By Justin Devonshire, Fat-Loss & Body-Toning Expert
From working with hundreds of clients over the years I know that finding time to get a great workout and always eating the right foods is easier said than done.
With that said I wanted to give you this rapid-fire list of 17 tips you can take away right now to help you burn fat, lose pounds and get fit when life is busy!
#1: Don’t worry about counting calories
Counting calories is so time-consuming! Instead, just focus on eating foods that are natural and obviously healthy. If you’re stuck, ask yourself how far removed is this food from nature? If you could imagine people eating it 10, 000 years ago then it’s good for you!
Eat healthy, natural foods and the calories will take care of themselves.
#2: Ditch the treadmill!
Many women don’t know that by changing from long, slow cardio workouts to short, but more intense circuits with just your bodyweight you’ll burn up to 9 times more fat, and in a third of the time! I expose this HUGE body-transformation here.
#3: Snack on fruit & nuts if you get hungry
Not only is this a really healthy snack, but grabbing an apple and a handful of nuts is also convenient and requires no preparation.
#4: Instead of doing 200 stomach crunches, do a plank
A ‘plank’ exercise is when you lie face down propped up on your toes and the underside of your forearms, and squeeze your tummy muscles hard. This activates more core muscles than crunches and sit-ups, which means you’ll burn more fat plus you’ll tone up your midsection a lot faster.
#5: Set a goal for the day
To keep you on track to reach your goals quicker, every morning set yourself a behaviour-based goal for the day. For example, one day it may be to not eat any temptation foods, the next day it might be to try a new exercise. Always thinking like this will lead to daily improvements in good habits.
#6: Drink water as much as you can
Water is bar-none the best thing to drink for your body. It flushes fat and toxins out of your system and keeps you hydrated, preventing you from wanting sugary snacks.
#7: Try the ‘Suck-In’ exercise
When you’re stuck at work and can’t get up, make the most of it by sitting up tall and pulling your tummy in. Imagine you are pulling your belly-button back towards your spine. Hold it there for up to 20 seconds whilst practicing to keep your breathing regular.
Repeat throughout the day and over time you’ll see your tummy getting flat and firmer.
#8: When exercising, only use Total-Body Training
TBT is what I call workouts made up of exercises that use every muscle from top-to-toe. This gives you a massive calorie burn and tones your arms, legs and tummy up lightning quick!
The very best TBT exercises are squats, lunges, hip raises, push ups and planks.
#9: Treat yourself!
To stay motivated, treat yourself whenever you reach a small weight loss goal or benchmark. Book yourself in for a full body massage, a nail job, or even just celebrate with a night out with friends.
#10: Try one of my ‘Bodyshape 4-Minute Fat Burner’ workouts!
Here’s an amazing fat-burning workout you can do – in less than 5 minutes! Simply choose a TBT exercise, such as squats or push ups and perform as many repetitions as you can for 20 seconds. Rest (and take a couple of deep breaths) for 10 seconds, before going for another 20 seconds.
Repeat the process 8 times for a metabolism-boosting 4 minute routine!
#11: Add cinnamon to your food
Cinnamon is a great tasting natural ingredient which helps curb your appetite and slows down the rate in which consumed sugar enters your blood. Add it to certain foods, and you can even put some cinnamon powder into your tea and coffee as a tasty alternative to sugar.
#12: Cheat to lose
While you need to eat natural, healthy foods at least 80% of the time to see results, make sure you eat what you like on the other 20% of the time. This will remind you that you don’t have to give up your favourite unhealthy foods completely.
#13: Keep track of your progress
Make notes about your workouts each session, noting if you’ve improved or got fitter than last time. Also keep a food journal each day where you can jot down what you’re eating. This will keep you more accountable to yourself and you’ll have a much more accurate idea of what’s going in and what’s coming off!
#14: Take an omega-3 fish oil capsule
This wonder-supplement is the real deal – it’s proven to boost metabolism, reduce inflammation and aches, improve the health of your hair, nails and skin, as well as improve your brain function and mood.
#15: Forget the scales
The easiest way to know for sure if you’re making progress is to take a pair of jeans that are a size too small for you and try them on once every two weeks. If they feel more loose, then congratulations! If they feel tighter, you need to get back on track!
#16: Resist cravings
Did you know that cravings for sugar and junk food only last about 15 minutes, and are mostly brought on due to heightened emotions or boredom – NOT because you are actually hungry!
Hold out for just 15 minutes and then decide if you still want to indulge.
#17: Get a coach
Yes, you’ll pay a little extra for a trainer, but have a fitness professional put you on a proven fat-loss program will save you years of wasted time and frustration. Not to mention that you’ll reach your weight loss goals far quicker, so in the long run you’ll save yourself money on buying the latest diet and fitness books, magazines, slimming pills and all other stuff that you won’t need once you know how to keep the weight off for good.
This post was written by a guest contributor. About the Author:
Justin Devonshire is a woman’s fat-loss & body-toning expert. He is the owner of Bodyshape Fitness – Personal Training & Bootcamp, which is run in both the UK and Cyprus.
For more free quick tips on weight loss, toning & motivation for women, visit the Bodyshape Fitness Blog, and get Justin’s “Little Black Dress Transformation Guide” as a FREE gift right now!
{ 2 comments }
Tip Nr 6, to drink plenty of water is a really good one. Many dieters when they try to lose weight forget to drink adequate amount of water which is necessary in their natural weight loss effort plus it has a lot of added benefits such as helping the organism to remove toxins.
And let’s not forget cardio training! In general, cardio fitness training includes two types of workouts: slow and steady cardio and high intensity cardio. Walking is the prime example of a slow and steady program that will be low intensity, long duration (45 to 90 minutes), and will burn fat not carbs. The second type, high intensity, is short duration (20+ minutes) and will burn off carbs first, then get to the fat burn phase. You can do one or the other, or a combination of both, but whichever you choose will be a matter of your personal preferences, your current health situation, and your lifestyle.
Comments on this entry are closed.