7 Ways to Jump Start Fat Loss

While I’m a big believer in making small, sustainable changes leading to an ongoing healthy, fit lifestyle, I do get asked regularly how to ‘jump start’ a weight loss program to achieve a particular weight goal, and then maintain (through new habits) thereafter. It is certainly reasonable to take certain steps to accelerate the fat loss process, then once you get to your desired weight range, take your foot off the gas and get into ‘maintenance’ (read: a healthy lifestyle) mode. Here are some specific ways to lose fat fairly quickly while still being healthy along the way. Of course, each person’s situation is unique, so work with an expert before beginning a program – or shoot me an email and I’d be happy to give pointers.

- Drink a lot more water. This is the simplest, cheapest, most effective way to begin the fat loss process.

- Drink less of everything else – juices, milk…especially alcohol. Even a small reduction in alcohol consumption can have a big impact on your weight, energy, visceral fat levels, etc.

- Do cardio first thing in the morning (fasted). It does not need to be much. A couple mornings a week wake up 30 minutes earlier and just walk up and down your block. That’s it. If you already have a cardio routine, do intervals a couple mornings a week. This can be jumping rope, swimming, biking, doing burpees…any kind of cardio will do.

- Add an interval workout to your cardio routine. If you run (or bike or swim or do the elliptical) a few times a week at a slow to moderate pace, add one workout where you warm up easy for 10 minutes, then spend 15 minutes going 30 seconds hard, 1 minute easy. Then cool down.

- Add one high intensity weight interval workout to your routine. Pick 2 body parts (plus abs or cardio bursts), e.g. back and chest. Do one set of back, one set of chest, then a minute of abs or jump rope/some type of quick cardio. Repeat this cycle for 30 – 45 mins, picking a new back/chest exercise every 4 or 5 sets.

- Eat less carbs and more veggies – especially later in the day.

- Have your final meal be earlier and smaller. If you have a carb centric dinner at 8 pm or later, finish dinner by 7, make the meal a bit smaller, and reduce the carbs in favor of veggies, fish, lean chicken, etc. Don’t eat a snack after this meal (once you attain your goal weight range, having a small pre-bed snack is fine especially if one of your goals is to gain muscle/get toned).

Make any one of these changes and you will see fat start to reduce; do 2 or 3 of them and fat will start to melt away – the accelerated method. It is amazing how quickly the body will react when you treat it well. Just a few simple changes done regularly can have a big impact on your health and fitness over time. Make several changes and the results can add up even faster.