Tag: Diet
Flex Lewis Reveals His Workout, Diet & Recovery Secrets
Legendary bodybuilder Flex Lewis dominated the IFBB Pro League Men’s 212 division with his insanely jacked arm muscle development. Although he moved on from professional competition years ago, he remains connected with the community as a respected figure. In a recent interview with Escaped Fitness, Lewis revealed the secrets to his workout plan, diet, and recovery process.
Flex Lewis grew up with a passion for sports playing rugby in his teenage years. He got inspired to start bodybuilding after coming across Golden Era bodybuilder Tom Platz and the iconic Arnold Schwarzenegger. He emerged as a budding prospect after taking home the top prize in his debut show at the 2003 Jr. Mr. Wales. After the division’s weight limit got increased by 10 pounds, Lewis secured his maiden 212 Mr. Olympia title in 2012. He proved to be a commanding victor as he racked up seven wins in a row. He decided to move on after a final win at the 2018 Mr. Olympia.
Following a decorated career, Lewis continued to train hard in the gym. He embarked on a mission to downsize his enormous build and live a healthier lifestyle. In Nov. 2022, he teamed up with rising Men’s Open sensation Andrew Jacked for a brutal quads workout. The experienced Welsh mentored Jacked again in an upper body training session a week later in prep for the 2022 Mr. Olympia.
Earlier this year, Flex left the fans stunned with an impressive physique update boasting his jacked frame. He laid out the new diet and training plan he utilized to pack on a few pounds after dropping down by around 60 pounds in body weight.
Flex Lewis / Instagram
Considering the impressive package Lewis maintained, there has been speculation about a potential comeback. While he appeared to be content on the sidelines, Lewis revealed he could return on stage if he was offered a seven-figure payday two months ago.
Flex Lewis provided fans with three of his best movements for muscle growth targeting triceps last month. Then, he joined forces with iconic Strongman Eddie Hall for a sleeve-busting arms workout.
Flex Lewis reveals training secrets
In a recent YouTube video, Flex Lewis shared the keys to his training philosophy. Having trained under coach Neil ‘Yoda’ Hill, Lewis utilized Hill’s Y3T training or Yoda-3 Training. He explained the ins and outs of the training plan.
“It’s Neill’s. It’s Y3T so you order three training,” said Lewis. “It’s basically three different weeks; week one, two, and three. Week one is heavy compound lower reps. Week two is kind of like a hybrid of the third week, rep ranges on the second week goes up a little bit higher. On the third week, it kinda answers number two, is high reps, drop sets, super sets so every single week you get a different stimulus and then you repeat it all over again. That’s something Neill was doing way before it became something and I was like Neill, why isn’t this got a name? I just made a name for it and called it three weeks here, your name’s Yoda, Y3T. He was like I like that. That was it.
“We’ve been doing it since I was 19 so it’s nothing that was created, this was something that was just put a name to.”
Being a high-volume athlete, Lewis shared the number of sets he likes to perform in training and the part he enjoys working out the most.
“I do between 20 and 24 sets per body part. Workouts are an hour to an hour and a half. I would train one body part per day. Arms would be combined or separated. My last training system was Sunday legs, Monday morning hamstrings, a couple hours later chest and back. I’d have two days off a week, Wednesday was one and then on Thursday I’d do shoulders, Friday arms, Saturday off.”
“My weakest one is chest. It’s the most stubborn body part I’ve suffered with my whole career and my favorite part to train.”
Lewis opens up on his current diet
Flex Lewis further gave fans a look into his current diet plans, consisting of low carbs and clean sources of nutrition.
“I get up in the morning around 4:30, do my cardio, I won’t eat my first meal until about nine and that first meal is eggs, bacon, and olive oil. I don’t have any carbs. If I have carbs, I feel by the time I get to the gym and I stack in on calls and trying to do things, I feel foggy like I’m mentally not there. I don’t get that way if I don’t eat carbs. Normally my second carb meal is around about 12 o’clock. I’ll eat that a couple hours later. I got a little over a cup with some steak and some asparagus.
“I then have three or fours hours later some salmon. I have a wide diverse of meats, different protein sources, and then before bed I have the same meal as what I woke up on. I try not to go to bed with carbs. I sleep a lot better, I’m 60 pounds lighter than I was so that helps too.”
“But the diet elements of it I eat very clean. The bacon is what it is but it’s very lean cut. I use fats in a lot of my meals like good fats. I’m a big believer in that too for brain function and with the weekends, I have whatever I want. Not all throughout the weekends. I still have structure, same breakfast, and still go to bed with the same meal.”
He recommended creatine as a non-negotiable supplement for any athlete.
“I think creatine has a big part in any athlete’s gym bag. They should be supplementing creatine. In my peak, I was probably taking about 10-15g a day predominantly around my workout.”
Flex Lewis talks recovery & announces body transformation challenge
Lewis declared his ambitions to level up his fitness for his upcoming 40th birthday.
“I’m going to be doing a ‘Fit for 40,’ not the theme I’m going to be calling it but I’m turning 40 in November so I want to be in the best shape I can be physically, mentally, and cardiovascularly than I’ve ever been. We start that in June and there’s going to be a periodic following of sorts documenting different things.
“A little bit of bodybuilding training, strongman training, and UFC guys, a couple of things mixed in and I think it’d be just a good journey to follow.”
He stressed the importance of recovery and offered some techniques he used to boost healing.
“Recovery was something that I really started putting more and more into for the Olympia preps. I got two torn shoulders, micro tears in different parts of the body. I was having Physical Therapy five times a week.
“Recovery for me, I was in excruciating pain. I couldn’t sleep at night. Then I started looking into different things. I invested into a bed one of these systematic beds. I also sleep to this day, I bought a pregnancy pillow, the big U, so I sleep in this pillow on my back.”
“Right now, I’ve got things like cold plunge in my house, a sauna that’s on the way.”
Flex Lewis retired at the top. He believes he could have become the first two-division champion in bodybuilding had he moved up to the Men’s Open class as a 212 Olympia king. He opened up on his steroid use and revealed how he still gets people trying to convince him to return last month. Then, he collaborated with reigning four-time Classic Physique Olympia winner Chris Bumstead for a challenging back workout.
Based on Lewis’ track record, his latest offering will certainly add clarity and value to fitness enthusiasts who want to improve their performance in the gym.
You can watch the full video below.
Published: 4 June, 2023 | 3:10 PM EDT
How To Lose 5 Pounds in a Month: 15 Healthy and Effective Tips To Lose The Flab
There is a big event coming up (it could be a much-deserved vacation at a beach resort, a wedding, or a photoshoot), and you want to shed a few pounds quickly to look dapper. Most of us find ourselves in such situations quite often, but let’s be honest, how many of us end up achieving our objective?
I can’t say about you, but I can do it ten out of ten times. No, I’m not bragging; okay, I’m bragging a little bit, but I digress. The point is that I don’t have a magic potion that helps me shed weight overnight. I follow a tried and tested approach that allows me to drop weight on demand.
In this article, I share everything you need to know to lose weight as quickly as possible while staying healthy. You’ll also learn about the science behind weight loss and what is possible on a long-term weight loss program. We’ve got a lot to cover, so let’s get started.
How Much Weight Should I Expect To Lose in a Month?
Many people never achieve their weight loss goals because of their unrealistic expectations. On the other hand, many folks do not know what to expect. If you join a gym with the vague goal of ‘losing weight,’ you will most likely be unsatisfied with your progress. Conversely, exercisers that aim to ‘lose 15 pounds in a month’ will crash and burn.
Your transformation objective should be SMART (specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound). You should be able to throw concrete numbers at whosoever asks you about your transformation goals. For example, losing 5 pounds in a month ticks all the right boxes. It is specific, measurable, relevant, and time-bound. However, is it attainable? Let’s find out.
The Science of Weight Loss
To lose weight, you must be in a calorie deficit, meaning you must burn more calories in a day than you consume. Of course, there are other things that you must consider for a successful weight loss journey, for example, eating nutrient-dense whole foods and avoiding empty calories or eating refined calories, and adhering to a suitable macronutrient split. But maintaining a calorie deficit (calories in vs. calories out) is the most crucial factor when it comes to weight loss.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), cutting your daily calorie intake by 500-1,000 kcal can help you shed 1-2 pounds weekly. On the flip side, adding 500-1,000 calories to your diet will result in a 1-2 pounds weekly gain.
As per the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), a 3,500-calorie deficit results in a body fat loss of one pound. Sticking to these calorie increases and cutting limits will keep your physique transformation journey gradual, steady, and sustainable. [1][2]
Going by the CDC guidelines, your goal of losing 5 pounds in a month is attainable and safe. Furthermore, a month technically has 4.3 weeks (30 days). To lose 5 pounds in a month, you need to cut approximately 583 calories from your daily diet, which is absolutely doable.
Weight loss not only improves your physique aesthetics but also boosts energy levels, enhances self-confidence, and improves mental health and overall well-being.
How To Find How Many Calories To Cut From Your Diet To Lose 5 Pounds in a Month
Here is the step-by-step process of determining your calorie intake goal to lose 5 pounds in a month:
Find Your Daily Average Calorie Goal
There are two ways of doing this:
1. Use a TDEE Calculator
Total daily energy expenditure estimates how many calories your body burns daily by accounting for three major contributing factors: your basal metabolic rate (BMR), your activity level, and the thermic effect of food metabolism.
Don’t worry; you don’t have to buy a scientific calculator to determine your TDEE. Use our neat TDEE calculator to determine how many calories you need daily for optimal functioning.
2. Find Out Your Daily Average Calorie Intake For Five Days
The TDEE calculator requires your gender, age, weight, height, activity levels, and body fat percentage (optional) to calculate the calories you need in a day. However, many people do not find it reliable, as no calculator can account for your lifestyle.
Alternatively, you could go the manual route and do all the hard work yourself. For this step, you will need a calorie-tracking app, such as MyFitnessPal. You must log your daily food intake for five days in the app.
Ensure that you are logging meals for typical days. Avoid recording meals and snacks on days when you’re out partying.
Take an average of these five days; this will be your average daily caloric intake, which accounts for your lifestyle.
Cut Calories
After determining your average daily caloric intake, deduct 583 calories to enter a calorie deficit. Remember, this is a generic recommendation, and your exact calorie reduction will depend on your lifestyle. People dealing with medical issues should consult a healthcare provider before starting a transformation program.
Also, this calorie cut is optimal for folks that consume more than 2,000 calories daily. Individuals that eat fewer calories than 2,000 should opt for a smaller daily calorie deficit, as it will ensure a more stable fat loss progress and prevent excess muscle loss.
You can enter a deficit by cutting calories, exercising, or combining the two. We recommend adjusting your diet and starting an exercise regimen, as it will get you faster results.
Weight Loss Timelines
Once people learn about what is possible in a month, they want to know what they can achieve long-term by sticking to the 500-1,000 daily calorie deficit. This section answers just that. Here are the weight loss estimates and timelines for up to a year based on the CDC weight-loss guidelines:
Time
Expect Weight Loss Results
1 Day
0.14–0.28 pounds
1 Week
1–2 pounds
1 Month
4–8 pounds
3 Months
12–24 pounds
6 Months
24–48 pounds
12 Months
48–96 pounds
Factors That Determine If You Can Lose 5 Pounds in a Month
No two people will have the same weight loss results by following the same fitness regimen. For example, your training partner might lose the required 5 pounds in a month by cutting 583 calories from your diet, whereas you might only manage 4 pounds.
