Challenge workouts are going to be infinitely easier if you’re not carry a spare tire around your waist. I’ve decided to provide a little fat loss information for you. I know that you’re super motivated to train, you need to give yourself every opportunity to do and be your best. Nutrition accounts for a whole lot. I’d say 80% of how you look is based on nutrition and performance can greatly be enhanced or hindered by your dietary habits. So, let’s give a little run down on fat loss…
Fat loss = rocket science
NOT!
You’d be surprised at how a little knowledge and common sense can go a long way to reducing your waistline. It’s NOT rocket science or brain surgery. It’s consistently applying these simple tips that will help you meet your fat loss goals. Remember that you likely didn’t gain those extra pounds over night, so they won’t magically disappear over night either.
Anyone who tries to sell you anything that will vaporize your fat will only be vaporizing your pocket book. Sadly, in an effort to fit into your skinny jeans, many are willing to explore desperate measures that will do nothing but disappoint. Don’t make that mistake.
Take a look at these simple tips. Print them off, put them on your fridge or somewhere that you’ll be continually reminded of them. You may not be able apply all ten tips right away, but even if over the next ten weeks you apply one tip a week, by the end of ten weeks you’ll have transformed your eating.
Here we go:
1. Where are you now? Take your measurements! Weigh yourself, but more importantly, take measurements at your chest, arms, waist, abdomen, hips and thighs. If you’re exercising at the same time as changing your nutrition plan, you may be losing inches but this will not necessarily show up on the scale. You may be replacing a little fat loss with a little muscle gain and break even on the scale. This is SO discouraging. By quantifying with tangible evidence in the form of measurements, you can compare and not just ‘eye ball’ your physique.
2. Train train train! Dieting alone will only give you a smaller version of your current self. This is probably not what you had in mind. Build shapely muscle with resistance training while boosting your metabolism. Include HIIT (high intensity interval training) to burn calories while you’re training and up to 38 hours after to torch fat. I don’t think I need to tell you this, but it’s SO important that it’s worth a mention.
3. Eat six meals a day. Your body goes into famine mode to conserve calories when food isn’t supplied on a regular basis. So do your body a favor, let it know to keep the fire of metabolism going with meals and snacks spaced 2-3 hours apart.
4. Pack a lunch (or snack). Never go anywhere empty handed. Always have a healthy snack at hand: almonds, protein bar, a green apple. It’s easier NOT to succumb to junk food when a healthy choice is close at hand.
5. Reduce simple sugars. Read labels and keep sugar consumption, especially high fructose corn syrup type sugars, to a minimum. Naturally occurring sugars in fruits are not the culprit here. Where ever ‘sugar’ or any of it’s derivatives are tops on the label, put it down! (Check this post to see all the various names sugar hides behind.) Try to keep sugar consumption to below 30 g/day.
6. Eat protein at every meal. Protein not only helps to repair and rebuild tissue, it also stabilizes blood sugar. If you have a little protein with every meal, you won’t experience the highs and lows associated with an insulin rush when you eat carbohydrates alone. Protein helps to moderate insulin so that you won’t feel starved and run down. It helps keep energy levels more stable.
7. Pass the fat! The good fat that is! Don’t skimp on good fats such as olive oil, nuts, avocado, salmon and fish oils. AVOID at all costs trans fats, vegetable shortening and hard stick margarines. Too much fat will result in weight gain, however good fats help with nutrient absorption, nerve and cell membrane integrity. And eating good fats will help keep you satiated so that you don’t feel like you need to eat the kitchen sink.
8. Drink up! Replace sugary drinks, diet drinks, fruit juices and even caffeinated beverages with water and more water. Surprisingly, water has a thermogenic effect so that it helps to keep metabolism boosted while it hydrates you.
9. Cut it out! The junk that is. It seems like a no brainer, but just don’t bring tempting unhealthy junky food into your house. If its not there, you won’t eat it. Period. NO excuses. Just walk by that aisle in the grocery store and don’t allow that crap into your cart.
10. Treat yourself! If you’ve done #9, then you deserve to do this. Once a week, give yourself a treat meal where you can enjoy any of your favorite foods, within moderation. Life isn’t worth living without some of your favorite treats at some point. Remind yourself of your goals and set a date with Miss Vicki’s chips or a glass of wine for a special occasion when you’ll really enjoy it.
By vaporizing your fat, you’ll be leaner and stronger to meet the challenges I set up for you on this blog. Furthermore, you’ll be more healthy to meet the bigger challenges of life and all it has to offer.