Fat Loss Cheat Sheet

Fat loss can be hard, we got you.

Read through this cheat sheet and bookmark it to your "favorites" tab for a quick refresher.

1) STAY IN A DEFICIT

The main thing to remember when you're trying to lose fat is that you NEED TO BE IN A DEFICIT! You can't expect to lose weight if you're eating more calories than you're burning.

Start off with cutting calories by 500 per day and adjust from there. 

If you are eating more calories than you're burning, your body is being kicked into what's called a surplus. 

Side note: a surplus has advantages if your are purposely using it to build mass. If you're blindly in a surplus, those extra calories are being stored as fat.

Get the fine details here: "How Long Does it Take to Lose Excess Belly Fat"

2) EAT A HIGH PROTEIN DIET

Vital for overall health and wellness, high protein diets have been consistently successful in reducing body fat.

High protein diets involve getting more than 20% of your total daily calories from protein.

QUICK FACTS ON HIGH PROTEIN DIETS + FAT LOSS

• Protein increases thermogenesis to boost metabolism and burn fat.
• Protein has a higher thermic effect than carbohydrates.
• Protein enhances satiety by reducing Ghrelin, the "hunger hormone".
• Protein increases peptide YY to reduce appetite.

Read more about "Why High Protein Diets Work for Fat Loss, Muscle Building, and Longevity".

3) STRENGTH TRAIN

Lifting weights, weight training, strength training, resistance training...call it what you like, but make sure to pick up heavy shit 3-5x per week.

Why?

Strength training burns more calories than cardio and can keep your metabolism elevated for up to 38 hours after training. Aka, your body will keep burning calories 38 hours post-resistance training and increase your energy expenditure.

Use compound movements to hit multiple muscle groups in a single movement.

• Barbell Squats
• Deadlifts
• Bench Press
• Pull-Ups

Learn more about strength and conditioning here!

4) SLEEP

Stop listening to those self-made hustlers that tell you sleep is for the weak. If you're training hard, you need sleep to recover both mentally and physically.

If you're trying to lose fat, sleep is your friend, here's why:

• Just ONE night of poor sleep can increase calorie consumption by 559.
• Four nights of poor sleep can boost insulin resistance by 16% with a domino effect of increasing blood sugar levels.
• Habitual short sleep cycles, less than 8 hours a night, are associated with higher Ghrelin (the hunger hormone that increases appetite) and less Leptin (the natural appetite suppressant hormone).

If you love your sleep this should be no problem. If you're on the struggle bus when it comes to falling and staying asleep, get "6 Actionable Steps to Better Sleep" and start snoozing.

5) DAILY MOVEMENT

Get off your ass and move! You're trying to lose fat for christ's sake!

Yes, we said to lift heavy 3-5x a week, but you also need to get that body moving!

Here are the best fat loss workouts s that incorporate cardio and resistance:

• Kettlebell Training
• EMOMS
• AMRAPS
• HIIT
• Sprints

Aside from these vigorous workouts, shoot for at least 10,000 steps per day to keep you in a deficit.

Get more workouts here.

6) STAY HYDRATED

...with water and electrolytes.

Your body needs water for proper digestion and metabolism, without enough it won't be able to function properly in order to lose fat.

Replace sugar-filled beverages with water.

Some perspective:

• 1 12 oz. can of Coke has 140 calories and 39g of added sugars.
• 1 11.5 oz. bottle of Simply Lemonade has 160 calories and 38g of added sugars.
• 1 16 oz. bottle of Snapple Peach Tea has 160 calories and 39g of added sugars.

On the flip side, water has 0 calories and 0 sugars.

If you're one of those that hate water (side note; how can you hate water??) use lemon, mint leaves, or fresh fruits to add flavor.

7) CUT ALCOHOL

The more you drink, the fatter you get.

It's science.

Excessive alcohol increases visceral fat aka belly fat!!

The absolute opposite of what this article is about.

If you're serious about fat loss, you'll cut alcohol completely until hitting your goals.

8) CUT JUNK

Eliminate junk from your home, workspace, car, and wherever you may find yourself sneaking a snack. If you remove junk foods and snacks from your common areas, you won't eat them.

If you do snack, make sure to account for them in your diet plan.

Here are great snack options:

• Jerky
• High Protein Yogurt
• Fresh Fruit
• Fresh Vegetable Sticks
• Protein Shakes

9) UTILIZE SUPPLEMENTS

Supplements should be the icing on the cake.

Meaning you shouldn't rely on them, but you can use them to your benefit.

Here are our top supplements to help with fat loss!

PRE: Clean energy from natural caffeine to supercharger workouts.

BCAA: Plant-based BCAAs support muscles and aid in weight loss.

PROTEIN: Use protein powder to increase protein intake, fill in diet gaps, or as a quick and protein-packed snack.

BURN: A clean formula of natural thermogenics that increases metabolism, reduces appetite, and burns stubborn fat.

Remember, supplements should be a bonus. Make sure you're diet consists of nutrient-dense whole foods.

10) MAKE A COMMITMENT

Our last word of advice is to make a commitment to yourself.

You're never going to lose the fat if you aren't committed to the process and hard work.

If you fall off the wagon one day, get back on it immediately.

Don't wallow in guilt, get over it and start again the next day!