Multiple factors can influence your weight loss progress. You can tweak some of these factors but must make peace with the others. Here are the factors that affect your weight loss progress:
Experience Level
Your training and dieting experience will influence how much weight you can lose in a month. People that are just starting their fitness journey shouldn’t expect to lose 5 pounds in their first month. Your body needs some time to adjust to your diet routine before you can see the needle budge in the right direction.
Beginners hit the weight loss sweet spot within a couple of months of starting their transformation journey. However, once you get the knack of things and have successfully dropped 5 pounds in a month, you will have no problems replicating the results in the future.
Gender
Men usually shed body weight and fat faster than females. It is primarily because of the male sex hormone — testosterone. Low testosterone levels are also the reason women cannot gain the same amount of muscle mass as men.
Furthermore, the essential body fat storage in men is 2–5%, whereas it is 10–13% for the ladies. The essential body fat is required to maintain life and reproductive functions. That said, females can still attain a shredded physique quickly by following the correct training and diet regimen.
Metabolism
Metabolism is how your body changes food and drink into energy. The energy generated through metabolism powers essential body functions, such as breathing and digestion. Your body needs a minimum amount of calories to carry out these functions, known as the basic metabolic rate (BMR).
Your age, sex, muscle mass, and physical activity determine your BMR. Some people have a higher metabolic rate than others, which helps them burn more calories throughout the day. Regular exercise to build muscle mass can help boost your metabolic rate.
Age
The natural testosterone levels in men and women decline with age, which can slow down their weight loss progress. Your metabolic rate also declines with age, which further hampers your fat loss progress.
Furthermore, we tend to lose muscle mass with age. Greater muscle mass helps you burn more calories throughout the day, even when you are physically inactive. The dip in the metabolic rate will require you to work harder to achieve a calorie deficit.
Genetics
Your genetic makeup will determine how you react to your training regimen and how quickly you lose weight. Some people will lose weight faster than others simply because they are genetically blessed.
However, people who are not born with Greek god genetics do not need to hang their heads. Your genetics might slow down your weight loss progress, but it won’t stop you dead in your tracks.
Your unique genetics is also why you should always use a personalized diet and training regimen. Following a cookie-cutter training regimen or using your best friend’s fitness program will return suboptimal results and can lead to strength and muscle imbalances.
Training, Nutrition, and Recovery Program
These three are the holy trifecta for losing weight and building muscle mass. To achieve your dream physique, you must follow a customized diet, training, and recovery program. We recommend working with a personal trainer and a registered dietician to help design your transformation program.
A personal trainer can give you a workout regimen that fits your strengths and weaknesses. He can also build a solid physical foundation by teaching you the correct exercise form. A dietician will provide you with a suitable nutrition regimen that will help speed up your weight loss progress.
Remember, you don’t have to do everything on your own in a transformation program. Seeking a professional’s help can save you a lot of time, energy, and frustration. Hiring coaches might cost you some money upfront, but it will pay dividends in the long run.
Consistency
Consistency, dedication, and commitment are implacable in a transformation program. You must be consistent with your diet, training, and recovery routine to ensure you lose 5 pounds in a month. You might get through your first one-month fitness regimen without much friction, but if you want to continue your weight loss progress, you must adopt military-like discipline.
15 Tips To Lose 5 Pounds in a Month
Many people adopt fad diets, such as the boiled egg diet and the cabbage soup diet, for quick weight loss. These diets promise mind-boggling results in a short period. However, they have little to no scientific research backing them. Following these fad diets or other obnoxious weight loss methods can lead to chronic health conditions.
In this article, we go over 15 tips that will help you lose 5 pounds in a month safely and steadily. Plus, unlike in the case of extreme weight loss methods, the weight you lose by following these tips won’t return as quickly as it came off.
Without any further ado, here are the 15 tips that will help you lose 5 pounds in a month:
Fix Your Diet
If you are dealing with excess weight, chances are that your diet is out of place. A weight loss program must always begin with fixing your diet. You must enter a calorie deficit to kickstart your weight loss journey.
Determine your average daily calorie intake and deduct a suitable amount of calories to lose weight. You must cut 583 calories from your daily intake to lose 5 pounds in a month.
After arriving at a daily calorie intake goal, you must use a suitable macronutrient split to shed the excess weight and develop a chiseled physique. Plan and prep your meals in advance so you don’t find yourself scrolling through your favorite fast food restaurant’s menu while you are starving.
Eat Protein and Fiber Rich Foods
Following a high-protein and high-fiber diet can help you lose weight quickly. A high-protein diet will help you build muscle. Muscle mass is more metabolically active than fat, meaning it requires more calories to sustain itself. People with higher muscle mass have a higher BMR and burn more calories throughout the day.
Eating fiber-rich foods can speed up your weight loss progress as it will keep you feeling satiated for longer, a quality it shares with protein. Furthermore, it improves your gut health and slows down your digestion.
You must switch to a moderate-carb and low-fat diet on a weight loss program. However, eating carbs two to three hours before a training session will ensure you have enough energy to crush the workout.
Track Your Calories
Losing weight requires you to be in a calorie deficit. You must track your food intake to ensure you are maintaining a calorie shortfall. Using rough estimates isn’t going to cut it. Eating one extra bread slice can disrupt your weight loss progress if you are not careful.
Get in the habit of logging your meals in a calorie-tracking app to stay on top of your diet. Folks that eat the same meals daily can stop logging them after ensuring they are in a deficit by recording their meals for at least a week.
Try Fasting
Fasting is an excellent weight loss method. Beginners can use intermittent fasting to achieve their goal of losing 5 pounds in a month. Intermittent fasting involves cycling between voluntary fasting and non-fasting over a given period.
The 16/8 method is the most common intermittent fasting protocol. It requires you to fast for 16 hours in a day and meet your daily caloric needs within the remaining eight hours. You could also use more advanced IF methods such as OMAD (one meal a day) and ADF (alternate-day fasting).
Intermittent fasting focuses on eating within a particular period. It doesn’t restrict your food choices. Nonetheless, you should avoid junk food and get your calories through nutrient-dense whole foods while fasting to ensure optimal results.
Eat Nutrient-Dense Whole Foods
Consuming 2,000-2,500 calories is extremely easy if you consume a soda and a burger daily. However, it requires considerable effort when limiting yourself to whole foods.
Whole foods are packed with nutrients that will help you achieve your weight loss goals. Refined foods digest quickly and lead to more cravings. On the flip side, whole foods keep you feeling satiated for longer, which will keep you from snacking on junk food throughout the day.
Add Cardio To Your Weight Loss Routine
Although working out is not mandatory in a weight loss program, exercising can help speed up your progress by boosting your calorie expenditure and putting you in a deficit. Since one month is a short time, you should ideally do two daily cardio sessions for optimal results.
The first cardio workout will be a 30-45 minute low-intensity steady state (LISS) session on an empty stomach first thing in the morning. Perform a 15-20 minute high-intensity interval training (HIIT) cardio session after your weight training session in the evening.
Many people despise cardio as they find it boring. If you are one of these people, you could spice up your training program by incorporating different equipment into your training regimen. Furthermore, you could switch training intensity and intervals to spice things up.
Avoid Liquid Calories
Most people lose track of their calorie intake while consuming liquid calories in the form of carbonated soft drinks. These can also cause blood sugar spikes and crashes, leaving you feeling tired and drained. During your weight loss program, you must also limit energy drinks and fruit juices.
Instead, you should opt for metabolism-boosting beverages such as green tea. Remember, water is the only beverage you need. Drinking a couple of glasses of water whenever you crave an energy drink or a sugar-laden beverage will curb your urges.
Capitalize on HIIT Resistance Training
You shouldn’t limit your HIIT workouts to cardio sessions. HIIT resistance training workouts can help fast-track your weight loss progress by improving your metabolism. They can also improve your physique aesthetics by toning your muscles.
A HIIT strength training workout lasts 15-30 minutes, making it a perfect fit for people with a packed schedule. Since most HIIT resistance workouts require minimal equipment, you could do them in your garage gym.
Cut Out Cheat Meals
Although losing 5 pounds in a month is possible, safe, and sustainable, it won’t be a walk in the park. You must stick to your guns for 30 days to achieve the desired results.
Most people consume anywhere between 500-1,000 extra calories in a single cheat meal. Burning these excess calories can take up to an additional week. Since we are on a tight deadline, you must cut out cheat meals on this program. You will sacrifice four cheat meals, but the results will be worth it.
Focus on Your Recovery
Sleep seven to eight hours each night to give your body enough time to rest and recuperate. You build muscle mass and shed weight while sleeping. Sleeping four to six hours each night doesn’t allow your body appropriate time to work its magic.
Use self-myofascial release, cold plunges, and weekly massages to improve your recovery. Plus, do not hold back from taking a day off from training if you feel sore and tired. Learn to listen to your body.
Avoid Alcohol
Alcohol is a no-go if you want to lose 5 pounds in a month. It is a source of empty calories, makes you retain fluid, shuts down your digestive system, and disrupts your sleep, which can hamper your recovery.
Alcohol increases your appetite, which is why folks tend to overeat while sipping their favorite drink. It can also lead to dehydration and decrease your exercise performance. Just like fast food, you must cut out alcohol for 30 days to achieve your weight loss objective.
Hydrate
Drinking water throughout the day can help you avoid dehydration. Furthermore, it can improve your metabolism, regulate your appetite, boost your training performance, flush out toxins, and improve your digestion. Drink at least a gallon of water daily to ensure optimal body function and performance and lose 5 pounds quickly.
Follow an Active Lifestyle
A sedentary lifestyle is one of the biggest reasons behind weight gain. Staying active throughout the day improves your metabolic rate, helping you burn more calories. Become more active by being mindful of your choices. Take the stairs, bike to work, and use a standing desk for work.
Control Your Stress Levels
Your body release cortisol whenever you are under stress. Cortisol and adrenaline are the stress hormones that make you hold onto excess fat. Use relaxing activities like yoga, meditation, reading, or listening to calming music whenever you are stressed. Seek a medical professional’s help if you are dealing with chronic stress.
Find Your Support System
It is your friends and family’s fault if you cannot achieve your weight loss goal in the desired time. No, I am just kidding. But really, your near and dear ones, directly or indirectly, play a vital role in your transformation journey.
You must find a support system that helps and motivates you on your transformation journey. Surround yourself with people who are trying to lose weight and can understand what you are going through.
Keep yourself accountable by sharing your goals and progress with your friends, family, and coaches. It will keep you motivated and push you to achieve your objectives. It might also push others to join you, which is a win-win for everyone involved.
Note: The content on Fitness Volt is for informative purposes only and should not be taken as medical advice to diagnose, prevent, or treat health problems. If you’re suffering from a health issue, are pregnant, or are under 18 years old, you should consult your physician before starting any new supplement, nutrition, or fitness routine.
Wrapping Up
Losing 5 pounds in a month might sound like a gargantuan ask for newbies. It might sound impossible and borderline offensive. However, you must not let this big goal stun you. All you need to do is take that first step.
Start by limiting your portion sizes or cutting out the soda from your lunch, and with this, you’ll have taken the first step toward losing 5 pounds. You don’t have to adhere to all the 15 steps mentioned in this article at once for a successful weight loss campaign.
Begin with making one small change and steadily incorporate other steps until the first pound comes off. After that, it is all about doubling down on your strengths, and you’ll achieve your goal before the 30 days are up. Now, go, get it, tiger!
