An important discovery in the health & fitness industry over the past 17 years is this simple fact: Our bodies burn stored body fat faster while working out if (and this is a pretty big if)… if we eat a diet composed of a moderate amount of carbohydrates and protein, and a low to moderate amount of good dietary fats.

It is especially difficult to lose weight when eating a diet primarily consisting of carbohydrates, especially if you workout a lot, because when you eat like that, you force your body to burn carbohydrates (sugars). When you switch the equation around a bit and eat a diet composed of about 1⁄3 protein, you allow your body to burn stored body fat — which is the reason most of us workout. In other words, the ratio of the carbohydrates, proteins, and fats in your diet determines if you will predominately burn carbohydrates or stored body fat.

Let’s face it. We are always burning calories, and without getting too technical, it’s the hormonal reaction from the foods we eat that determines what we will burn for energy. The normal response in the body to eating carbohydrates, (e.g., breads, pastas, fruits, sweets, etc.) is a rise in blood-sugar levels. To counteract and prevent excessive blood-sugar levels, the body produces insulin. Insulin stores calories as fat and glycogen (i.e., stored carbohydrates in the liver and muscle) and any excess as body fat.

The opposite hormone to insulin is glucagon. Protein in the diet releases glucagon, which mobilizes stored glycogen in the liver and bloodstream, allowing the muscles to burn fat, their preferred energy source. That is why when you burn more stored body fat, not only do you lose body fat, you have more energy and endurance.

Just think how good you feel when you eat a well balanced meal, like a chicken breast salad without gobs of dressing, versus a high-carbohydrate meal like pasta and bread. Not only are you usually not hungry for many hours after a balanced meal, you probably don’t feel lethargic, irritable, or bloated. Simply put, by adding a little protein and subtracting a few carbohydrates from your diet, you will experience body fat loss, have better energy, and look and feel great.

To learn how to maximize your diet for fat-burning, download a free copy of the PureFit Fat Burning Guide.