Charles Poliquin on Fat Loss
Fish Oil, Fish Oil, Fish Oil.
What I learned at the Charles Poliquin Fat Loss Seminar
http://charlespoliquin.com
These are the notes that I took from the Charles Poliquin Seminar that I attended on November 13, 2005. He certainly has some different takes on fitness than people are used to.
Snippets
If over 10-12% body fat for a man, or over 15-20% for a woman, you are fat.
The stronger your immune system, the easier it is to gain muscle and lose fat.
The more insulin you produce, the faster you age.
The best predictor of lifespan is muscle mass and strength
Supplements
Omega 3 Fatty Acids from pharmaceutical grade fish oils are the most valuable supplement you can take. The subject should take 15g/day for two weeks if deficient, then reduce the dosage to 5g/day indefinitely after that. Fish oils will help burn fat and prevent fat gain. They improve serotonin levels (mood), make it easier to move nutrients in and out of cell walls, reduce joint inflammation, decrease the amount of sugar your body will absorb, improves blood pressure and decrease insulin output when taken with a meal.
You should take it throughout the day and rotate your source of EFA’s every 10 days. Krill Oil is the best source as it also eliminates PMS and you don’t need high doses of this type of oil.
Fat people should not consume carbs post-workout. The best Post workout drink for a 200lb overweight man is: Whey Isolate 60g + Glutamine 20-80g + Glycine 20g. This will replenish glycogen while preventing fat gain.
Adaptogens such as Red Korean Ginseng can help you recuperate from stress and tough workouts. Rhodiola Rosea is a very powerful adaptogen; take it when you need energy. It is a Cortisol Modulator, meaning that if your cortisol is too low it will help you raise it and if too high, it will help you lower it. Take only 1 tab per day, as it is very potent. Stevia is a natural sweetener and a great adrenal recovery aid. Cold Fx is also a surprisingly good product. It is good for adrenaline glands, fat loss, decreasing insulin output, and regenerates the pancreas.
To help men raise testosterone Charles recommends the following. Zinc is low in all active men and plays an important role in test production. Zinc arginic is best, no more than 30mg/day. Holy Basil also helps raise testosterone.
As for estrogen, DIM is a strong anti-estrogen that specifically targets the bad estrogens caused by phyto-estrogens in our environment.
R-ALA is anabolic and promotes fat burning, only the R for is good, the S form of ALA is counter productive. It is an anti-oxidant that also promotes glucose transport into muscle cells. As well it Increases the metabolic rate and decreases insulin output.
Acetyl-L-Carnitine is a healthy stimulant; it also improves memory and is anti-aging for the brain. It too increases insulin sensitivity.
Charles recommends that one uses a good multi-vitamin when attempting to lose fat as fat loss releases toxins that are stored in your fat and your body will need all the vitamins and minerals it can get to fight these toxins.
Estrogen “16” is a bad form of estrogen in our bodies that we want to eliminate, supplements that combat estrogen “16” are Broccoli extract, DIM and Green Tea
Taurine is an amino acid that increases insulin sensitivity, increases cell communication, and increase carb metabolism.
Magnesium Chelates are the key to preventing diabetes; everyone who is active is deficient in it, and it is this deficiency that creates diabetes. Magnesium also increases insulin sensitivity. One should Rotate the types of Mag, just make sure they all end in “ate”. Take it after 4:00pm, as it will improve your sleep.
All stimulants raise cortisol, which is bad so use them sensibly. As for the fat burning supplement ephedrine, you do not need much ephedrine (8mg) to stimulate fat burning.
If asparagus makes your urine smell you are deficient in Vitamin B9 and B12. Taking these B vitamins will help prevent Alzheimer’s
Training
High intensity interval training burns more calories overall than long slow cardio. The bulk of these calories are burned post exercise. Intervals should consist of 40 sec – 2 min on, and 1 minute off. These sessions should last a max of 42 minutes total including warm-up. The bad news is that the workouts must be very intense, as the subject must get to nausea in order to produce enough lactic acid. Luckily 2 sessions per week is all that is needed to lose fat at a noticeable rate. The catch is that velocity without resistance is useless, so going really fast is not the answer. Working really hard against resistance is the solution.
Continuous aerobic work (long jogs) raises cortisol, which in turn makes you fatter in the long run. So don’t bother doing it unless it is sport specific training.
For strength training, vary the program every 25 days; everything works, but only for a short time. Vary the exercises often so you overload the muscles at different points. You must surprise the muscles with something new in order to force it to adapt. Other possible changes include rest time, muscle grouping, tempo, etc.
Diet
Approximately 75% of people are carb intolerant and should not be eating grains; the grains are getting people fat. The first step is to get the Omega 3’s in balance by taking hi-quality fish oils. You must eat protein with every meal even breakfast. A meat and nut breakfast will make you leaner even if you do not change the rest of your diet. It is best if you rotate the meat each breakfast. Eat 6-7 meals per day with protein plus smart fats in every meal.
A long-term low carbohydrate diet is the solution for fat people even after they have lost the fat. To begin the diet, eat only meat, fish, eggs, cheese and vegetables (50g of carbs per day or less). Follow this diet for 14 days then have a cheat day, eat whatever you want for the entire day. Return to the ultra low carb diet and have a cheat meal (one sitting) every 4th or 5th day.
1. Once you are starting to lean out you can add berries to the diet. They are strong antioxidants and low glycemic.
2. As you get leaner still you can introduce the Orange family of fruits.
3. As you get leaner again you can add Plums, nectarines, peaches and apples.
4. Then grapes and bananas
5. Then the root vegetables such as yams, and sweet potatoes
6. Then rice, the darker the better
7. The last food to add is grains, and it should never be added for those that are carb intolerant. (If eating carbs made you fat)
A no or low gluten diet is a good thing, it interferes with reaction time.
Stick with this diet 80% of the time and you will do fine and not stressed out by it. Eat more vegetables.
Do not eat Peanut Butter, even the natural kind; it contains a mould that has phyto-estrogens in it.
Fructose syrup is the most fattening food we know of and it ages you; avoid it at all costs.
Have your cheat meal late in the day instead of early when you are likely to keep eating bad the rest of the day. The best cheat meals have some nutritional value
Fatty foods have a reputation for causing bad health but it is Carbs that raise cholesterol and bad blood lipids
