Did you know that over 70% of adults in the United States are overweight or obese? If you’re carrying a little extra weight, you’re not alone!
And if you’re looking to improve your health by cutting body fat, it’s not as complicated as you might think! But just because it’s simple, doesn’t mean it’s easy. Losing weight takes hard work, but is absolutely possible if you’re ready for the challenge.
If you’re prepared to make a change, listed below are a few steps you should take to become a whole new you.
Now then, let’s get started!
1. Focus on Your Diet
You may have heard it before, but keep this in mind when trying to lose body fat: fitness happens in the gym, weight loss happens in the kitchen. You can exercise as much as you want, but if you have a bad diet, chances are you won’t see the results you’re looking for.
There’s nothing wrong with counting calories; in fact, many people trying to lose weight find this a helpful tool. However, intense calorie restriction is not the answer. Instead, use common sense when it comes to your diet.
Eat fresh, whole foods like fruits, vegetables, and clean meats and stay away from processed, high-sugar options. A pro tip? When at the grocery store, shop the perimeter! Stay away from the aisles and you’ll have a much better chance of making good choices.
2. Stay Hydrated
Water is vital for weight and fat loss! If you’re thirsty, you’re already dehydrated, so drink up! Water helps to cut cravings, reduce hunger, and boost metabolism – don’t overlook this miracle drink.
And whatever you do, do not drink your calories. You can learn more about water fasting or limited calorie fasting. Enjoy plenty of water, coffee, and tea, but throw the sodas and sugary drinks out immediately. You could be taking in hundreds of extra calories through what you choose to drink with your meal.
3. Get Enough Sleep
You may be considering cutting back on sleep in order to fit exercise into your day, don’t do this! Getting enough sleep is essential for both your mental and physical health; depriving yourself of it will only put you further from your goals.
Lack of sleep is linked to higher levels of hormones that stimulate hunger. Not to mention, your body does some of its best fat burning while you’re asleep.
4. Don’t Overdo the Cardio
Exercise is a key part of health, but you shouldn’t spend hours and hours running on the treadmill. Counterproductive as it may sound, you can actually overdo it with cardio.
With a moderate amount, you will help your body to burn more fat. However, when you get too heavy into cardio, you run the risk of sending yourself into a catabolic state. This means that your body will begin to burn muscle, not fat, which is not what you want.
5. Strength Training is Your Friend
Did you know that you burn more fat by lifting weights in conjunction with cardio exercise than with cardio alone? Strength training burns tons of calories because your muscles are hard at work. And don’t worry, unless you’re working extremely hard to do so, you’re not going to look like the Hulk just from lifting weights.
For the best results, focus on full-body movements that use as many muscles at once as possible. You’ll become a fat-burning machine!
6. Try Intermittent Fasting
Don’t let the word “fasting” scare you. Intermittent fasting is simply the term for choosing a window of time in which you eat, and avoiding calories the rest of the day. For example, a common technique is the 8-16 split, meaning you eat for 8 hours a day and fast for the other 16.
And considering you’re probably asleep for 8 of those 16 hours (if not, you should be!), don’t eat within 4 hours of waking up and 4 hours of going to sleep and you’re all set!
7. Consider Supplements
Once you have the basics taken care of, you may want to consider taking supplements to increase your body’s fat-burning potential. It’s important to consult your doctor before introducing any new substances to your body, but as long as you both decide it’s right for you, supplements can be a useful companion to a good diet and exercise routine.
Creatine, for example, is great for building muscle. And if you get into cutting and bulking, be sure to check out the best cutting cycle to help with fat loss.
8. Be Patient
Losing weight and cutting body fat can be frustrating. And understandably so! You’re putting in the hard work, you want to see results right away! Unfortunately, it really is true that nothing worth having comes easily.
Depending on how much weight you want to lose, it could take months, or even years, to achieve your goal. Don’t let this discourage you! To lose weight and keep it off, you should be looking at your journey as an overall lifestyle change, not just a temporary alteration.
Use These Tips for Cutting Body Fat
Well, there you have it! With these tips for cutting body fat, you’ll have a brand new figure before you know it! It takes hard work and, most importantly, dedication, but by implementing these lifestyle changes, you’ll look and feel a thousand times better.
Remember, you have to start with the basics. Improving your diet and sleep are the most important steps and should be tackled first. Once you have any bad habits in these areas under control, it’s time to move on to exercise and considering additional steps such as intermittent fasting or supplements.
Last, be patient! Rome wasn’t built in a day and neither is your dream body. Don’t stop working until you reach the results you’re looking for – and then be sure not to ruin your hard work by slipping back into your old routine!
Looking for more tips on improving your appearance and health? Check out our blog!