But, doesn’t fiber cancel out carbs?
![Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal Cookies2_thumb[13]](https://fighttolose.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/apple-cinnamon-oatmeal-cookies2_thumb13.jpg)
I get this question a lot. The answer is, sort of.
Fiber IS a carbohydrate. So, when you’re looking at a nutrition label, and there’s 20g carbs, and 9g grams of fiber, that means there’s only 11g sugars.
Why does it matter?
Your body absorbs sugars, and they can be converted into fat. Foods with low fiber and high sugar are digested faster and the sugar spike can cause carbs to be stored as fat if they aren’t used.
Your body doesn’t absorb fiber. It’s used in other ways. High fiber foods are also digested more slowly, so their carbs are less likely to turn into fat stored.
So eating higher fiber foods like fruits is better than eating cookies. Which we knew already.
“What should my body fat percent be?”
Women shouldn’t get below 15%, its usually unhealthy, and only something that body builders do for competition. up to 20% is considered super fit, top-athlete status. up to about 24% is fit, and 25-30% is average. See pictures below for examples!
To find your body fat percent, you can step on one of those fancy scales that tells you, go get tested with calipers by a personal trainer, or find a place that does the underwater test, which is the most accurate but also time consuming and expensive.
Dropping 10 lbs for the holidays
It’s already Halloween, really, and that means Thanksgiving and Christmas are around the corner. Lots of eating, and lots of photos.
My real motivation for cutting 10 lbs is to be able to compete in a Jiu Jitsu tournament at a decent weight range. But being in shape for the holidays helps too.
My current status: 162 lbs, 22.8% body fat
I was tested, and my lean mass is 125 lbs. That means, if I were a pile of bones, muscles and skin, I would weigh 125 lbs. Realistically, women should only get to about 18% body fat. 21-24% is fit, 15-20% is top athlete range. Anything below that is unhealthy.
My goal: 152 lbs, 18% body fat, by Nov 15.
My plan:
- 1200 calories/day
- Run 3 miles/day
- Jiu Jitsu 3x/week
- No alcohol, lattes, desserts, heavy dairy or fast food
- No eating after 7:30pm
- 3 water bottles/day, at least
I’ve done this many times. This isn’t going to be fun, but the results will be.
“How can I lower my body fat %?”
One of my friends recently texted me, saying that she was halfway through a body-fat-dropping contest at her job, and she had only lost 1% body fat. She had 4 weeks to go, and wanted to drop 4 more percent. Here’s what I told her to do:
1. Stop eating late at night
2. Cut out cheeses and only drink fat free milk
3. Cut your bread/pasta in half
4. Stop eating candy
5. Lift more weights, or do body weight training (pushups, lunges, etc.)
6. Stay away from other fatty things, like nuts and avocadoes
Easier said than done, of course, but that’s basically it.
Dropping a Stone in 6 weeks: Week 4 meal plan
- Breakfast (250 cal): Protein shake (1/2 banana, water, ice, protein powder, glutamine)
- Snack (50 cal) : 1/2 banana
- Lunch (200 cal): Ground turkey, spinach, BBQ sauce
- Snack (150 cal): Trail mix
- Snack (150 cal): Microwaved sweet potato with cinnamon
- Dinner (250 cal): Brown rice, egg whites, vegetables
- Snack (200 cal): protein bar
Secret weapon: Frozen Grapes
At night when I’m craving sugar, or any time of day really, almost 24/7, I’ve found that some frozen grapes will do the trick! Pop a bag into the freezer and they are like little candies!
1 cup of grapes is only about 60 calories!
Dropping a Stone in 6 Weeks: Week 3 Meal Plan
I am down 6 pounds from when I started, that’s almost half a stone! 9 more pounds to go!
- Breakfast (250 cal): Protein shake (1/2 banana, water, ice, protein powder, glutamine
- Snack (200 cal) : egg whites and vegetables, brown rice (1/3 cup cooked), ketchup/hot sauce
- Lunch (200 cal): Ground turkey and vegetables
- Snack (150 cal): Trail mix
- Snack (100 cal): Roasted vegetables
- Dinner (200 cal): Brown rice, vegetables
- Snack (if necessary, 150 cal): protein bar
Dropping a Stone in 6 Weeks: Week 2 Meal Plan
- Breakfast: Protein Shake (powder, ice, water, 1/2 banana, cinnamon)
- Snack: Egg whites and vegetables, ketchup & hot sauce
- Lunch: Salad with chicken, spinach, tomatoes, mushrooms, light dressing
- Snack: Trail mix
- Snack: vegetables and hummus
- Dinner: Brown rice, soy sauce, a bit of oil, and stir fry vegetables, nuked (healthy fried rice!)
Dropping a Stone in 6 Weeks: Week 1 Meal Plan
- Breakfast: Protein Shake
- Snack: Oatmeal with cinnamon and Stevia
- Lunch: Chicken, spinach salad with light dressing
- Snack: Trail mix
- Snack: carrots and hummus
- Dinner: Grilled chicken, pita chips and hummus
6 Steps to Drop a “Stone” in 6 Weeks
Like a normal human, I slacked off on losing weight as soon as Thanksgiving hit. I just took a trip to Ireland for Christmas, and I drank so much I came back 165 lbs. Yikes!
They talk about weight in “stones” over there. This unit of measurement is approximately 14 lbs per stone. Example: “I weigh 10 stone.” “I lost 2 stone.” or “I used to weigh 12 stone 6.”
I’m going back to Ireland February 12, to go to a wedding, and my goal is to drop 15 lbs, or, approximately, a “stone.”
I already lost 5 lbs in just 10 days. Here is my plan, follow these steps if you want to try it too!
1. I created an account at MyFitnessPal.com, dl the app and track daily calories
2. Eating 1200 calories per day (calculate an estimate of how many you should eat)
3. Workout 5 times per week
4. Not eating after 7:30pm
5. Not drinking alcohol (except on cheat meals!)
6. Sleep 7 hours per night at least
I’ll post my weekly meal plans, tips, progress, struggles, and cheat meals on Facebook and Twitter. You can also add me on MyFitnessPal to see what I eat everyday.
I leave for Ireland February 12. Wish me luck.
Fighting to Lose 