want (stuff that is NOT on these lists - like pizza, sushi, big fatty restaurant steaks, etc)

I hope you found this helpful and interesting. Keep in mind, this is MY food list, and although you probably couldn’t go wrong to emulate it, you need to choose natural foods you enjoy in order to develop habits you can stick with long term. In the fruits and vegetables categories alone, there are hundreds of other choices out there, so enjoy them all!

About the Author:

Tom Venuto is a natural bodybuilder, certified strength and conditioning specialist (CSCS) and a certified personal trainer (CPT). Tom is the author of "Burn the Fat, Feed The Muscle,” which teaches you how to get lean without drugs or supplements using methods of the world's best bodybuilders and fitness models. Learn how to get rid of stubborn fat and increase your metabolism by visiting: BurnTheFat.com

Are Weight Loss Diet Plans Keeping You Fat?

The Yo-Yo Cycle of Weight Loss Diet Plans

There is nothing wrong with diets or dieting, but people should only need to go on a weight loss diet plan just once. Instead, there are people out there who go from one weight loss diet plan to another only to still be overweight.

No wonder why diets fail!

If you happen to be a dieter who has been yo-yo dieting for years, let’s face it, “dieting” has been keeping you fat!

Losing Weight is NOT About Dieting on a Weight Loss Diet Plan

Losing weight on a weight loss diet plan is not about dieting, but is about making lifestyle changes that includes eating right and regularly exercising with a fitness program. That’s it. Just those two actions alone will help any dieter slim down to a healthier size and weight.

So what is the problem?

I’ve said it once in my other articles and I’ll say it again…too many dieters look for easy ways to lose weight fast when it fact, losing weight takes time and consistency. That means if you have 20 lbs or more to lose, it may very well take 3 months or longer to lose the weight. If you have a significant amount of weight to lose, like 50 lbs or more, it could take up to 1 year…or longer.

Choose An "Eating Plan", Not a Weight Loss Diet Plan

While there are several weight loss diet plans on the market, I always say to choose an eating plan that will work for you and that you can commit to long term (i.e. make it a part of your lifestyle).

Btw, crash diets and fad diet are not options for eating plans.

I’m referring to the types of weight loss diet plans that actually can be long term eating plans and work for people to lose and maintain weight. That said, eating healthy to lose weight on the right weight loss diet plan will be easier once you select an eating plan that you can realistically strict to.

Therefore, which eating plan do you think you can adopt as part of your new lifestyle?

Low-Carb Diet Plan: Limits (not excludes) carbohydrates like breads, pasta, and sugar while opting for a diet high in protein, vegetables, soy products, dairy products, and nuts.

Low-Calorie Diet Plan: Limits daily caloric intake to around 1,500-1,800 calories per day where the emphasis is placed on counting calories for fat loss. Never go below 1,200 calories per day! Using a calorie calculator for your age, height, weight, and how often you plan to workout on a fitness program is best to determine how many calories you need to lose weight.

Low-Fat Diet Plan: Intake of fat is strictly limited to about 30% or lower. Trans fat is completely avoided, as well as the majority of processed foods and foods high in sugar. Saturated fat is limited to about 10% of your daily caloric intake. “Good fats” like monounsaturated, polyunsaturated, and omega-3 are preferred and are found in foods such as canola oil, olive oil, olives, nuts, fish, and avocados.

Raw Food Diet Plan: Fruit and plant base diet consisting of 75% or more in raw foods (uncooked and unprocessed). Many raw food dieters are strict vegans (no animal meat, diary products, fish, or eggs of any kind).

Vegetarian Diet Plan-Vegetable based diet consisting of whole grains, fruits, and vegetables while avoiding animal products other than dairy and eggs.

Remember, losing weight to slim down is not about “dieting” on a weight loss diet plan. Just simply choose an eating plan that you can realistic stick to and make it a part of your new lifestyle.

While eating healthy is key to losing weight, so is incorporating a regular fitness program for overall fat loss. If you can change your lifestyle by eating healthy and exercising regularly with a fitness program, along with giving yourself time to slim down and be consistent, you will get the body you want once and for all.


Good Luck!



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