Losing fat is done by following a system, not a diet. You don’t need to follow every trend that comes out every six months.

There are six simple, but effective rules that will lead you to long lasting happiness and great health.  Do these and getting lean will be easier than it has ever been.

And here they are:

1. Eat five to six meals every day.  some people may think this is blasphemy, but eating small meals allows you to digest your food better, it allows your draw in more nutrients while minimizing fat storage.

Only eating 2-3 meals a day is disasterous on belly fat. I implore you to embrace the more frequent meals every 2-3 hours. Your metabolism will benefit greatly (not to mention your waistline)

2. Eat a reduced carb diet. By reducing your carbs you’ll benefit in lowering your weight very fast.  It’s not that all carbs are bad for you, it’s just that carbs are designed to fuel activity and let’s face it, we not as active as we think we are. Another thing to point out is this; Carbs are your body’s primary fuel source, so eating too many carbs deprives your body of releasing fat as energy source.

By reducing your carb intake to only vegetables, fruits, and some whole grains, you’ll force your body rely on stored fat for energy throughout the day and during exercise, your bodyfat will fall faster than you thought possible.

3. Control your cheat meals. The honest truth is that people cheat more than they realize. So be accountable, don’t be a diet adulterer. Stay faithful to your supportive nutrition plan. Your cheat meals should be a reward, not a right.

If you’re feeling stressed out and need to let off some steam don’t reach for the ice cream. Trying talking to a close friend, go for a walk, or read an interesting book. Don’t rely on food, it’ll just keep you from reaching your goal weight. You must overcome your emotions at all costs. Don’t grieve through food, you’re only going to add to your own sadness by doing this. Emotional eating will trump exercise not matter how hard you work.

When it comes to cheat meals, realize what’s important to you. After a week of eating very well, let your hair down and enjoy a little desert, but don’t ever get out of control. It only takes a few minutes to gain weight and it takes weeks to take back off, so always be vigilant with eating. Don’t sabotage your own success.

4. Eat for nutrition first, taste second. The problem I see with most people is that they are more concerned with the taste of food than what it provides nutritionally. Now, I’m not telling to eat wheat grass and tofu or anything, (unless you like that sort of thing, me, I’ll pass, but that’s just me). But there are ways to make food taste great while avoiding excess calories. Cut out the dressings, the gravy, and all the sauces if you want to continue to see success in losing pounds of fat. Focus more adding herbs and spices to foods for flavor.

One thing I want to note is I eat healthy every day. I have my cheat meal, but I eat healthy, but I don’t eat nasty food. Everything my wife and I make is healthy, but very flavorful. We enjoy our food, but we never put taste over our nutritional needs. It’s very important that keep your eyes on the prize and not whats on your plate.

5. Supplement wisely. Taking certain supplements will make your fitness more successful. I hate all the miracle fat burners and magnificent muscle builders they have out there. The supplement industry has a lot of fakes and frauds out there ready and willing to take your money, but with a smart fitness coach like myself at the ready to point you in the right direction, you’ll have no worries in purchasing the right stuff to help you get in phenomonal shape. For better health I like Kyani and Prograde. These are my favorite go to companies for the healthiest, purest, most bang-for-your-buck supplements you can find in the market today.

The essential supplements you must have are whole food multivitamin complex such as the Kyani Sunrise and Prograde VGF +25, you also need a highly concentrated Omega 3 supplement also made by Kyani and Prograde. The third supplement is a recovery shake made by Prograde called simply “Workout”. These three super supplements will give you what you need to ensure your body is working at optimal function. Taken consistently your health and lean muscle will skyrocket when you train under a high intensity program like mine. You can find more info about these companies and their products at www.kyani.net/capstonenutrition and www.capstone-performance.getprograde.com, respectfully.

6. Minimize excess liquid calories. It’s not just the snickers bars or ice cream that make you pack on the pounds, it’s the soda, alcohol, and fruit juices that expanding your waistline like a balloon. Restrict yourself to green tea  and plain water throughout the day. You’ll perform better in exercise and at work, plus your body function so much better when you’re properly hydrated.

There you have my rambling is over for now. Stay tuned for more great fitness and nutrition tips to make as lean and as sexy as you want to be. If have anything to add please leave a comment below.

Ron, Antelope Valley’s Top Fitness Expert