You’re fat! Is a painful statement for most people. Developing good habits to get and stay lean seems complicated and difficult because of the amount of do this and don’t do that information out there.
So I wanted to give 10 simple steps to get you on track and keep you there. Consistency is key. If you make a mistake get right back on the plan. The net benefit of 5 days of good habits will not be totally undone in a weekend! Increasing carbohydrates on one day will make you retain water you will appear puffy and you can gain pounds. But not to worry! Increase water intake to flush excess water and get back on the carb cycle and ride!
1) Workout early Forget the studies that say workout at this time or that. Go to bed early. Get up early and get it done! Working out early on an empty stomach makes you tap into your fat stores period. The bonus is you are now awake and you won’t skip your workout at the end of a rough work day. Give yourself a month to get used to it you won’t regret it!
2) Workout without carbs Skip the sports drinks or pre -workout carb meal. You have plenty of energy stored in you muscles in the form of glycogen and once glycogen is depleted your body goes after fat cells for energy. If you feel like you tank during your workout ingest a little MCT oil or coconut oil in your coffee 45 minutes-1 hour before your workout. (1-2 tablespoons only! More can cause stomach upset.)
3) Eat fat to lose fat Sounds crazy right? Wrong! healthy fats from coconut oils, seeds, olive oil, fatty fish, free range and grass fed animal sources. When going lower carb eat plenty of good fats and your body will learn to use them more efficiently as an energy source. Your body also uses these fats for . building hormones and cells
4) Plan Ahead More people fall off the nutrition wagon during social events than anywhere. The good news is most social events are planned. So you should have a plan as well. Try to find out what food they will be serving, eat before going, or make it your cheat day, and jump back in when it’s over. No need to feel left out just remember this is a life plan not a diet.
5) Pack your food Buy a cooler and pack an ample amount of the foods you need to eat to stay trim and satisfied. Pack things like lean protein, fibrous veggies, and nuts for that crunch. Throw in a square or two of dark chocolate if you get ravenous cravings for sweets when you’re stressed. It is a far better choice than a commercial candy bar
6) Leave the money at home In order to avoid the temptation of the snack machine. Take your cooler to work or on trips to avoid the drive thru window. The rule is if it comes from a box, bag, or window it’s not for you!
7) Cycle Carbohydrates I am a huge fan of carb cycling. Eating fairly low carbs for up to 3 days and then cycling off for a couple of days is a very simple way to carb cycle. Increase good fats and lean protein on your low carb days to keep your energy up. Used in a Paleo diet scheme this works very well. I have done constant carb cycling for years to keep the fat off. It is very gratifying to have those carbs to look forward to after three low carb days.
8) Drink Water Duh right? Not really understand being dehydrated slows metabolic function (fat burning for one) and makes you retain water so metabolic function can continue in order to keep you alive.
9) Workout Intensely Training Tabata style 20 seconds of all out effort with 10 seconds of rest for 8 rounds has been shown the most effective method for torching fat in short order.Working out intensely is the way to go for fat burning.
10) Lift heavy weights Lifting heavy weights will not make you huge. Cupcakes make you huge! Lifting heavy weight makes dense muscle, not voluminous muscle which burns more calories at rest. Lifting heavy weight spurs bone growth as well giving you the added bonus of osteoporosis protection.
Most importantly don’t give up! Get knocked down once and get up swinging! look toward the long term goal you can do this!
Your Fitness Minion,
Dave Bittner
photo credit: <a href=”http://www.flickr.com/photos/37129284@N02/3890281501″>power lifter</a> via <a href=”http://photopin.com”>photopin</a> <a href=”https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/”>(license)
photo credit: <a href=”http://www.flickr.com/photos/124284783@N08/14407578424″>2014-04-08-tabata</a> via <a href=”http://photopin.com”>photopin</a> <a href=”https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/2.0/”>(license)</a>