Fat Loss

Aiming to torch the fat can be hard work. It’s key to eat and exercise right, without going OTT. In the gym, you need to burn it off, 30 minutes on the treadmill will burn calories, but continuous training won’t really torch the fat. Add in some high intensity training, blasts of cardio that make your heart work harder – not only will it help you keep burning fat it will also increase your fitness level – and it can be done in 30 minutes or less. Don’t forget to cool down and stretch (to aid recovery and reduce DOMS).

To take it to the next level, add in weight training, if you don’t have time for one or the other add it together – mix some CV with weights (instead of rest), but be sure you work different muscles otherwise you’ll tire quickly and the workout won’t be so effective. How about high intensity jump squats into press ups. Alternating upper and lower body exercises means you should have an effective all over work out in no time. And you’ll burn fat, build lean muscle (which burns fat even after training) and all in less time.

Now to the food, it’s all well and good to burn fat in the gym. But if you don’t fuel your body well it will be for little gain, if you know how many calories you should be eating that’s great, remember to count everything from dressings to drinks – everything you eat has an effect (even the tiniest spoonful).

To get the most benefit you actually need to manage your macronutrients –  work out how much of each (protein, carbs, fat) you need to eat each day, focus on protein as this will repair and build lean muscle. For protein aim for 1-1.5g per pound of bodyweight (even if you aren’t going to count the rest this is a good start). So if you weigh 65kg, you need to eat 65-97g per day. Break it down to include it in every meal and snack.  Don’t fear the fat – healthy fats like olive oil, nuts, salmon and avocado are good – in moderation, and like protein, will help you feel full, among other benefits such as healthy skin, hair….

In short, cut out processed foods as much as possible, eat fresh foods (if you have a packet with a long ingredients list then it’s processed), save that for your cheat meal (if you want to), make sure you eat enough (too little and you will lack energy, and your body will hold onto fat). Focus on effective gym sessions – short and sweet, keep changing it to avoid boredom. Don’t believe the hype, sports drinks and bars aren’t necessary, use real food and if you are restricting food (to a healthy range – not less than 1200 calories a day for women), you might need to add in a supplement to cover the micronutrients. Ideally you’ll be eating well enough not to need this but sometimes a little extra help is required.