There seems to be an unlimited number of ways fitness professionals and personal trainers claim that you can easily lose weight. While losing weight is a multi-dimensional process that does rely on a number of factors, there really are very few tried-and-true strategies, that when used, absolutely result in fat reduction and weight-loss that is beyond the scope of common weight-loss programming. These few strategies are not common and they are not widely used. However, when incorporated into your fitness program, these strategies will exceed your weight loss and fat burn expectations every single time.
I have compiled this list to help you understand exactly how these strategies work, how they work best when they are all used together and how you can incorporate them into your daily life and routine without much effort at all.
1. Zig-zag your calories for immediate and long-term results
Body builders have used this method for decades but somehow the fitness industry, in large part, has missed the boat. The common answer to the question, "what do I do to burn fat and lose weight" is, "reduce your calories." While this may work, it is likely short-lived success. You see, most people have a considerable amount of body fat they'd like to shed and that could take some time. So, if you have a person start reducing their calories from their current level, the likelihood of them quickly reaching their caloric minimum (in most cases 1,200 calories/day) is quite high. Once they reach this very low caloric level, their metabolism tends to slow, their results stop completely and because their body is deprived of nutrition, this person tends to give in to temptation and binges on trash foods for a few days before regaining self-control or they just fall off the wagon completely and give up. Neither of these outcomes is worth the effort, so let's do it right.
The best way that I have found to begin a diet is to raise the metabolism by feeding the body more food. Yes more! Now I'm not proposing you simply eat food for the sake of eating more calories, I'm talking about quality foods, and a lot of them, being eaten in the right amounts and in 3-4 hour intervals throughout the day. Exact meal composition is outside the scope of this article and therefore I will not discuss that issue further except to say that meal composition is a vital importance and should be designed carefully. By increasing the quantity (or bulk) of food, our bodies must work hard to digest all of this and the metabolism must therefore speed up to handle the workload. This initial increase in food quantity is the start of our zig-zag method. Each person's caloric requirement is different and their overall calories may stay the same or in some cases increase, but the point is not necessarily to concern ourselves with calories (for now) as much as we are concerned with eating quality foods, in proper proportion at frequent intervals throughout the day in order to prime the metabolism as a fat-burning furnace. Eating in this manner makes it difficult for most people to eat too many calories. Given this I admit that calories are a factor, but are secondary, at this point, to increasing quality food intake.
Once a person has met this requirement and is eating quality foods, in proper proportion spread throughout five or preferably six meals each day, their metabolism will rise allowing them more "wiggle-room" as they progress. This initial technique is done so that they are allowed more caloric space as they inevitably begin to reduce food portion sizes (and calories) as the days and weeks progress. I use this method on my client's diet plans and I monitor their sensations of hunger very carefully. Within a few days, the amount of food that initially filled them completely will soon be less than satisfactory as they will inevitably experience hunger pangs as their metabolism rises.
At this point calories (portion sizes) should be reduced just slightly each week for about three to four weeks. By this time the metabolism will be running on high and they'll be anticipating their next meal even though they are still eating the same number of meals (preferably six) each day. Their weight and body fat percentage will likely drop considerably during this time and they'll be motivated to continue eating in this manner because of the great result. However, their body can't just continue to reduce calories (and portions) forever. If this did occur the metabolism would eventually drop again and results would stop. So after the three-week mark, maximum of four weeks, we zig-zag our food quantity (and therefore calories) once again by significantly increasing portion sizes. We would not increase them all the way back up to the portion sizes we began the process with but portion sizes do need to rise considerably. I tend to take my clients portions sizes up fifty percent of the difference from where their food quantity is now to where their zig-zag started. Once this temporary increase takes place I recommend a person maintain this food intake level for five days before once again beginning to slowly and systematically reduce portion sizes (and calories) over the coming days and weeks until they reach the three to four-week mark once again in which case it would then be time to initiate another zig-zag.
This strategy will absolutely work every single time if implemented properly and with care. The tendency is for people to resist raising their calories and portion sizes because they are losing so much weight and body fat. However, the periodic (every three to four weeks) increase is absolutely necessary for the process to continue long-term without setbacks.
2. Begin and end your day with very low carbohydrates
This is a method that will benefit you immensely and almost instantly. Beginning your day with a first meal consisting of primarily quality proteins will ensure you maintain your muscle mass and that your metabolism wakes up and begins working hard. After a long night of sleeping, your carbohydrate level should be at a low point. This is prime-time for your body to tap into those fat stores and start burning off those excess pounds. If you were to eat carbohydrate at this time, this entire process would go out the window. You see, carbohydrate is the body's preferred fuel source. Given this fact, your body will choose to use carbohydrate for energy whenever it is available. So how do we ensure we burn fat early in the day? We skip the carbs (or keep them very low) at our first meal. This allows the metabolism to tear into those fat stores and puts you on the way toward serious fat burn and weight loss.
