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©Becky Fox http://www.foxfitness.com P a g e | 1
7 Fat Loss Secrets Revealed:
Essential Steps to Reaching a Fit, Toned Body
©Becky Fox http://www.foxfitness.com P a g e | 2
Introduction
Want to know how to instantly look slimmer? Stand up nice and tall, roll your shoulders back, stick your chest
out slightly, suck your belly in a little, and bam! You instantly look 5 lbs leaner! Ok so that only gets you so far.
Whether you have 5 pounds or 100 pounds to lose, fat loss is fat loss, and you’re going to have to change
something you are doing already to get that extra weight off.
Losing fat can be a struggle. Have you tried diets with little success? Do you start at the gym motivated to lose
the weight only to quit going two weeks later? Well then you’re not alone. Weight loss can be a struggle and
with so much contradictory information out there it can be difficult to know exactly what to do to get the best
and fastest results. Luckily, I love to help people lose weight quickly and effectively so you don’t have to be
confused anymore.
My Story
I’ve been there too. Yes, even I started carrying around some extra fat and I was even a personal trainer at the
time. About 3 years ago, when I had already been training for 2 years, I started to realize I was getting fatter
and not really looking the part. I worked out sporadically and sometimes weeks would go by without a
workout, even though I was in the gym most of the day. The problem was that I was spending all my time
focusing on growing my training business and not on myself, just like you probably often do with your career
or family. I knew things needed to change.
So, I started making exercise and eating healthy a priority. Not only did I lose 19 pounds, but I also entered a
figure competition in 2008 to really get in the best shape ever. I was no longer embarrassed to be seen in a
bikini or sexy dress. I decided my health and fitness had to be a priority or I’d just keep growing, and I was not
about to buy a bigger jean size!
©Becky Fox http://www.foxfitness.com P a g e | 3
Becky Before in 2007 Becky After in 2008
So if you’re ready to start burning the fat and getting in shape you’ve come to the right place. The tips you will
read in this book will get you headed down the right path in no time. All it requires is a few small changes to
your diet and exercise plan that will rev up that metabolism and turn you into a fat burning machine.
Sorry, I must warn you that there are no diet pills or magic solutions here. No crazy fitness gadgets and no fad
diets. So if that’s what you are looking for then this is NOT for you. The approach here is all about a lifestyle
change. Something you plan to maintain for a lifetime to stay fit and healthy, so it is very doable and realistic.
True weight loss will take some time, but doesn’t have to take forever if you do it right. Generally 1-2 lbs of
FAT loss a week is going to be a healthy weight loss and going to be permanent!
So start making these changes today, not tomorrow, not next week. The sooner you start, the faster you will
reach your goals and the sooner these changes will become habits. Trust me the work will be well worth it
when those clothes are loser and that stomach is flat!
©Becky Fox http://www.foxfitness.com P a g e | 4
Part 1: Exercise
This book will cover both exercise and nutrition and both are very important when reaching your weight loss
goals. First, we’ll focus on exercise. Exercise is important as it helps to boost your metabolism and burns fat off
your body. It’s an integral part of your fat burning program so keep reading to learn about these three exercise
secrets to start burning fat.
Say good-bye to marathon cardio sessions. Try interval training.
We’re all busy, and squeezing a workout in can be tough. Good news: You don’t have to spend hours working
out on that boring cardio machine to drop the pounds. Yes, this means no more hour long cardio sessions on
the treadmill. Instead, start picking up the pace, work a little harder, and burn more calories in less time.
Interval training is a great way to do this!
I always use interval training in my programs. I love it because it burns a lot of fat and boosts your metabolism
in the least amount of time possible. Essentially, interval training is mixing high intensity bursts of exercise with
moderate bursts of exercise, known as recovery periods. Think sprinting vs. jogging. It is designed to get your
heart rate soaring and thus is something that is generally done for a shorter period of time, often only 20-30
minutes. Hey it will wear you out quickly but is well worth it to reach you fat loss goals.
Intervals can be completed for any type of cardio based exercise or equipment including running, jump roping,
biking, elliptical, swimming, etc…What you want to do is mix in intervals of a higher intensity with intervals of a
lower intensity. Intervals are short and can be a structured in a variety of ways and all depends on your fitness
level.
©Becky Fox http://www.foxfitness.com P a g e | 5
The best way to look at is on a scale of 1-10. A level 1 is easy, or not difficult at all, and 10 is really difficult. This
is your perception of how hard you are working based on how you feel and your heart rate, not a level on the
machine. So first determine what your general intensity level is when you exercise. Let’s say it’s a 5. So level 5
is a comfortable exertion for you and is a level you can maintain for 30-45 minutes. During your high intensity
burst of interval training you should be working harder than this, say at level 6 or 7. During your moderate
burst you will work at your normal level or slightly lower (4 or 5) depending on how you feel. The idea here is
to recover so you can continue to work hard through that next high interval burst.
