Reducing overall body fat not only helps you lose weight, it also dramatically improves overall health. A lower risk of heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, and sleep apnea are just some of the benefits of excessive fat loss. When trying to lose weight, you should only focus on reducing fat; however, without proper planning, dieting can also lead to a decline in muscle mass. Although you may notice a drop in overall weight, the loss of muscle mass causes weakness, fatigue, decreased athletic performance, and a slowing of metabolism. A balanced diet helps you lose excess fat, but at the same time prevents you from losing too much lean mass, as well as improving your overall health.
Steps
Part 1 of 3: Exercise to Reduce Fat
Step 1. Enter cardio exercises
Cardiovascular activity is the fastest way to burn calories right away. Set up a moderate or vigorous activity routine a few times a week and focus on those exercises that involve an interval pattern for better fat burning. These activities help burn calories, as well as strengthen the health of the cardiovascular system.
- Commit to doing at least 150 minutes of moderate activity (which leaves you breathless enough to easily utter short sentences) each week. However, add a little more intense activity (which doesn't allow you to say more than a word or two at a time), so that you burn more calories per minute.
- You don't have to push yourself into shots to the last breath. Swimming, cycling, boxing and tennis are perfect and equally effective activities that can replace running and elliptical machines.
- If you don't feel ready enough for intense exercise, start with brisk walking on an incline treadmill, use the stationary bike, or become familiar with an elliptical machine. You can perform these activities at a difficulty level that suits your current skills.
- To lose as much fat as possible, you can do a combination of strength and cardio exercises to make your training plan more effective.
Step 2. Strengthen your muscles with weights.
Although cardio can burn more calories in a short time, weight lifting and strength exercises help build lean mass, thus increasing the calories that are consumed in the long run.
- Do at least 20 minutes of strength training twice a week. However, the more time you spend on this activity, the more lean muscle mass you develop.
- Gaining muscle mass is the best thing you can do for your metabolism. Studies have found that a higher percentage of lean mass increases metabolism and allows you to burn more calories even when the body is resting.
Step 3. Incorporate interval training into your routine
Exercise increases metabolism, but interval training is even more effective. In particular, HIIT, the one at high intensity intervals, allows you to burn the calories supplied by adipose tissue even better, compared to other types of exercises.
- It has been found that, in addition to accelerating the metabolism, it allows to keep it active for up to 24 hours after the training session.
- It is a short exercise that alternates rapid moments of very intense activity with others that are more moderate. This workout takes an average of 15-25 minutes and you should feel terribly out of breath at the end.
- Interval training is quite challenging and is not suitable for all levels of fitness. Always discuss this with your doctor in advance and start this type of training gradually until you are comfortable with it.
Step 4. Increase your daily activities
These are equivalent to the movements you perform daily to perform normal tasks. Increase movement in your daily routine, to burn more calories and fat as well.
- Normal daily activities represent low or moderate level of exercise. This means that you are active, your heart rate accelerates slightly, but does not take your breath away. These include: walking to and from the car, walking when you shop, taking the stairs to the office or doing household chores (such as washing floors or gardening).
- This type of activity falls into the category known as a fat burning zone. Although they allow a lower consumption of calories, however, they use the energy that comes mainly from the accumulated fat.
- By combining an exercise program (such as half an hour of running) with an increase in daily activities (such as parking your car further away), you can lose more fat.
Step 5. Exercise at home
If you have a hard time getting out to work out and don't have a gym membership, you can do different types of exercises at home that require little or no special equipment.
- If you are a beginner, you can walk in place, do leg lifts on a chair, or wall push-ups. These are low intensity exercises, suitable for those who have recently started training; they can help burn calories, increase muscle tone, and reduce fat mass.
- If you are at an intermediate level, you can do more challenging exercises, including: push-ups, sit-ups, running on the spot, squats or climbing. These are all activities that make you sweat and help reduce fat.
Part 2 of 3: Changing Your Eating Habits
Step 1. Eat more protein
Excessive protein doesn't help build muscle mass (the only way to get it is to exercise muscle), but it can help you achieve your goal of losing weight and reducing excess fat.
- Lean proteins support the weight loss process and make you feel fuller for a longer time than carbohydrates.
- Generally speaking, women should eat 46g of protein per day and men 56g. Include a serving of this nutrient with every meal and snack to help you reach your goals.
- A serving of meat, poultry or fish should be the size and thickness of the palm of your hand (approximately 90-120g).
- Among the lean proteins to include in your meals, consider: eggs, poultry, low-fat dairy, beef, legumes, pork, fish, and tofu.
Step 2. Limit the amount of carbohydrates
Studies have shown that low-carb diets lead to rapid initial weight loss and eliminate more fat in the long run than low-fat diets. By limiting your carbohydrate intake, you can lose weight, especially in terms of fat mass.
