You step on the scale or look in the mirror. And you’re not happy with what you see. Maybe you’ve packed on a few extra pounds, or you’re sick of carrying around a spare tire.
And you’re at a tipping point.
If you’re like most people in a hurry to lose fat fast, what’s your next move?
A lot of people take one of these routes, hoping to lose fat:
- Starving
- Fad diets, like crazy cleanses, liquid-only diets, or a daily dose of lemon and vinegar
- Weight-loss supplements
- Extreme amounts of cardio
- Cosmetic procedures to lose fat
Can you lose fat and drop weight using one of these approaches? Yes.
The Wrong Way to Lose Fat
But chasing fat loss this way usually leads you right back to where you started. You drop a few pounds or lose a few inches. Then you gain it all back. It’s why it’s sometimes called yo-yo dieting.
These aren’t productive ways to lose fat, keep it off, and develop healthy, sustainable habits.
Honestly, you can only eat rice cakes for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, or live on bare bones rations for so many days before your appetite gets the best of you and you binge-eat at the buffet.
The yo-yo dieting dilemma
At the University of California – Los Angeles, Dr. Tracy Mann and a team of researchers looked at 31 studies on diet and weight loss that included decades of data and thousands of participants. [1]
They found that people who diet the wrong way can often lose 5 to 10 percent of their body fat within six months.
Not bad, right? Let’s say you’re 200 pounds. That kind of weight loss means you’re dropping 10 to 20 pounds. But if you’re dieting the wrong way, it doesn’t seem to last.
Researchers also found that up to two-thirds of all crash dieters end up gaining all the weight back, sometimes even more than they lost.[1]
If you’re looking for a way to lose fat and keep it off, crash dieting isn’t the way to go.
The Right Way to Lose Fat
I know everybody wants a quick fix to losing fat. It’s why an estimated $20 billion a year is spent on weight reduction surgeries in the U.S. alone.
But there really isn’t a quick fix to fat loss that’s going to give you long-term results. If you’ve got a ton of fat to lose, you might be able to see a double-digit drop in weight for at least a few weeks if you’re eating right and training hard.
But for most people, losing 1 to 2 pounds a week is a reasonable expectation. That means if you’ve got 10, 20, or even 50 pounds to lose, it’s going to take some time.
Fortunately, there are some proven ways to elevate your metabolism, burn more calories, and lose fat.
Get your Zzzs
Not getting enough sleep? It’s an often overlooked factor that can get in your way when you’re trying to lose fat.
In a recent study, researchers found that people who consistently get 8.5 hours of sleep a night lost twice as much weight as people who slept 5.5 hours or less, following the same meals plans and workouts.[2]
Lack of sleep also messes with your hunger hormones that regulate cravings and hunger.
Create a Calorie Deficit
If you’re serious about losing weight, knowing how many calories you need to eat, along with a daily macronutrient goal (protein, fats, and carbs), can make a big difference.
It’s a pretty simple equation. If you want to drop weight and lose body fat, you need to eat fewer calories than you burn through exercise and the activities of daily living.
It’s called a calorie deficit.
For most people, cutting back 100 to 500 calories a day, is a reasonable way to lose fat. And that can be as simple switching to water instead of soda, or adding some extra cardio training to your workout plan.
Here’s an easy-to-use Calorie Calculator to estimate how many calories you should eat to lose 1 to 2 pounds a week.[3]
Lift at Least 3 Days a Week
Building muscle burns fat. When you lift weights, you’re recruiting more fast-twitch muscle fibers, and that has a positive impact on your resting metabolic rate.[4]
Fit strength training into your schedule at least three days a week, and you’ll burn more fat, as you build muscle. Focus on compound lifts like the bench press, deadlift, and squats to maximize your results.
And if you don’t see a change in the scale right away. Don’t worry. Muscle weighs more than fat.
Do High-Intensity Interval Training
Think you need to spend a ton of time on the treadmill, bike or elliptical to burn fat? You can burn fat faster than you think, if you do it right.
A better alternative to slow-and-steady cardio sessions for fat loss: High intensity interval training. Research shows that this type of training can maximize fat loss in a lot less time than the typical 60-minute cardio session.
Here’s an example of a high-intensity interval workout from the American College of Sports Medicine.[5] Complete as many reps as possible for each exercise in 30 seconds. Rest no more than 10 seconds and move on to the next exercise.
- Jumping Jacks 30 seconds
Rest 10 seconds
- Wall Sit 30 seconds
Rest 10 seconds
- Push-Ups 30 seconds
Rest 10 seconds
- Crunches 30 seconds
Rest 10 seconds
- Step-Ups 30 seconds
Rest 10 seconds
- Bodyweight Squat 30 seconds
Rest 10 seconds - Tricep dips 30 seconds
Rest 10 seconds - Plank 30 seconds
Rest 10 seconds - High Knees 30 seconds
Rest 10 seconds - Lunges 30 seconds
Rest 10 seconds - Push-Up w/Rotation 30 seconds
Hustle your way through this high-intensity interval workout to burn more calories and fat. And if you’re not winded enough after one round, complete the circuit a couple more times. You can also replace these exercises with others, and adjust the work/rest ratio to make the workout harder.
Drink More Water
If you want to elevate your metabolism and burn fat, even without exercise or changing your diet, drink more water.
How much? A recent study followed a group of people for eight weeks and tracked water intake.[6] Researchers found that people who drank 1.5 liters of water a day or more lost weight, lowered Body Mass Index, reduced body fat, and felt less hungry, than people who didn’t drink enough.
Want to shred fat and transform your body? Check out my customized training and nutrition plans to get started.
References
- Mann, T., et al. (2007). Medicare’s search for effective obesity treatments: Diets are not the answer. American Psychology. From: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17469900.
- Nedeltcheva, A., (2010). Insufficient sleep undermines dietary efforts to reduce adiposity. Annals of Internal Medicine. From: http://annals.org/aim/article-abstract/746184/insufficient-sleep-undermines-dietary-efforts-reduce-adiposity
- Crome, G. (2014). How many calories do we really need? American Council on Exercise. From: https://www.acefitness.org/education-and-resources/lifestyle/blog/3772/how-many-calories-do-we-really-need
- Pratley, R., et al. (1994). Strength training increases resting metabolic rate and norepinephrine levels in healthy 50- 65-year old men. Journal of Applied Physiology. From: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8175496
- Brett, K., et al. (2013). High-intensity circuit training using body weight: Maximum results with minimal investment. American College of Sports Medicine Health & Fitness Journal. From: http://journals.lww.com/acsm-healthfitness/Fulltext/2013/05000/HIGH_INTENSITY_CIRCUIT_TRAINING_USING_BODY_WEIGHT_.5.aspx
- Ashok Kumar Vij, V., et al. (2014). Effect of excessive water intake on body weight, body mass index, body fat, and appetite of overweight female participants. Journal of Natural Science, Biology and Medicine. From: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4121911/