Losing fat on any diet, even a glycemic-index, or GI, diet, means you must eat fewer calories and incorporate a regular exercise program. The glycemic index is a measure of the effect a carbohydrate food has on raising your blood sugar. Foods with a low or no GI are the preferred carbs to eat on a GI diet as they have a minimal effect on your blood sugar, keeping fat-storing hormones at bay. Such foods are also generally high in protein or fat; high-protein foods on a GI diet stimulate glucagon, a hormone that breaks down body fat.
Step 1
Eat five to six small meals throughout the day, including carbohydrates with a low glycemic index such as all-bran cereal, skim milk, apples, whole-wheat bread and cooked spaghetti noodles.
Step 2
Schedule one meal about two hours before every workout session so that you have plenty of energy to burn calories and lose fat.
Step 3
Consume a meal with fast-digesting carbohydrates or carbohydrates with a high glycemic index within 30 minutes of your workouts; a post-workout meal should be the only time you eat high-glycemic foods because your muscles quickly absorb the sugar.
Step 4
Ensure that your total carbohydrate intake, including your low-glycemic carbs, does not exceed 40 percent of your total daily calories; for example, if you eat 2,000 calories a day, no more than 800 calories or 200 g should come from all the carbs you eat.
Step 5
Eat or drink a high-glycemic-index carbohydrate, also called a fast-digesting carb, such as a sports beverage or a hard candy, when you are exercising for more than one hour; the burst of energy you get enables you to exercise longer and more intensely, burning more calories to lose fat. High-glycemic-index carbohydrates raise your blood sugar quickly and also include white bread and baked potatoes.
Step 6
Consume very low-glycemic-index or no-glycemic-index foods, such as lean protein or unsalted nuts, if the other options are high-glycemic foods.
Step 7
Complete three to four days of aerobic exercise every week to burn plenty of calories and lose fat. Include one highly intense workout for 20 to 25 minutes; two moderately intense sessions for 45 to 75 minutes; and one moderately to vigorously intense workout for 30 minutes.
Step 8
Incorporate two days of strength training to increase the rate of muscle-tissue repair, remodeling and growth, burning more calories even when you are sitting down or sleeping. Work your chest, back, biceps and triceps on Mondays. Train your legs, shoulders and abdominals on Thursdays.
Tips and Warnings
- Prepare a list of low-glycemic foods to bring to the grocery store with you.
References
- "ACSM's Health & Fitness Journal"; Glycemic Index: An Educational Tool for Health and Fitness Professionals; Stephen Wong, Ph.D., et al.; November/December 2003
- "ACSM's Health & Fitness Journal"; Applying Concepts of Glycemic Index and Glycemic Load to Active Individuals; Melinda Manore, Ph.D., et al.; September/October 2004
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