Fat loss
Fat loss is the focus for the second in our series of PerformancePro insights into fitness nutrition. Find out more about the 5 essentials to losing fat and not finding it again!
The cliché of New Year resolutions is an old but persistent one. At Performance Pro we’d like to hope that you’re persevering with us through to the end of 2016, staying lean, mean and motivated.
Whether you dig deep and keep the fat at bay as the festive season approaches or give in to temptation, we’ve 5 pointers to help keep you right.
Fat Loss – 5 essentials!
1. Put your phone down.
Focus on good quality sleep and that starts with winding down properly around an hour before bed. You can get all geeky to describe how the light from smart-phones over stimulates the brain blah, blah, blah. But we care more about the fact that watching/reading/scrolling an endless stream of information means you can’t switch off and relax. If you’ve just seen a video of a horrific skateboarding accident (or whatever your friends find hilarious) then chances are you’re not immediately asleep afterwards. Put the phone down, it can all wait until tomorrow.
2. Get more magnesium in your life.
Whether it’s from Epsom bath salts or supplements, magnesium aids both your sleep and your training. Magnesium deficiency can also lead to hormonal problems and make getting and staying lean even harder.
3. Drink more water.
It really is that important and probably the easiest habit to create. Perpetual dehydration makes your body work overtime all the time. You should aim for 2-3 litres a day with an extra 0.5 litre for every hour of exercise. Being better hydrated can stop you over eating too!
4. Include strength training
Train at least 3 times a week for effective fat loss with the intention of getting stronger.
Increasing the strength of your muscles can help attenuate the drop in metabolic rate that is associated with weight loss, making you a much more effective calorie-burning machine.
5. Maximise NEPA (Non-Exercise Energy Activity)
The more active you can be during the day, the more calories you’ll burn.
Although it may not be a huge number over the course of a single day, this will add up and can have quite a profound effect on fat loss.
For more insights into fitness nutrition, explore the PerformancePro nutrition archive >>
About the Author: Will Davis MSc, BSc, CSCS
Will Davis has worked in the fitness industry for over 9 years and is a Strength and Conditioning Coach working with PerformancePro. Will is also a Poliquin International Certified Level 2 Coach, Biosignature Practitioner and a strong man competitor.