Consuming 1200 mg calcium per day may help you reduce your body fat. Aim for three servings of dairy a day. Choose products made from skim milk to lower the number of calories you take in from dairy each day. [2] X Research source Choose olive oil and grapeseed oil over canola oil and butter when you cook.
Replace alcohol, soda (including diet soda), coffee, and other drinks with water. Start your day by drinking a large glass of water when you wake up, before you eat breakfast.
Eat a lot of protein and fiber at breakfast to keep you full for several hours. Fruit, eggs, and vegetable smoothies are great breakfast choices. Avoid eating pancakes and other baked goods for breakfast. These give your body a shot of sugar without wholesome nutrients, so you’ll get hungry faster. Plus, you’ll be starting the day at a dietary disadvantage.
Eat whole fruits and vegetables. [7] X Expert Source Mor Levy Volner, IBCLC, RDNInternational Board Certified Lactation Consultant Expert Interview. 5 May 2020. Fresh, whole vegetables and fruits like apples, cherries, oranges, broccoli, spinach, kale, and sweet potatoes have a lot of fiber. Eat whole grains. Try steel cut oatmeal instead of instant, and choose whole wheat over white every time. Quinoa is another delicious whole grain to incorporate into your diet. Don’t drink fruit juice. Fruit contains a lot of sugar, which is fine when you consume it along with the fruit’s fiber. But when a fruit is juiced, its sugars are extracted and the fiber is discarded, leaving you with pure sugar.
Sugar. Sugary sodas, baked goods, and candies can lead to a greater accumulation of fat. When you cut these foods out of your diet, you’ll likely see results within the first week. White flour. Processed white flour that is used to make bread, pastries, cakes, pasta, and other wheat products should be avoided. Fried foods. The process of frying food makes it much less nutritious, leading to more fat. Cut back on french fries, fried chicken, and any other food with a fried breading. Most fast foods fall into this category. Processed snacks and meats. Snack foods, pre-packaged dinners, bacon, and lunch meat are processed with chemicals and preservatives that are bad for your health. They pack a lot of calories without nourishing your body, so avoid these while you’re trying to lose fat. Use smaller plates so if you fill your plate it’s less likely that you’ll end up not eating all your food as if you would with a larger plate.
Work each muscle group. Make sure you do exercises to work out your arms, back, chest, abdomen, and legs for full-body fat loss. Focus on performing 2-4 sets of 8-12 repetitions at 70-80% of your one repetition max. Do not simply lift the heaviest weights you can because form is more important than the amount of weight lifted, and form is usually sacrificed to focus on lifting heavier weights. Don’t overdo it. Make sure you have a few rest days between workouts, and don’t work the same muscle groups two days in a row. Your muscles need time to repair after workout sessions to get stronger.
The best type of cardio to do for fat loss is HIIT (high-intensity interval training). HIIT involves doing intense bursts of cardio with short rests in between. HIIT keeps your body guessing and burning more calories than long periods of steady intensity. Cycling, swimming, and running are great cardio exercises. Do one of these activities for half an hour four times a week, or mix them all up. Work out with a friend. Sometimes having a friend along can turn a dreary workout into a fun catch-up session. Find a friend with similar goals and motivations, and set up a schedule to exercise together several times per week.
Take the stairs. This is a classic tip, but it really does make a difference! Instead of taking the elevator or escalator, walk up the stairs. When you leave the building, walk down the stairs. Take a walk during your breaks. Even if it just means leaving the building to eat lunch outside, get up and go somewhere. Take evening walks with a friend or partner. After dinner walks help you unwind, digest your food, and burn a few extra calories. Walk, bike, or take public transportation to work. Driving involves less physical activity than any of these transportation methods. Even taking the bus or train to work requires more activity than driving, since you have to walk to the bus or train station first.
Make sure that losing body fat won’t affect any preexisting conditions you may have.
Aim to lose 1 to 2 pounds (0. 5 to 1 kilogram) per week if you are of average weight. Losing more than that can be damaging to your body. [9] X Research source Set goals that are reasonable and achievable. If you try to lose too much fat too fast, or more fat than is practical for you to lose, you’ll end up feeling disappointed.
Take a positive view of your body. Think of yourself as a strong, capable person with a body you can use to experience the world. Being thankful for your body’s strengths will help motivate you to take good care of it. On the other hand, if you tend to internally berate yourself for not looking the way you want to look, it’s going to be harder to give your body the care and attention it needs to shed fat.