The amount of time for intervals can vary slightly. Starting out you will want to have a longer recovery period.
You may start with 1-2 minutes of high intensity activity and 2-3 minutes of moderate activity. Or you can
shoot for shorter intervals of a minute each or even longer up to 3 minutes. Just play around with it and
change it up from time to time to get variety out of your workouts.
Also, to increase the intensity you can either increase your speed or increase the resistance or incline. So this
means picking up the speed (treadmill: increase speed, bike/elliptical: pedal faster) or adding an incline or
increasing the resistance. Or you can combine the two. Often on an elliptical I will bump up the resistance and
make an effort to pedal a little bit faster during that high intensity phase.
Below is an example workout that can be applied to your current cardio routine to really bump up the burn:
Minutes Level RPE
0-5 Warm-up Easy
Intensity
4
5-7 Moderate Intensity 5
7-8 Sprint or Increase
Incline for Hard
Intensity
6-8
8-9 Moderate
Intensity/Recovery
5
9-25 Repeat Minutes 7-9 6-8
25-30 Cool-Down Easy
Intensity
4
©Becky Fox http://www.foxfitness.com P a g e | 6
Strength training is just as important at cardio training.
Don’t ever neglect strength training. EVER! And no you’re not going to bulk up like a bodybuilder. It’s just not
that easy. Actually you will burn fat faster in less time and get a lean, toned appearance. So get the idea out of
your head that strength training is somehow bad and only reserved for bodybuilders.
Strength training adds muscle. Muscle burns more calories. Thus adding muscle increases your metabolism and
helps your body to burn more fat. So if you aren’t incorporating strength training into your workout routine
you need to start now.
Strength training includes using weights, medicine balls, bands, weight machine, or even bodyweight exercises.
Essentially anything that adds some resistance and causes you to work those muscles. Examples of exercises
include squats, lunges, bicep curls, tricep dips, shoulder presses, rows, push-ups, crunches, and more.
I encourage people to incorporate strength training at least 2-3 times per week and focus on working all body
parts, including arms, chest, back, abs, and legs. The key is to finding a variety of exercises and to not get stuck
in a rut doing the same routine over and over again. And make sure you are working hard enough to feel the
burn!
A little tip too for your strength training routine: Stop spending a minute between every exercise doing
absolutely nothing or 5 minutes talking to your neighbor. This is just going to cause you to be in the gym longer
as well as cause you to burn less calories since you aren’t keeping your heart rate up long enough. Instead
circuit train! What is this you ask…Essentially I’m telling you to keep moving. Don’t just sit on a machine until
your next set, instead do something else in between.
©Becky Fox http://www.foxfitness.com P a g e | 7
For example, you may start with squats, then go right into push-ups, then to lunges, and finally some bicep
curls. Next, repeat that whole sequence so you complete 2-3 sets of the same exercises. While your legs
recover, you work your upper body. Now doesn’t that sound much more efficient than doing some squats,
waiting a minute, doing some squats, waiting a minute, doing some push-ups, waiting a minute… Ok I think
you get the idea. You do not take breaks in-between each one. Instead, you keep going so your heart rate stays
up which causes you to burn lots of calories and save a lot of time. You get the same moves and results but in
less time.
Now I understand you may need to catch your breath once in awhile, and that’s ok. Just do it when you have
to, not every set. The goal here is to do as much as you can in the shortest amount of time possible!
Burn lots of fat by being more active everyday.
You can burn a lot of extra calories everyday by just making an effort to get off your butt once in awhile. Now
make sure to still include your regular cardio and strength training routines, but use general activity to help
shed the pounds even faster, especially on those days where you are super busy and getting to the gym is not
a possibility. Here are some tips to be more active every day and burn those extra calories for quicker weight
loss.
©Becky Fox http://www.foxfitness.com P a g e | 8
Walking
If you have kids, invest in a good jogging stroller and go for a walk. All kids love going for walks, and the both of
you will benefit from the fresh air and changing scenery. If you have a dog that needs walking, take him along,
this way you all get out of the house and you are accomplishing multiple tasks at once.
If you work outside of the home, invest in a good pair of comfortable walking shoes to keep at your desk and
take a stroll around the block during your lunch break instead of sitting in the break room. Double the fun by
asking a co-worker to join you, and you can enjoy a relaxing conversation to get your mind off work while you
burn off calories.
At the grocery store, instead of driving in circles around the lot looking for an open space up close to the front,
park farther away and walk the extra distance. It might not seem like a lot of exercise, but every extra step you
take each day helps.
