It seems that everyone's trying to get fit and lose fat these days. Look at any popular magazine and you'll find advice about and instructions for the latest diet trends. It can be easy to get caught up in the hype about what to eat and how to exercise to lose the most fat. But the truth is super-simple. As MayoClinic.com points out, weight loss always comes down to burning calories. To lose a pound of fat, you need to burn 3,500 calories more than you consume. A realistic, healthy fat loss diet can help you do that.
Step 1
Decrease your daily calories by cutting out high-calorie "extras." That extra spoonful of cream in your coffee and pat of butter on your bread add up. By paying a bit more attention to all the hidden sources of calories in your diet and then doing without some of them, you can significantly reduce your calorie intake. You might not even miss those diet-unfriendly extras after all.
Step 2
Substitute lower-calorie choices for high-fat foods in your diet whenever possible. Examples include choosing a nonfat latte rather than one made with whole milk, drizzling lemon juice or balsamic vinegar onto fish instead of melted butter or tartar sauce, switching to low-fat versions of yogurt, salad dressing and sour cream and munching on baby carrots or air-popped, unbuttered popcorn instead of potato chips.
Step 3
Include lots of fruits and vegetables in your meals and snacks. Fruits and veggies are packed with nutrients, low in fat, and will fill you up for very few calories. The American Cancer Society recommends at least five servings of fruits and vegetables per day.
Step 4
Eat leaner types of protein. Many Americans are used to eating lots of red meat, bacon, hot dogs and sausages, but these foods will not help you lose fat. Instead, switch to healthy, lean protein sources such as fish, poultry, egg whites, tofu, other soy products, beans and legumes. Use these foods for your lunch and dinner entrees to save lots of calories and lose fat fast.
Step 5
Avoid high-calorie, high-fat, high-sugar processed snacks and sweets. To truly lose fat, cut out these diet-wreckers and instead snack on diet-friendly choices such as whole-grain crackers, rice cakes, baked pita chips, fresh fruit, low-fat yogurt and part-skim string cheese.
Step 6
Ditch the refined grains, and switch to whole grains. Whole grains are higher in fiber and nutrients than refined grains, and help prevent heart disease and diabetes too. They'll keep you full without sabotaging your fat loss diet. Good swaps include bran flakes instead of crispy rice cereal; whole-wheat bread, buns, tortillas and bagels instead of white-flour versions; brown rice instead of white rice; and whole-grain pasta instead of regular pasta.
Step 7
Don't forget to exercise. The other half of a diet plan is the physical activity that burns off the calories you take in. No fat loss plan would be complete without regular exercise. Aim for at least 30 to 60 minutes of exercise, most days of the week, to blast away fat and drop extra pounds.
Things You'll Need
- Exercise equipment
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