So often when it comes to weight loss, the focus is on removing things from your diet or lifestyle. While it’s true that you do need to create a calorie deficit in order to lose weight, there are ways to go about doing so without creating feelings of deprivation or restriction.
After all, weight loss is as much (if not more so) a psychological challenge as it is a physical one.
Therefore, helping individuals adopt the right mindset is vital to their success during their transformation challenge.
Instead of spouting the same tired mantra of “eat less, move more” for weight loss, here are 4 can’t miss fat loss habits to try this year.
4 Fat Loss Habits You Need to Try
#1 Eat More Protein
Many diets today focus on eliminating certain foods (or entire food groups). Again, this places a focus on what you “can’t” have when dieting for weight loss.
Instead, what many diet “gurus” should be promoting is the power of protein.
Our bodies are literally made of protein, and they are in a constant state of breaking down old cells and building new ones. At the heart of this reconstruction are amino acids, which our bodies get from protein (beef, chicken, eggs, pork, whey protein, vegan protein powder) as well as amino acid supplements like (Her BCAA/EAA & His BCAA/EAA).
Furthermore, consuming enough protein each day also helps keep hunger in check as protein is the most satiating macronutrient. To top it off, research shows that diets higher in protein lead to greater weight loss success than diets lower in protein.[1,2,3]
To make sure you’re consuming enough dietary protein each day, log into the 1UP Fitness App, which will help you figure out how much protein you need and help you to easily track it.
#2 Add a Serving of Fruits &/or Veggies to Every Meal
Next to consuming enough protein, eating more fruits and vegetables is one of the best things you can do when trying to lose weight.
The reason for this is that fruits and vegetables are high volume foods, meaning they take up a lot of space on your plate (and in your stomach). Even better is the fact that they’re low in calories.
For instance 3 cups of cooked broccoli only has around 90 calories.
Fruits and vegetables are also packed with water and fiber, which further helps boost feelings of satiety. And, don’t forget, they’re also rich in essential vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants which support recovery and overall health.
Research also shows that individuals with higher fruit and vegetable intake tend to have lower body weights and body mass index. Additionally, phytochemicals in fruits and vegetables have been found to possess anti-obesity activity because they may play a role in suppressing growth of adipose tissue.[4]
Unfortunately, estimates indicate that only 10% of adults consume enough fruits and veggies each day.[5]
One way to ensure that you’re consuming enough plant foods each day is to track your daily food intake using a calorie-tracking app, such as the 1UP Fitness App.
And, for those occasions when you may not have time to consume enough fruits and veggies each day and/or for individuals looking to further augment their intake of plant foods, have a serving of 1UP Organic Greens & Reds Superfoods each day.
Our organic vegan greens & reds superfood powder contains 19 organic fruits and vegetables in every scoop to support immune function, improves gut health, reduce bloating, boost metabolism, and promote digestive health.
#3 Perform Resistance Training 3-4 Times Per Week
Many individuals embark on their transformation challenge with the goal to “lose weight” when what they really want to do is “lose fat.”
It may seem like arguing semantics, but there is a difference between losing weight and losing fat.
Weight can include everything from water to body fat to lean muscle to bone mass, the latter two you really don’t want to lose!
Resistance training not only helps boost your metabolism (which helps you burn more calories during the day), but it also builds muscle and strength, which helps give your body tone and definition as you lose body fat.
Moreover, whenever you diet, the body is at an increased risk of muscle loss. To combat the increased risk of protein breakdown when eating a low-calorie diet, you need to consume enough protein each day (see point #1) and perform resistance training several times per week.
Resistance training (lifting weights) provides a powerful stimulus to your body telling it that it needs to retain all of its muscle and strength. This then forces your body to rely on stored body fat to make up for the energy it’s not getting from food -- which is precisely what you want when dieting.
If you’re used to only doing cardiovascular exercise to lose weight, there’s no better time than NOW to start resistance training. If you need help figuring out which resistance training program is right for you or how to perform a particular exercise, simply log into the 1UP Fitness App where you can get complete customized training programs (for home or commercial gyms) based on your experience level.
And, don’t worry cardio-enthusiasts, we also include complete core and cardio routines, too!
#4 Keep Moving on Rest Days
At the end of the day, losing weight is about managing energy intake vs energy expenditure.
In addition to your structured resistance training and cardio sessions, another way to increase your energy expenditure without forcing yourself to live in the gym is to just be more active on a daily basis, including your rest days.
This could be something as simple as parking at the back of the parking lot when you go to the store, taking the stairs instead of the elevator, and/or going on a couple 10-minute walks during the day after you have your main meals.
While it may not seem like much, every little bit of movement you do compounds and translates to more calories burned, which helps you get better results faster!
Takeaway
There’s no secrets, tricks, or “hacks” to losing weight, just time-tested, proven strategies to help you get the results you want without feeling like you’re depriving yourself and/or living in the gym day and night.
Try one, two, three, or all four of the strategies and make notes of how you incorporated them and how they benefited your progress.
If you’re looking for further support in losing weight, make sure to check out our top-rated men’s and women’s weight loss aids, Pro Ripped Max and Make Her Lean Max. These have been formulated using the latest cutting-edge scientific research to help increase energy, reduce appetite, enhance fat burning, and boost metabolism.
References
- Johnston CS, Tjonn SL, Swan PD. High-protein, low-fat diets are effective for weight loss and favorably alter biomarkers in healthy adults. J Nutr. 2004 Mar;134(3):586-91. doi: 10.1093/jn/134.3.586. PMID: 14988451.
- Halton TL, Hu FB. The effects of high protein diets on thermogenesis, satiety and weight loss: a critical review. J Am Coll Nutr. 2004 Oct;23(5):373-85. doi: 10.1080/07315724.2004.10719381. PMID: 15466943.
- Mateo-Gallego R, Marco-Benedí V, Perez-Calahorra S, Bea AM, Baila-Rueda L, Lamiquiz-Moneo I, de Castro-Orós I, Cenarro A, Civeira F. Energy-restricted, high-protein diets more effectively impact cardiometabolic profile in overweight and obese women than lower-protein diets. Clin Nutr. 2017 Apr;36(2):371-379. doi: 10.1016/j.clnu.2016.01.018. Epub 2016 Jan 29. PMID: 26875447.
- Pem D, Jeewon R. Fruit and Vegetable Intake: Benefits and Progress of Nutrition Education Interventions- Narrative Review Article. Iran J Public Health. 2015;44(10):1309-1321.
- https://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpao/division-information/media-tools/adults-fruits-vegetables.html
