Here is a list of 10 effective tips to reducing body fat. Remember that the most effective method in losing weight/body fat is through diet, supplemented with a well-structured exercise program. Body fat cannot be spot-reduced - doing crunches will NOT shrink your belly.
1. Decrease/Eliminate Simple Carbs - There is a time and a place for simple sugars, such as immediately before a bout of extreme exercise. Other than that, there really is no use for simple sugars besides inflating your adipose tissue (fat cells). If you wish to lose the body fat, eliminate these the best you can!
2. Eat More Veggies - Related to #1, if you are filling up on veggies, you shouldn't be as hungry for simple carbs. Vegetables are high in fiber, complex carbs, vitamins, and minerals. They are great to keep you full and sustain your energy levels with very low calories. They are also a great way to stay hydrated as most vegetables are 95+% water!
3. Eat More Fruits - Also related to the 2 points above, although fruits have lots of sugar in them, they also have fiber and a slew of vitamins and nutrients. Fruits are what you should be using to help you power through workouts!
4. Lift Heavy Things - Resistance training helps burn more calories than steady-state cardio. Not only that, but a properly-designed resistance training program can increase your resting metabolic rate for 24-48 hours after the workout is over.
5. Interval Training - If you are training for an endurance event then long, slow distance (LSD) training is great. However, if you are just looking to stay fit and maintain a healthy weight, then interval training has been shown to be most effective!
6. Full-Body Workouts - If you wish to train for a bicep competition, then go right ahead and do bicep curls. However, if you are looking at total-body fitness, you are better off with multi-muscle, multi-joint exercises such as pushups, squats, pullups, etc. The more muscle you can recruit into each exercise, the more effective and efficient your workout is going to be!
7. Keep a Food Journal - I do not track calories all the time, but I highly recommend everyone at least try it every once in a while. Tracking your calories allows you to mentally focus on what is going into your mouth and then you can better understand your caloric intake, not to mention your macronutrient breakdown. There are a ton of free resources at your disposal on the internet and smart phones that can help you with this!
8. Don't Drink Your Calories - This is such a huge culprit for many people! Our bodies have evolved to feel 'full' when we eat things, not when we drink them. This can be a major problem for most folks as they can down a couple hundred calories in a sugary beverage yet still want to eat a full meal. Artificial sweeteners have their own list of problems too so I recommend just sticking with water, tea, coffee (limit your milk/sugar).
9. Skip Dessert - Sure it can be fun, but it is also completely unnecessary!
10. Little Things Add Up - Watching less tv. Taking your dog for a walk. Parking at the back of the parking lot and walking to the store. Taking the stairs instead of the elevator. Standing at your desk rather than sitting. All of these little changes add up over time. Try to mentally set yourself to think of small ways to be more active and burn more calories on a daily basis!
Quote of the day:
"You must have long term Goals to keep you from being frustrated by short term failures."
~Charles C. Noble
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