15 Fitness Tips for Fat Loss

by Isaiah White, Owner & Personal Trainer at Every Body Fitness
Photo by Stacey Lynne 

1. Chew gum while preparing meals. It will keep you from sampling, which adds calories.
   
2. Have dressings & sauces on the side instead of pouring it all over your food. It will save calories while still allowing you to flavor your food. 
   
3. Track your food intake. If you are losing or gaining weight, you will be able to see what you’ve eaten so that you can either make changes or keep doing the same thing. And, you’re less likely to eat 12 cookies if you know you have to write it down!
   
4. Switch to diet or sugar free sodas & energy drinks. Yes, those things aren’t good for you, but if you drink them, you’re going to continue to drink them. Switching to the sugar free versions saves a ton of calories on your total daily caloric intake.
   
5. Eat meal replacements. Whether a protein shake, bar, or your own homemade pre-made snack, eating a meal replacement as a snack between meals will help you control your calorie intake.
   
6. Eat frequently throughout the day. Your metabolism is like a fire, if you’re adding small logs to it regularly, it will continue to burn hot! Stop eating and it slows down. 
   
7. Do something active every day. It doesn’t have to be a workout, run or a class, but do something that gets you up and moving, like walking the dog, mowing the lawn, taking a bike ride, or going for a swim.
   
8. Drink water. It sounds simple, but most of us are chronically dehydrated. Staying hydrated can help ensure proper digestion, increase energy, & allow for fat loss.
   
9. Take a daily multi-vitamin. We don’t have the time to prepare & eat the variety of foods every day that we would need to meet our vitamin, mineral & nutrient requirements. You want your body to have everything it needs if you are trying to lose weight, increase performance or gain muscle. 
   
10. Include lifting weight in your workouts. If you are hoping to ride the elliptical into a perfect beach body, it isn’t going to happen. You need to maintain lean muscle tissue in order to burn more calories throughout the day. One pound of lean muscle tissue burns 50 calories per day at complete rest.
    
11. Vary your cardio programs. Forty-five minutes, three times per week at the same pace & resistance is only going to get your body used to doing that more efficiently, which means you will burn fewer calories each time you do it. Include intervals in your cardio programs to change it up & torch calories.
    
12. Work with a nationally certified fitness professional. If you are serious about losing weight or achieving your fitness goal, you need personal assistance to get there, everyone does. How many professional golfers, Olympic athletes, or people on weight loss shows don’t have certified personal trainers? None. Regardless of your fitness pursuit, you need some assistance to get where you need to go! It will be more than worth whatever you pay for it.
    
13. Find a workout partner. You are more likely to show up to work out or run if you have someone waiting for you. Plus it makes the time pass faster when you’re working with someone!
    
14. Weigh yourself weekly. If you know if you’re losing, gaining or maintaining your weight, you will know if you need to keep up the good work or make a change to your nutrition or workout programs.
    
15. Keep going, you can do it! If you’re trying to lose weight & keep it off, not crash dieting, it will take time, but it will be worth it when you can finally throw away those “fat jeans” for good!