My Top 10 Lessons for Fat Loss that will work for anyone!
Believe it or not, it's pretty simple. What lacks usually is motivation. But like most things in life all you really need is a plan! With a solid plan, you are more accountable and more inclined to stick to your goals.
See below for details on each Lesson and how to start.
- Lesson 1. Set a Deadline
- Lesson 2. What Gets Measured, Gets Managed
- Lesson 3. Replace One Habit at a Time
- Lesson 4. Tell Someone Your Weight Loss Goals
- Lesson 5. Eating Too Little Will Make You Fat
- Lesson 6. HIIT Is The Fastest Way To Lose Fat
- Lesson 7. Keep Your Heart Rate High
- Lesson 8. Have A Plan of Attack
- Lesson 9. Eat Protein and Fats for Breakfast
- Lesson 10. Eat Carbohydrates After Your Workout ONLY
Lesson 1. Set a Deadline
There is power in setting a deadline. Have you ever said you are going to do something and never get around to it? You’re not alone. Have you been given a deadline to do something, say by your boss? Of course you hit the deadline because there is a time restraint. Set a date on the calendar for you to be your absolute best by.Goals:
- need to be put in writing
- have to be specific and measurable
- have to have a specific timeline
- and need to be realistic
Lesson 2. What Gets Measured, Gets Managed
If you follow Vince Del Monte, you have heard this many times and it is extremely true. You cannot know what direction you are heading towards if you don’t measure and track your results. This is the only sure way you can tweak your program to work for you. Whenever a client asks me what could be going wrong, I simply ask them to take out their tracker journal so we can look. 99% of times, they haven’t been measuring and the other 1%. Keep a Journal and be accountable!
Workout 6 - 7 Days per week and this includes Cardio !
Lesson 3. Replace One Habit at a Time
Habits cannot be broken, only replaced. If you start by replacing one habit per month, that will be 12 new habits you will have replaced by 2013. Think of one you want to replace for January. It generally takes 22 days for a new habit to become a way of life.Lesson 4. Tell Someone Your Weight Loss Goals
Having an accountability partner works in EVERY area of your life. You are more likely not to fail if you tell someone what you are going to achieve. You will not only be letting yourself down if you quit but also your friend. I always tell someone if I am entered into an event, race, or have a lofty goal. That way, they can help me get to my goal by being supportive !Lesson 5. Eating Too Little Will Make You Fat
You start to waste away in your upper body and start packing on the weight in your tummy whenever you choose to skip meals and don’t eat enough.When nutrient intake is low your metabolic rate will become low for three reasons:
- decreased thyroid function
- reduced thermic effect of eating
- reduction in muscle mass
I am always prepared for what I will eat that day. And by doing this, it avoids temptation. Too many people I see on a daily basis snack on sodas, chips, bad granola bars and what they think are healthy snacks.
Try to eat 6 - 7 meals daily - every 2-3 hours. It helps to regluate your blood sugar and keeps your energy levels high.
Lesson 6. HIIT Is The Fastest Way To Lose Fat
High-intensity training burns calories for hours after the workout, improves endurance and improves aerobic capacity. I always add in some HIIT to my week and this is the one and usually the ONLY area (in the gym) that I tweak when I want to lose fat fast. All you need is a few 20 minutes sessions and your pants size will shrink in no-time.Lesson 7. Keep Your Heart Rate High
There is no sense in taking your time during your workout. There is no sense in training one muscle at one time unless you are thinking of becoming a light-weigh bodybuilder. This is the key that COMPLETELY shaped my body this year.For women, this is EXTREMELY important. Your body will respond better to this type of training.
Lesson 8. Have A Plan of Attack
Plan out your workouts BEFORE you workout. Don’t be stuck there trying to think of what exercise combos to do and then draw a blank because you think everyone is looking at you and wondering what you are doing. WALK INTO THE GYM KNOWING what body part you are going to train that day! And keep a journal. I have lots of completed books that I can go back and look at over the years to see how far I have advanced and what / how I trained & ate for a specific event.Lesson 9. Eat Protein and Fats for Breakfast
To Avoid the crash mid-afternoon, a solid breakfast with protein is a must ! Try ground beef / chicken and eggs for breakfast. I know that sounds gross but it works and it’s actually tasty. Charles Poliquin calls it “The Meat and Nut Breakfast”. This is all about controlling your hormones. As well as keeping your blood sugar levels regulated. Give your kids “the meat and nut breakfast” and see their marks increase.Lesson 10. Eat Carbohydrates After Your Workout ONLY!
Carbohydrates should be used only to refuel and repair after a workout. This is the biggest contributor to staying lean all year-long. “What portion of your body is made up of carbohydrates? NONE – therefore we can only use a small amount of them before the body will store them”. Keep the carb intake low during the day if you can. Protein at every meal !Read "Wheat Belly" by William Davis, MD - it will change your life and make you think twice about wheat consumption.
I am a month into going 95% Bread, Pasta free and have lost 8lbs.
No More Muffin Top ! Apply those 10 lessons and you are on your way to your best body in 2014!
You can apply some of these strategies to other areas of your life as well!
"Peace, Love and Fitness"