Related:
References
Wishnofsky M. CALCULATION OF DIETS. JAMA. 1957;163(5):384–385. doi:10.1001/jama.1957.02970400056024
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2021). Losing Weight. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/healthyweight/losing_weight/index.html
How to Lose Upper Body Fat
Losing fat can be a slow and frustrating process. Whatever diet or exercise routine you use, the results can never come quickly enough. It’s even harder to lose fat from specific areas of your body, such as your lower abs or thighs.
That’s because spot reduction, or losing fat from one area of your body, is impossible. Your body stores fat randomly and globally and burns it much the same way.
That’s not to say you can’t lose fat from your upper body. It’s just that you’ll need to lose it from the rest of your body at the same time. Sadly, when it comes to losing fat, you cannot target just your upper body.
That said, most people need to lose fat from all over, even if they mostly care about one particular body part. Lowering your overall body fat percentage will have the most significant possible impact on how you look, feel, and perform.
In this guide, we reveal the exercise, diet, and lifestyle strategies you need to use to lose fat from your upper body, midsection, and legs.
What Causes Upper Body Fat
Body fat, or, more scientifically, adipose tissue, is caused by several factors, including diet, lifestyle, and physical activity. But, in simple terms, you gain body fat when you consume more calories than you burn. This is called a calorie or energy surplus.
It’s estimated that a pound of body fat is equal to 3,500 calories, so if you eat 500 more calories than you need per day, you’ll gain about one pound of fat per week (seven days x 500 calories = 3,500/one pound).
Now, it’s important to understand that thermodynamics seldom works this precisely, and things like the rate of calorie storage vs. intake vary from person to person. However, it’s unequivocal that overeating, consuming too much junk food, and/or being too sedentary will lead to body fat accumulation and weight gain. High stress levels, too little sleep, certain medications, and genetics can also increase the risk of weight and fat gain.
As previously mentioned, your body stores fat globally, i.e., all over. Some people store more fat in their upper bodies, while others accumulate it in their abdomens or legs. Fat deposition is primarily the result of genetics and, as such, is something you cannot control or change.
The good news is that no matter where your body stores fat, you can eliminate it with diet and exercise. It might not go from where you want initially. But stick to your fat loss plan, and eventually, it’ll go from the places you want to lose it.
Fat Loss Basics
The best way to lose fat and keep it off is to make exercise and healthy eating habitual. Taking positive daily action for many weeks and months will produce better results than crash diets and extreme workout plans that only last a few days.
While workouts that promise to burn 1000 calories can lead to weight loss, the chances are that you won’t be able to maintain such an intense training program for long. The same is true for crash diets, where you only eat a few hundred calories a day. Hunger and cravings are inevitable, and it won’t be long until you cheat or quit your diet.
As such, it’s generally best to adopt a more moderate and enjoyable exercise program and combine it with a sensible diet.
So, forget about things like trying to lose 30 pounds in 30 days and, instead, settle in for the long haul and plan on losing 1-2 pounds a week. This will be far more enjoyable and sustainable, and your chances of success will be exponentially higher.
There are three key components to losing weight and keeping it off – all of which are outlined below.
1. Create a Calorie Deficit
Body fat is stored energy, and the only way to burn that energy is to create a calorie deficit. This means reducing your food intake to below maintenance level. For example, if you need to eat 2,500 calories to maintain your current weight, eating 2,000 would create a 500-calorie deficit. This will force your body to start burning fat for fuel.
It’s generally recommended that you should avoid reducing your calorie intake more than 1000 calories below maintenance. In fact, most people should aim for a 500-calorie-per-day deficit.
There are several ways to create a calorie deficit, including:
Eating smaller meals
Eating fewer meals or missing meals entirely, i.e., intermittent fasting
Eating less fat and fewer high-fat foods
Eliminating certain foods or food groups, e.g., cutting out junk food or carbs
Cutting out alcohol
Replacing high-calorie foods and meals with lower-calorie alternatives
However, any interventions MUST be sustainable. There is no point in starving yourself for a week only to overeat the next. Instead, whatever changes you make must stick, so you can continue doing them for as long as it takes to reach your goal weight or body fat percentage.
In terms of what you should eat to lose fat, this actually isn’t all that important, provided you reduce your calorie intake. However, weight loss is invariably easier when you eat natural, wholesome foods as they tend to be more filling and lower in calories than processed and junk foods.
For example, a typical small cookie contains 60 calories, whereas an apple also has about 60 calories. Needless to say, one cookie is never enough, but very few people feel like eating more than one apple.
Nutrient and fiber-rich foods digest more slowly and help keep you feeling fuller for longer. They also release their energy more smoothly, so you should experience fewer energy dips and cravings. They’re healthier, too, and a healthy body is better at burning fat.
The final thing to remember is that food is one of life’s great pleasures, so you should enjoy what you eat. If you hate your meals or they make you feel unwell, you have a readymade excuse for quitting your diet. Make sure you are comfortable with your dietary interventions, so you can stick with them for as long as necessary.
Use this calculator to determine your ideal calorie deficit for weight loss.
2. Develop A Sustainable Workout Routine
Cutting calories from your diet is only one way to create a caloric deficit. Exercise and general physical activity can also help you to go “overdrawn at the calorie bank.”
Firstly, let’s talk about exercise…
While it is possible to lose weight and burn fat without exercise, it’s much easier with it. In fact, numerous studies suggest that exercise plus diet is much more effective for weight loss than diet or exercise alone [1]. It’s a case of one plus one equals three!
Exercise serves several purposes for fat-burning and weight loss:
Increased caloric expenditure
All types of exercise burn calories at an accelerated rate. Exercising several times per week means you’ll create a more significant weekly calorie deficit. The bigger the calorie debt, the more fat you’ll burn and weight you’ll lose.
For example, let’s say you adjust your diet and create a 500-calorie-per-day deficit, which leads to a one pound per week weight loss. However, you also exercise four times a week, burning an additional 2,000 calories (a not unreasonable 500 calories per workout).
This adds up to a deficit of 5,500 calories, or about 1.57 pounds. Needless to say, this is a significant improvement over what can be achieved with diet alone.
Preservation of muscle mass and resting metabolism
It’s common to lose a little muscle as you lose fat. This causes a reduction in your basal metabolic rate, which is the number of calories you expend during 24 hours at rest. The last thing you want is to burn fewer calories, as doing so will make weight loss even slower.
Exercise, especially strength training, helps preserve muscle mass, reducing the risk of any metabolic slowdown.
This is because your body operates on a system of “use it or lose it.” By engaging in activities that challenge your muscles, your body is less likely to allow them to waste away, knowing it will need them for future workouts.
In addition, losing fat and muscle together can leave you skinny fat. Sure, you’ll be slimmer, but your body will be soft and weak. You’ll look good in clothes, but much less so in your bathing suit.
For this reason, exercisers who want to lose fat should engage in cardio AND strength training for best results.
Focus on your problem areas
While there are no specific exercises or workouts that target upper body fat – spot reduction being a fitness myth – that doesn’t mean that upper body training is a waste of time.
In contrast, it can be very valuable.
Upper body strength training lets you focus on any weak, soft muscles you want to tone up. You may even want to increase muscle size. Developing your upper body means that, as the fat starts to come off, what’s left will look healthy and athletic.
You can work on your chest, shoulders, upper back, core, and arms with strength training. However, don’t neglect your legs, as lower-body training burns more calories and is just as important as your upper body.
Increased dietary latitude
Eating less is one of the most important things you can do for weight loss. However, relying solely on a diet means you’ll have to be very strict with what you do and don’t eat. You may even have to reduce your caloric intake so much that you often feel hungry.
While being hungry is expected on a weight-loss diet, it can wear you down and eat away at your willpower, making it harder to maintain your reduced-calorie diet.
Adding exercise into the mix means you won’t have to slash your food intake so aggressively. You can eat a little more and still lose weight. You can even increase your exercise volume so you can enjoy eating foods that might otherwise derail your progress.
That’s not to say exercise gives you a license to cheat on your diet. However, it does earn you a little more latitude, so you can afford to relax from time to time.
In terms of how much and what type of exercise you should do, that’s up for debate. Some people swear by cardio, while others are fans of strength training. Some experts say you must exercise daily, while others recommend just 3-4 weekly workouts.
Ultimately, it’s up to you to choose activities you enjoy and a training frequency you can stick to. For example, if you only have time for three workouts a week, then that will have to suffice. But if you enjoy working out daily, then by all means, do so.
However, combining strength training with cardio is probably the best approach for most exercisers.
3. Lifestyle Factors
While the food you eat and your workouts will probably have the biggest impact on your weight loss and fat-burning success, certain aspects of your lifestyle can also be very influential.
Avoid sabotaging your hard work in the gym and the kitchen by paying attention to the following lifestyle factors:
Sleep
Poor sleep is often linked to weight gain and difficulty losing weight [2]. Not getting the recommended 7-9 hours of sleep per night can rob you of the energy you need to work out, lower your motivation and willpower, increase hunger levels, prime your body for fat storage rather than fat burning, increase cravings, and interfere with blood glucose and insulin levels.
Many people view sleep as a luxury when, in reality, it’s one of the best things you can do for your fitness and mental and physical health. Getting more sleep is usually a matter of going to bed earlier.
You can read more about the importance of sleep for fat loss and muscle gain here.
Stress
Stress is part and parcel of modern life, but too much can lead to weight gain and make fat loss harder than it needs to be. Prolonged stress causes a chronic increase in cortisol levels, a hormone that causes muscle breakdown. Losing muscle lowers your basal metabolic rate and, therefore, your fat-burning potential.
Stress also causes a rise in blood glucose, essentially putting the brakes on fat burning and priming your body for fat storage.
Constant stress also reduces your energy and willpower, and who hasn’t eaten junk food or drunk alcohol in response to stress?
Needless to say, lowering your stress levels can help make losing weight easier. Ways to reduce your stress levels include:
Guided meditations
Breathing exercises
Spending time in nature
Reading
Warm baths
Moderate exercise
Avoiding perfectionism
Better time management
Learning to delegate
Having a morning routine
Cutting down on caffeine and alcohol
Getting enough sleep
Physical activity
Exercise is only one way to burn more calories per day. Non-exercise physical activity (NEPA) also increases your daily caloric expenditure.
Many people are largely sedentary. Even if you exercise five hours a week if you have an office job, drive to and from work, enjoy passive hobbies, and don’t have kids or pets, you may not do enough physical activity to lose weight.
More and more of us earn a living in front of a computer screen. We drive to and from work, get our food delivered, watch TV to relax, and play our sports on game consoles. It’s easy to go several days without doing any meaningful physical activity.
Needless to say, this makes it much harder to lose weight and burn fat.
So, look for ways to inject your life with more movement. Anything that gets you up off your butt and moving your body will increase your caloric expenditure. Examples include:
None of these activities are particularly tiring, so you should have no problem doing plenty of them each day. In fact, if you do enough NEPA, your need for exercise is significantly lower. In fact, you could burn an additional 1000 calories a day just by staying busy:
Activity
Duration
Calories burned (male)
Calories burned (female)
Cleaning gutters
30 minutes
174–249
108–198
Cleaning or sweeping
1 hour
156–228
126–80
Moderate walking
60 minutes
348–498
276–396
Shoveling snow
30 minutes
183–264
147–210
Washing dishes
30 minutes
87–126
69–90
Total
3.5 hours
948–1,365
726–1,074
Try setting the alarm on your watch to sound every hour or so to remind you to get up and move. Even a few minutes will help, and done often enough could add up to several hours of calorie-burning non-exercise physical activity each day.
