If you guys are like me then you have all struggled – and continue to struggle – with losing body fat and getting as lean as you would like. It’s a never-ending process, and a challenge you need to embrace if you are going to get where you want to be.
It’s especially challenging at this time of year with all of the extra temptation that we don’t always have to deal with. To help, I wanted to share my list of ways you can start losing body fat – today.
There are plenty of other things you can do and I could go into a lot more detail, but these are the 8 most basic, and important ways you can start to lean out fast.
#1: START YOUR DAY OFF WITH A WORKOUT
I always like to start my day out with cardio, whenever my schedule allows.
But whether it’s cardio or weight training, you don’t want to wait until later in the day, especially if you feel yourself starting to fall off track. Waiting until the afternoon or evening usually means there’s less of a chance of you getting in your workout – your less likely to feel motivated, there is a greater chance of something unexpected coming up and forcing you to skip the gym or you might just feel too tired after a long weekend and decide to put it off until tomorrow.
So if you can, don’t wait. Get it done early and get it out of the way.
But don’t fall into the trap of thinking you need 30 minutes – or more – or else it’s not worth it. Because that’s simply not true. It’s possible to get in a great fat-burning session in just a short amount of time.
If that’s you, add this Tabata treadmill workout to your morning cardio session and get it done in less time.
#2: CUT OUT REFINED SUGAR
I’m sure you have all heard this many, many times before – more sugar equals more fat. There are plenty of studies and reasons to back this up, but the bottom line: eating less sugar is directly linked with weight loss, while eating more sugar is directly linked with weight gain.
What you may not have heard is how addictive sugar is – it’s been shown to release similar “pleasure” mechanisms in the brain to nicotine and cocaine and reinforce reward-seeking behaviors that can lead to overeating.
While fruit is a healthy food choice and isn’t associated with these addictive behaviors like the processed sources, it does contain sugar. Although fruit is a healthy food choice and isn’t associated with these addictive behaviors like the processed sources, it does contain sugar and carbohydrates. Overdoing fruits can slow the fat-loss process down, so keep servings to one a day at most during this time.
#3: HAVE A SOURCE OF LEAN PROTEIN AT EVERY MEAL
Protein is the building block of muscle. More muscle means a faster metabolism, and a faster metabolism means your body burns more fat at rest. It also takes longer to digest, so including a source of protein with your meal meal will help you feel full longer and help curb cravings.
My go-to lean protein sources are egg whites, protein powder, chicken, 99% extra-lean ground turkey and lean fish like tilapia, cod, ahi tuna and mahi mahi. Shoot for a minimum of 1 gram of protein per pound of bodyweight per day, and 25-30 grams per meal.
It’s even possible to do it when you’re away from home – here’s a look at one of those days for me during my 2014 Olympia prep.
#4: DRINK ONE GALLON OF WATER EVERY DAY
Water will help keep you full, it will help give you energy and it can also help increase your metabolic rate. Not only that, it will help keep your body hydrated and functioning properly. A trick I like to use when I’m feeling hungry or craving something is to drink a glass or two of water, which can actually “trick” your body into feeling full and help you make it to your next meal.
#5: GET 7-8 HOURS OF SLEEP
There might be some people who claim they can get by just fine on 3-4 hours of sleep a night, but that doesn’t mean their bodies are functioning as well as they could be. The bottom line: skipping sleep is going to effect your body and your appearance in a number of negative ways.
Go to bed and get up at the same time every day to get your body in a good routine. You’ll have energy for your workout the next day, and the longer you are awake the more tempted you are going to be to snack late at night. Rest equals recovery, and recovery equals growth.
#6: DON’T EAT OUT
Even if you think you are ordering clean, you can’t always be sure if you aren’t the one preparing your food. I can’t tell you how many times I have ordered steamed vegetables with no butter or oil, only to look at them or take a small bite and immediately know my request wasn’t heard or understood.
I’m not saying you can’t eat out at all, there are plenty of ways to eat clean at any number of restaurants. But when you are looking to lose fat fast you simply can’t take any risks.
So prepare your meals at home at least one day in advance so you always have food on you. When you’re unprepared you are more likely to go longer between meals. That’s when cravings can kick into overdrive, and when you are hungrier you are far more likely to make poor choices.
