When it comes to fat loss the majority of people are left overwhelmed and confused by everything they read as there are many contradicting theories. There are many different ways to lose fat, there isn’t a one size fits all. This means that just because your friend lost fat by following a certain routine doesn’t necessarily means it will work for you. You may not be able to stick to it like they did or the plan may not suit your lifestyle like it did for theirs. Most people become confused because they try to extrapolate too many different methods which contradict each other and leave you confused.
Here are 15 sound proof tips (in no particular order) to help you lose body fat and achieve your goals.
Drink Plenty of Water - Our muscles are made up of 70% water and our brains are made up of 80%, slipping into dehydration will cause your body to run on suboptimal levels. When you are dehydrated your energy levels will plummet causing you to move around less, keeping hydrated will keep your energy levels up. Not only that but our liver relies on water intake to function at its best, the liver plays a vital role in fat loss as it produces bile which breaks down fat.
Train Hard - Out of all the gyms I have been in I can honestly say I only see a handful of people who actually train to their full potential. The majority of people are going through the motions, taking 5 minute breaks, too busy watching other people or even reading a book. Yes I have seen a fair few people reading books whilst they workout. The only ones who actually change their body shape and reduce fat are the ones who train to their full potential and focus on the workout. If you have never been through a structured workout or followed a plan, hire someone to take you through one. You didn’t learn to drive by teaching yourself and not concentrating properly, so why treat your fat loss like it?
Prioritise Your Diet Around Protein - If you fail to reach an adequate protein intake then your fat loss will turn to weight loss, meaning you’ll be losing muscle mass. Protein helps build and repair our bodies, fail to get enough of it and you will lose muscle and eventually gain fat.
Get 7-8 Hours of Sleep - Sleep is vital, not only for fat loss but longevity to. Getting enough sleep will aid your fat loss and promote muscle growth. A lack of sleep can increase your stress hormone (Cortisol) which can send you into a catabolic state (muscle wastage) and muscle is what you need in order to lose body fat.
Eat Your Veggies - Vegetables are very rich in nutrients a lack of these can cause havoc on your fat loss results. These nutrients will help your body work and perform at its best, all of your organs rely on these nutrients to function at their best. If you starve your body of these nutrients then you will fail to reach optimal fat loss and muscle growth.
Make Weight Training Your Priority - When eating in a calorie deficit you do risk losing muscle mass as well as fat. Weight training will prevent muscle wastage and promote muscle growth. This leads to more calories burnt per day, someone with greater levels of muscle mass will burn more calories than someone who has less.
Get Your Heart Pumping - Although you technically don’t need cardio for fat loss you will miss out on optimal results if you don’t do any. Minute for minute cardio burns more calories than weight training does, whilst cardio isn’t as important as weight training it should not be ignored. Not only does it burn more calories it also strengthens your heart and lungs.
Surround Yourself With Like Minded People - Surrounding yourself with people who have similar goals to you and a similar or harder work ethic will encourage you to stay on track. Surround yourself with lazy people who would rather sit at home and eat poorly will only pull you away from the things you need to do.
Diet Dictates Results - If you are someone who holds more body fat than muscle then you will need to be a lot more careful with what you eat. If you are often including less healthy foods and drinks in your diet your results will suffer. The more often you can eat natural foods the better the results you will receive.
Cut Down On Carbs - Not because carbs are evil, they aren’t and play a vital role in your performance when training. However most people will over eat on carbs, piling their plates full of, rice, pasta, potato or chips. No one I know of is over weight due to over eating protein and healthy fats, this is because carbs are easier to consume and everyone loves them.
Cut Out Calorific Drinks - So many people waste their calories through caloric drinks, as they don’t associate calories with liquid form. I recently reviewed someones diet, over a week they had consumed around 3300 calories from liquids alone. That’s nearly 1lb of fat lost every week just by cutting drinks out. Full fat drinks, fruit juices, milk, milky coffee’s they all contain calories, by limiting them you will see a great difference.
Fibre For Fat Loss - Most people lack enough fibre in their diet, fibre is important for bowel function and is great as an appetite suppressant. Consuming high fibrous foods keep you feeling fuller for longer helping ward off hunger pains.
Train With People In Better Shape Than You - By training with people in better shape than you you will learn a lot more and be pushed to train harder.
Enjoy What You Do - If you don’t enjoy your diet or workout routine you will not get the best from it. You need to find a gym programme that you enjoy but is also tough and a diet that’s healthy but you also enjoy.
Learn How To Cook - It may sound silly but I have came across so many people who say they don’t know how to cook or prep meals. If they do their knowledge is limited. The only way to learn is to read and practice, practise, practise, try cooking lots of different meals and experiment to find ones you love. I used to live off tinned hot dogs, super noodles and pasta with beans, if I can learn how to cook anyone can.
Bonus Tip - Consistency is key, none of the above habits and tips will work if you do not stay consistent. If you follow a plan for 4 weeks and then give up, don't expect to see results, it takes a long time to develop a habit and results don't happen in one night. "Long term consistency trumps short term intensity" - Bruce Lee.
There you have it my 15/16 top tips for fat loss, when trying to learn a new habit and apply it to practice, be sure not to overwhelm yourself. Pick one or two tips at a time and practice until they become a habit, then chose another to develop.
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