How to Lose Upper Body Fat – FAQs
Do you have a question about losing upper body fat or weight loss in general? No problem, because we’ve got the answers!
1. What are the best exercises for burning upper body fat?
Sadly, because spot reduction is a fitness myth, there are no exercises you can do that preferentially burn upper body fat. Fat accumulates globally and is used for fuel in much the same way.
There is no way to predict or influence which body fat stores your body will use first. Some people lose fat from their abdomen first, while others may lose it from their hips and thighs. This is genetic and determined by your hormones.
So, work out and diet for general fat loss, and eventually, that fat will come from your upper body, but this may not happen when or as soon as you want it to.
2. Which diet is better – keto, intermittent fasting, or paleo?
Keto Breakfast fried eggs, salmon, broccoli and microgreen.
Any diet that puts you into a caloric deficit will lead to fat loss, and there are a lot of different diets to choose from. While it’s generally best to avoid very low-calorie crash or fad diets, as they can be impossible to stick to, almost any diet will work, including the aforementioned keto, IF, and paleo.
The key to dietary success is picking a plan you can live with. Not for a week or a month but for as long as it takes to reach your target weight or body fat percentage. So, do some research and see which diet resonates with you.
For example, if you don’t like eating lots of protein and fat, keto is not the plan for you. Similarly, if you like eating three meals plus snacks per day, you’re probably going to hate intermittent fasting.
Alternatively, instead of following an off-the-peg diet, you could create your own healthy eating plan. Check out this guide to find out how.
3. How long does it take to lose upper body fat?
The rate at which you’ll lose fat depends on how much exercise you do and how large your caloric deficit is. For example, if you create a 500-calorie-per-day deficit, you should lose about one pound of fat per week. But, if you double that to 1000 calories per day, you could lose as much as two pounds per week.
However, more significant deficits are usually harder to maintain. Hunger can grind down your willpower and cause you to cheat on your diet. That’s why most experts recommend losing between 1-2 pounds per week.
While this might not sound like a lot, it’ll add up over time, and your progress will be more sustainable. When it comes to losing weight and keeping it off, slow and steady is generally best.
4. Which is better for fat loss – steady-pace cardio or high-intensity interval training?
Broadly speaking, there are two types of cardio – low-intensity steady state (LISS) and high-intensity interval training (HIIT). It’s often said that HIIT is better for fat loss, but this is not necessarily the case.
HIIT workouts burn more calories per minute than LISS, but they tend to be shorter, too. Also, because they’re so darn hard, you may not be able to do them every day.
In contrast, LISS burns fewer calories per minute, but you can go for a long time and potentially do them more often. As such, you may be able to burn more calories using LISS than HIIT.
Ultimately, both workouts can help you lose fat, so try them both and see which you prefer. Alternatively, do HIIT one day and LISS the next to enjoy all the benefits these two different workouts have to offer.
Read more about LISS vs. HIIT cardio here.
5. How can walking help me lose weight?
Walking is arguably one of the easiest ways to accelerate fat loss. It’s low intensity, so you can do lots of it, and it won’t tire you out or take anything away from your more strenuous workouts. In fact, walking can speed up your recovery by increasing general blood flow and flushing away exercise waste and byproducts.
But how much should you do to lose weight? There are a couple of ways to answer this question.
Firstly, you could choose a specific number of calories you want to burn and then determine how much walking you need to hit that goal. Use this calculator to estimate your walking needs.
Alternatively, you could clock up a certain number of steps each day, e.g., 7000, and then see how much weight you’ve lost at the end of the week. Not losing weight fast enough? Increase your step count by 15-20%. Most people can get good results by walking 10-15,000 steps a day.
Related: How to Walk for Fitness and Fat Loss
Finally, you could try incorporating rucking into your workouts. Rucking is walking with a weighted backpack and is arguably the best way to walk for fat loss. You can read more about rucking here.
Regardless, when it comes to deciding how much walking to do for faster fat loss, the answer is usually “do more.” You’ve got nothing to lose but fat.
Related:
How to Lose Upper Body Fat – Closing Thoughts
Sadly, there is no diet, exercise, or workout that preferentially targets upper body fat. Spot reduction is a myth. If spot reduction worked, everyone who did lots of abs training would have a rock-hard ultra-defined six-pack. You only need to look in the abs class at your local gym to see that isn’t the case!
So, instead of trying to burn fat from your upper body, train your body as a single, cohesive unit, and lose it from all over. Combine cardio and strength training with a sensible diet, and you WILL lose fat.
Be patient, let your body do its thing, and eventually, you’ll lose that upper body fat and the fat around your hips, thighs, and abs, too.
References:
Joseph G, Arviv-Eliashiv R, Tesler R. A comparison of diet versus diet + exercise programs for health improvement in middle-aged, overweight women. Women’s Health (Lond). 2020 Jan-Dec;16:1745506520932372. doi: 10.1177/1745506520932372. PMID: 32597335; PMCID: PMC7325539.
Papatriantafyllou E, Efthymiou D, Zoumbaneas E, Popescu CA, Vassilopoulou E. Sleep Deprivation: Effects on Weight Loss and Weight Loss Maintenance. Nutrients. 2022 Apr 8;14(8):1549. doi: 10.3390/nu14081549. PMID: 35458110; PMCID: PMC9031614.
How to Burn 1000 Calories A Day
Burning 1000 calories might sound like a lofty goal, but most people burn 1000 calories every day even if they don’t exercise.
Your Basal Metabolic Rate, or BMR, is the number of calories you burn at rest in 24 hours, and it’s probably higher than 1000 calories. Your BMR is the energy your body uses just to keep functioning.
For example, a 180-pound, 30-year-old man has an estimated BMR of 1814 calories per day, and a 135-pound, 40-year-old woman has a BMR of 1267 calories. Some people may have a BMR of less than 1000, but they tend to be elderly or very small/light.
So, for most folk, it’s actually quite hard NOT to burn at least 1000 calories per day!
So, the real question, and what you probably want to know, is how to burn an EXTRA 1000 calories per day. This increased calorie expenditure could help you lose weight faster.
In this article, we explain why and how to burn 1000 extra calories per day and discuss whether such a challenge is healthy or even necessary.
The main, if not the only, reason to try and burn 1000 extra calories per day is to create a calorie deficit to lose weight and body fat. It’s only by creating a deficit that your force your body to use fat for fuel. No deficit means your body has no reason to use stored fat for energy. Hence, a calorie deficit is critical for fat loss and lowering your body fat percentage.
One pound of excess fat is said to contain 3,500 calories. So, in theory, burning an extra 1000 calories per day means you should lose just under a pound in three days or a little over two pounds per week, which is a good rate of weight loss.
However, for burning 1000 calories to lead to significant weight loss, your calorie intake must match the number of calories needed to maintain your current weight. Otherwise, even burning an additional 1000 calories per day may not help you lose weight.
So, for example, if it takes 2,000 calories to maintain your weight, but you eat 3,000 and burn 1000 through exercise and general physical activity, your weight will remain relatively unchanged.
Use this calculator to determine your maintenance calorie intake, also known as your TDEE or total daily energy expenditure.
It’s also important to note that there is nothing magical or significant about burning 1000 calories. For example, you can achieve weight loss by burning considerably fewer than 1000 calories. However, 600 or 800 don’t make sure a good article headline!
Related: How Many Calories To Eat Per Day Calculator
Burning 1000 extra calories will be easier for some people than others. For example, very fit individuals will be able to burn that much energy in a single workout. In contrast, others will probably need several hours and even all day.
Factors that affect your rate of calorie expenditure include:
Age – younger people tend to have a higher hourly caloric expenditure than older people. Metabolism tends to decrease with age, especially from the sixth decade onward.
Weight – the heavier you are, the more calories you burn per hour. This is true for both fat and muscle weight. Body mass has a significant impact on caloric expenditure.
Gender – men are generally heavier and more muscular than women, so they can potentially burn more calories per hour.
Fitness – the fitter you are, the harder and longer you can exercise, and the more calories you can burn. For example, a competitive runner who can cover 10 miles in one hour can expect to burn close to 1000 calories in a single workout. However, such a feat is well beyond the fitness of a recreational jogger.
Lifestyle – being sedentary, e.g., working in an office, makes it much harder to burn 1000 extra calories compared to someone with a physically demanding job, e.g., manual laborer. The more sedentary you are, the more you’ll have to rely on exercise to burn those surplus calories.
Consistency – while burning 1000 calories could help you lose weight, it’ll only work on the days you actually do it. For example, if you burn an extra 1000 calories per day for a week, you can expect to lose a little over two pounds. But, if you only manage this goal twice a week, you may not even lose one.
Unfortunately, burning an extra 1000 calories can be quite challenging, and doing it every day could be exhausting.
10 Examples of How to Burn 1000 Calories A Day
So, you want to burn 1000 extra calories per day to lose weight faster? Here are some of the ways you can do it. However, you must understand that these are estimates only, and your precise caloric expenditure will depend on your weight, age, gender, etc. Check out our library of calorie calculators to see how much energy different workouts use.
Running
Running burns an average of 10-15 calories per mile, depending on how fast you run plus the other factors discussed in the previous session. The great thing about running is that it’s cheap and readily accessible. All you need is a suitable pair of shoes and someone to run.
That said, running is a high-impact activity, and doing too much, especially on asphalt roads, can cause injuries. As such, it may be impractical to burn 1000 calories every day by running.
Here’s a rough guide to the time you’d need to run at various speeds to burn 1,000 calories:
Speed
100-lb. person
150-lb. person
200-lb. person
5 miles per hour
2.8 hours
1.8 hours
1.4 hours
6 miles per hour
2.2 hours
1.5 hours
1.1 hours
7 miles per hour
1.9 hours
1.3 hours
1 hour
8 miles per hour
1.6 hours
1.1 hours
0.8 hours
10 miles per hour
1.4 hours
0.9 hours
0.7 hours
Related: Discover how many calories you will burn during a run with this calculator.
Cycling
Cycling is a low-impact activity, so it’s more joint-friendly than running. However, calorie expenditure is generally lower for cycling than for running, so you’ll need to put in a longer workout to burn 1000 calories. Plus, you’ll also need access to a suitable bike.
Here’s a chart showing how long you’d need to cycle at various speeds to burn 1,000 calories:
Speed
100-lb. person
150-lb. person
200-lb. person
5.5 miles per hour
5.5 hours
3.7 hours
2.8 hours
12–13 miles per hour
2.8 hours
1.8 hours
1.4 hours
16–19 miles per hour
1.8 hours
1.2 hours
0.9 hours
Related: How many calories can you burn during a bike ride? Use this calculator to find out!
Walking
Your calorie expenditure while walking is very low. However, because walking is easy, you can do a lot of it. It’s entirely possible to spend all day walking, covering many miles. The easiest way to track how far you’ve walked is by counting steps.
It’s generally accepted that walking 1000 steps burns around 30-40 calories, so you’ll need to clock up about 25,000 per day to burn 1000 calories. However, the actual number of steps you need to do to burn 1000 calories will depend on your height/stride length.
Related: Use this calculator to determine how far you’ll need to walk to burn 1000 calories.
Rowing
Rowing is a great full-body workout that’s also low-impact, so it’s relatively easy on your joints. Most gyms have rowing machines, and they’re also suitable for home use. You can also row outdoors, although this is a tricky skill to learn without a coach on hand to tell you what to do. Plus, you’ll also need a suitable boat.
