My diet is fairly good, but I do not seem to be losing any of the excess body fat around my midsection. I’m starting to wonder if I should begin to monitor my calorie intake. Also, I have been hesitant to try whey protein and wonder if you would recommend adding this to my diet. – Adam

I think that monitoring your caloric intake is a great idea! However, you may want to try monitoring the other nutrients in your diet as well since you were considering whether or not you should take a protein supplement. Find a diet analysis software, app or website that is easy to use, thorough and provides good reports (micronutrients, % RDA met, etc.). Most of these databases will allow you to input your profile to compare your food logs to your individual needs and create your recipes from scratch or input them from your food’s Nutrition Facts label. Databases with over 30,000 foods might come at a cost, but could be worth it. However, consumer programs can cost as little as $30. No matter what program you choose it should be based on the USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference (9,000 items) and also include national brands and fast food restaurants.

Keep a Food Diary, Log or Journal and Lose Weight Faster

When it comes to fat loss it’s important to know that the fat on your midsection is somewhat unique compared to the fat on your arms or legs. This is because there is more to consider than just the fat under your skin (subcutaneous fat). Visceral fat, which is found within the abdominal cavity surrounding your organs, is tougher to get rid of than subcutaneous fat. However, with proper diet and exercise changes, you can reduce this stubborn fat!

I have a lot of muscle tone throughout my body, but a bit of fat still in my stomach area. What foods can help me get rid of this stubborn belly fat?

Here are a few diet tips to help you lose midsection fat:

– Get plenty of fiber (25-30 grams per day) – You can accomplish this by eating fresh fruits, vegetables, legumes and whole grains, while also avoiding added sugars.

– Choose unsaturated fats and avoid trans-fats – You can do this by eating avocados, nuts, seeds, soybeans, olives and using olive oil (safflower oil, sunflower oil and canola oil are OK too) when cooking. Also, cut out processed fats that have hydrogenated oils in them.

– Increase your fluid intake – Drink mostly water or unsweetened tea, with just a couple glasses of milk, diluted juice or coconut water per day. The benefits are twofold: it helps boost your metabolism and calorie-free water fills you up, so you eat less.

Since I don’t know your diet, I can’t say for sure whether or not you would need or benefit from whey protein supplementation. But as a general rule of thumb you should be getting about a gram per kilogram of body weight (almost 0.5 gram per pound). If you are unable to get that

Your Weight Loss, Diet and Nutrition Guide To…Protein

– Debbie J., MS, RD

Debbie James is a registered dietitian. Any views or opinions presented in this article are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent the opinions or recommendations of Fitness International, LLC.

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