Losing fat is an extremely common fitness goal, although there are lots of reasons why people might undertake it. Whether you're looking to change your appearance, enhance your athletic performance or improve your overall health, you are not alone.
Unfortunately, people are generally pretty confused about exactly how to go about shedding body fat. So, to help clarify things and give you a boost toward your goal, here are 7 keys to fat loss.
Eat Less – At the most basic level, losing weight is all about the numbers. If you take in more calories than you burn, you'll gain weight. When the numbers are flipped, though, your weight will drop. So, although it seems pretty obvious, the most powerful step you can take toward losing weight is simply to eat fewer calories. Specifically, you'll want to eat about 500 calories per day below your maintenance intake – the amount of energy you need to stay the same weight. Certain supplements, like Trans4orm™, can be used to suppress your appetite and make it easier to cut back.
Choose Wisely – But, again, that's the most basic depiction of weight loss. Things are more complicated than that. Depending on your workout style, your fitness level and a host of other factors, your body will respond to different foods in a variety of ways. To support your fat loss goals and not feel like you're starving yourself, though, stick with a high-protein diet full of minimally processed, nutrient dense foods. This will keep you feeling full while taking in fewer calories and still getting everything your body needs to run properly.
Retrain Your Body – Along with eating more protein, you're going to have to teach your body to rely on fat for fuel. This is achieved by limiting the amount of carbohydrates that you take in – essentially taking away your regular source of energy and forcing your body to find an alternative. A number of supplements, including L-carnitine and several others have all shown promise in helping your body make the switch.
Work Out More – As mentioned, the most effective way to lose fat is to cut back on the amount of calories that you eat. But this strategy really only works because it creates a bigger caloric deficient – increasing the gap between the amount of calories that you take in and the amount that you burn. Exercise burns calories and widens the gap even more.
Lift Heavy – When people start exercising to lose fat, though, they often... well, do it wrong. The common wisdom is that to burn fat you need to lift light weights for tons of reps. And this simply is not true. Of course, this will burn calories and even help to increase your endurance. But it's not going to have the same impact as performing big, compound exercises with lots of weight. Compound movements – like the squat and others that engage lots of muscles at the same time – not only burn tons of calories but also help to build more muscle fiber. That muscle, in turn, increases your overall metabolism and keeps you burning fat even after you've left the gym.
More Cardio – While heavy lifting will speed up your metabolism and keep you torching fat in the long-haul, cardio delivers much more dramatic results in a shorter period. For example, an hour of intense lifting might burn 200 calories. You'll knock out the same amount, though, with a 30 minute run.
Drink More Water – Staying hydrated is important for lots of reasons, including your overall health. When it comes to fat loss, though, downing plenty of water will help you feel full and let your body know that it can let go of any extra water that you're carrying around.
We know: That's sort of a lot. As mentioned, though, several of these steps can all be aided by a carefully chosen supplement. And, Leanmode™, just so happens to be such a supplement. Packed with high-quality ingredients that will help you eat less and burn more fat while also giving you the energy to power through your workouts, Leanmode™ is a powerful tool in your fat-loss arsenal.
-Jonathan Thompson
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Jonathan Thompson is a Certified Personal Trainer and Nutritionist with over a decade of experience writing about all things health and fitness. In addition to plenty of articles and blog posts, Thompson is also the author of the book Weighted Vest Workouts. |