10 Tips to Start Practicing Now for Rapid Fat Loss
I would say that 99% of my customers, male and female, want less body fat, either for improved sports performance or to look good in a bikini (mainly my female clients!). Most people, not just my clients, find it hard to even comprehend finding out where to begin in their pursuit of long term fat loss. So, Here are my 10 favourite tips, which you can implement straight away for long-term fat loss:
1. Gradually reduce high sugar produce
When trying to lose fat, you really want to try and cut out sugary and processed foods. Processed foods, such as cereals, crisps, biscuits etc tend to be high in sugars, unhealthy fats and also have large amounts of salt in them.
By cutting these foods out, not only will they help in the process of fat loss, you will also become healthier. Foods like these push up your blood sugar levels and can make you become insulin resistant over time, which can then develop into type 2 diabetes. By cutting these types of foods out, you will have to eat more fruit and vegetables.
2. Increase your water intake
The liver converts stored fat to energy. The liver has other functions too, but this is one of its main jobs.
Unfortunately, another of the liver’s duties is to pick up the slack for the kidneys, which need plenty of water to work properly. If the kidneys are water-deprived, the liver has to do their work along with its own, lowering its total productivity. It then can’t metabolize fat as quickly or efficiently as it could when the kidneys were pulling their own weight. If you allow this to happen, not only are you being unfair to your liver, but you’re also setting yourself up to store fat.
3. Consume food more frequently, in smaller portions
Every time you eat, your metabolic rate increases, which gives the body fuel to start the process to burn fat calories and aid fat loss. When you skip a meal your metabolic rate drops, meaning that fat loss stops and fat gain increases.
4. Phase out low intensity, high duration exercise
The more aerobic training you do the more efficient you make your body at storing body fat. The body is stubborn and doesn’t want to burn body fat so it eats up your muscle instead, immediately destroying your metabolism. This leads me onto number 5.
5. Implement interval training
Try this next time you’re in the gym, it will save much more time and be a ton better for fat loss: Use an airdyne bike, rower, spinning bike or treadmill
2 min – Easy Ride
1min – Hard ride
1min – Easy ride
45 sec – Hard ride
1:15 min – Easy ride
30 sec – Hard ride
1:30 min – Easy ride
15 sec – Hard ride
1:45 min – easy ride
6. Increase your protein intake to stay full up for longer
Its important to eat lean protein throughout the day. You can get this from foods like chicken, lean beef and fish. Try and replace carbohydrates with protein-based foods.
By increasing your protein intake, you will lower your insulin response, which in turn helps you keep body fat off. Protein is harder to breakdown in the body than both carbohydrates and fats. This means that our body has to work harder, which requires more energy, and we get this energy from stored body fat.
7. Increase your intake of fruit and veg
Fruits and vegetables are greater in volume, which has a fulfilling effect, yet they are relatively low in calories. We have stretch receptors in our stomach, which sends signals to the brain and tells us we are full up. Match this to other foods, such as a pizza; you would have to eat a massive amount of fruit and vegetables in one sitting to match the same calorie intake as that of the pizza, and yet it is quite easy to eat a large pizza on your own. So you can actually eat a higher volume of food and still lose fat.
8. Start lifting weights
Start lifting weights. And this includes women. Seriously, performing big multi-joint movements like squats, deadlifts and military presses will increase your lean muscle mass, which will increase your metabolic rate and increase fat loss, even at rest.
9. Have targets to aim for
Give yourself something to aim for. It could be getting ready for your holiday by getting into a new dress or shirt. Set yourself date milestones, short and long term. Also, set goals in exercise sessions to help keep the intensity up so you don’t slack off from your fat loss workouts
10. Keep track of how you progress
Take regular measurements of your weight and body fat, then from that work out your lean mass and your fat mass. From this you can ensure that you are losing fat not muscle. This will also mean you can see if you are staying on the right track.
Harry Grove (BSc CSCS DipPT) is an international level powerlifter, personal trainer and strength and conditioning coach. He has been in the health and fitness industry for 10 years and has trained 100’s of clients and athletes. Harry is also the co-founder of PT on Demand, where you can download and watch the Fat Loss video series .
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