Thursday, January 1, 2009

How to Lose Fat Fast

People often talk about diets vs. lifestyles. Diets don’t work to lose fat. Lifestyle changes do.

If you want to maintain a healthy body fat, I agree. But if you want to go from 20% body fat or more to 10% I don’t.

Fat is emergency storage for your body. Forcing your body to lose fat isn’t a healthy condition to stay in. Fat loss must happen fast.

Here’s how to lose fat fast.

1. Eat less. Start eating your body-weight in lbs x 16kcal (use Fitday). Cut 500kcal one week later. Check the balance one week later again.

    * You Lose Weight: keep eating the same amount of calories.
    * You Don’t Lose Weight: cut another 500 calories.
Don’t jump on a 2000 calorie diet. Only cut calories when you don’t progress.

2. Maintain Muscle. Lose fat, not muscle. Muscle burns calories, fat doesn’t. The more muscular you are, the more calories you burn.

    * Eat. Fat is emergency storage. Your body will hold fat & burn muscle when you don’t eat. Don’t starve yourself, eat every 3 hours.
    * Eat Protein. Get at least 1g/lbs protein daily so your body can build & maintain muscle. Eat meat, poultry, fish, eggs or whey every 3 hours.
    * Get Stronger. If your body-weight stays the same & you build muscle, your body fat goes down.
3. Burn More Calories. Burn more calories than you consume and you’ll lose fat. Be more active. Not only will you lose fat, you’ll also be healthier & feel better.

    * Exercise. Tons of sports you can choose from: weight lifting, running, strength training, swimming, etc. Whatever you prefer.
    * Move More. Stop choosing the parking spots near the entrance, watch less TV, play less video games, etc. Get out & walk.
4. Do Cardio. Cardio makes you lose fat faster & allows you to eat more. If you burn 1000kcal using cardio, you can eat 500kcal more while still having a 500kcal deficit to lose fat. Here’s how to lose fat using cardio:

    * 3 x 30 Mins. Work yourself up to 4 x 45 mins a week. Do the cardio post strength training. You won’t lose muscle if you eat post workout.
    * Moderate Intensity. Your goal is to lose fat, not exhaust yourself. You should breathe heavier than when at rest, but not gasping.
    * Elliptical Trainer. I prefer the elliptical trainer for cardio. Feel free to try other cardio machines.
5. Eat Healthy. Your body stores carbs as fat when you eat too much of them. Carbs also cause carb cravings. Lower your carb intake, up your fat intake. This forces your body to use fat for energy.

    * Macronutritients. Switch to a 45% protein, 20% fat, 35% carb diet. Use Fitday to calculate your macronutrient intake.
    * Veggies. Low in calories, veggies fill your stomach without making you gain weight. Eat spinach, broccoli, asparagus, salad, cabbage, etc.
    * Proteins. Get at least 1g/lbs protein daily to build & maintain muscle. Eat meat, poultry, fish, eggs or whey every 3 hours.
    * Whole Grain Carbs. Cut your carb intake. Eat the bulk of your carbs within 90 mins post exercise & go whole grain: oats, rice, breads, etc.
    * Healthy Fats. Fat satiates, helping you fight hunger & carb cravings. Balance your fat intake: fish oil, saturated fat & olive oil. No trans fats.
    * Quit Junk Food. Quit junk food & soda. Limit junk food consumption to once a week & don’t overdo it.
    * Drink Water. Drink 1 liter per 1000 calories you expend. Your body will stop holding water if you drink more water.
    * Fruit. Your body converts fruit to fat when you eat too much of it. Limit fruit consumption to post workout & consider a multivitamin.
If you have trouble building the habit of eating healthy, check out the tips in StrongLifts 5×5 eBook. Click here to get it for free.

6. Eat The Same Every Day. The more variety you build into your diet, the less you stick to it. Eating the same every day is more effective. It also teaches you food is fuel in the first place, not pleasure.

Select several healthy & balanced meals you like. Eat them every day. Change the meals when you get bored of them. Not fun, but effective. Think results.

7. Keep Yourself Motivated. Set goals & track progress. The weigh scale is not your best tool. Better are:

    * Fat Measurements. Measure your body fat weekly using a fat caliper.
    * Pictures. Take pictures every 4 weeks.
    * Blood test. Check health improvements.
    * Weigh Scale. Only use it once a week, like every Friday.
    * Keep a training journal online. You’ll get feedback & you won’t feel alone anymore in what you’re trying to achieve.
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Source: Stronglifts.com



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