Women often start a new fitness plan with the goal of losing fat. If you want to get rid of a few extra pounds – or completely transform your body – it can be difficult to know where to start. Should you jump all in or start slow? What diet should you choose? Is there a specific type of workout that is designed for fat loss? There is no need to get overwhelmed with the seemingly endless amount of information available on fat loss – you can get started by following three basic tips.
Get your mind right
The thoughts you have surrounding dieting, fitness, weight loss, and body image will significantly impact your ability to reach your fat loss goals. Before you start your fat loss and fitness journey, take some time to examine your thought processes. What is your relationship with food? Is it a source of shame or a source of joy? Do you go to food to cope or to celebrate? Have you watched others you love struggle with their weight? Have you tried to lose weight in the past without success? Or, did you lose weight only to gain it back? The thoughts you have surrounding food matter. Fat loss is about more than counting calories or having self-control. Observe your thoughts in relation to food in order to identify the patterns. When you recognize the thought processes that could sabotage your weight loss it will help you fight back against them when they pop into your head.
Pay attention to the way your body is impacted by nutrition
There is not one magic diet that works for everyone. People can have success on a variety of different eating plans. You need to pay attention to your body and tailor your nutrition to the its unique needs. This is called intuitive nutrition. You can experiment with different types of eating and macro ratios to see how your body responds. This type of eating provides flexibility and will not make you feel like you are being deprived from entire categories of food. There are, however, some universal elements to keep in mind when it comes to nutrition: avoid processed foods, drink plenty of water, and always go for the most natural option available. This type of eating requires more thought and preparation but it will provide you with the best fat loss results.
Incorporate strength training into your workout routine
Strength training is the most effective way to boost your fat loss efforts. Strength training builds muscle which, in turn, increases your metabolism. Improving your metabolism will help you lose weight in the short-run and keep it off long-term. Many women believe that cardio is the key to fat loss because it burns the most calories. Cardio does burn calories but your body quickly adapts. This means that it becomes more and more difficult for you to burn significant calories with the same amount of cardio. Too much cardio can even slow down your metabolism by causing your body to think it needs to conserve energy. A workout routine that is based on strength training is the best type of workout that a woman (or man) can do to lose fat.
Examining your relationship with food and paying attention to the way that nutrition impacts your body are two important elements of changing how you approach food and nutrition. And, when you add strength training to your improved eating habits you will start to see results in the form of fat loss and improved overall fitness.