Shedding body fat is something that is straightforward but it does take the interaction of several factors to make it a successful venture, namely: knowing your caloric intake, expenditure, and maintenance levels. Eating the right kinds of foods for your specific goals. Plus, training effectively and efficiently. Reducing body fat also has to do with adjusting the macronutrients (protein, carbs, and fats) properly and using this manipulation in conjunction with your training.
Get More Protein
Protein is the most satiating macro but also is the most thermogenic power, meaning it burns more calories in the digestive process. Not only that, increasing protein intake when calories are restricted is important to maintain muscle mass, and critical to maintaining metabolism. I’ve always aimed at 0.75-1.25 grams of protein per body weight and maybe slightly higher during a bulk.
Backload Carbohydrates
A cool trick for fat loss is keeping your carbohydrate intake low except for your post-workout meal. Simple carbohydrates are essential for recovery and growth / maintenance of muscle mass when used in the post workout meal. This is because after an intense workout your reserves for energy (glycogen) are lowered and in need of replenishment. The best time to eat starches such as cereals, fruits and breads is after training.
Don’t Go Into ‘Fat Free’ Mode
Eating fat does not make you fat, so don’t throw out this vital macronutrient category. Low-fat diets can be a mistake because fats provide energy and serve other bodily functions, such as hormone production. Learn to make good fat choices such as seeds, fish oil, coconut, nuts, and some other oils.
Get Rid of the Problem Foods
A major hangup for most people is getting rid of the unhealthy foods that they love to indulge in eating. Craving and going into a binge, are a likely occurrence, during your moments of weakness. Get those foods out of your house and don’t bring them in again. It’s cool to have cheat meals once in a while but not on a daily basis.
Do the Small Things, In Addition to the Larger Changes
Simple things such as eliminating soda, going for walks or parking a bit further away can add up in terms of caloric intake versus output. Enough of these small changes can produce a very effective fat loss program. For instance, when cutting I will gradually switch from eating jasmine rice to the lower calorie brown rice…saving 120 calories per two cups of rice. This makes it extremely easy to make changes to my diet without feeling deprived.
Intensify Cardio
Learn to keep your cardio both fun and engaging but also make it more difficult. There are many ways to accomplish this such as, running instead of walking, shortening rest periods, increasing intensity, longer distances, etc. Gradually, your stamina will improve and you must adapt to keep challenging the body…you don’t need to go overboard but keep your body guessing sometimes.