March is here! (where did February go?). It may not feel like it right now, but summer is not too far away. Soon enough we will be back up to the cottages, beaches, and campsites and enjoying another summer. If you decided this year was going to be the year you wanted to lose a few pounds but you haven’t seen much of a difference yet, you will want to try out this plan I have put together to get rid of fat fast! There’s not time to waste, so here it is…
#1. Start by giving your body a reason to burn stored fat.
Essentially, fat is stored energy. Your body converts blood sugar (glucose) into fat when you consume more carbohydrates than your body needs, and treats that fat as an energy reserve. So in order to use up the energy reserve, the first thing you need to do is stop filling up your fuel tank. This means cut out the high-carb foods like breads, grains, potatoes, and anything high in sugar. Not all of these foods are bad for you, but if you want to burn fat, you must give your body a need to use it’s reserved energy, and adding more fuel will not allow that.
The only significant amount of carbohydrates you are consuming should come in the form of vegetables and if you must, a serving or two of fruit per day, preferably around a workout.
Keep this up for at least two weeks, at which time you should have lost a good chunk of fat. Throughout the first few weeks of carb reduction expect to experience some cravings for carbohydrates such as sweets or breads. Resist the urge, it is imperative to you getting over the addictive side-effects of carbohydrate consumption. These side-effects should fade away over time.
After two weeks, you can begin to implement carbohydrates back into your diet. You have a few options in how you can do this.
a) Consume one high carb meal once per week
b) Consume a serving on workout days only (one handful)
c) Consume a very small portion of carbohydrates with each meal. (half a handful)
People respond to carbohydrates in different ways. Some can go without no problem, while others can’t seem to function without them. It may take trying a few different methods to find out what works best for you.
#2. Eat Protein, Veggies, and Fat Every Meal
This isn’t a starvation diet, you will still be eating, possibly even more food than you are accustomed to. To understand portion sizes, I teach my clients to use their hand as a measuring tool. Use the following method to build the perfect fat-loss meal. Each meal must consist of the following:
• 1 palm of protein
• 2 handfuls of vegetables (preferably green)
• 3 thumbs of fat
When you are no longer reducing carbohydrate intake you can add 1/2 cupped handful of carbohydrates to your meals. This may come in the form of rice, potatoes, or quinoa primarily.
If you are unsure what types of proteins, fats, and vegetables you should be consuming, I have put together this Food Menu for you. Everything on that menu is healthy, but the foods listed at the bottom are the most nutrient dense.
#3. Perform Strength Training and Interval Training
If you don’t exercise you will still lose fat eating this way, but maybe not as fast. If you’re just not a gym person, then I urge you to take a walk everyday for 30 minutes. For those of you who go to a gym focus your time on strength training and interval cardio training.
By performing strength training your body will be more inclined to preserve your muscle mass, which can be burned as energy instead of fat if you’re not giving your body a demand to maintain it. Your strength training should consist of complex movements like squats, rows, deadlifts, push-ups, and other multi-joint movements, all performed with proper form of course. A basic, yet effective set/rep scheme is pyramid training. Start your first set with a lighter weight and perform 12 reps. Then increase the weight for the next set to a weight you can perform for 10 reps. Third set increase the weight again, this time to a weight you can perform for 8 reps. So your set/rep scheme is 3 x 12,10,8. If you have no idea what I am talking about or need more help in this department shoot me an email and I’ll help you out.
For cardio, hop on a bike, elliptical, or a treadmill if you’re an avid runner. You can pick any interval ratio you like, but I find a 20 second sprint followed by a 40 second rest is an effective interval ratio for most people. However, feel free to adjust the protocol to your ability.
#4. Don’t Drink Your Calories
This means no alcohol, no milk, no juice, no pop, nothing added into your morning coffee. Only cold hydrating water. Try to drink at least 2 litres of cold water everyday, I encourage you to start your day with a cold glass of water on an empty stomach. This will promote fat-loss as soon as you start your day.
So that’s it! Review what you need to do, write it down if you like, and get to it! Remember, you don’t need to be perfect, there may be times where you slip up due to circumstances that are out of your control. That’s fine, just get back on track right away.
Download this Weekly Food Log and fill it out everyday to help keep yourself accountable. Feel free to email me (eric@grandpt.com) your completed logs and I can help keep you accountable to your goals.
Good luck!
If you’re looking for an extra bit of help, download our Healthy Habits Handbook to get the ball rolling!
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