Everyone wants to know how to lose
weight fast. We know the usual "watch your diet and exercise
regularly" routine. But if it is as simple as that, then there wouldn't be
so many fat people in this world!
Amidst all the lies and hype
surrounding the weight loss industry, it can be
hard to separate the hype and lies from the truth. That's why in today's
article, I'm going to share with you 14 things you must do to lose weight fast.
Following these 14 tips will help you to lose weight safely and stay lean all
year-round.
WARNING: SOME OF THE INFORMATION YOU
ARE ABOUT TO READ MAY CONTRADICT WHAT YOU KNOW ABOUT WEIGHT LOSS.
#1: Stop eating
only salads
This is a well-known habit,
especially among female office workers. You order a big salad with nothing but
greens. Your colleagues see what you eat and applaud your efforts to lose
weight. But before 2 pm, you get hungry and start looking for cookies and chocolates
to snack. How's that for one step forward and two steps back in your fat loss
attempt? While there's nothing wrong with having salads for lunch, you should
add some good clean protein such as eggs and chicken breasts and also good fats
such as avocados or guacamole into your salads as well. Remember this: Every
meal should have a protein element. This protein and fat make you feel more
satisfied after the meal and will sustain your blood sugar levels for a longer
period so you won't be looking for unhealthy snacks around the office right
after lunch.
#2: Replace all the unhealthy snacks
at home and in your office
Contrary to popular belief, snacking
is actually productive for fat loss. Snacking on healthy snacks in between
meals will help maintain a steady blood glucose level and also keep your
metabolism elevated. Since people snack on convenience and the general
availability of food around them, it is important to keep only healthy snacks
such as dark chocolate, nuts, trail mixes, fruits, or even beef jerky within
easy reach. Throw all the others away. Or give them to a colleague you hate.
#3: Start a simple exercise routine
Every fat loss program needs to have
an exercise component. It doesn't even have an actual exercise like jogging or
swimming. If you have never exercised before in your life, you can even start
something as simple as brisk walking every day for 20 minutes and work up the
intensity from there. The main objective is staying active and turning up your
metabolism. As you get fitter (and you will), crank up the intensity and
challenge your body to reach new heights of fitness.
#4: Stop the steady-state jogging
If you have been jogging for some
time and haven't seen any significant weight loss results, then it's time for
you to move on to more challenging exercises. Jogging is a good exercise to
build your cardiovascular endurance, but not the best for fat loss. To
effectively burn fat, you need a workout that elevates your heart rate to at
least 80% of your maximum heart rate and burns the most number of calories in
the shortest period of time. Full-body exercises such as burpees, squats,
deadlifts, shoulder presses, and rows give you the most bang for your time
spent on exercising. Perform each exercise for 30 seconds with a 30-second
break in between for 3 sets before moving onto the next. Do this for 10 - 15
minutes a day and you will see results beyond what you have experienced from
months of jogging.
#5: Don't avoid carbohydrates
completely
When carbs replaced fats as the main
contributor to weight gain, many people are avoiding all known types of carbs
completely. I personally have a colleague who shuns carbs like the plague. Let
me set the record straight. Not all carbs are bad. Our bodies need carbs to
function properly. Carbs are our bodies' main source of energy. In fact, our
brain functions primarily on carbs. Depriving your body of carbs can have detrimental
effects on your body. Every type of food has its time and place to be consumed.
As a general rule, you should only consume low glycemic carbs such as brown
rice, dark leafy vegetables, multi-grain bread, oatmeal, etc. High glycemic
foods such as bananas, juices, white rice, potatoes, and other processed foods
are best consumed only right after an intense exercise.
#6: Set realistic and measurable
goals
A lot of people give up on a
training or fat loss program after a week or so because they did not see the
results they were expecting. First of all, you have to remember that you didn't
get fat overnight. So you should not expect a miracle weight loss to happen as
well. Setting realistic and measurable goals will help keep you motivated and
continue towards your ultimate weight loss goal. So what considered a realistic
goal? Losing 0.5-1kg (1-2 lbs) a week is realistic. Losing half an inch on your
waist after two weeks is realistic. Of course, you have to be completely honest
with yourself when you are accessing these goals. Ask yourself if you are
really following the exercise program religiously? How many times did you cheat
on your diet?
#7: Focus on building muscle
Some people may disagree with me
that exercising and muscle-building is important for fat loss. To me, fat loss
is all about changing our body composition - reducing the fat mass and
increasing fat-free mass (muscles). Increasing fat-free mass will invariably
contribute to the lowering of fat mass. For each pound of muscle, your body
has, you burn an extra 35-50 calories a day. Fat on the other hand burns only 2
calories per pound. So the more muscle you have, the higher your metabolic rate
will be. And contrary to popular belief, having more muscles is what will give
your body those sexy curves that the opposite sex desires.
#8: Invest in a whey protein or meal
replacement supplement
Having 3 meals a day with 3 snack
times in between is not always easy to prepare. That's why for convenience
purposes, it's recommended that you purchase a good whey protein or meal
replacement supplement. Just add
water or milk and you have one serving of quality protein.