Here’s how I like to prepare my meals for the week.
#7: AVOID ALCOHOL
When you drink alcohol your body metabolizes it before any other food source. So if you are eating and drinking at the same time, your body will burn the alcohol first – meaning the food will sit in your belly and turn to fat unless you are burning it off … which you very likely won’t be doing.
Alcohol is generally very calorically dense – 7 calories per gram, which is almost as much as fat (9 calories per gram). And finally, we all know what happens to our inhibitions when we drink, which can lead you to make poor decisions in a number of areas, including what foods you eat late at night.
#8: MEASURE YOUR FOOD
Whether you are using a food scale or a measuring cup, knowing exactly how much you are eating is one of the single-most important factors to losing body fat, and weight in general. Calories add up very quickly, and you won’t lose any body fat if you are eating more than you’re burning off.
If you’ve never measured your food or used a food scale, check out this video.
All of these are great tips to follow. Thank you for sharing. My worst “hard” is to cut back on sugar. I always end up feeling guilty after having that extra cookie. I end up trying to play catch up” at the gym… not the greatest feeling :/
Log in to replyGreat blog! Thank you!
Log in to replyGreat blog thanks for sharing!
Log in to replyMy fat loss started to slow down recently. I was also “eyeballing” my portions. Went back to measuring and its definitely made a difference. These are some great tips! Good read.
Log in to replyYep! Portion distortion can make a huge difference
Log in to replyThank you Nicole! Great blog! I also like Tabata workout on the stair master! It is a killer! 🙂
Log in to replyLove posted so true on all tips. Thanks for all you do.
Log in to replyawesome thank you
Log in to replyThank you for that blog Nicole. Would you recommend drinking a whey protein and bcaa before morning cardio? Thanks
Log in to replySure. If you are not doing HIIT and you are looking to burn extra bodyfat and savor lean muscle then yes.
Log in to replyThanks for sharing, great tips!
Log in to replyYou said do your Tabatta workout before you do weights? What about the Tabatta on the treadmill in the morning and then weights in the evening? Getting my butt out of bed in the morning is the hardest thing in the world.
Log in to replyYou can do Tabata anytime of the day
Log in to replyHi Nicole,
Love this blog! The only question I have is I noticed you didn’t prep any vegetables ??
Do you eat vegetables or fruit ? If so how many meals do you include them in?
Thanks
Log in to replyMichelle
Yes I eat both but I just prepare them as needed.
Log in to replyGreat segment Nicole – eat food for energy!!
Great tips – just ordered my rice cooker today.
Keep the segments coming and good luck on all your competitions.
Saul
Log in to replyMy Fitness Pal recommends 64 oz. of water per day, I’ve heard some trainers recommend dividing your body weight in half (in pounds) to get the number of ounces you should drink each day, but a gallon would be twice that for me. I know we all struggle with getting our water down at the best of times, and I would like to know the reasoning behind the gallon recommendation ( I can’t imagine doubling it!. Thanks as always for the great info!
Log in to replyThank you for all this information! 🙂
Log in to replygreat info, thank you. i am following this type of eating but i dont seem to be building the muscle , i am trying to lift heavier with my sets but not so to loose form . any suggestions ?
Log in to replyMake sure you are eating enough food!
Log in to replyI am wondering what is a good way to estimate your macros? How do you determine how much to eat?
Log in to replyHonestly it is trial and error. You need to be very consistent. A good estimate is to multiply your weight by 13 and divide the total calories into 40% carbs, 40% protein and 20% fats and start from there.
Log in to replyHey Nicole!
Log in to replyGreat Blog. I absolutely love Tabata treadmill fasted in the morning. I learned this from you over a year ago, I used it on my 3 competition preps this year and it worked like a charm especially to kick things up a notch when i needed too or back off a bit, It’s a great tool. Thanks again for everything! BTW, I made IFPA Masters Pro this year and I owe some it to your trainings and tips, so thank you!!!
Great Blog, loved the Meal Prep part 1. Just curious when the Part 2 will be released as it said at the end of part 1 video, Friday.