Of course carbohydrates are an extremely important source of energy so they absolutely need to be part of your diet. Be sure to work quality carbohydrate sources into your diet around mid-day and at every meal thereafter until later in the afternoon. Once you start to wind-down for the evening (usually 6:00PM or so), it is important to once again reduce carbohydrate intake so that your body does not have any excess carbohydrate calories to convert into fat. Excess carbohydrates are converted into fat and stored by the body so it's important to never be in a situation where excess exists. While eating carbohydrate in the middle of your day be sure to use the best sources to maximize their effect on your body. Some of the best carbohydrate sources are beans (all kinds), lentils, sweet potatoes and oatmeal. Ensure that these foods have plenty of presence in your diet during the mid-day hours, but make their presence scarce in the morning and late evening for best fat burning results.
3. Do low-intensity aerobic training on an empty stomach when you wake
This method is the perfect complement to #2 above. Together they perform a complete coup on body fat and excess weight. It's not important to get up and train hard, in fact I don't recommend that for optimal weight loss. My recommendation is to wake up and do about thirty minutes of moderate intensity aerobic training. Of course this should be done just prior to eating your first meal which will consist primarily of protein and very little or no carbohydrate.
By doing aerobic training on an empty stomach you are tapping right into your fat stores and burning them away with every passing minute. Since you have optimally reduced carbohydrate intake early the night before, your body should have very little carbohydrate (the preferred fuel source) to burn through in order to maximize your fat burn. I have my clients do something basic like walk on the treadmill, ride their bike or swim laps in a pool. The key is to keep your intensity moderate and keep moving for the entire aerobic training session. If you did #2 above properly the night before, your body will be a fat burning furnace and will literally melt body fat away not only as you exercise, but afterward. Because the meal that follows your "on empty" aerobic training session is high in protein and low in carbohydrate, your body will continue to burn fat for fuel well into the mid-day until you introduce quality carbohydrates into your diet during the middle of your day.
4. Lift heavy things often
The human body was designed to lift heavy things. Our muscles need to be stressed in order to burn ample calories and increase metabolism. If you are performing strategy #1 above properly, your body is in perfect position to benefit maximally from regular sessions of heavy lifting. Weight training as seen in most gyms is the most common form resistance training for sure, but any form of weight training that places considerable stress on your skeletal muscles will cause your body to react with increases in metabolism and therefore calorie usage.
One aspect of heavy lifting that is often overlooked is the fact that it works to promote healthy hormone balance in both men and women. Sex hormones like testosterone and estrogen play important roles in fat burning, storage and metabolism as a whole so healthy hormone levels are important for long-term weight loss. Lifting heavy weights is not something you have to do every day but I recommend my clients do at least three days of lifting each week preferably five for twenty to forty-five minutes.
5. Protect your Liver
Your liver is responsible for a lot of things, but one thing in particular is important to the issue we are now discussing. Your liver produces bile primarily from the breakdown of red blood cells. Your liver stores bile in the gall bladder. Bile is essential to breakdown fats that we ingest. This is important! When you eat fat, your gall bladder secretes bile so that those fats can be emulsified (broken down) into little bitty droplets. It is paramount that your liver function properly if your desire is to burn fat and avoid excess fat storage. It would not be a stretch of the imagination to consider that a huge percentage of obese people have fatty unhealthy livers. Liver health is essential to steady, healthful and long-term weight loss.
Here are some things you can do to ensure liver health:
avoid excess alcohol
avoid drugs of all kinds whenever possible (unless your physician prescribes them)
avoid all types of steroids if possible
avoid high fat, high sugar foods
eat high quality fruits and vegetables
eat organic foods when possible
ensure adequate fiber in your diet
drink a lot of water throughout the day
6. Support fat burning enzyme activity
This is a relatively new area of research in the scientific realm. However, we do know a couple of things absolutely increase your body's level of fat-burning enzymes. Luckily, if you are taking care of #3 and #4 above you're off to a great start. Regular aerobic training and lean muscle growth are recognized as the primary means by which your body increases its fat-burning enzyme levels.
A second school of thought is that you can burn fat and lose unwanted pounds by taking advantage of the enzymes found in various foods. This is easy if you are eating quality foods as recommended in #1 above. Foods like avocado, walnuts, almonds and olive oil are just a few quality foods containing high levels of lipase, an enzyme that is responsible for breaking down fat. Scientists have found that low lipase levels have a direct relationship to high blood lipid levels which are associated with coronary heart disease, something common among obese populations.
No matter how you look at it, having quality foods and regular exercise as an integral part of your lifestyle will absolutely help you melt body fat and lose weight. The six strategies listed above are extremely effective at reducing body fat levels quickly and safely.
Jared Meacham, MS.Ed., CSCS.
Jared is owner of Precision Body Designs, LLC and creator of the Body Fat Meltdown weight loss system for women. As a recognized expert of physical fitness and weight-loss, he operates a blog that discusses any and all aspects of the fitness lifestyle. He is creator of the Dirty Fitness Training Program.
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