Top 3 Hacks to Accelerate Fat Loss Naturally
What's the first thing that comes to mind when I say the word "diet?" For most, it's in terms of restricting something. Sometimes it's food - sweets, alcohol, "junk" food, etc. Other times it's social events - office parties, sporting events, or some other social event that we think involves "unhealthy" foods or beverages that we cannot be around when on a diet.
But, what if we could still enjoy these social events and our favorite foods and drinks and still achieve our goals...
Yes, it's possible and there are thousands of case studies to prove it. It requires careful planning and mental awareness but it is possible and today I'll show you my top 3 "hacks" that I use with my own clients to accelerate their fat loss...
1. Reduce Cardio and Increase Resistance Training
The natural habit most have when trying to pursue fat loss is to hit the gym and spend countless minutes/hours on either the treadmill, elliptical, bike or Stairmaster. The problem that this causes is excessive cardio has been linked to a number of problems including slowing of our metabolisms, joint and tendon pain, hormone imbalances, and an increase in poor posture that may lead to spinal shifting.
Resistance or "strength" training has been shown to do the opposite. In a 2001 study, it was revealed that strength training alone may increase our resting metabolic rates (how many calories we burn while resting) by 5-7%. How cool would it be to lay on the couch while watching Netflix and burn more calories for doing absolutely nothing at all? Not to mention, resistance training has been shown to directly decrease bad cholesterol levels as well as visceral fat (the fat that surrounds our bodily organs).
2. Adjust Your Macronutrients
Now, I get it - very few people enjoy tracking their calories and macros. But, it can help with accountability and increase your overall results by knowing exactly what we are putting inside of our mouths. If done for a few months, tracking can help increase overall awareness of portion sizes of foods so when we eventually do stop tracking and begin an intuitive eating regimen, we will have a great chance of staying within our caloric means.
The typical American diet consists of way too little protein and way too much carbs and fats. **Not that any of these macronutrients are bad FYI...I'm looking at you TV doctors that like to demonize food groups***
However, we do know protein has the highest thermic effect among the 3 macronutrients (protein, carbs and fats) by about 15-30% compared to carbs (5-10%) and fats (0-3%). In English, this means protein increases our overall metabolic rates more than carbs or fats do. One trick I do with a lot of my clients is simply taking their current diets and altering their macronutrients to be higher in protein while low to moderate with carbs and fats and BOOM...inches fall off rather quickly.
3. Sleep More!
This one was teased in the first "hack" but what many of you may not know is that sleep has many benefits other than just general rest and mental recovery. In a 2010 study between two test groups, one that limited their sleep (5.5 hours nightly) and one that got 8.5 on average per sleep, the dieters that got a high quality of sleep lost not only more weight but more of the weight that was lost was directly from fat tissue.
The group that cut back on their sleep didn't lose as much weight AND the weight that was lost, only 1/4 of the total weight loss came directly from fat tissue so this means a bulk of that weight loss came from muscle tissue which in turn lowered the participants metabolisms even further. 7 hours minimum per night is the recommended amount but when my clients begin their diet phases, we work together to develop a plan where they can achieve 8-9 hours of sleep on average.
These are the 3 biggest hacks to accelerate weight loss. I highly encourage all readers to take an in-depth look at their overall food quality and quantity intake while actively participating in resistance training 2-4 times per week. It's also important to note that trying to aggressively reduce fat tissue may decrease overall energy and sex drive so if this is something you've already been struggling with, participating in a weight loss program or traditional diet is probably not the best time. If you're struggling to achieve your fat loss goals, please contact us today for help.
"Coach Taz" aka Taylor Rodriguez is the owner and head coach of Taz Fitness & Nutrition. He is a Personal Trainer & Nutrition Coach located in Deltona, FL that coaches individuals online and in person. Taylor was a former partying pro wrestler turned fitness enthusiast after the economic downturn of 2008-2010. After losing almost 70 lbs, his new passion is to help struggling individuals find new confidence within themselves to achieve any goal that they see possible. To begin coaching with Taylor or to request a free consultation, contact us today.