With the vast amount of information available on the internet. it may sometimes seem overwhelming to know what will work for you and your fat loss goals. For that reason, I have outlined 7 easy-to-digest effective ways to accelerate fat loss and help you get beach-ready ASAP.
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Move more.
It is no secret that movement is key to vitality.
As humans, we are built to be active. Whether you take the bike out around the neighborhood, dance around in your room, go for a brisk walk, opt for the stairs instead of the elevator, any movement will be beneficial to your fat loss goal.
Taking a 10-min walk after your meals is linked to increased insulin sensitivity and improved uptake of glucose, both of which help with fat loss. In a study done in obese women, walking helped reduce insulin sensitivity and decrease abdominal fat.
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Eliminate/minimize sugar.
Sugar is like a drug. When you ingest anything sugary, your brain releases the feel-good chemicals like serotonin and dopamine. The more you have it, the more you will crave it.
Added sugars may make you feel tired and hungry by spiking up your insulin which will quickly drop soon after. You’ll be tempted to go grab another sugary food, adding even more empty calories to your diet, repeating the whole process all over again.
If fat loss is your primary goal, eliminating quick sugars from your diet will improve your hormonal balance, increase energy levels, improve your insulin sensitivity and accelerate fat loss.
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Drink more water.
We are made out of mostly water. Shouldn’t we drink more water then? Yes, drinking adequate amounts of water is probably one of the most overlooked aspects of weight loss by most people.
How do you know if you’re drinking enough water? Well, let’s say that if you feel thirsty it’s already too late.
The idea is to make it a habit and consistently consume water throughout the day. Not only does it keep you fuller and away from foods you shouldn’t eat, but it will also help you be less bloated.
Bloating is often caused by consuming too much sodium and not enough water to flush it all out.
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Eat more protein.
Protein is the primary muscle-building block. Eating more protein will support and preserve lean tissue, help you feel fuller which results in eating less junk.
Try replacing your carbohydrate-dominant meals with lean protein and vegetables a couple times a day and you’ll have your fat start melting off.
Lean protein is low in calories and difficult to eat ‘too much’ of it. Next time you go out to eat, grab yourself a lean steak instead of linguini alfredo.
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Up your veggie game.
This one goes hand in hand with the protein tip. Vegetables are always a yes. Not only do vegetables have endless nutritional benefits such as decreased inflammation, strengthened immune system and improved digestion, but also are super low in calories.
When in doubt, throw down a massive salad mixed with your favorite vegetables and eat guilt free. Oh, and you can have as many veggies as you’d like, no need to measure or count.
Add a lean protein to your vegetables and you have a great meal that will accelerate fat-loss and get you beach-ready.
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Get enough restful sleep.
We all know that restricting sleep is generally a bad idea. More and more research finds that even mild sleep restriction (less than 7 hrs) – especially done on a consistent basis – has a negative impact on our body and brain. To name a few:
- Reduced rate of fat loss – even if your diet and training is on point, sleep deprivation negatively impacts fat loss.
- Increased energy intake .
- Increased sugar cravings (and fats)
- Attenuated cognitive function.
- Decreased muscle recovery/growth.
- Elevated cortisol, decreased testosterone.
If your goal is fat loss, getting enough sleep consistently (7+ hrs) will be a major factor to your success. Not prioritizing sleep as much as possible is doing yourself a disfavor.
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Shorten your eating window.
The idea of eating in a certain window period while fasting for the remaining time in a day is called intermittent fasting (IF). IF is a great tool to use for fat loss:
- Improved hormonal response
- Improved digestion
- Improved energy
- Decreases fat, maintains or even increases muscle tissue
Although there are many methods, intermittent fasting usually refers to fasting for at least 16 hours while only eating for 8 hours. If you are not ready for that kind of lifestyle change, even reducing your eating by 1-2 hours can give your body more time to digest food.
The real benefits begin when your body is in a fasted state. It takes about 8-12 hours to fully digest after your last meal and enter a fasted state.
The fastest and direct way to reach your fat loss goals is to commit to a well designed fat loss program individual to you. However, beginning to incorporate any of these tools above will help you accelerate fat loss and set you on the right path.