Climbing stairs
When you’re at the mall or out running errands, take the stairs instead of the escalator. Walking up stairs is
great for your legs and calves and can burn loads of extra calories than using the elevator.
©Becky Fox http://www.foxfitness.com P a g e | 9
While watching TV
Make it a point during the commercials of your show to get up and do some crunches or jumping jacks,
because really who wants to sit there and watch the commercials anyway? It’s really a great time to squeeze in
a short burst of exercise every ten to fifteen minutes at night. Or even better, put your treadmill or elliptical in
the living room and watch your show while doing your cardio!
At the office
If you work in an office for a regular eight-hour day, it’s important to take breaks for yourself, because nobody
wants to sit in front of their computer for that long, and sitting still for such long periods of time is not healthy.
Stretch your legs out under your desk. Stand up and stretch your hands over your head and arch your back.
When you get a few minutes break, stand up and do calf raises right there in your cubicle. Not only will you be
getting a few minutes of exercise in, but you will your blood flowing back through your butt and thighs, a great
thing if you’re sitting for hours on end.
Everything adds up
The little five and ten minute bursts of exercise here and there might not seem like a lot, but when you start
adding up the walk around the block at lunch, the calf raises during your first break, and the twists in the
bathroom during the office break, you’ll realize, surprisingly, that you’ve just added up thirty minutes of
exercise all still during your workday!
The great news is that each one of those five minute increments could burn around twenty-five calories. I
know it doesn’t sound like much, but over the course of an entire day that could lead up to two hundred and
twenty-five calories. Over the course of a week that’s a half a pound without taking much extra time out of
your day! So why don’t you top it off with two 20 minute weight workouts a week and a few extra cardio
sessions and there’s an extra 1000 or so calories in your week. Ultimately, all those little bouts of activity are
going to add up over the long run, so you’ve got to look at it more than the “oh, 5 minutes isn’t going to do
anything for me” attitude, because you can achieve weight loss in the long run if you constantly make an effort
to incorporate mini bouts of exercise into your routine every day.
Part 2: Nutrition
If you want to lose weight and look great you’ve got to start cleaning up that diet. Although, exercise is an
important part of the fat loss equation, nutrition is just as important, if not more. So start watching what you
put in your mouth and you’ll notice amazing results.
Don’t skip breakfast.
People who skip breakfast are more likely to be fat, so don’t be one of those people. Breakfast is a great way
to get your metabolism started so you start your day off right burning fat from the get-go! So be sure to kick
your day off right. If you’re not used to eating breakfast I know this can be tough, but start small. A protein
©Becky Fox http://www.foxfitness.com P a g e | 10
shake or protein bar may be a good start until you get used to eating breakfast and then you may actually
wake up hungry which will make it easier to eat.
Here’s a simple solution: just get up fifteen minutes early or eat your meal in the car on your way to work!
After a full night of sleep, your body needs to be fed to start your day and to have more energy. Forget the
coffee and muffins from the café around the corner, which are usually loaded with sugar, fat, and are hardly
better than a piece of cake. Rather opt for a true balanced and healthy meal that will jump start your
metabolism and give you the energy to get through your morning.
Plan ahead for breakfast by keeping simple, healthy foods stocked in your cupboards.
Quick breakfast ideas
• Low-fat yogurt sprinkled with uncooked oatmeal and ground flax seed and a few hardboiled eggs
• Oatmeal with low-fat or fat-free milk, or soy-based beverage and berries
• A slice of whole-wheat toast with a thin spread of natural peanut or almond butter or fresh fruit
• Fruit smoothie made with frozen fruit, low-fat yogurt, and low-fat milk. You can also add a scoop of
protein powder.
• High-fiber, low-sugar cereal with low-fat milk (keeping to portion sizes, not filling your bowl!)
Track what you eat with a food diary.
Research has shown that individuals that keep a food diary on a regular basis lose more weight and lose it
quicker! So using a food diary can be a great tool for weight loss and I would recommend starting right away.
Your food diary doesn’t have to be anything fancy. It could simply be a notebook or a journal you buy at the
store. There are also many online programs that are available such as Fitday.com that are helpful when
tracking what you’re eating. Find something that works for you and that will be easy for you to track
everything.
When keeping your food diary it’s important to stay consistent. Writing down everything you eat for only two
days out of the week is not going to be very helpful. Instead strive to write down everything for at least 5-6
©Becky Fox http://www.foxfitness.com P a g e | 11
days that week. And be sure to go over it later. Analyze what’s healthy and what’ not, and do some research if
you’re not sure. Start making choices to cut out the stuff that’s not healthy and replace them with whole fruits,
veggies, grains, lean meat, and lowfat dairy.
