Summer is approaching and with it comes tons of packed gyms weeks prior to the weather breaking. Here in NJ where I am, the weather is still fighting to keep winter alive but hints of warmer temperatures are slowly breaking through in small spurts. It's just a matter of time before those small spurts turn into full blown heat waves so you know I had to hook you up with a few tricks used by body builders to help you drop a few pounds fast and trick the body into achieving results faster for a quick way to get fit for the summer season.
CYCLE YOUR CARBS
You don't need to cut out all pasta and bread to drop unwanted weight. You just need to time your carbohydrate intake more effectively. Enter carb cycling. It's a simple concept: Boost your carb intake on the days you exercise and cut back on carbs on the days you do not.
Carbohydrate cycling may be a wiser approach than straight low-carb dieting because it will allow you to maintain a higher metabolic rate over time while providing the muscle glycogen needed to fuel intense exercise.
Stick with complex, high-protein carbs such as beans and quinoa, plus vegetables and limited fruits.
INCREASE YOUR PROTEIN
Protein is a great appetite suppressant and help tame hunger pangs so increase your diet to include more protein and less carbs. Protein has a higher Thermic effect than carbohydrates or dietary fats, which means that you net fewer calories overall because protein costs more energy to digest. What exactly is a Thermic effect?
- Protein: 20-35% of calories burned through processing
- Carbohydrates: 5-15% of calories burned through processing
- Fats: 0-5% of calories burned through processing
To put this in tangible terms, if you eat 200 calories worth of protein, your body will use between 40 and 70 of them in digestion. The most common estimate for the total thermic effect of food is around 10 percent of your total caloric intake, but as your protein intake increases so does this number.
TRANSITION TO INTERVAL TRAINING
Kick-start fat loss with intervals! Skip steady-state cardio and alternate between periods of all-out intensity and low-intensity recovery. This form of cardio will have you burning up calories at lightning speed for hours after the workout session is over.Try integrating interval training into your workout 1-2 times each week. Start with 30 seconds of intense activity, followed by 60 seconds or low-intensity recovery, for 15-20 minutes.
ADD SOME CAFFEINE
Do you know a heavy coffee drinker (black coffee) who is overweight? Heavy coffee drinkers tend to eat less because coffee is an appetite suppressant and the caffeine not only boosts your energy level, giving you that extra jolt of energy needed to dominate intense workouts, but, according to a study by "Obesity Research," high caffeine intake is correlated with increased weight loss and fat oxidation and reduced fat-storing hormones in women.
ADD COCONUT OIL TO YOUR DIET
Of all the fats, coconut oil is the only one to have thermic effect similar to protein. Just eating it helps your body burn more calories! Coconut also contains medium-chain triglycerides, which can be immediately used as an energy source in your body, enhancing total body fat loss results.
DRINK THREE CUPS OF GREEN TEA DAILY
Consider swapping out that afternoon coffee or soda for something healthier. Antioxidant-rich green tea not only helps ward off disease, but people who consume three or more cups daily have been shown to have higher metabolic rates over time.
DRINK WHEY PROTEIN DAILY
Not all proteins are created equal. A study published in the British Journal of Nutrition found that, when it comes to satiety, whey has the upper hand. Consider making a post-workout whey protein shake or adding unflavored whey protein to a greens smoothie for an afternoon snack.
SPRINKLE ON THE CAYENNE PEPPER
Your spice pantry can be crucial to your weight loss quest.
Cayenne pepper contains a compound called capsaicin, which will help elevate your metabolic rate for a few hours after consumption.
Add it whenever you can to the meals you serve up.
BANISH SUGARY DRINKS
There's a reason water should take center stage when it comes to what you're drinking: sugar-laden beverages will crush your fat-loss goals. The extra calories and sky-rocketing sugar content are a fast track to weight gain.
Consume a couple of cans of pop a day and you can rest assured that your calorie intake will be higher than it should. Sugar also spikes your insulin, which stops your body's use of fat for fuel.
START WITH SOUP
Broth-based soups are excellent for hunger control and for decreasing your total calorie consumption. Make them appetizers before any big meal. If they're loaded with vegetables, they'll also help increase your total daily fiber and antioxidant intake—all great things for a fat-loss dieter.
EAT MORE BEANS
When it comes to weight loss, beans are boss. Beans are a slow-digesting source of complex carbohydrates that are high in fiber, rich in protein, and guaranteed to keep you full.
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