10 Powerful (non-tracking) Fat Loss Habits
EVERY YEAR AROUND THIS TIME (IT’S CURRENTLY SUMMER AT THE TIME OF WRITING THIS) I AM BOMBARDED WITH QUESTIONS PERTAINING TO HOW TO LOSE WEIGHT OR GET IN SHAPE AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE.
THE TRUTH IS, YOU REALLY DON’T WANT TO LOSE WEIGHT QUICKLY.
RAPID WEIGHT LOSS DRIVEN BY CRASH DIETING, PUNISHING WORKOUTS, AND TONS OF CARDIO IS A ONE-WAY TICKET TO GETTING STUCK IN A CYCLE OF METABOLIC DYSFUNCTION.
SLOW WEIGHT LOSS ALLOWS YOU TO PRESERVE THAT OH-SO-PRECIOUS MUSCLE THAT NOT ONLY MAKES WEIGHT LOSS EASIER, BUT ALSO LEAVES YOU WITH A PHYSIQUE THAT LOOKS MUCH LESS, LET’S SAY, “EMACIATED.”
HERE’S ANOTHER TRUTH. MANY OF YOU AND MANY OF YOUR CLIENTS DON’T CARE. PEOPLE WANT CHANGE, AND THEY WANT TO CHANGE FAST. SO IS THERE A WAY TO SPEED THINGS ALONG WITHOUT DOING A BUNCH OF COLLATERAL DAMAGE IN THE PROCESS?
THERE IS, AND I’M GOING TO SHARE THAT WITH YOU TODAY. IN 10-YEARS OF COACHING CLIENTS, I’VE COMPILED SOME EASY-TO-IMPLEMENT HABITS THAT ENHANCE AND EXPEDITE THE RATE AT WHICH YOU CAN LOSE FAT, ACHIEVE YOUR DREAM PHYSIQUE, AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, MAINTAIN IT.
AND NO - I AM NOT GOING TO ASK YOU TO TRACK CALORIES. BUT IN THE SPIRIT OF FULL TRANSPARENCY, I MUST REMIND YOU, CALORIES COUNT, WHETHER YOU COUNT THEM OR NOT.
HERE ARE MY 10 BEST FAT-LOSS HABITS YOU CAN IMPLEMENT TODAY!
1. COOK MORE OF YOUR FOOD.
THERE ARE FEW THINGS YOU CAN DO TO EXPEDITE YOUR FAT-LOSS GOALS THAN TAKE GREATER OWNERSHIP OVER THE FOODS YOU EAT. COOKING MORE OF YOUR FOOD IS PERHAPS THE FASTEST WAY TO DO THIS. YES, COOKING DOES TECHNICALLY BURN SOME CALORIES, BUT YOU’RE THIS ISN’T AN EPISODE OF “CHOPPED.”
THE REASON COOKING YOUR FOOD MAKES SUCH A TANGIBLE DIFFERENCE HAS MORE TO DO WITH WHAT IT PREVENTS YOU FROM EATING. A RECENT STUDY SHOWED THAT 92% OF MEALS EATEN AT RESTAURANTS CONTAIN MORE CALORIES THAN YOU ARE LIKELY TO NEED FROM A SINGLE MEAL (OR EVEN TWO). TAKING THE TIME TO FILL YOUR PANTRY AND FRIDGE WITH THE RIGHT STUFF, AND PREPARE IT YOURSELF IS A WONDERFUL HABIT TO IMPLEMENT IF YOU ARE TRYING TO LOSE WEIGHT.