- Carbohydrates are found in many foods, including fruits, dairy products, legumes, grains, and starchy vegetables. Because they are so popular, a diet that is very poor or even devoid of these nutrients is not a good idea or even a safe approach, as you would be depriving yourself of a large chunk of food groups. Instead, try to consume them in moderate quantities rather than avoid them.
- Cut back on those from grains like bread, rice, pasta, or crackers, as these foods aren't as nutritious as other carbohydrate sources, like starchy fruits and vegetables. It is important to cut back on cereals, also because they are often refined or prepared with white flour, such as bread and pasta or polished rice.
- If you want to eat foods that come from grains, choose 100% whole foods over refined ones. They have a higher content of fiber and other nutrients that are good for health. Try to eat: 100% whole wheat bread, whole grain rice and oats.
Step 3. Maintain a healthy and balanced diet
If your goal is to lose fat, you should focus on lean protein and carbohydrate reduction; however, it is important to always eat balanced. This means including fruits and vegetables.
- These nutrients are an important part of a balanced diet because they provide many valuable substances such as fiber, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.
- Choose different fruits and vegetables every day. Try to eat at least one or two servings of fruit every day, whether it's a whole fruit or 150g of diced fruit. Also consume three to four daily portions of vegetables, which correspond to about 180 g.
Step 4. Avoid alcohol and sugar
Studies have shown that both of these substances cause weight gain, mainly by acting on fat mass. By limiting or completely avoiding them, you can lose weight and lose excess fatty tissue.
- Current dietary recommendations set the limit of one drink per day for women and two for men. However, if you want to lose weight and fat, you should lower this threshold further.
- Limit or not eat very sugary foods such as candy, cookies, cakes, sodas (even sweet tea), coffee with sugar, fruit juices, and sports drinks.
Step 5. Avoid weight loss medications
There are tons of "miracle" products on the market that promise endless health benefits, including rapid weight loss and loss of body fat. These are often sold online and can escape the scrutiny of the Ministry of Health causing severe side effects. Not only are they potentially dangerous, but they have not even been proven effective.
- Studies conducted by the American FDA have shown that these over-the-counter pills are contaminated or adulterated with other dangerous medicines or that they are made from a combination of drugs that are harmful to health. Be very careful before relying on diet pills.
- Do not take any over-the-counter medications without first consulting your doctor, as it may interfere with a possible therapy you are on or with your medical condition.
- Avoid pills and products advertised as "miraculous" and which make you lose many pounds quickly or easily. Stay away from anything that says "lose five kilos in one week", "lose two sizes of pants in two days" on your packaging. If something is too good to be true, it probably isn't. Go for excessive caution and avoid all of these products.
Part 3 of 3: Maintain the New Eating Habits
Step 1. Keep a food diary
By writing down everything you eat, you can stick to your diet or new eating habits in the long run. This monitoring allows you to be aware and understand exactly what you eat every day.
- This method allows you to notice any "missteps" or understand what areas for improvement are.
- Buy a food diary, use recycled paper, or download an app for your smartphone or tablet.
- Be honest with yourself and write down your food habits carefully. People have a tendency to underestimate how much they eat.
Step 2. Relax regularly
Studies have shown that increased stress levels lead to increased cortisol production. It is one of the hormones that are secreted in "fight or flight" situations; when it reaches high concentrations due to chronic stress, it also triggers the accumulation of fat in the body, especially in the abdominal area.
- It is not easy to escape from emotional pressure. However, by taking the right precautions to become aware of the stressful aspects of life and to learn how to manage them, you can reduce the risk of increasing fatty tissue.
- Fat mass gain in the abdominal region is associated with several health dangers, including obesity, diabetes, and hypertension.
- Talk to a life coach or behavioral therapist if you can't control your stress or need a little extra help to manage it. These professionals will be able to teach you the best techniques.
- Write a list of ideas or activities that calm or relax you. When you feel stressed, try practicing them to calm yourself down. For example, you can listen to music, go out for a walk, read a good book, or chat with a friend.
Step 3. Take your measurements
As you progress with your diet, exercise, and weight loss, it is worth regularly evaluating your progress by weighing yourself or measuring your body circumference. All of this helps you to keep motivation high and to pursue the goal.
- Weigh yourself once or twice a week. Try to always do this on the same day of the week and always at the same time to get reliable data.
- Also try to take different body measurements. For example, check the waist size, the diameter of the hips or thighs. As you lose weight and fat, you will notice that your body volume shrinks.
Advice
- Consult your doctor before starting any weight loss or exercise program.
- If you experience pain or discomfort while exercising, stop immediately and call your doctor before resuming exercise.
- Eat a healthy snack every three hours to keep you feeling full. It could be a natural whole fruit, yogurt or dried fruit.
- Always carry a bottle of water with you, so you can sip it more often even unwittingly to keep impending hunger at bay.
