Nov21The Top 8 Priorities for Fat Loss
1. Do total body weight training with moderate to higher volumes-Weight training should be the staple in your program from day one. Weight training done in a circuit manor with reps between 8-12 and limited rest is beneficial:
A) It builds muscle, raising your resting metabolic rate ( RMR ) so you can burn more calories everyday.
B) It produces a lot of metabolic stress, making your body burn a lot of calories during the 24 hour recovery period.
It is not what burns the most calories during the workout but instead what burns the most in the 24 hour recovery period.
2. Make nutrition important and plan and prep! The most important factor in fat loss is proper nutrition. Find a day and time to plan and prep meals and foods for the week.
3. Track what you eat- Most humans tend to underestimate what they eat and over estimate how many calories they burn. This can lead to someone not hitting their goals. The best strategy then becomes to record what you eat. It is a fact that people who do a food log get better results than those who don’t.
4. Eat veggies at each meal-Eating veggies doesnt mean you will lose fat but it will help! Veggies add color, texture and flavor to meals! Besides all of those benefits they are also loaded with nutrients and low in calories. Some of the lowest carb veggies are asparagus, brocoli, cucumbers and leafy greens. Feel free to eat as much as you want of these.
5. Eat protein at each meal-Eating eggs, meats, fish and beans can help increase satiety after eating so you are less hungry later. Protein also has a higher thermic effect than carbs and fat meaning your body burns more calories digesting it. Protein is also needed to build and preserve muscle mass which is key for metabolism.
6. Sleep and keep stress to a minimum-Sleep is so underrated but it is so important. Without it, you wont get the fat burning growth hormone release, which occurs when you sleep. Also, lack of sleep is stressful which leads to increased levels of cortisol. Lack of sleep is like the opposite of weight training, it reverse all the amazing things lifting does for you.
7. Do intervals-Doing sprint intervals is a great way to accelerate fat loss. Not only is it less boring but it also takes less time.
8. Improve insulin sensitivity– Insulin is a hormone that drives nutrients into the muscles. In a insulin sensitive state, the body will more likely store energy as muscle gylcogen- the energy source for muscles during exercise. In a insulin resistant state, you are more likely to store the foods you eat as fat. The great thing is there are habits you can do to help. First, is to do resistance training. Second, is focus on eating protein, veggies, good fats and lower carb foods. Third, foods like citrus, cinnamon, tumeric and vinegar will help when eaten with higher carb foods.