2. PUT YOUR FORK DOWN IN BETWEEN BITES.
AFTER 2020, YOU PROBABLY NEVER WANT TO HEAR THE WORD “MINDFUL” AGAIN. IT’S BECOME AN ALL TOO COMMONPLACE “BUZZWORD” THAT, WITHOUT CONTEXT, CAN SEEM A BIT “WOO WOO.” SO, LET’S APPLY SOME CONTEXT. WHEN MOST PEOPLE SIT DOWN TO EAT, THEY HAVE A FORK IN ONE HAND AND THEIR PHONE IN THE OTHER. IF THERE’S NO PHONE, THERE’S ALMOST ALWAYS SOME FORM OF DISTRACTION. LEARNING TO BE MORE PRESENT (OR YES, “MINDFUL”) WHEN EATING CAN BE A BIG STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION WHEN IT COMES TO MANAGING JUST HOW MANY CALORIES YOU END UP CONSUMING ACROSS THE DAY/WEEK/MONTH.
ONE OF MY FAVORITE WAYS TO DO THIS IS TO PUT MY FORK (OR SPOON, OR SPORK, OR CHOPSTICKS) DOWN IN BETWEEN BITES. THIS SLOWS YOU DOWN. IT MINIMIZES THE LIKELIHOOD OF SHOVING FOOD INTO YOUR MOUTH WHILE SCROLLING THROUGH WHATEVER INSTAGRAM'S/ TIK TOK’S ALGORITHM HAS DECIDED TO SERVE YOU UP TODAY.
IN ESSENCE, THIS IS NOTHING MORE THAN AN EXERCISE IN EATING SLOWLY, AND THAT’S THE EXACT HABIT WE ARE AFTER. IF YOU WANT TO GET REALLY FREAKY, TRY EATING WITH CHOPSTICKS.
3. CHEW YOUR FOOD 20 + TIMES.
HAS ANYONE EVER WALKED IN ON YOU MASTICATING? MASTICATION (OR CHEWING) IS A PRETTY IMPORTANT PART OF THE FOOD CONSUMPTION PROCESS. IN FACT, THERE’S A TON OF EVIDENCE THAT SHOWS A PRETTY CLEAR CORRELATION BETWEEN CHEWING AND SATIETY (FEELING FULL).
THE MAIN PROBLEM IS, MANY OF US ARE ALWAYS “ON THE GO” OR IN A HURRIED STATE WHEN WE EAT. THE SECOND HABIT ON THIS LIST ENCOURAGES YOU TO GO SLOW WHEN YOU EAT. THIS HABIT BUILDS ON THAT.
CHEWING YOUR FOOD WELL WILL ENHANCE DIGESTION, IMPROVE NUTRIENT ABSORPTION, AND HELP YOU FEEL MORE FULL THROUGHOUT THE DAY.
4. GO ON A “POST-MEAL” WALK FOR INCREASED NEAT AND IMPROVED DIGESTION.
AHHH, THE OLD HABIT STACK. JAMES CLEAR (ATOMIC HABITS) MADE THIS APPROACH FAMOUS. IT’S THE COMBINATION OF SOMETHING YOU HAVE/ARE GOING TO DO WITH SOMETHING THAT YOU WOULD LIKE/KNOW YOU NEED TO DO. THERE ARE A FEW MORE HABIT STACKS COMING ON THIS LIST, SO STAY TUNED.
THE IDEA OF A POST-MEAL WALK IS ONE THAT I’VE IMPLEMENTED FOR A LONG TIME. SIMPLY GOING ON A BRIEF STROLL (ANYWHERE FROM 5-20 MINUTES) CAN HELP IMPROVE DIGESTION, REGULATE BLOOD SUGAR, BOOST CREATIVITY, REDUCE ANXIETY, AND IT’S GOING TO INCREASE YOUR OVERALL CALORIC EXPENDITURE.
THIS IS A SIMPLE WAY TO TAKE GOOD CARE OF YOURSELF AND A RELATIVELY EASY HABIT TO IMPLEMENT. TRUTH BE TOLD, YOU COULD PROBABLY USE VITAMIN D ANYWAY. IT IS SUMMER AFTER ALL…
5. WARM-UP BEFORE TRAINING.
RAISE YOUR HAND IF YOU WALK INTO THE GYM AND GET STRAIGHT INTO YOUR FIRST EXERCISE? IT’S OKAY. YOU’RE NOT ALONE. I AM GUILTY OF THIS MYSELF SOMETIMES (TIME IS A PREMIUM FOR SOME OF US).
