9 Tips for Faster Fat Loss – Ready to Lose Weight for Good?

Anyone who has ever carried extra weight will know how hard it is to lose it. You have to set up your training program and decide which diet to follow. That’s when you turn to the people around you. This furthers your confusion as everyone has different advice.

Your friend tells you she lost weight through Banting, while your colleague swears by juice fasting, and your brother advocates a high-protein diet as the only way to shed fat. The truth is that there isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach to getting lean. However, there are some general nutrition and training guidelines that can improve your chances of success.

The truth is that there isn’t a One-Size-Fits-All approach to getting lean.

1. Create a Calorie Deficit

Based on the evidence we have regarding weight loss, creating a calorie deficit appears to be the best method. “This means that energy intake has to be less than energy output,” says Kelly Schreuder, a registered dietician at the Velocity Sports Lab in Cape Town.

To figure out how many calories you need to consume to lose weight, you may need to do some maths.

This involves creating a 500-calorie-a-day deficit. However, it’s easier to use an online calculator. “A basic rule of thumb would be 20-25 calories per kilo of body weight, but no less than 1,200 calories per day,” offers Kelly, who warns against extreme calorie restriction.

Counting calories may mean measuring your food, but you will soon be able to judge how much grilled chicken to throw in your salad bowl. You can also track your calories using MyFitnessPal – it’s a great tool to get the ball rolling.

Counting calories may mean measuring your food, but you will soon be able to judge how much grilled chicken to throw in your salad bowl.

2. Practice Portion Control

If you would rather have your teeth pulled than weigh your food, don’t rush to the dentist just yet.

There is a simpler weight-loss method and all you need is your hand. Portion control lessens the chance of over-eating. Eat a palm-sized amount of protein, a handful of fruit, starch or starchy vegetables, a thumb-sized amount of fat (such as olive oil, nuts or seeds) and at least one cup of vegetables,” suggests Kelly.

She also proposes adding two or three servings of dairy or a substitute that contains calcium. You should also aim to eat at least two servings of oily fish each week. Eating this way will lead to a more balanced approach to nutrition.

Lisa Raleigh, a TV presenter and wellness expert, agrees. “Opt for a balanced diet of a variety of foods, aiming for as many colors as possible on the plate.”

Add two or three servings of dairy or a substitute that contains calcium.

3. Be Carb Smart

Tim Noakes seems to be right that sugar (and not fat) and insulin are responsible for weight gain. You should therefore limit your intake of sugar and processed foods. “Refined carbs and added sugar sneak their way into so many of our daily meals,” says Lisa.

Try to eat a healthy balance of complex, low-GI whole carbs such as brown rice and oats, but don’t have carbs at every meal.

Don’t have carbs at every meal.

4. Say NO to Booze

Alcohol damages the satiety hormone called leptin and without it you can’t burn fat. That’s according to Marlene Durandt, nutritionist and owner of perfect Nutrition Systems in George.

“Having the occasional glass of red wine is fine, but consuming too much alcohol will have a negative effect on your weight-loss journey,” she explains. “It can take anywhere from three to five days [after an alcoholic binge] for leptin to start burning fat again.”

Alcohol also contains a lot of sugar and calories which we usually forget to count. Therefore, fitness professionals recommend that you don’t drink your calories. For example, on a girls’ night out, you are likely to eat a cheat meal, but you’ll probably also enjoy a few ciders.

This will elevate the number of calories you’ve consumed. The worst part is that you probably won’t even notice it among all the girly chatter.

It can take anywhere from three to five days (after an alcohol binge) for leptin to start burning fat again.

5. Drink Green Tea

Many studies indicate that as little as two-and-a-half cups per day can assist with your weight loss efforts. According to research conducted by Penn State University, drinking green tea and exercising regularly may boost your fat-burning potential.

Consuming it before a workout appears to maximize its effects, and may provide you with an energy boost thanks to its high caffeine content.

6. Drink 500ml of Water Before Meals

Still on the subject of what we drink, studies show that those who consume 500ml of water half an hour before their main meals lose about 3.5kg more than those who don’t.

Furthermore, researchers at the University of Connecticut revealed that gym-goers who were properly hydrated were able to do 17 percent more repetitions during weight training. That said, normal water could become boring.

Fruit-infused water can help. Some nutritionists claim that we can consume up to 90 percent of the vitamins present in the fruit, without consuming the sugar when drinking infused water. You can also consider no-calorie flavor enhancers to help you meet your water-intake goals.

Generally, you should aim to drink 35ml of water per kilogram of weight. “Stay hydrated with at least 1.5-2L of water or unsweetened caffeine-free herbal tea each day. Thirst is often mistaken for hunger, so have a glass of water before you grab a snack,” advices Kelly.

7. Strength Training for Fat Loss

The World Health Organization recommends a strength training session at least twice per week. And, that maybe all you need to reduce your overall body fat by three percentage points in ten weeks, even if you do not cut calories.

Strength training leads to a greater metabolic ‘after-burn’ effect known as excess post-exercise consumption, or EPOC. Putting on lean muscle also helps you lose weight in the long run as the body has to work harder to maintain it.

So, the more lean muscle you have the faster your resting metabolic rate becomes. This means that your body begins to burn more calories at rest. Chris Walsh, owner and trainer at 360 Specialised training in Cape Town, recommends adding exercises such as snatches, deadlifts and squats to your routine.

“These exercises are known as compound exercises,” he explains. “They will speed up your metabolism and burn more calories.”

8. Try High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT)

Many personal trainers praise HIIT as the most efficient way to blast fat and tone your body. “This means shorter workouts of challenging, explosive sets of resistance or cardiovascular training back to back, with short and sometimes active rests,” explains Lisa.

The owner of East Coast Transformations, Nick Robert, further suggests limiting your rest time between sets during weight training. “Use a stopwatch on your phone and time a maximum of 30 seconds between sets,” recommends Nick. “This will result in more calorie being burnt and will increase the intensity of your training.”

While HIIT is a great tool to lose fat while maintaining muscle, that doesn’t mean that there is no longer a place for long, steady-state cardio. The World Health Organization recommends five sessions of cardiovascular activity per week. At least two of those sessions should be steady-state cardio workouts.

If you’re short on time, consider implementing functional training in your workout repertoire. You know those kettlebell and Grid classes at the gym? They’re great for weight loss as they combine many different strategies such as weight training, HIIT, circuit training, metabolic conditioning and cardiovascular training into one efficient workout.

“Most people these days don’t have time to train. That’s why I suggest 40-45 minutes of functional training,” reveals Marlene.

9. One Full-Body Workout per Week

While split training (doing exercises to train one body part in a workout) seems to be widely used by personal trainers and fitness competitors, Nick also recommends dong at least one full-body workout a week.

In fact, research from the McMaster University in Canada and further studies published in the Journal of Applied Physiology suggests that full body training combined with a high protein diet can provide the best fat burning and weight-loss results when compared to split training.

As far too much of our self-esteem is based on how much we weigh, we place an extra burden on ourselves to lose the pounds as fast as possible.

There is huge pressure – especially for females – to look a certain way, which in a lot of cases is completely unrealistic, rather set a practical goal weight based on a lifestyle you can maintain. Where it comes to weight loss, we intuitively know what works – eating well and exercising often.

Any further information and research simply builds on those principles. The results may not come as soon as you would like them to, but if you remain consistent and commit to doing the work you will be rewarded. Just keep calm and trust the process.