There are lots of different workouts you can do on a rower, from ultra-intense Tabata intervals to time trials to easy-paced training, and they’re all great calorie burners.
Rowing for 100 minutes at a moderate pace should burn close to 1000 calories.
Related: Find out how many calories you can burn by rowing here.
CrossFit
A lot of CrossFitters are convinced they can burn over 1000 calories an hour. Unfortunately, this is not usually true. While many CrossFit exercises and workouts have a very high energy cost, they’re too intense to do for more than a few minutes at a time.
As such, you’ll probably spend as much time resting as you do working out when you do CrossFit. Most CrossFit workouts are completed in 10-30 minutes. Needless to say, this will significantly lower your hourly calorie expenditure.
That said, if you can stomach it, doing CrossFit for two non-stop hours will burn about 1000 calories.
Related: See how many calories you can burn doing CrossFit with our easy-to-use calculator.
Swimming
Swimming is arguably one of the best full-body exercises you can do. The water supports your weight, so it’s completely non-impact and very easy on your joints. Whether you do laps in a pool or swim in the sea or a lake, swimming is not just a good workout but is also a life-saving skill.
On the downside, you’ll have to swim fast or far to burn 1000 calories, and some strokes use more energy than others. That said, swimming freestyle for three miles in about 90 minutes should burn 1000 calories.
Related: Use this calculator to estimate how long you’ll need to swim to burn 1000 calories.
Strength training
While cardio is most people’s go-to calorie-burning workout, lifting weights can also be effective. However, like CrossFit, strength training involves as much resting as it does working out, which limits how many calories you can burn. Maximize your caloric intake by focusing on freeweight compound exercises, as they tend to burn the most calories.
Two hours of intense strength training, including calisthenics or bodyweight exercises, should burn about 1000 calories.
Related: Use this calculator to determine more accurately how many calories you can burn lifting weights.
Zumba
Zumba is a dance-based cardio workout that many people enjoy. It involves a mix of high and low-impact movements performed to different styles of music. Like any group exercise class, it’s up to you how hard you work, and it’s possible to cruise and take it easy or go for it and work really hard.
That said, the average person will need to Zumba non-stop for one and three-quarter hours to burn 1000 calories.
Related: Find out how many calories you burn during Zumba here.
Gardening
Gardening might seem like an odd choice of calorie-burning activity, but, like general household chores, it can be pretty energetic. Light digging, planting, trimming, mowing, and carrying all use big muscle groups and plenty of energy. Gardening might not feel like a workout, but it does burn plenty of calories.
The average person will burn 1000 calories during three hours of general gardening.
Related: Discover how many calories you burn while gardening here.
Shopping
Some people LOVE to shop! They enjoy trawling around stores in hunt of bargains or the latest fashions. Invariably, this pursuit involves a lot of walking and a fair bit of carrying, too.
Providing you don’t stop at every coffee shop you come to for a muffin and a cappuccino, it’ll take five hours of shopping to burn an extra 1000 calories.
Related: Find out how many calories you can burn by shopping here.
Contrary to what many influencers and fitness personalities might have you believe, you don’t need to burn 1000 extra calories a day to lose weight. In fact, for many people, doing this on a regular basis may be impractical or even unhealthy.
After all, burning 1000 calories takes a lot of time and effort, and doing it every day could become exhausting. Too much exercise with too few rest days is a recipe for overtraining. This chronic condition can cause aches, pains, and even immune system impairment.
So, instead of trying to burn 1000 extra calories per day, most people find it more practical to eat less AND expend a more moderate number of calories. In studies, combining dietary interventions with exercise has been shown to be more effective for weight loss than diet or exercise alone (1).
For example, instead of creating your 1000-calorie deficit by running for 90 minutes, you could cut 500 calories from your caloric intake, and burn 500 through more modest exercise. The total deficit would be the same, but you’d be less reliant on training to achieve it.
Doing 1000-calorie workouts might make for entertaining social media posts, but for most people, they are impractical and unsustainable.
Also, a 1000-calorie deficit is pretty big, and while it will result in significant weight loss, it may be too large to sustain long-term. In fact, most experts suggest a 500-calorie-per-day deficit, which should be more manageable. So while weight loss will be slower, you won’t have to work as hard, so the chances of quitting are lower.
Exhaustive workouts and extreme diets are usually tough to stick to, even though they can produce rapid weight loss. It doesn’t matter how effective a diet or exercise program is; if you can’t maintain it for as long as it takes to reach your target weight, it’s pretty much useless.
Sustainable diet and workout habits are the best way to lose weight and keep it off.
How to Burn 1000 Calories A Day – FAQs
Do you have a question about burning 1000 calories extra per day or weight and fat loss in general? No problem, because we’ve got the answers!
1. Can I burn 1000 calories in a single workout?
It is entirely possible to burn 1000 calories in a single workout. However, you’ll have to train very hard or for a long time to do it. For example, you can burn 1000 calories by running ten miles, doing two hours of CrossFit, or rowing at a moderate pace for 100 minutes.
However, unless you are a fit, experienced exerciser, you probably won’t be able to do this every day, and any missed workouts will mean no calorie deficit, which could delay weight loss.
For this reason, it’s usually best to combine exercise with a reduced-calorie diet.
Your body burns calories constantly, and most people expend 1000-1500 per day just to stay alive. That said, the more you move, the more calories you burn. As such, you can burn an additional 1000 calories simply by being more active each day.
For most people, this is more manageable and sustainable than doing 1000 calories of exercise. For example, the following activities should take you close to burning 1000 extra calories per day:
Activity
Duration
Calories burned (male)
Calories burned (female)
Cleaning gutters
30 minutes
174–249
108–198
Cleaning or sweeping
1 hour
156–228
126–80
Moderate walking
60 minutes
348–498
276–396
Shoveling snow
30 minutes
183–264
147–210
Washing dishes
30 minutes
87–126
69–90
Total
3.5 hours
948–1,365
726–1,074
Burning 1000 extra calories could help you lose weight, but it might not. It all depends on your diet. For example, if you need to eat 2,000 calories to sustain your weight but eat 3,500, burning 1000 calories will mean you still have a calorie surplus, so you’ll actually gain weight instead of losing it despite your workouts.
However, suppose you lower your food intake to 2,500 and burn an extra 1000 calories. In that case, you’ll create a daily deficit of 500 calories, which should lead to one pound of weight loss per week.
Exercising off 1000 calories is no guarantee of weight loss.
4. What is the highest number of calories burned in one day?
Studies suggest that the maximum number of calories an average human can burn in 24 hours is equal to 4-5 times their Basal Metabolic Rate, or BMR (2). So, if your BMR is 1200 calories, your maximum theoretical daily energy expenditure will fall between 4800 and 6000 calories.
Of course, in extreme athletic events, the participants can burn vast amounts of calories. However, such fitness feats are far beyond most recreational exercises’ reach. For example, ultra-runners can burn 8000-13,000 calories running 100km (62.5 miles), and endurance cyclists can burn 14,000 during a 24-hour bike race.
This is why nutrition is a such a critical part of endurance sports and why athletes still lose weight during very long events despite eating many thousands of calories. It’s almost impossible to consume 10,000 or more calories when running or cycling huge distances.
5. What is the best workout for weight loss?
All types of exercise increase your caloric expenditure, so in theory, any workout can help you lose weight. That said, some workouts burn more calories than others. Caloric expenditure is usually higher when you work out at a high intensity level or for a long time.
This means there is no single best workout for weight loss, and there are lots of options to choose from. Some of the best calorie-burning include:
Ultimately, the best fat loss workout is one you enjoy, can do frequently, and that you can do for long enough to burn the requisite number of calories in a reasonable timeframe.
6. What is the best fat-loss diet?
The best diet for fat loss is the one you can stick to. Not for a week or a month, but for as long as it takes to reach your goal weight or body fat percentage. Unfortunately, some diets are either too strict or too boring for long-term use.
The main thing to look for in a fat-loss diet is that they provide a modest calorie deficit, and you enjoy the foods you’ll be eating. No deficit means no fat loss, and unpleasant foods mean you have a readymade excuse to quit your diet once your initial motivation wears off.
In fact, you may not even need to follow a regimented diet, and can lose fat just by controlling the size of your portions.
Combined with a sensible and sustainable workout regimen, eating less than your maintenance level of calories should result in fat loss.
Closing Thoughts
Burning an extra 1000 calories is entirely possible and may help you lose weight. You can burn these calories through exercise, general physical activity, or a combination of these two things. However, if you eat less, you may not need burn an additional 1000 calories each day. After all, you can create a caloric deficit just through dieting. However, most studies suggest that the combination of diet AND exercise work best.
The bottom line is that developing sustainable eating and exercise habits is almost always the best strategy for long-term weight loss and health. Focusing just on burning 1000 calories means you may be missing the big picture. And, if you are eating too much, even a 1000-calorie workout won’t help you lose weight.
References:
Joseph G, Arviv-Eliashiv R, Tesler R. A comparison of diet versus diet + exercise programs for health improvement in middle-aged, overweight women. Womens Health (Lond). 2020 Jan-Dec;16:1745506520932372. doi: 10.1177/1745506520932372. PMID: 32597335; PMCID: PMC7325539. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7325539/
Thurber C, Dugas LR, Ocobock C, Carlson B, Speakman JR, Pontzer H. Extreme events reveal an alimentary limit on sustained maximal human energy expenditure. Sci Adv. 2019 Jun 5;5(6):eaaw0341. doi: 10.1126/sciadv.aaw0341. PMID: 31183404; PMCID: PMC6551185. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6551185/
Is Rice Good For Weight Loss? — Busting Myths
Rice — a beautiful nutrient-dense grain that is delicious, easy to cook, and a staple food around the world. Depending on their culture, people have rice in their meals throughout the day.
However, there has been much debate about the effects of white rice on your health. Brown rice has emerged as a solid competitor to white rice over the last couple of decades. The comparison has been especially confusing for folks trying to lose weight.
Besides brown and white, rice comes in various shapes, colors, and sizes, which include arborio rice, basmati rice, black rice, bomba rice, jasmine rice, and parboiled rice. However, for the scope of this article, we will stick to white and brown rice.
Interestingly, all white rice starts as brown rice. Brown rice is put through a milling process to increase its shelf life; however, the process removes the rice’s husk, bran, and germ, wiping out much of its nutrition, including fiber, vitamins, and minerals. The white rice is then artificially fortified with nutrients and polished to make them look more palatable.
The Rice Dilemma
If you are a fitness enthusiast, you probably know that rice is a staple in a bodybuilder’s diet, as it is a convenient carbohydrate source to add size during the bulking phase. Knowing this, dieters trying to lose weight sound the alarm when they see rice in their diet regimen.
Unbeknownst to newbie exercisers, as long as the foods you eat are nutrient-dense and healthy and you stay within your daily calorie intake goal, you don’t need to worry about eating a particular food.
This doesn’t end here. How rice is processed also determines its impact on your weight loss journey. Brown rice is minimally processed, whereas, depending on the brand and type, white rice can undergo significant treatment.
With this said, can white rice be used during your weight loss journey? Let’s find out.
White Rice and Brown Rice Nutrition Comparison
One cannot overlook the white and brown rice comparison during a weight loss regimen. Given below is a comparison of brown and white rice and their macronutrient and calorie content:
Nutrient/Type
White Rice (100g)
Brown Rice (100g)
Calories (Kcal)
130
111
Carbohydrates (g)
28
23
Protein (g)
2.7
2.6
Fats (g)
0.3
0.9
Although the difference between brown and white rice’s total calories and macronutrients is insignificant, their overall health impact varies greatly.