BUT, IF YOU CAN SPARE AN EXTRA 10 MINUTES TO GET YOUR TISSUE WARMED UP, NOT ONLY WILL YOU HAVE A BETTER TRAINING SESSION AND BE LESS LIKELY TO GET INJURED, YOU’LL ALSO ADD IN 10 MINUTES OF EXTRA MOVEMENT PER WORKOUT. THAT LOOKS SOMETHING LIKE THIS:
WORKOUT 1X/WEEK = 10 EXTRA MINUTES OF MOVEMENT.
WORKOUT 3X/WEEK = 30 EXTRA MINUTES OF MOVEMENT.
WORKOUT 5X/WEEK = 50 EXTRA MINUTES OF MOVEMENT.
THAT’S A LOT OF EXTRA MOVEMENT TO HELP YOU IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF YOUR TRAINING AND TIP THE ENERGY BALANCE (CALORIES IN/CALORIES OUT) EVEN MORE IN FAVOR OF YOUR FAT-LOSS GOALS.
6. TAKE YOUR CALLS ON A WALK.
TAKE YOUR PHONE CALLS ON A WALK. THROW YOUR HEADPHONES IN, AND SO LONG AS IT’S APPROPRIATE (I GET NOT EVERY CALL CAN BE TAKEN “OUT OF THE OFFICE”), HABIT STACK SOME EXTRA MOVEMENT IN WITH THESE CALLS. YOU CAN ALSO CONSIDER SIMILAR OPTIONS
SUCH AS:
IF YOU ARE GOING TO STREAM YOUR FAVORITE SHOW, STREAM IT WHILE ON YOU’RE PELOTON.
IF YOU ARE GOING TO GO GET COFFEE ON THE WEEKEND, WALK INSTEAD OF DRIVE.
SMALL THINGS.
7. PRE PREPARE HIGHLY SATIATING SNACKS LIKE VEGGIES, PROTEIN, AND LOW-CALORIE DRINKS.
SNACKING IS REALLY HARD WHEN CALORIES ARE AT A PREMIUM. MOST SNACK FOODS ARE HIGH IN CALORIES, LOW IN SATIATING NUTRIENTS LIKE PROTEIN AND FIBER, AND EASY TO OVERCONSUME DUE TO THEIR HYPERPALATABILITY.
PREPARING SOME SNACKS THAT ARE, LET’S SAY, “MORE ALIGNED” WITH YOUR GOALS IS A GREAT WAY TO GIVE YOURSELF SOME CUSHION WHEN CALORIES ARE AT A PREMIUM.
THIS MEANS LIMITING YOUR EXPOSURE TO SNACK FOODS YOU HAVE A TENDENCY TO OVEREAT, OR JUST GRAB AND EAT WITHOUT THINKING, AND INSTEAD, OPT FOR THINGS LIKE:
PRE-CUT/WASHED FRUITS
PRE-CUT/WASHED VEGGIES
PRE-COOKED/CUT PROTEINS
ALL OF THESE OPTIONS ARE SATIATING, LOADED WITH NUTRIENTS, AND VERY MUCH ALIGNED WITH CONTROLLING CALORIES. YOU CAN EVEN WEIGH/PORTION THEM OUT IN ADVANCE IF YOU WANT TO TAKE IT TO THAT LEVEL.
8. STRETCH/MOBILITY SESSIONS BEFORE BED IF YOU ARE ANXIOUS/NEED HELP WINDING DOWN.
ANXIETY IS MORE COMMON THESE DAYS THAN EVER. A LOT OF YOU LIKELY HAVE A HARD TIME WINDING DOWN AND FINDING PEACE AT THE END OF A LONG DAY. NOT ONLY CAN THIS IMPACT YOUR SLEEP (MORE ON THAT IN A MINUTE), BUT IT ALSO LIMITS YOUR ABILITY TO RECOVER FROM YOUR TRAINING.
