I work out 3 to 4 times a week and now I have amazing muscles that I never even knew I could have, but my body fat is stuck at 22%. What can i do to lose even just 2% more body fat without losing too much of the muscle that I have worked so hard to obtain? – Dara
Hmm, that’s a tricky one that everyone would like to achieve. Nutritionally, maintaining calories while reducing sugar, alcohol & refined starch means replacing that lost energy with protein. To keep calories up and body fat % down, you need to eat lean trimmed poultry and meats, egg whites, high-fiber whole grains, unsweetened non-fat milk products and plenty of produce. – Debbie J., MS, RD
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That was a great question and the answer was so beneficial to me!
What produce do you suggest if you’re trying to reduce sugar?
I was referring to added sugars, not natural fructose. Though, to answer your question… choose the most fiber and water-rich fruits, such as BERRIES and MELON for the least sugar.
Grapefruit, apples, peaches, kiwi, cherries, pears, apricots and tangerines rank in the middle for sugar content.
These pack the MOST grams of sugar per serving: dried fruit (including raisins & cranberries), canned fruit, tropical fruit (e.g. banana, mango, papaya, lychee, pineapple), oranges, dates and figs.
OMG! No Bud Lights? Life’s Not Worth Livin! 🙂
Thanks, A very useful information .
Where can I find unsweetened non-fat milk?
Miriam, if you’re speaking of cow’s milk, only flavored (vanilla, strawberry, chocolate) varieties are sweetened. You will see approximately 13 grams of carbohydrate per fluid cup in plain cow’s milk, regardless of fat level. This is all lactose naturally found in the milk.
For a lower carbohydrate alternative, there are some unsweetened soy, rice or almond “milks,” though they are also very different in their calcium and protein contents versus cow’s milk. If cutting out a mere 8 grams of carbohydrate is that important, do select a replacement that has decent calcium and protein!