#9: Make small changes and stick
with them for 21 days
Let's be honest with ourselves. Fat
loss involves some behavioral and lifestyle changes. Your current lifestyle got
you to the state that you are now. Continuing down this path obviously is not
the quickest way to lose weight. We all
know behavioral change is the hardest thing. This is why we need to make little
changes every day that is more acceptable to our bodies. For example, if you
currently drink two cans of soda every day, cut down to one can a day. Then
next week, cut down to one can every two days. You get the picture. And for any
program that you decide to get started, stick with it for 21 days. Statistics have
shown that any behavioral change takes 21 to accept and approximately 60 days
to form into a habit. So no matter how much you hate a current diet or exercise
program, persevere for 21 days. You will be glad you did.
#10: Surround yourself with
like-minded people
Some people are very dependent on
social support, while others not so much. If you belong to the former group, it
is important that you factor this aspect of motivation especially when you are
starting out on a fat loss program. During the initial 21 days, it is important
to stay motivated and focused on the goals you have set for yourself. You are
bound to encounter challenges and struggles as you go through the program. Such
as days when your thighs are so sore after doing full body squats or even good
news like when you succeed in losing an inch off your waist. If you have
friends who are doing the fat loss program with you, great! Share your results
and how you feel about the program with them. Talk to fitness professionals;
join online communities or Facebook groups to share experiences and gain
knowledge. Also, don't just focus on the fat loss part. Get into the whole
health and fitness experience. Buy fitness magazines, visit fitness websites.
Look at the physiques you desire to achieve and set them as your desktop
wallpaper. Do whatever you need to stay motivated.
#11: Train your legs
I'm not just talking about jogging
here; I'm referring to doing heavy squats, lunges, deadlifts, etc. If you have
ever done squats before, you will know that it is one of the most demanding
exercises in the world. You pant and sweat like a dog as if you have sprinted a
mile. But it is also one of the best exercises for building overall strength
and of course burning calories. Leg exercises such as squats are usually
compound exercises and as such burn more calories. Even if you are not doing
weighted squats, just doing body weight squats alone can be just as challenging.
To be honest, in my first 5 years of training, I never once trained my legs. I
always thought the upper body is more important and doing squats could stunt
your vertical growth. That is all a fallacy. Ever since I started doing squats,
my strength went through the roof and my body fat levels have remained consistently
low all year-round. Now I do squats at least once a week otherwise my workout
is never complete. If you have never trained your legs before, trust me, start
your workouts with squats and you will be amazed by the results you see. And
yes, you can thank me later.
#12: Keep a meal diary
Many people don't realize how many
calories they consume every day. You think you are eating less by skipping a
meal here and there. But you never consider those sodas, grande Frappuccinos,
or those cookies distributed by your colleagues that you so casually put in
your mouth during the day. If you take down everything (and I mean every single
thing including those mentos) that you eat into a meal diary, you will be
surprised how many calories you are taking. Yes, I know it's quite a pain to
record down everything. But do yourself a favor and just do it for one day. It
will be an absolute eye-opener
.
#13: Learn to love water
Perhaps the most overlooked causes
of weight gain, the liquids you consume can deceptively pack on a ton of
calories. Just a can of soda contains close to 150 calories. A grande mocha
Frappuccino contains a whopping 420 calories. Drink a soda and a Frappuccino
every day and you will gain a pound a week.
Because we can so easily and
carelessly gulp down beverages without a second thought, liquid calories are
more harmful. Fruit juices are no better. They all contain naturally occurring
fruit sugar, fructose, which like all other sugars if consumed in excess will
result in weight gain. One of the quickest ways to lose weight is to
always choose water over all other beverages. Water has zero calories and is a
natural source of hydration for our bodies. By simply replacing all your other
sugary laden beverages with water, you will quickly be able to see weight loss
results.
#14: Limit alcohol consumption
I know it is almost impossible to
completely abstain from alcohol. But if your goal is to find the fastest way to
lose weight, then you have to cut down on your happy hours. Alcohol is a toxic
substance with absolutely no nutritional benefit whatsoever. What's more, each
gram of alcohol contains 7 calories. A few glasses of cocktails with its sugary
mixers can easily pile on at least 1000 or more calories a night. You should
also know that alcohol is an appetite stimulant. So don't be surprised if you
feel hungry after a night of partying. Of course, this leads to additional
calories in your body that you don't need. If you are focusing on building
muscle, excessive alcohol lowers your testosterone and increases cortisol
levels (stress hormone) thereby reducing your body's ability to build muscle
effectively.
With so many disadvantages to your
fat loss goals, do you still need another reason not to drink?
If you have tried everything else to
lose weight and still haven't seen any results, give these 14 tips a try. If
you need to know how to lose weight fast; safely and
permanently, the 10 Minute Corporate Fat Loss Plan may just be something you
are looking for.
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