A couple of years ago, I was beginning to feel old and fat. I wanted to make a change. So I decided to go from 35 percent body fat down to 15 percent. And by the grace of God, I did. I went from looking like this:
To looking like this:
The strategies I used to lose fat and build muscle are time-tested principles that anyone can use. So if you're stuck at a high body fat, read on.
If you want to lose weight as quickly as possible, I would advise that you lift heavy in the gym. The best way to build muscle while losing fat is to challenge your muscles. And the only way you can do that is to go heavy in the gym. If you go to the gym and all you're doing is lifting weights you're already used to, weights that you're comfortable with, your muscles are not going to grow. If, while trying to lose body fat, you do not actively preserve your muscle, your body is going to burn your muscle as well. To avoid this, make sure you're challenging your muscles in the gym. You need to make sure you're lifting heavy. In my experience, the best exercises you can do are those that train multiple muscle groups at the same time, like bench presses and pullups. When I lift 3 days a week, I focus on these compound exercises with the result that my physique has improved dramatically. You will also want to lift weights mindfully. Make sure every rep is controlled.
The second thing you will want to do is move more daily. Walking is one of the best ways to burn fat quickly. The more steps you take, the more fat you can burn. Ideally, try to take at least 10,000 steps each day. Get a device that can track your steps and make sure you hit this target at least 6 days a week. Walking is one of the most underrated ways to lose fat. So walk as much as you can if you want to lose weight. Today I walked 7 miles on the treadmill and then got in another 600 steps by parking as far away as I could from the store while I did my grocery shopping.
The next thing you'll want to do is plan your meals ahead of time. I do this each and every day. When I wake up in the morning I know exactly what I will be having for breakfast and lunch that day. Breakfast is simply a plain sausage biscuit at Bojangles along with two cups of their delicious coffee. That gives me enough protein and carbs to get my day underway. For lunch I will have rice with either beef or chicken and vegetables. Here's what I ate today.
My meal consisted of jasmine rice topped with teriyaki chicken mixed in with water chestnuts and mushrooms. As a side dish, I had a bowl of raw carrots. Of course, I drink nothing but water with my meals.
Lastly, you'll want to make sure you get at least 8 hours of sleep every night. These days, I don't play around with my sleep. I am in bed at 9:00 p.m. sharp and I sleep between 9-11 hours. As a result I can see how much energy I have during the day. I can see a difference in how much discipline I have to resist the urge to overeat. I can see a difference in how lean I am. If I were you, I would take my sleep very seriously. I would plan to go to bed at the same time every night. There's no point in doing all the training and steps if you're not going to get enough sleep. Remember, fat loss isn't hard. I lost 45 pounds in a year. I didn't just lose weight. I lost fat. And I retained all of my muscle during my weight loss journey.
Folks, progress in fitness comes from two things: simplicity and consistency. By focusing on the basics, you CAN achieve lasting results. Stop procrastinating, Start today.