How to Lose Body Fat

How to Lose Fat

Are you struggling with losing fat and wish someone would tell you exactly how to lose fat and why you're not losing fat? It can seem at times that it's impossible to lose fat and keep it off. Maybe it's meant for other people but not for you. That's not true. If you're not losing body fat, you're not alone. You can lose fat and see real results, but first, you must learn what to do and what you're wasting your time and energy on that will not work.

There's so much information on the internet, and you may feel like you've tried everything known to man to change your body. You may have spent tons of money on different fads that claim they've found the perfect "thing" to lose weight. You were excited and filled with hope. You tried the "thing" you spent your hard earned money on, and here you are, still holding onto body fat.

It can make you feel hopeless, and you feel as if you've failed. You question if there's something wrong with you or your body. Well, I'm here to tell you that you're not alone and all of those thoughts are wrong. We've all been through this and have fallen prey to empty promises made on the world wide web. I'm also here to tell you there are no magic potions or lotions that will make the body lose fat. These potions just don’t exist.

You need a few pointers on how to lose fat and what you're wasting your time and efforts on to change your body, once and for all. You need to erase everything you thought was going to work and follow these simple tips, CONSISTENTLY, to get that body turned into a fat burning machine.

THINGS NOT TO DO:

PRODUCTS

Like I said, stop wasting your money on quick fixes you see on the internet. Detox teas, waist trimmers, diet pills, and lotions that burn fat are all things that are not going to get you a beach body. If they worked, everyone would be slim and trim. There would be no more diets or exercise plans, and gyms would be closing down daily.

I know it's tempting when you're reading their description and they've posted a picture of body you would pay millions to have. Don't fall for it. They do not work.

CRUNCHES

When we think of a great body, most of us think of a beautiful set of abs. Having defined abs must mean you're perfectly fit, right? Many dream of having a set of abs and would do just about anything to have them.

There's a lot that goes into having the perfect abs, but doing crunches until you feel like you're going to die, isn't one of them. Yes, you must work your abdominal wall to build up the muscle, but doing crunches nonstop is not the answer to getting abs.

You must clean up your nutrition and lower your body fat. You must do many different abdominal moves to create a more chiseled midsection. Crunches only isolate a specific area of the abdominal wall, so you must add in other movements.

When you’re dieting and exercising, but not seeing results, you can find yourself wanting to throw in the towel. Body fat can seem impossible to lose. In this article, I will show you simple and effective ways to lose body fat without spending hours a day working out and constantly being on a restrictive diet. There’s so much info online about what to do and what not to do, it can be very overwhelming. I’ll show you how to simplify your fitness plan so you can start seeing results.

JOGGING

Majority of people begin their weight loss journey with putting on their tennis shoes and start pounding the pavement, jogging every chance they get. It can be miserable and time-consuming. I've known many people that have taken this route only to get frustrated with the amount of effort it takes and throw the towel in before ever seeing any real results.

Doing long periods of cardio can actually work against you. You will begin to burn through your muscle mass, which in turns, slows down your metabolism. If you're not a lover of jogging, don't do it. There are a hundred different alternatives to jogging to lose fat.

YOUR COFFEE

Some believe increasing their caffeine will suppress their appetite, which in some cases, it does. However, loading up solely on coffee all day is not healthy or sustainable. The other culprit is they are loading their coffees up with creamers, sugars, and syrups.

Most don't realize that three of their coffees have more calories in them than what they need to consume in a day. Where does that leave the food you consume throughout the day? Use caution if you're a coffee lover and you're adding a lot to your coffee. You will not lose fat by overdoing your daily coffee regimen.

SALADS

When you begin a diet, most gravitate to consuming salads for lunch and dinner. They believe if they feel hungry all day, then they're definitely going to lose fat. Salads can be delicious and help you make healthier nutritional choices, but be sure to add lean protein to it.

Of course, you'll be hungry when you start a diet because you're making a more conscious effort to eat less and cleaner, but you don't need to starve yourself by eating plain salads and hating your new diet plan.

THE SCALE

Ok, I used to be over the top when it came to weighing myself. When I began my fitness journey, many years ago, I'd get on and off the scale several times a day. I'd drive myself crazy worrying over what that scale was going to tell me throughout the day.

Yes, it will give you a number, but there's so much more to losing fat than just a black number. Don't fall into this trap. When you're dieting and exercising, your body composition will change from day to day. You'll gain muscle mass, lose body fat, and retain and lose water weight. If you allow yourself to buy into the victory or failure based on what the scale says, you'll lose this battle. Don't give the scale that much power over reaching your goals. Weigh yourself daily or weekly, but keep on track with your diet and exercise.

THINGS TO DO:

DEVELOP PATIENCE

After dieting and exercising for a couple of weeks, you yearn for the gratification that it's working. You need something to show or tell you that you're getting results. You also want to reach all of your goals like yesterday. We all do.

However, the difference between the people that reach their goals and those that don't is patience. Be willing to look at the big picture, a long way down the road, not just what you want in a few weeks. You must allow your body to adjust to your new diet and to react to it.