A British Medical Journal study found that people who eat high levels of white rice may have an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes. On the flip side, consuming whole-grain foods such as brown rice lower the risk of stroke, heart disease, and type 2 diabetes. These food sources also help lower your cholesterol levels. [1]
Read also: Black Rice vs. Brown Rice: Is One Superior Overall?
Brown and White Rice Glycemic Index (GI) Comparison
The glycemic index represents the relative rise in the blood glucose level two hours after consuming a carbohydrate-containing food. A food is assigned a value of 1-100 depending on its impact on blood sugar levels. [2]
People with diabetes must monitor their carbohydrate intake and the GI score of the foods they consume to ensure they are on top of their health, as these factors can influence your blood sugar levels.
Short-grain white rice has a high GI (70 and above), whereas brown rice has a low GI (around 50). Remember, the GI level can change depending on the type of rice and the manufacturer.
Folks with diabetes should favor brown rice over white rice to keep their condition under check. Remember, whole grains such as brown rice take longer to cook than white rice. Plus, overcooking them can hamper their GI score.
Since white rice is a high GI good, it rapidly dissolves into your bloodstream. White rice consumption leads to a quick increase in blood sugar levels. It can be a point of concern during a weight loss regimen, as it can result in increased hunger and potential overeating. Plus, studies show that diets high in refined grains are linked to more abdominal fat. [3]
Benefits of White Rice for Weight Loss
The advantages of including white rice in your weight loss diet include the following:
Satiety
White rice is rich in carbohydrates. A 100 grams serving of white rice contains 28 grams of carbohydrates, compared to 23 grams of brown rice. White rice can contribute to the feeling of fullness, especially when coupled with a balanced diet that contains a healthy mix of high-protein foods and healthy fats. Feeling full keeps you from snacking on junk food throughout the day.
Versatility
White rice is an incredibly versatile food source. You could have it at any point throughout the day. Furthermore, it goes well with several dishes as a side. Depending on your daily calorie goals, you could easily alter your white rice portion size.
Since cooked rice lasts about four days in the fridge, most people prefer cooking it in bulk, making it incredibly convenient. This convenience also makes your meal prep easier and helps you stick to your diet.
Quick Source of Energy
Since white rice is a high-GI food, they digest quickly and easily in your stomach. The fast absorbability of rice makes it a perfect food for your pre and post-workout meals. Consuming rice before a training session ensures you have enough energy to last a high-intensity training session.
Having white rice after a workout help replenish your glycogen stores and kickstart your recovery. You must ensure you eat your pre-workout meal with rice at least a couple of hours before your training session to give it enough time to digest and avoid nausea or vomiting. On the other hand, you can have a post-workout meal containing rice half an hour after a workout or as soon as you are ready to eat real food. However, you could gulp down a protein shake right after your workout to begin muscle protein synthesis and rebuilding muscle.
Reasons To Choose White Rice Over Brown Rice For Weight Loss
Until now, we have discussed several benefits of brown rice, which is usually the preferred type of rice for folks trying to lose weight. We must, however, also talk about some of its drawbacks for a fair comparison. Here are a few reasons why some people might prefer white rice over brown rice for weight loss:
Brown Rice Contains Antinutrients
Although brown rice has more fiber, antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals than white rice, it also contains antinutrients. Antinutrients are plant compounds that hinder your body’s ability to absorb certain nutrients. It means brown rice might have more of everything, but your body can’t absorb it.
Phytic acid, or phytate, is the antinutrient in brown rice that hinders your body’s ability to absorb iron and zinc from food [4][5]. Eating brown rice in all meals daily can lead to mineral deficiencies over the long term.
Since white rice has no bran, it has less than half of the phytic acid in brown rice. Individuals dealing with iron and zinc deficiencies should switch to white rice for weight loss.
Brown Rice Contains Arsenic
Arsenic, a naturally occurring substance, is found in air, water, and soil and is known to cause cancer. Brown rice generally has a higher content of the toxic heavy metal than white rice. [6]
Arsenic is the most significant chemical contaminant in drinking water globally. Since rice is cultivated in water, it gains a high amount of arsenic. Besides cancer, prolonged consumption of arsenic-laden foods can increase your risk of contracting type 2 diabetes and hypertension. [7]
White rice usually has lower amounts of arsenic than brown rice, as the bran and the germ are removed to make white rice.
Although bran removal results in the reduction of some nutrients in white rice, it also significantly reduces the phytic and arsenic content of the grain, making it a suitable food source for people dealing with certain health conditions.
Tips To Incorporate White Rice Into Your Weight Loss Journey
Although white rice is a high-carbohydrate food that provides energy for the body, the gluten-free food source gets tough competition from brown rice, which has more fiber, antioxidant, vitamin, and mineral content than its processed counterpart.
With that said, you can still eat white rice for weight loss. Make the following adjustments in your diet to accommodate white rice in your shredding regimen:
Include Fiber-Rich Vegetables, Lean Proteins, and Healthy Fats
Since white rice is a processed grain, it lacks fiber, minerals, vitamins, and antioxidants. You must include a healthy amount of vegetables in your diet to make up for these micronutrients. Nutrient-dense vegetables, lean proteins, and healthy fats will ensure you don’t run into nutrient deficiencies associated with a diet heavily reliant on white rice.
Pairing white rice with vegetables, protein, and healthy fats will make your meals more delicious by adding variety to your diet plan. It will also slow your metabolism, helping you stay satiated for longer and promoting overall health and weight management.
Control Portion Sizes
White rice is a calorie-dense food source. In the initial phase of your weight loss journey, you must carefully weigh your food to ensure you are not going over your daily carbohydrate intake goals, as it can ruin your progress.
Using smaller plates, bowls, and spoons can help curb the risk of overeating. Plus, eating balanced meals with a balance of carbs, proteins, and fats can fill you up quickly and keep you satiated for longer.
Mindful Eating To Maintain a Calorie Deficit
A caloric deficit for weight loss. To be in a calorie deficit, you must expend more calories daily than you consume. You could achieve a calorie deficit by eating less than usual, exercising more, or a combination of the two.
Overshooting your daily calorie goal is incredibly easy while eating carb-rich white rice. You must carefully plan your meals to ensure you don’t consume excess calories. Weigh your physical activity levels and metabolic rate while determining an ideal calorie deficit for weight loss.
Balance Your Carbohydrate Sources
Since white rice is a processed carbohydrate source with most of its fiber, vitamins, minerals, and macronutrients removed, you must add other high-quality sources of carbs to your diet to compensate for the nutrient deficiencies.
Quinoa, oats, buckwheat, sweet potato, and of course, brown rice are some nutrient-dense carbohydrate sources that should be a staple in your meals. Further, you should limit your white rice intake to one cup daily to limit your blood sugar level spikes and ensure a balanced macro and micronutrient intake.
Adding multiple carbohydrate sources to your diet will make your diet regimen more interesting by adding variety. Also, there is no harm in using brown and white rice in your diet regimen together. Both types of grains have a distinctive taste, which can help make your diet more appealing.
Avoid Additions
Although we have already established that all rice is not created equal, we must take it a step further; all white rice is not the same. You must avoid white rice dishes with additions that significantly increase your caloric intake. For example, sushi, fried rice, paella, and risotto are a no-go on a weight loss program.
Furthermore, you must also avoid instant rice as they are fully cooked and then dehydrated, which leads to further nutrient degradation. Consider purchasing rice in bulk and cooking enough in a single go to last you 4-5 days.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much rice should you eat during your weight loss journey?
More than half of your daily carbohydrate comes from whole-grain foods, such as oats, quinoa, whole-grain pasta, and bread.
You should limit your white rice intake to one cup of cooked rice daily to reduce your risk of chronic health issues. Plus, you must opt for ‘enriched’ white rice as some nutrients are added back to this type of rice, making it a better fit for your weight loss journey. Also, choose long-grain white rice variants such as basmati and jasmine over short-grain types like arborio rice, as they are less starchy.
Is brown rice best for weight loss?
Brown rice contains more fiber, magnesium, selenium, folate, and manganese than white rice, which makes it a better grain for weight loss than white rice. Nonetheless, you could also use white rice to achieve your weight loss goal, provided you stick to your calorie deficit and eat a balanced diet to meet your macro and micronutrient objectives.
Can you have white rice before a workout?
Since white rice is a processed carbohydrate with a high GI value, it metabolizes into glucose more quickly. You can have a suitable amount of white rice 2-3 hours before a training session to ensure you have enough energy to take you through an intense workout.
Note: The content on Fitness Volt is for informative purposes only and should not be taken as medical advice to diagnose, prevent, or treat health problems. If you’re suffering from a health issue, are pregnant, or are under 18 years old, you should consult your physician before starting any new supplement, nutrition, or fitness routine.
Wrapping Up
Rice comes in different forms. The unprocessed forms are usually brown, beige, or even black in color. On the other hand, processed rice is white. Although white rice has some drawbacks compared to its bran-rich counterpart, such as its high glycemic index, it can still be included in a healthy weight-loss diet when consumed in moderation and paired with nutrient-dense foods like vegetables, lentils, and healthy fats.
Consume white rice before a training session to ensure you have enough energy stores to last a workout. Conversely, having white rice post-workout can ignite your recovery. Remember, since white rice is a processed grain, you must limit your intake to one cup daily to ensure it doesn’t interfere with your weight loss objective.
Finally, factors, including overall calorie intake, portion sizes, physical activity levels, and individual metabolic, play a crucial role in your weight loss journey, and different people react to brown and white rice differently. You must consult a healthcare professional or registered dietitian for personalized guidance on incorporating white rice into your weight loss program.
References
LeWine, H. E., Dr (n.d.). Glycemic index for 60+ foods. Harvard Health Publishing. https://www.health.harvard.edu/diseases-and-conditions/glycemic-index-and-glycemic-load-for-100-foods
Hu EA, Pan A, Malik V, Sun Q. White rice consumption and risk of type 2 diabetes: meta-analysis and systematic review. BMJ. 2012 Mar 15;344:e1454. doi: 10.1136/bmj.e1454. PMID: 22422870; PMCID: PMC3307808.
McKeown NM, Troy LM, Jacques PF, Hoffmann U, O’Donnell CJ, Fox CS. Whole- and refined-grain intakes are differentially associated with abdominal visceral and subcutaneous adiposity in healthy adults: the Framingham Heart Study. Am J Clin Nutr. 2010 Nov;92(5):1165-71. doi: 10.3945/ajcn.2009.29106. Epub 2010 Sep 29. PMID: 20881074; PMCID: PMC2954448.
Saleh ASM, Wang P, Wang N, Yang L, Xiao Z. Brown Rice Versus White Rice: Nutritional Quality, Potential Health Benefits, Development of Food Products, and Preservation Technologies. Compr Rev Food Sci Food Saf. 2019 Jul;18(4):1070-1096. doi: 10.1111/1541-4337.12449. Epub 2019 Jun 4. PMID: 33336992.
Gupta RK, Gangoliya SS, Singh NK. Reduction of phytic acid and enhancement of bioavailable micronutrients in food grains. J Food Sci Technol. 2015 Feb;52(2):676-84. doi: 10.1007/s13197-013-0978-y. Epub 2013 Apr 24. PMID: 25694676; PMCID: PMC4325021.