SO DOES NOT DOING MOBILITY, STRETCHING, OR ANY TYPE OF WORK TO HELP YOUR TISSUES RECUPERATE FROM THE DEMANDS OF AN ACTIVE LIFESTYLE.
MY ADVICE IS SIMPLE (AND IT’S ANOTHER HABIT STACK), TAKE 10-15 MINUTES BEFORE YOU GO TO BED TO PLAY SOME RELAXING MUSIC AND DO SOME RESTORATIVE WORK ON YOUR BODY. SOME OF MY FAVORITES INCLUDE:
STRETCHING
YOGA
KEEP IT SIMPLE, AND START SMALL. THE EXTRA MOVEMENT AND RECUPERATIVE NATURE OF THIS WORK WILL ONLY HELP YOUR GOALS.
9. SLEEP IN/GO TO BED EARLY.
SLEEP IS HUGE FOR YOUR RECOVERY, PERFORMANCE, BODY COMPOSITION, AND HEALTH. 70% OF YOUR BODY’S GROWTH HORMONE IS SYNTHESIZED DURING SLEEP.
ADDITIONALLY, ONE STUDY SHOWED THAT POOR SLEEP QUALITY IS NEGATIVELY ASSOCIATED WITH BONE MINERAL CONTENT (BMC), BONE MINERAL DENSITY (BMD), LEAN MASS, AND LEAN MASS INDEX (LMI) WHEREAS WAS POSITIVELY ASSOCIATED WITH FAT MASS PERCENTAGE IN MIDDLE-AGED ADULTS.
THAT’S A RECIPE FOR DISASTER IF YOU ASK ME.
ADD TO THAT THE EMERGING RESEARCH THAT SHOWS SLEEP DEPRIVATION IS DIRECTLY CORRELATED WITH INCREASED CALORIC INTAKE. YIKES.
GET IN THE HABIT OF GOING TO BED 15-20 MINUTES EARLIER STARTING THIS WEEK, THEN BUILD ON THAT. IF YOU CAN EITHER MOVE YOUR BEDTIME UP OR MOVE YOUR WAKE-UP TIME BACK, THAT MAKES A BIG DIFFERENCE.
10. ENSURE YOU ARE ADEQUATELY HYDRATED. NO SURPRISE HERE, BUT “DRINK MORE WATER” MADE THE LIST.
IT’S NEVER A GOOD IDEA TO BE DEHYDRATED, BUT GETTING ENOUGH WATER CAN ALSO HELP WITH WEIGHT LOSS BOTH DIRECTLY AND INDIRECTLY.
BEFORE YOU GO TO BED, PUT A BIG GLASS OF WATER BY YOUR BATHROOM SINK, WHEN YOU WAKE UP TO GO TO THE BATHROOM, YOU’LL SEE IT AND START YOUR DAY OFF WITH SOME WATER. IT’S NEVER A GOOD IDEA TO BE PLAYING CATCH-UP.
SO THERE YOU HAVE IT, 10 EASY-TO-IMPLEMENT HABITS THAT WILL HELP YOU REACH YOUR FAT LOSS GOALS MORE QUICKLY, AND WITHOUT HAVING TO “TRACK” ANYTHING ELSE. I STILL RECOMMEND TRACKING CALORIES IF YOU WANT TO LOSE WEIGHT - BUT NOT EVERYONE HAS THE DESIRE OR ENERGY TO DO THAT, SO - HERE WE ARE.
YOU CAN HEAR EVEN MORE INSIGHTS FROM ME ON THESE TOPICS ON MY PODCAST, I TALKED ABOUT THIS IN A RECENT EPISODE! CLICK THE LINK BELOW TO LISTEN ON SPOTIFY
Written By: Danny Matranga, CSCS