Ever wondered why your body just can’t seem to let go of fat reserves? Wendy Chant, MPT, SPN, certified personal trainer and author of Crack the Fat Loss Code claims to have the answer.
According to the author, our body, thanks to our caveman days, are programmed to combat starvation. So, it clings to fat reserves. When we are on a diet and we reduce our food intake, the body believes it is going to be starved. Our metabolic rate reacts by going down and the body clings to fat. This is the diet plateau, a time when in spite of reducing food, the body does not lose any weight. To lose weight, one must learn how to work with the metabolic processes in the body, not against it.
Chant has designed an eight-week program that will help dieters achieve the following:
- Reprogram their eating habits so the body can lose weight permanently
- Feel healthy and satisfied even when they are eating healthy
- Break the diet plateau
Micropatterning is at the heart of Chant’s diet plan. The plan is divided into 4 cycles and a weekly meal plan is provided for each cycle.
The first week of the cycle has followers limit their carb intake to just 20 grams a day. Proteins and fats are included. Carbohydrates are taken in the form of carb friendly fruits and vegetables.
From week two to week four, dieters alternate between Carb-high and carb-low days.
In weeks five and six, you will experience accelerated fat loss. Weeks seven and eight comprise the maintenance plan.
Each cycle of the diet plan has its own objectives and guidelines regarding food. In general, these cycles help the body:
- Balance sugar level in the blood
- Protect and preserve muscle mass
- Create an energy deficit in the body by producing internal heat that burns more calories
- Make use of energy reserves properly
Crack the Fat Loss Code also allow for cheat days when dieters are allowed to take in one cheat meal until the point of satisfaction.
Exercise plays a prominent role in the diet plan because exercise creates heat in the body and brings about an energy deficit, which in turn allows the body to utilize deep-seated fat reserves. Regular cardiovascular exercises and resistance training exercises are recommended after Week one of the plan. Exact specifications for exercises are not given.
Crack the fat loss code: A Review
The book is educative and contains lots of information about how the body uses various nutrients and how the body adapts to nutrients (and the lack of it). Being a fitness trainer, the author knows and elaborates on the importance of muscle mass.
Crack the Fat Loss Code also contains plenty of recipes for each cycle of the meal plan.
Scientific studies and weight loss success stories give the book a lot of meat.
The only problem with the book, if one could call it so, is the level of complexity involved in tracking the cycles even though the weekly plan does take the hard work out of these cycles.
Pros:
- No calorie counting
- Designed to boost metabolism
- Breaks the weight loss plateau
- Allows cheat meals
- Builds on sound principles of weight loss
- Meal plans and recipes are very helpful
Cons:
- Seemingly too complicated
- Vegetarian meal options are scarce
- Low carb days may be tough as energy levels dip
- Insufficient information on exercise
In conclusion
Structured and nicely explained, Crack The Fat Loss Code is a good guide to weight loss. Burning fat and building muscle mass are the best ways of losing weight and keeping it off. If long term weight loss is your goal, this book may help.