Log in to replyThis was an older video, you can see Part 2 here: https://nicolewilkins.com/fit-kitchen-meal-prep-part-2/
If you ever want to find something, just use the search bar at the top right hand of the website and type in your keywords.
Log in to replyNicole, how do I figure out how many calories I need?
Log in to replyThank u Nicole
Log in to replyWeights and or Cardio … empty stomach or small meal to lose weight and keep muscle? I see so many different reads on this subject and unsure which direction to take.
Log in to replyWhat type of rice cooker do you have? Brand? Thank you.
Log in to replyNicole ….. I’m curious about your polar m400… Do use this while lifting? It’s sold as a runners watch? Thank you
Log in to replyWhat are your thoughts on fasted cardio? Do you recommend it? Should the length of time or intensity of the workout be adjusted?
Log in to replyIt isn’t for everyone, but I do about 30-45min 5 days a week. I do not recommend HIIT fasted but intervals and ss is fine. I do not recommend longer than 45min at a time.
Log in to replyNicole, Nutrition has always been my downfall. My husband and I had a great trainer a few years ago and he started me out at 3 0z of protein and 3 oz carbs each meal and very low percentage of fat. The equation you use for your weight x13 then divide your calories confuses the heck out of me. I weigh 160 and would like to lose around 15-20 pounds. My calorie intake should be 2080 according to your equation. How the heck do I break that down into 40% protein , 40% carbs and 20 % fat. It makes me feel like an idiot!!! Thanks for any help you can give me!!!!
Log in to replyHi Tonya,
You are not alone when it comes to nutrition. In my opinion as a trainer for 12+ years and Fitness Nutrition Specialist, nutrition is the most difficult and most confusing for most people.
I don’t know how tall you are, so I can’t recommend a daily caloric starting point. What I would suggest is downloading the MyFitnessPal app on your phone or create an account on your computer. Set your calories at about 2,000 then set your macronutrients at 40% carbs, 40% protein and 20% fats. Also keep your sugars below 30g per day for better results.
At 2,000 calories per day, your breakdown would be:
Carbs: 200g per day
Protein: 200g per day
Fat: 45g per day
If you want to evenly distribute your macros throughout each meal during the day, just take your total daily allowance and divide it by the number of times you eat per day. For example, if you eat 6 meals per day, your breakdown per meal would be:
Carbs: 33g
Protein: 33g
Fat: 7.5g
I hope this is helpful!
~ Naomi
Log in to replytonya i was just wondering the same thing… i am at 153 and would like to lose 10lbs
my caloric intake should be 1989 so 40/40/20% breaks down to 795/795/399 calories?
Log in to replyI always hear/read about drinking water will make you feel full but in my case if I drink a lot of water I end up feeling very hungry. Am I the only one?
Log in to reply#2 is full of inaccuracies. Over consumption of calories is associated with weight gain not the amount of sugar. Studies have shown high vs low sugar makes no difference when total calories and protein are accounted for. Sugar consumption has declined
Log in to replywhile obesity continues to rise. Also the evidence for sugar being addictive in human studies is insufficient to prove anything. People tend to crave highly palatable foods not a bowl of sugar. True sugar does not fill you up and may lead to over consumption of calories if that’s all you ate but that is it.
This was geared more toward encouraging people to make healthier choices- ie vegetables/whole grains rather than ice cream. Most people are not truly aware of the amount of sugar they are consuming and I would bet they would feel a LOT better if they reduced the amount they were eating. I absolutely agree that weight loss depends more on the total calories than the amount of sugar they are consuming, however it is a good idea to choose more whole foods than processed sugar laden foods IMO.
Log in to replyLove these solid parameters! Needed that AVOID ALCOHOL reminder lately!!
Log in to replyWhat is tabata?
Log in to replyI eh the segment on food prep and size amounts. How many times a day do people eat? I have read 5-6 times. All that food.i am just used to 3 times. I have cut out ice cream now for 2 months and as of today chips. Need to find alternate health snack. Suggestion or ideas where to get suggestions?
Log in to replyThe amount of exercise you need for weight loss depends on your goals. For most people, this can mean 30 to 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous exercise nearly every day.
Log in to replyIt also depends on your diet.
Log in to reply