Don't ignore the small changes that are occurring weekly by only focusing on the big goals you want to see. All the little changes HAVE to occur for the big ones to happen. Appreciate every milestone, no matter how small.

PICK UP WEIGHTS

There are endless benefits to weight training. The biggest one is building muscle mass, which increases your body's ability to burn fat. Your body burns more calories when your muscle mass increases.

Adding more muscle mass changes your body composition quickly. Muscles are long and lean whereas fat lays dormant and full in the body. Weight training increases your strength and energy. Now, to my girls out there reading this, you will NOT get big and bulky! You need testosterone to gain massive muscle mass. Do not buy into the myth that if you pick up weights, you'll like a man. That is just an excuse women use and is not valid. Hit the weights and see a beautiful body transform right before your eyes.

CALORIE WINDOW

Do ever wonder why some diets work for some and not for you? All diets work. Yes, all of them work but only because people stay within a designated calorie window. If a diet isn't working, it's because you're going over on your daily calorie allowance.

Your body requires a certain amount of calories to function correctly, stay lean, and maintain muscle mass. If you're going over your daily calorie allowance, your body will gain weight. If you're coming under your calorie amount, your body will lose weight. Be careful not to go in under your calorie window by not eating enough to live a healthy life. Your body does require nutritious food.

You also must stay within this calorie window for an extended period so that your body can lose fat. It won't happen in a week or two. Losing fat is more of a marathon than a sprint. Consistently staying within your calorie allowance will allow you to see dramatic fat loss. Give yourself time to see results you never thought possible.

SHORT CARDIO SESSIONS

Like I explained earlier in this article, cardio can work against you if done incorrectly. There are many variations of cardio and short; intense sessions are beneficial when it comes to losing body fat. Increasing your heart rate and quickly recovering, burns fat while sustaining your muscle mass. Remember, muscle mass is what keeps your body burning fat at all times.

HIIT, high-intensity interval training, is very popular with fitness gurus for having beautifully shaped bodies and defined abs. It's less time consuming and can be done with cardio equipment or no equipment at all. You can do it inside or out, in big spaces or small. Stop wasting time jogging for hours on end and implement HIIT into your daily regimen and see your body fat decrease.

GOAL SETTING

Learning how to set goals can be vital to staying with your plan. Setting them to "big" will only leave you feeling like you're a failure. Not having a specific goal will lead you to lose motivation and focus. Having no timeframe or plan of attack with your goals is not a good idea either.

You must sit with a pen and paper and be very clear on what it is you want to achieve. Write down weekly, monthly, and yearly goals. Your weekly goals should be small and work with your daily schedule. Monthly goals need to coincide with your weekly goals (your weekly goals should get you to your monthly goal), and your monthly goal should take you to your yearly goal.

Having clear goals will keep you on track and have you well on your way of losing fat, sculpting your body, and having you feeling a world of difference from where you are today.

SLEEP

To lose fat, you need to find time to sleep more. I know this sounds impossible, but your body needs rest to repair and to recover. Sleep is vital for the body to function correctly and plays a role in the body, releasing fat.

Instead of trying to find large amounts of time to sleep more, head to bed fifteen minutes earlier than you usually do or before heading to bed, get everything taken care of for the morning so that you can sleep an additional fifteen minutes. Sneak twenty-minute naps where you can and use the weekend to get to bed earlier or sleep in a little longer.

Muscle recovery depends on sleep. The more rest you get, the more you maintain muscle mass, which keeps your body burning fat at a higher rate. Make getting more rest a priority, and you will soon see your body losing body fat.

If you are on an endless quest to find a quick and easy way to lose fat, simplify things. Track your food to be sure that you're staying within your calorie needs. Exercise smarter, not harder, and find ways to get some rest. Take baby steps with your journey and think consistency. Consistent habits will lead to you to all the results you desire.

You don't need to spend endless amounts of money trying to find the perfect magic potion to rid your body of fat. You need clear cut goals, a plan that you're able to stick with, and a positive mindset. Getting healthy is not easy, especially if you've not lived a healthy lifestyle for many years or ever.

You're more than capable of losing fat and feeling better; you need the tools to go about it. Using these tips are not only easy to follow, but they're also beneficial when implemented daily. Don't be hard on yourself and know that you will fall off the bandwagon on occasion. Forgive your blunders and get right back on your plan. You can do this; I know you can.

If you need some fun, simple ways to keep you on track and inspired, please sign up below to be on the inside loop of tricks and tools to fast track you to all of your goals. I'd love to be a guiding light on your path to greatness.

Aimee Schwinabart is the founder of The Purely Fit—online workouts, nutrition, and fitness coaching that actually work! She specializes in short (super effective) daily workouts combined with customized nutrition plans to help real people shed excess fat to reveal toned, lean muscles. The Purely Fit approach to looking and feeling great prioritizes small, steady, super efficient workouts and nutrition upgrades to help you stay with it once and for all!