The easiest way to lose 10 lbs. without starving yourself is to take a metabolic approach to your diet and exercise plans. You need to cut your calories to successfully lose weight and at the same time embrace strategies that elevate your metabolic rate to burn more fat all day long. The nutrient-dense foods you take in will keep you full throughout the day to prevent food cravings.
Step 1
Do three days of resistance training for 30 to 60 minutes, suggests David Zinczenko in "The Abs Diet." Circuit train by performing exercises sequentially with short rest times. Do leg presses, leg curls, calf raises, lat pull-downs, dumbbell bench presses, shoulder presses, triceps extensions, biceps curls and full-range crunches. Rest 30 to 45 seconds between these sets and repeat the circuit one or two more times.
Step 2
Follow your weight-training workout with 30 to 60 minutes of cardio. Ride the exercise bike, walk or jog on the treadmill or use the stair-stepper to burn extra calories to speed up your weight loss. Time your cardio after the weights because it help your body to better target fat stores directly, Anderson suggests. Add extra cardio sessions on non-weight-training days or any time you have a free moment. Cardio is cumulative, so you can do several short sessions or one long one, with similar results.
Step 3
Eat six small meals or snacks throughout the day to speed up your metabolism, suppress your hunger, stabilize blood sugar and inhibit body fat storage, Zinczenko writes. Include 15 g to 30 g of protein or more at each meal because of the thermic or fat-burning effect this produces, "Xtreme Lean" authors Jonathan Lawson and Steve Holman recommend.
Step 4
Choose foods that work with your body to burn fat, without promoting body fat storage, Eric Velazquez writes in the "Muscle & Performance" article "Lean in Less Time." Take in low-glycemic carbohydrates that digest more slowly to keep blood sugar and insulin levels low, such as fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains and sweet potatoes. Do not forget to include healthy fats such as fish oil, which exerts a potent fat-burning effect in the body, writes Matthew Kadey in "Five Fat Fighters."
Step 5
Cut your carbohydrates after 3 p.m. to discourage body fat storage, Velazquez writes. Carbs primarily act as a source of energy for the body, but get stored as fat when they are not needed. During the day, you need carbs to fuel daily activities and mental acuity. In the evening and before bed, even low-glycemic carbs may be stored as body fat.
Step 6
Cheat on your diet for one meal on one day at least every two weeks, which will not derail fat loss for most dieters, according to Lawson and Holman. In fact, it actually elevates metabolic rate. Your body slows down your metabolism in response to dieting to prevent starvation. By briefly spiking your caloric intake, you can trick your body into burning more fat.
Tips and Warnings
- Take 200 mg of caffeine, equal to two cups of coffee, and a green tea extract containing 300 mg of EGCG up to three times daily to speed up your metabolism. In addition, take 1 g to 2 g of fish oil, 1 g of L-carnitine and 1 g to 2 g of CLA with three meals each day.
- Never take in fewer than 1,200 calories per day, which can slow down metabolism over time. Consult with your doctor before beginning any exercise, supplement or diet program.
References
- "Combat the Fat;" Jeff Anderson; 2008
- "The Abs Diet;" David Zinczenko and Ted Spiker; 2004
- "Xtreme Lean;" Jonathan Lawson and Steve Holman; 2005
- "Muscle & Performance;" Lean in Less Time; Eric Velazquez; February 2010
- "Muscle & Fitness Presents 2010 Edition: The Ultimate Supplement Handbook;" Five Fat Fighters; Matthew Kadey; January 2010
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