21 RIDICULOUSLY EASY LIFESTYLE CHANGES TO HELP YOU BURN FAT AND LOSE THAT BELLY!

With so much advice on how to effectively lose weight floating around the net, the whole process can seem so complicated that it can be likened to rocket science! Like rocket science it can also leave you frustrated and put you off on trying to lose weight. The good news is that it doesn’t have to be that way, weight loss is really as far from rocket science as it gets, there are a few basic principles to learn and stick to and I guarantee you, results will never be far off.

Today, in the first of a two part series, I will be giving you 21 quick, easy and uncomplicated tips to help you burn fat and lose that gut, these are simply twists to your lifestyle and nutrition that can kickstart your journey to health and fitness. I bet you thought it hard to be difficult to be effective right? Not so people, are you ready?

Thanks for reading, and do have a wonderful weekend!                                    

1.      Have a clear goal of what you want to achieve; it should be something anybody, anywhere in the world can understand at a glance, be it fat loss, muscle gain etc. Have you goal written out and pasted where you can easily see it whenever you are tempted to give up.

2.      Drink tea; research suggests that those who drink tea often (green, black or white) have lower BMI’s and less body fat than those who don’t consume tea.

3.      Eat more Pepper; studies have shown that capsaicin, the active ingredient in cayenne pepper helps to boost your metabolism and hence increases your body’s fat burning ability.

4.    

  Decrease/Eliminate processed carbs; processed carbs have little going for them in the way of nutritional value, fiber etc, all they do is create a favourable environment for your body to store fat! Avoid them as much as possible.

5.      Eat more vegetables; they make you feel full quickly, have high fiber content and low calories, you can’t lose with vegetables. Don’t ruin it with salad dressing though.

6.      Eat more fruit; eating fruit will not make you gain weight drop that notion, even the “high sugar” ones like bananas and melons have greater health benefits.

7.      Lift weights; this tip applies to both men and women, develop an exercise plan that includes weight training, if you build more muscle, you burn more calories.

8.      When exercising, cut down rest time between sets; this will keep your heart rate elevated, causing an increase in calories burnt.

9.      Eat more protein; as an attachment to what I said earlier about eliminating processed carbs, replace them with more protein in your diet. Lean protein will not only keep you satisfied, but also help increase your metabolism.

10.  Eat protein more frequently; apart from eating more protein overall, it is important that the frequency increases too. Instead of eating a bucket of chicken with one meal, spread your consumption over the full day, every meal and snack should include protein for the best fat burning effects.

11.  Take fish oil supplements; they help reduce cholesterol and also limit the accumulation of body fat.

12.  Do full body exercises; don’t just focus on your chest or abdominals!  Incorporate exercises that use the full body’s range of movement, make sure you do squats, dead lifts etc, that recruit more muscle and burn more fat overall.

13.  Regulate your carbs intake based on your activity level; carbs are not always the enemy and you do need carbohydrates for energy, but you have to be smart about it. On the days you are active, i.e. workout days, eat more carbs for energy and restoration, but on the days you are less active, cut down on the carbs intake.

14.  Start your meals with a salad; salad will help provide some low calorie bulk to help fill you up quickly so that you eat less calories overall.

15.  High fiber foods first; always consider foods with high fiber first when selecting a meal, yam, beans, sweet potatoes etc provide a high fibre meal, this aids digestion and weight loss.

16.  Drink more water; research has found that people who drank 2 cups of water before each meal, lost more weight over a 3 month period than those who didn’t. the reason? Water helps keep you full.

17.  Keep a food journal; really you should, it will honestly tell you who you are and your relationship with food.

18.  Weigh yourself weekly; I subscribe to weekly weigh ins to check my progress, however do not live or die by what the scales say, scales cannot differentiate between fat and muscle, but are a guide to help keep things in check, it can also serve as a motivator.

19.  Eat whole eggs; eggs are a wonderful source of protein and also help to increase “good” cholesterol (HDL), but try to eat more boiled whole eggs than fried.

20.  Eat breakfast; the benefits of this can never be over emphasized! If you eat a healthy breakfast you are less likely to snack on junk or make bad food choices later in the day. Breakfast also keeps your blood sugar levels stable and reduces your risk of diabetes.

21.  Eat your heavier meals in the morning; I know this sounds controversial but hear me out, we are generally more active between the morning and 3pm whether it is physical or mental activity, our brains and muscles require more energy in the daytime than at night so we need more food earlier than later, there is a saying “ breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a pauper” most of us however turn this upside down, little or no breakfast, quick unhealthy lunch, nutritious but oversized dinner. Try eating more in the morning and less at night, the results will surprise you!