Here a few more tips to keeping that food diary:
Write as you go. Don’t wait until the end of the day or even worse the next day to write down what you’ve
eaten. It’s easy to forget all the little things you munch on during the day.
Write down everything, and I mean EVERYTHING. This includes a single Hershey’s kiss you stole from your co-
workers desk or that glass of soda someone offered to you at lunch. All these little things add up and could be
what’s hindering your weight loss efforts without you even realizing it.
Watch those portion sizes. Write down your portion sizes so you know how much you are eating. And if you’re
not sure what a portion size is then start measuring foods with measuring cups or using a food scale. You’ll be
amazed at what a portion size really is once you start learning more about it, and you may be even surprised at
how much you are really eating.
And for the best success show your food log to someone else. The accountability will be a huge factor in
keeping you on track. Yes, I know it may be rather embarrassing at first, but trust me, you’re really going to
think twice about eating that pint of Ben and Jerry’s ice cream knowing that your best friend, spouse, or
personal trainer is going to be looking at your food log next week.
Eat more often to keep the fat burning oven on.
Would you like to boost your metabolism and burn more calories with one easy step? How can you really turn
down burning more calories, and thus increasing fat loss. Well the solution is eating small meals throughout
the day. Only eating one meal a day is not an effective weight loss program. This actually has the opposite
©Becky Fox http://www.foxfitness.com P a g e | 12
effect: it tells your body to slow down your metabolism and store fat! A big no-no for weight loss. By eating
more often your blood sugar levels remain stable giving you lots of energy and helping you to avoid
overeating. It also boosts your metabolism and kicks your body into fat burning mode.
Eating breakfast is a great start, but make sure the next meal isn't dinner ten hours later. To lose weight, you
must fuel the fire every few hours and never let yourself get hungry. Yes, I said never! You do want to look
fantastic right? Rather eat small meals, usually 5-6 per day every 2-4 hours. Now your metabolism will stayed
revved so you'll burn more calories while sitting at your desk and you'll have much more energy throughout
the day. Yes, you will burn more calories while sitting on your butt.
Now be mindful of your portion sizes. Just because you eat more often doesn’t mean you want to eat a bunch
more food. Moderation is the key. Eating too much of the wrong thing will certainly make you fat, but eating
too much food, even if it’s healthy will make you fat too. So focus on eating SMALL meals every time you eat
and these small meals will be enough to keep you energized and full throughout the entire day. And you’ll
actually find that when you start eating super healthy foods, it’s harder to eat too many calories because most
of the food selections are so lean.
Furthermore, by eating more often your blood sugar will remain stable so you don't end up binging later in the
day because you are so hungry you'll eat just about anything. Remember, these are small meals or snacks, not
a huge unbutton your pants meal. So it's important to eat every 3-4 hours starting with breakfast, followed
with a mid-morning snack, lunch, an afternoon snack, dinner, and even a late night snack if you are hungry
before bed. Don't worry that late night snack won't turn to fat, unless of course, you're eating a bag of Doritos
and weren't hungry in the first place.
Now start eating small meals everyday and you'll see those pounds start to melt off. This technique will go a
long way when you're trying to maximize your fat loss efforts.
©Becky Fox http://www.foxfitness.com P a g e | 13
Get the idea of “diet” out of your mind and start picking the right foods.
We all know that cookies, doughnuts, candy, and soda are bad for us, but what about all those other millions
of foods that are found on the shelf? Yeah a lot of them are junk too. All those boxed and frozen foods are
often loaded with chemicals, fat, sugars, and salts. All of which only help to increase your waistline.
And did you know that drinking just one can of soda a day can lead to an extra 10 pounds every year. Uck,
what a waste of calories!
So instead, stick with whole fresh foods whenever possible, many of which can be found around the perimeter
of the store. This includes loading up on fruits and veggies, lean meat or fish, nuts, seeds, whole grains, low fat
dairy, and water.
Stick with the basics. Some healthy foods I suggest are:
Fresh Veggies
Sweet potatoes
Green Beans
Broccoli
Spinach
Dark, Leafy Greens
Peppers
Fruits
Berries
Apples
Bananas
Cantaloupe
Plums
Whole Grains
100% Whole Grain Bread or Tortillas
Brown Rice
Whole Grain Pasta
Quinoa
Oatmeal
Lean Meats
Chicken Breast
Turkey Breast
Lean Ground Beef
Sirloin Steak
Fish such as salmon, tilapia, or tuna fish
Eggs
Healthy Fats
Nut Butter
Almonds
Olive or Coconut Oil
Sunflower Seeds
Italian Dressing