15 Fat Loss Hacks!

Today, I wanted to share with you some of my favorite fat loss hacks that translate to ways you can treat your body and mind in a respectful and meaningful manner! These are some easy tips that you can adopt this minute into your busy life to ensure that you are staying on track and keeping your body, mind and soul in check!

#1: Chew Your Food

Sounds simple, right? Most people don’t even realize how fast they’re eating because usually they are multitasking; on their phones or working etc. This is an area I work HARD to make happen every single time I am eating. When you take the time to chew your food, it lets your body realize what you are ingesting and thus overtime you may ingest fewer calories. Taking time to chew your meal gives your body more time to register fullness, so you can stop when you feel “full” rather than when you’re “stuffed.” This also makes it easier for your intestines to absorb nutrients from the food particles as they pass through.

#2 Flavor It Up!

Try adding in spices, sea salt blends, organic honey/maple syrup and fresh herbs to your food! They are high in the satiation category and low in the added sugars/calories.  I love fresh mint and basil in my protein shakes, water and salads as well as a little raw honey for some quick carbs and sweetness. Another great idea is cinnamon, nutmeg or unsweetened cocoa powder. If you want to get crazy try adding different extracts such as coconut, vanilla, peppermint or orange to your shakes, cottage cheese/oats or oatmeal! These flavors cut back on the calories and add in a TON of flavor to your foods

#3 Sleep

This MAY be the most important hack on the list! We all know that too much stress can have a negative effect on ones health. The body functions best when well rested. When the body doesn’t get enough sleep it can experience stress which will thus force you to store more fat. When we are tired, we also have a tendency to grab food that may not be the healthiest so you could be taking in extra calories without even knowing it! IN addition, sleep deprivation makes us way hungrier than being well rested so you are more likely to stick to your solid nutrition than mindlessly eat! Getting adequate sleep also helps to stay focused and on task during the day so you will be more productive and energized for your workday and workout!

#4 Decrease Stress 5 minutes a day

Stress comes into play when our bodies go into fight or flight mode and thus slows down the metabolism and aids in fat storage. The hormone also slows the production of testosterone, which is essential for muscle building. Chronically low testosterone promotes loss of muscle mass, which ultimately can slow your metabolism. During the summer months, it is just as important to do things that you enjoy and bring your stress levels WAY down. Whether that be an outdoor yoga class, or long walk outdoors, swimming in a nearby lake or pool or spending carefree time with friends and family. You choose what makes you feel at ease!

#5 Eat off of a plate, not out of the bag

Lets be honest here…we have all sat down with a pint of ice cream or bag of popcorn. Sooner or later you realize you’ve eaten half of the bag! Its super important to see what you’re eating before eating it to know what you’re getting yourself into! Dividing snack foods into baggies or pre portioning out ice cream or frozen yogurt can be super helpful for   eating the proper portion size. 

#6 Carb up around training

Another good rule of thumb to abide by is to ingest most of your carbs around your training. Doing so will ensure that most of that food energy will be used as fuel for training versus storage for fat. Moderate amounts of complex carbs pre and post workout will not only give you a much needed boost for training it will also keep your metabolism in check during those low carb times of the day. Aim for 20-30g of Carb post workout such as 2 slices whole grain bread, 1/2C oats, 1 medium banana, 3 rice cakes, 1 baked potato or ½ C rice/quinoa. My recent favorite pre or post workout meal is 2 slices of Daves Killer bread or Ezekiel wrap with 3oz turkey breast, mustard and some veggies! 

#7 Eat Yo GREEENS!

I never count veggies especially Green (especially leafy) veggies toward my daily macros. To me-they are virtually considered free foods when it comes to the overall picture of your diet. My advice here would be to load up on them!  They are fibrous, filling and offer a myriad of great benefits to your health. My favorite go-to veggie right now are those mini Persian cucumbers!

#8 Fat is Your Friend

After your protein intake is determined, I would highly suggest that you focus next on healthy fats. Not only are fats beneficial for heart, hair and nail health they are also responsible for hormone regulation, fat metabolism and energy production. Healthy fats keep your joints and bones moving happily and healthily.  Just don’t go overboard with too much fat as it has over twice as many calories per gram as protein and carbs. Check out some of my previous posts on how to incorporate fats! 

#9 Drink water before a meal

Simple simple simple. Pour water into a glass and drink it before eating your meals! It signals to the body a sense of fullness so you may be more likely to ease up on the big meal ahead of you! Water is obviously good all throughout the day as well and boasts a myriad of benefits for the skin, hair, nails and gut!

#10 Pick up the pieces

When life gets overwhelming and you want to throw the towel in, remember that slow and steady wins the race. You will have days where you want to eat everything in sight and the last thing on your mind is movement and thats life! Just pick up where you last left off and know that there is hope! Pick one attainable, small adjustment you can make and do that! It may be something simple like eats greens twice a day or go for a 20 minute walk. This small step is a HUGE step toward getting you back into the swing of things!

#11 Give into Cravings (in moderation)

Cravings for certain foods can come from the strangest of times or places. It may just be that you want that food right in the moment or it can be the sign of a larger issue such as a nutrient deficiency. Cravings can also, however come from nutrients that our bodies are lacking. Chocolate? You may be low in magnesium. Steak? You may be low in iron. Fat? Your body is low in essential fatty acids. Bottom line–listen to your cravings but take a moment to really truly think about why you are craving them. This doesn’t mean not to give into what your body wants, but rather to take note as to why it wants it–these are all important steps in becoming more in tune to your body. Check out more about cravings and what to do about them HERE

#11 Interval Cardio: 

Steer clear of the elliptical and tap into your high intensity training! Blast fat and calories and raise your post metabolic rate 10 fold! Not to mention it keeps the workouts FUN, engaging and quick! check HERE and HERE and HERE for some ideas!

#12 Drink Coffee (in moderation!)

Skip the chemically processed pre workouts and go for a cup of coffee! Drinking moderate amounts of caffeine have been shown to boost metabolic rate and create a thermogenic effect on the body perfect for a pre workout boost! Just don’t drink it all day! Remember, everything in moderation!

#13 Be Kind to Yourself

Reward yourself for small victories even if that means that you made it to the gym 3x this week when you haven’t hit that goal in a few weeks. Get a manicure or buy yourself something you’ve had your eye on. Rewards are a great way to remind yourself that you care about your mind and body. It gives you incentive to keep going down this meaningful path!

#14 Keep a Food Journal

I have found that those clients who log their food using the old school pen and paper or My fitness Pal have been shown to be WAY more aware of what they are taking in and ways they can cut back on certain foods or drinks when they see it in front of them. I have been logging my food on and off ever since I started competing (5+ years ago) and it is SUCH a help when I feel like I want to get back on track after an indulgent week or weekend!

#15 Today is the Day

Why not start today? There will never be a perfect day for you to start your fat loss journey. There is no need to put it off until September 1st or even Monday. You can take one of these small hacks and start adapting it THIS SECOND! The sooner you do something today, the sooner you will be on your way to a happy, healthy, energized you!

XOXOXOX

Naomi

 

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