How To Lose Body Fat

by Liam O'Regan on May 16, 2022

If you’re like most people in the world, you wouldn’t mind losing a little bit (or a lot) of body fat. Losing body fat can dramatically change your life in multiple different ways. You will be healthier by decreasing your risk of weight related diseases such as Type 2 Diabetes, High Blood Pressure, and Heart Disease. Not only will you be healthier, but you will FEEL healthier! When you remove excess body fat nearly all of your daily functions become easier. You will be sleeping better, moving better, and even breathing better. If that’s something you’re interested in then this article is for you!



How to Get Started

Sometimes the hardest part of losing body fat is just getting started. Your body usually isn’t used to what it’s about to go through to make this happen. There are many different ways to lose body fat, and they all require you to be dedicated to making yourself better. There are tons of different fad diets, and strange tactics that people have come up with, but most of these methods are not great for sustained weight loss leading to an improved lifestyle. The best way to lose body fat is a combination of a few things that will be much easier to manage.


Exercise

We all know that exercise is an important part of losing body fat. Unfortunately, there are so many conflicting opinions on what types of exercise are best or most efficient to lose weight. Ultimately, as long as you’re doing what you enjoy, you’ll have the best chance of staying consistent and continuing to reach your goals. If you need a good place to start, a combination of these three styles of exercise will be a great way to start!

Low Intensity Steady State (LISS) Cardio

  • LISS cardio includes activities such as walking and hiking at a moderate pace, keeping your heart rate slightly elevated. This allows your body to enter a fat burning state when done for more than 20 minutes. Performing LISS cardio a few times a week is a great way to get started on your fat loss journey.  

High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT)

  • HIIT Training involves one or more exercises that are done in short bursts with short rest times, multiple times in a row. This is a fun and time efficient way to burn body fat. A 15 minute HIIT session will have you feeling great, breathing heavy, and burning fat.

Hypertrophy Training

  • Hypertrophy training is the often overlooked form of exercise when it comes to losing body fat. It is a form of weightlifting that involves multiple sets of 6-15 reps per exercise. Most people think that cardio is the most effective, and therefore only form of exercise you need if you’re trying to burn fat. In fact, hypertrophy training has been proven to skyrocket your fat burning! A proper hypertrophy training plan will help you build muscle which increases your metabolism, which equals more fat burn!

Sleep

Proper sleep is crucial for losing body fat. It helps balance hormones, regulate appetite, and increase your metabolism. Getting a consistent 7-9 hours of sleep will also allow your body to recover from exercise. This is important so that you can wake up everyday ready to attack your goals!

Avoid Screens

  • Avoiding looking at your phone, tv, or computer can help your eyes relax to get ready for bed

Avoid Caffeine Late in the Day

  • Caffeine can stay in your system for up to 10 hours after consuming it!
  • Consuming less caffeine or stopping earlier in the day will help you fall asleep

Avoid Sugar Late at Night

  • Eating sugar close to bedtime can keep you awake and decreasing your sleep quality

Nutrition

Proper nutrition is debatably the most important aspect of a weightloss plan. What kind, and how much food you put in your body matters. Food is fuel for the body. Most of the world eats too many foods that are full of refined sugars and unhealthy fats. Eating a balanced diet consisting of whole foods with a proper amount of healthy carbs, healthy fats, and plenty of lean protein will have you losing body fat in no time.

Healthy Carbs

  • Rice
  • Potatoes
  • Fruits
  • Vegetables

Healthy Fats

  • Avocado
  • Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • Whole Eggs
  • Nuts and Nut Butters

Lean Proteins

When it comes to losing weight, the most important part of your nutrition is consuming less calories than you use. More output (exercise), and less input (food) is what is required to burn enough calories that you start losing body fat. The best way to do this is by tracking your body weight, and tracking your calories. If you are losing about 1–2 lbs a week, then keep doing what you’re doing! If you’re losing more than that, add some food to your diet. If you’re gaining or staying at the same weight, then you might need to decrease your intake a bit.



Conclusion

When it comes to losing body fat, having a plan and sticking to it is super important. This can be hard to do alone! Having a coach come alongside you to help you reach your goals can be a major help! Fortunately for you Forty Steps is offering 1-on-1 online coaching to help you with reaching your goals! You will be able to work with one of our certified coaches who will develop a plan for you and keep you on-track and motivated!

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