National Cancer Institute (n.d.). Arsenic. Cancer.gov. https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/causes-prevention/risk/substances/arsenic
Wei Y, Zhu J, Nguyen A. Rice consumption and urinary concentrations of arsenic in US adults. Int J Environ Health Res. 2014;24(5):459-70. doi: 10.1080/09603123.2013.857393. Epub 2013 Nov 18. PMID: 24236891.
Losing 50 Pounds in 6 Months: Tips and Tricks To Achieve Your Weight Loss Goals
Most people join a gym or start dieting to lose weight. However, most of these folks quit the fitness lifestyle before meeting their weight loss objective. There are several reasons for these weight loss lapses.
Failing to set a weight loss goal is one of the biggest reasons most people never make progress. You must have a definite objective and a plan to achieve it before you embark on your fitness journey.
Ask a newbie in your gym about their fitness goal, and they probably reply with ‘lose weight’ or ‘build muscle.’ However, these goals are too vague to set you on the right path. Your fitness goals must be more actionable and specific to push you in the right direction. For example, you must switch from ‘lose weight’ to ‘lose 50 pounds in six months.’ The new goal is specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound.
The new goal gives you the exact amount of weight you must lose in a particular period. Before we go any further, let’s take a step back. Most dieters have no idea what to expect from a weight loss program. They know they need to lose weight but are unsure of what is attainable.
Tell a newbie exerciser that he must lose 50 pounds in six months, and they will look like they’ve seen a ghost. In this article, we will give you 23 tips for losing 50 pounds in six months. Additionally, you’ll learn about how much weight you should aim to lose safely in a given period. There is a lot to cover, so sit tight and read on.
23 Tips For Losing 50 Pounds in Six Months
Losing 50 pounds in 26 weeks might sound impossible to people struggling with weight loss. However, it is entirely possible with the right approach. Here are the 23 tips for weight loss that will help you see the needle budge in the right direction:
Set Realistic Goals
Most people falter on the first step of their weight loss journey as they have no clue about setting an achievable goal. Some people start exercising without a specific goal, whereas others begin with a vague objective.
Your weight loss goal should be realistic, objective, and actionable. Trying to lose too much weight too soon will lead to disappointment, and most people in this category drop off their weight loss journey as they are overwhelmed with the big numbers staring them in their faces.
You must break your main objective into smaller goals to make your weight loss journey less intimidating. Furthermore, checking smaller goals off your list each week will work as positive reinforcement and keep you motivated.
Related: Weight Loss Target Date Calculator
Run a Calorie Deficit
You must enter a calorie deficit to shed excess weight, meaning you have to burn more calories daily than you consume. However, most people have no idea how many calories they should cut out from their diet to lose the spare tire.
It is believed that you can lose a pound weekly if you cut 500 calories from your daily diet. Similarly, reducing 1,000 calories from your diet will help you lose two pounds each week. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends limiting your daily calorie cut to 1,000 kcal to keep your weight loss journey gradual, steady, and sustainable. [1]
Cutting 1,000 calories from your daily diet will help you lose 50 pounds in 25 weeks (2 kcal X 25). Notably, six months roughly consist of 26 weeks, meaning you can safely lose 52 pounds in half a year. This proves that our goal of losing 50 pounds in six months is attainable and safe.
Notably, you don’t have to cut 1,000 calories exclusively from your diet to enter a deficit. If this was the case, losing two pounds every week would be near impossible for folks consuming 2,000-2,500 kcal daily.
To achieve the 1,000-calorie deficit, you should cut 500 calories from your diet and burn the remaining 500 calories through an exercise program. This is why following an effective diet and exercise program is a must for achieving your weight loss goals.
Nutrient-Dense Foods
You must follow a personalized diet program to meet your weight loss goals. Plus, your diet should consist of nutrient-dense whole foods as they are rich in vitamins, minerals, and fiber, which keep you feeling full throughout the day.
Depending on your dietary preferences, your meals should comprise veggies, fruits, grains, non-starchy carbs, and a source of lean protein. Furthermore, you must reduce your sugar intake to limit visceral fat buildup.
Controlling your portion sizes can help ensure you don’t overshoot your calorie intake goals. Invest in a food scale or measuring cups to ensure you eat the correct portions of each food. Additionally, switching to smaller plates and bowls can help curb the risk of overeating.
You must also develop the habit of reading nutrition labels before buying packed foods. It will ensure that you only buy foods that fit your macro goals and stay away from ‘dirty calories.’ Whole foods are generally lower in calories than processed and junk foods, making them a perfect fit for your weight loss journey.
Calculate Your BMR
The role of basal metabolic rate (BMR) is often overlooked in a weight loss program. BMR determines the calories your body needs to accomplish its most basic (basal) life-sustaining functions. BMR is often used interchangeably with resting metabolic rate (RMR).
Your BMR depends on multiple factors, including age, body size, amount of lean muscle tissue, gender, genetics, etc. According to the BMR calculations, a 25-year-old, 180-pound, 5-foot-10-inch male burns 1,910 daily calories when not working out or moving around.
To lose a pound of body weight weekly, this individual will have to cut 500 calories from his diet, meaning he’ll be consuming 1,410 daily calories. Furthermore, if this individual wants to shed an additional pound, he should burn an extra 500 calories during an exercise regimen.
Alternatively, you could determine your average daily calorie intake using a calorie-tracking app, such as MyFitnessPal, by analyzing your calorie intake for the last five days. Once you have your average calorie intake number, deduct 500 calories from your diet by reducing your serving size across all meals or skipping a meal. This will help you lose a pound of body weight weekly.
Remember, everyone is built differently and responds to different stimuli uniquely. Finding the right amount of calories to cut from your daily routine might require some trial and error.
Related: Weight Loss Calculator
Reevaluate Your Macros
Understanding the three macronutrients (carbohydrates, proteins, and fats) is a must for fitness enthusiasts. You must limit your carb and fat intake during a weight loss program and follow a protein-rich diet.
Notably, many people consider carbs their arch-enemies in a weight loss program. However, cutting out carbs entirely from your diet will be a blunder as your body relies on glycogen (which comes from carbohydrates) as its primary energy source.
Minimize the intake of refined carbohydrate foods such as white bread, white rice, pasta, baked goods, sugary drinks, sweets, and junk food. You must consume at least 130 calories daily to maintain your overall health and performance. [2]
According to a study, your macronutrient split should be between fat (40%-20%), carbs (35%-65%), and protein (25%-15%) to promote weight loss. [3]
Exercise
Although exercising is not mandatory on a weight loss program, working out three to six days a week can help speed up your results. A 150-pound individual can burn around 500 calories in about 40 minutes if they maintain a 12-minute mile pace (5 mph).
You must include cardiovascular and strength training into your training regime for optimal weight loss results.
Cardio
Your training sessions should consist of aerobic and anaerobic workouts to optimize weight loss. Furthermore, HIIT workouts (high-intensity interval training) are incredibly effective at burning calories. They are also usually shorter than conventional cardio workouts, making them an excellent fit for people with busy schedules. [4]
Strength Training
Many people leave gains on the table by staying away from the free weight section during their weight loss program. Strength training helps burn calories during a workout and increases your metabolic rate, which enables you to burn more calories throughout the day, even when you’re physically inactive. [5]
Check Out: Calories Burned Running Calculator
Hire a Nutritionist and Personal Trainer
Contrary to what most people think, designing a diet program falls out of the scope of practice for a certified personal trainer. While a personal trainer can help you with a personalized training plan according to your physical fitness levels, limitations, and goals, you must seek a registered nutritionist’s help for a customized diet plan.
You could ask your trainer for a dietitian’s reference. The nutritionist and trainer can work together to streamline your training and recovery program and maximize your output.
You could design a training and diet program on your own; however, it will require significant trial and error. Hiring a nutritionist and trainer can help save you a tremendous amount of time, effort, and money in the long run.
Furthermore, a personal trainer can help you build a solid training foundation by teaching you the correct exercise form, which can lower your risk of injury.
Lifestyle Changes
Your weight loss program should not be limited to your diet and training program. Losing 50 pounds in six months demands a lifestyle change. You must make healthier choices in every aspect. For example, always take the stairs instead of the elevator, eat more vegetables and fruits in each meal, and go to bed on time each night.
You should also clear out all the junk food from your kitchen cupboard. Remember, what is in the cupboard, will eventually end up in your stomach. Minimize the chances of going off track by snacking on junk food.
Furthermore, you must keep moving throughout the day. Schedule a 5-10 minute walk break every couple of hours. Setting a 10,000 daily step goal can push you to walk more throughout the day. Notably, 10,000 daily steps can be a little overwhelming for most people; you could start with a 5,000-step goal and slowly build on it.
Hydrate
Water is your best friend on a fat loss program. During your cardio exercises, you’ll lose a lot of water through sweat, increasing your risk of dehydration. You must drink at least a gallon of water throughout the day to keep yourself hydrated.
It also has several other benefits, such as regulating your body temperature, protecting your tissues, spinal cord, and joints, helping excrete waste through perspiration, urination, and defecation, improving digestion and blood oxygen circulation, boosting cognitive function, and enhancing skin quality.
Furthermore, drinking water throughout the day will keep you feeling satiated, which will reduce your probability of feasting on junk food. You should drink a glass of water before meals when you feel extra hungry, as it will help curb your appetite. [6]
Stay Away From Fad Diets
The fitness community regularly witnesses new fad diets that promise mind-boggling results. Some of these diets include the boiled egg diet and the cabbage soup diet.
Fad diets rapidly gain popularity, but they are equally quick to disappear. Since these diets encourage extreme dietary choices, some people believe that fad diets can help them achieve their weight loss goals faster.
Most fad diets claim extraordinary results; however, they have little to no scientific evidence backing them. Sticking to a fad diet can not only lead you to a weight loss plateau, but it can also cause chronic health issues as these diets comprise restrictive and imbalanced eating patterns, such as eliminating entire food groups or severely limiting calorie intake. Plus, the weight loss achieved through fad diets is often not sustainable.
You must only follow a diet protocol with scientific research supporting it and a proven track record.
Fasting
Fasting is one of the best ways to enter a calorie deficit and lose weight. The rise of intermittent fasting has breathed new life into fasting. Intermittent fasting involves cycling between periods of fasting and eating. [7]
You could choose between several intermittent fasting (IF) protocols depending on your preferences and schedule. The 16/8 method is the most popular IF schedule; it involves fasting for 16 hours daily and eating during the remaining eight hours.
Besides its weight loss benefits, intermittent fasting can improve insulin sensitivity, help fight against chronic inflammation, improve heart health, boost cognitive function and immunity, and reduce the risk of cancer.
In contrast to the typical diet programs that dictate what you should and shouldn’t eat, an intermittent fasting program focuses on your eating schedule. Although your dietary choices aren’t restricted on an IF plan, you should stick to healthy dietary choices to speed up your weight loss progress.
Do Not Starve
In defiance of popular opinion, you aren’t supposed to starve yourself on a weight loss program. Going too harsh on yourself during a diet can lead to developing a negative relationship with food, where you might experience feelings of guilt, shame, anxiety, or fear related to food and eating.
A negative relationship with food can have the opposite effects on your weight loss progress as it can result in a pattern of disordered eating habits such as binge eating, purging, or using food as a coping mechanism for emotional stress. Further, it can have negative consequences on your physical and mental well-being.
Starving can also hamper your performance in physiological and psychological tasks as it can leave you feeling weak, drained, and exhausted throughout the day. Even on a weight loss program, you should eat small but regular meals throughout the day if you are not following a fasting protocol.
