By Russ Howe
Our instructors recently compiled a list of the most commonly asked fitness questions they received in the gym and the overwhelming winner came from women asking how to lose weight fast and, more importantly, how to keep it off afterwards. Today we answer this with five simple yet extremely effective steps for you to apply.
In a world where hype is king we all get misled at some point by celebrity gossip magazines claiming we can all lose five stones in a week without going to the gym, or bodybuilding magazines claiming a new supplement is going to help you build muscle in your sleep. This causes disappointment, depression and ultimately no results.
It's our job to get folks out of that mentality and ensure they stop believing that it's impossible to reach their target bodyweight. That false belief creates yo-yo dieters and they get nowhere. If you're ready to ditch that loser mentality, let's do that right now.
The following five rules will help you get started right away:
1) A calorie deficit is necessary to lose weight but it must be done correctly or it will not work. This means cutting your daily calories by around 100-200 per day until you reach your target number each day as opposed to suddenly dropping your food by 50% and hoping for the best. The former will increase weight loss and make your diet far easier to stick to, whereas the latter will force your body into starvation mode where it stores fat. That's right, drop your calories too drastically and you'll be storing more fat even though you are eating way less. This step is where so many 'yo-yo' dieters and celebrity magazine followers go wrong.
2) If you eat more protein you will burn more fat. That may sound strange, given that protein is normally associated with bodybuilders and building big muscles, but it is completely true. As you drop your carbs and fat intake you will begin burning muscle and keeping fat. You don't want this to happen. Increase your protein intake and you'll end this effect, forcing your body to retain lean muscle and lose fat instead.
3) More protein means more fat loss. Protein is usually associated with building muscle but don't worry you're not going to suddenly hulk up into Arnold Schwarzenegger! Between the three macronutrients protein has the least effect of fat storage, so if you need a snack think fish, chicken or a protein shake.
4) Pack your lunch. This is not perhaps what you'd expect but it will make sense and is a real favorite at the gym among those who get results. When you are out all day at the office there is huge temptation coming from the resident chocolate store or vending machine. We've all been there. Pack a few small tubs with 50 to 100 kcal meals and you'll beat this temptation. The snacks are too small to impact your daily diet anywhere near enough to make a significant difference and it will help you avoid fatty, bad foods.
5) Taking a day off from your diet is a great way to prolong results. You read that correctly! Have you ever done a weight loss plan where you felt like you were punishing yourself, living on 'rabbit food' and avoiding everything you like? If so, where did it lead you? If you are like most people it led you directly to falling off the wagon and reaching 'I'll start over next month' territory.
It is only one day and the positives far outweigh the negatives. You may add some bad calories but ultimately this will help you stick to a diet for far longer than you ever have previously, so there is no issue. You should not feel as if you are punishing yourself just for wanting to build a better body, so do not.
Always remember that losing weight gradually is far superior to losing weight drastically, because once it's off it will stay off. These five tips today will help you to begin enjoying those effects