Plan Your Meals Ahead of Time
Leaving your meals to chance is a sure-shot way of falling off track on your weight loss journey. If you want to lose 50 pounds in six months, planning at least a week’s worth of meals in advance will help minimize your risk of giving in to cravings and sticking to your diet. It also saves you the stress of coming up with meal ideas on the fly.
Planning your meals helps you meticulously break down your calorie goal into an ideal macro split. On the other hand, if you enter a restaurant feeling insanely hungry, you’ll probably end up ordering the most unhealthy dish on the menu. Remember, you must control your environment and not be controlled by it.
Plus, planning your meals can save time and money by reducing the need for last-minute meal decisions. It allows you to buy your food in bulk, significantly reducing your grocery bill. Not to mention, it also minimizes food wastage.
Reduce Stress
Chronic stress is one of the biggest factors behind weight gain. Stress increases cortisol production in your body, leading to increased body fat stores.
Many people resort to eating unhealthy and binge eating junk food when stressed, leading to a bulging waistline.
If all this isn’t enough, chronic stress increases your appetite and can interfere with your sleep. It can also lead to decreased physical activity, contributing to weight gain and difficulty losing weight.
Exercise, meditation, and yoga are some of the best ways to manage cortisol levels, combat stress, and improve overall health and well-being. Seek a medical professional’s help if you cannot control your stress levels with these three methods.
Supplements
Adding a fat-burning supplement to your routine can help speed up your weight loss progress by increasing your metabolism, suppressing your appetite, boosting the fat-loss process, and blocking dietary fat absorption.
Notably, the effects of a fat-burning supplement can change depending on its ingredients. You must thoroughly analyze a supplement’s ingredients before making a purchase.
Whey protein supplements can boost your metabolism and curb your appetite by keeping you feeling full throughout the day. Furthermore, protein supplements will ensure you don’t lose muscle mass during your weight loss program.
Natural supplements, such as caffeine and green tea extract, can also help expedite your fat loss progress. Plus, caffeine can temporarily boost your metabolism by up to 16% over one to two hours, which can help burn more calories. [8]
You must consult your healthcare provider before starting a new supplement. Also, you should favor natural fat burners over synthetic formulas to ensure safe weight loss and that the weight doesn’t come back on shortly after stopping the supplement.
Cheat Meals
If losing weight was easy, flabs would be a thing of the past. Most people start craving junk food a few days after starting a weight loss diet. When discussing a weight loss diet with a newbie, their first questions usually revolve around permitted weekly cheat meals.
Although six months is a long time, you must stay away from cheat meals to achieve your goals and avoid derailing from your weight loss journey.
Plus, if you do eat a cheat meal, you must account for its calories. Deduct the excess calories you consumed in your cheat meal from your weekly calorie goal. Since eating a cheat meal on this program can be a hassle, we recommend avoiding junk food until you meet your objective. Cheat meals can also increase your cravings as calorie-dense, highly palatable foods can stimulate your brain’s reward centers.
Sleep
Sleeping seven to eight hours gives your body enough time to recuperate, helping you shed excess weight. Getting a good night’s sleep is especially important for exercisers and folks with a hectic schedule.
It is no secret that getting adequate sleep each night can help you wake up feeling fresh and energized. Focusing on your recovery will help you perform better in your workouts and reduce your risk of injury.
Sleep deprivation can increase cravings for unhealthy foods, resulting in overeating and weight gain. There is a high probability that you will end up at your favorite fast-food restaurant for dinner if you are fatigued because of a lack of sleep.
Furthermore, a lack of sleep can spike ghrelin levels (hunger hormone) in your body and decrease leptin levels, which can increase your appetite and make it harder to lose excess weight. Besides the hunger hormones, sleeping for seven to eight hours daily can improve your body’s hormone balance.
Alcohol
Alcohol can be detrimental to your weight loss journey. It is packed with empty calories, meaning alcohol has no nutritional value, and the calories you consume through alcohol will end up as body fat.
Alcohol can increase your appetite. Not only that, it makes it harder to resist unhealthy food choices, leading to overeating. This is one of the reasons why you’ll never see grilled chicken breast as a bestseller in a pub. Fries, pizzas, and beer are a match made in heaven — the unhealthy kind.
Alcohol can also disrupt your sleep, wreaking havoc on your recovery and weight loss progress. Waking up tired can negatively affect your motivation to follow a healthy lifestyle, which can lead you to eat junk food and skip exercising. If losing 50 pounds in six months is a priority for you, you should stay away from alcohol until you meet your weight loss objective.
Track Your Progress
Tracking your fitness progress is underrated. Putting your goals on paper will give you a sense of urgency. Furthermore, most people that track their progress also have detailed daily and weekly action steps to help them achieve their objectives.
You don’t need fancy tech to track your progress. A pen and paper or the notes app on your phone will work wonders. Before starting progress tracking, you must write down your weight loss goal, “lose 50 pounds in six months,” on the first note.
Track all your details, including body weight, body measurements, meals, workouts, weights used, sets, reps, and RPE for each exercise. You can use a calorie-tracking app like MyFitnessPal to count your calories.
Tracking your progress ensures that you are heading in the right direction. It also allows you to steer your ship in the right direction as soon as you find out that you are heading down the right path or if your weight loss progress is unsatisfactory.
Find a Support System
A support system can be a game changer in achieving your physique transformation goals. Most people think exercising is a one-person sport and overlook the importance of a support system.
A supportive system can help you stick to your goals and pick you up when you lack motivation. Your support system can consist of your family and friends. Furthermore, you could also make friends at your gym who can keep you accountable a part of your support system.
Your closest circle plays a crucial role in your transformation journey. If your best friends eat out five days a week and like partying until late, you’ll probably end up giving up on losing 50 pounds in six months.
The right company can help help you achieve your goals by sharing their own experiences and resources, such as healthy recipes and exercise tips.
Consistency
Losing 50 pounds doesn’t happen overnight. You must set realistic goals, make necessary lifestyle adjustments, follow a personalized diet and training program, and stay consistent with them until you achieve your objectives.
Most people lose a few pounds relatively quickly in the form of water weight; however, they soon hit a weight loss plateau and give up on their weight loss goals. A physique transformation will test your grit and determination. Only the people that have the courage and the perseverance to put in the work even when they do not see the needle budge in the right direction will succeed.
You have to be consistent with every aspect of your lifestyle to achieve your transformation goals, including your diet, training, sleeping, and hitting the gym at the same time every day. Slacking in any area can lead to suboptimal results.
A physique transformation program involves several rounds of tinkering. After every two to four weeks, you must analyze your progress and make necessary adjustments.
Practice Mindfulness
Weight loss is as much a psychological challenge as it is physiological. You must remain mindful and conscious of your lifestyle to achieve your objectives.
Paying close attention to your thoughts, feelings, and bodily sensations at every moment is crucial to controlling your environment and ensuring it doesn’t control you. Practicing mindfulness can help recognize the triggers that lead to unhealthy eating habits. It will also help you monitor the self-talk that may lead you to skip a training session.
Conscious eating can help avoid overeating and consuming excess calories, aiding in maintaining a caloric deficit. Incorporate mindful practices, such as meditation, yoga, exercise, and journaling, into your daily routine for a more positive mindset and reduce stress.
Be Patient
The proverb ‘patience is a virtue’ is apt for a physique transformation. Most people give up on their weight loss goals after losing patience, as it can take too long. For example, losing 50 pounds in six months is not a short-term goal. Only a handful of people have the poise to stick to a strict diet and training program for 25 weeks.
Furthermore, losing too much weight too soon can be healthy. Some people use fad diets to drop a significant amount of weight in a short period; however, this weight comes back on just as quickly after you stop following the radical diet.
You must avoid the temptation of following crash diets or engaging in excessive exercise, as it can hinder your progress and increase your risk of injury. Instead, focus on making sustainable lifestyle changes that you can follow for the long term that will help you achieve your goal physique.
Also read: How To Lose 1 Pound a Day: Shedding Pounds Made Easy
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you need to exercise to lose weight?
You must be in a calorie deficit to shed excess body weight. Exercising for weight loss is not compulsory, and you could lose weight just by cutting calories from your daily diet. However, combining working out with a calorie-restrictive diet can help expedite your weight loss results.
Is losing two pounds of body weight each week by cutting 1,000 calories safe?
The CDC recommends losing 1-2 pounds weekly to ensure your weight loss progress is gradual, steady, and sustainable. Cutting 500 calories from your diet will help you lose around a pound of body weight each week. Similarly, deducting 1,000 calories from your daily calories can result in shedding two pounds weekly.
However, you should not cut 1,000 calories from your diet. You must cut 500 calories from your diet and burn the remaining 500 calories through exercise. Remember, you must consult a qualified healthcare professional before starting a new diet.
Can I continue my weight loss journey after losing 50 pounds in six months?
Depending on your starting weight, you might experience your weight loss progress tapering close to the end of the program as your body gets used to your new diet regimen. Ideally, you must give your body a little break from dieting after six months and switch to a maintenance diet. Sticking to the same diet for a prolonged period can lead you to a plateau. Take some time off from dieting, regroup, and begin your weight loss program again after a 2-4 week break.
Note: The content on Fitness Volt is for informative purposes only and should not be taken as medical advice to diagnose, prevent, or treat health problems. If you’re suffering from a health issue, are pregnant, or are under 18 years old, you should consult your physician before starting any new supplement, nutrition, or fitness routine.
Wrapping Up
From optimizing your diet to increasing your physical activity, this article provides you with 23 wholesome tips and tricks that will help you in losing 50 pounds in six months and start living a healthier, happier life.
Following these weight loss tips is easier said than done. Adhering to these demands requires a strong mindset, determination, and patience. Remember, you might experience quick weight loss in the initial part of your weight loss journey; however, your progress might seem like it is stalling after you have shed your water weight. Nonetheless, you must keep your head down and put in the work. The results will follow.
Best of luck!
References
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2021). Losing Weight.
Johns Hopkins Medicine. (n.d.). Carbohydrate Goals.
Sacks FM, Bray GA, Carey VJ, Smith SR, Ryan DH, Anton SD, McManus K, Champagne CM, Bishop LM, Laranjo N, Leboff MS, Rood JC, de Jonge L, Greenway FL, Loria CM, Obarzanek E, Williamson DA. Comparison of weight-loss diets with different compositions of fat, protein, and carbohydrates. N Engl J Med. 2009 Feb 26;360(9):859-73. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa0804748. PMID: 19246357; PMCID: PMC2763382.
D’Amuri A, Sanz JM, Capatti E, Di Vece F, Vaccari F, Lazzer S, Zuliani G, Dalla Nora E, Passaro A. Effectiveness of high-intensity interval training for weight loss in adults with obesity: a randomized controlled non-inferiority trial. BMJ Open Sport Exerc Med. 2021 Jul 20;7(3):e001021. doi: 10.1136/bmjsem-2020-001021. PMID: 34367654; PMCID: PMC8292807.
Bellicha A, van Baak MA, Battista F, Beaulieu K, Blundell JE, Busetto L, Carraça EV, Dicker D, Encantado J, Ermolao A, Farpour-Lambert N, Pramono A, Woodward E, Oppert JM. Effect of exercise training on weight loss, body composition changes, and weight maintenance in adults with overweight or obesity: An overview of 12 systematic reviews and 149 studies. Obes Rev. 2021 Jul;22 Suppl 4(Suppl 4):e13256. doi: 10.1111/obr.13256. Epub 2021 May 6. PMID: 33955140; PMCID: PMC8365736.
Stookey, J.D., Constant, F., Popkin, B.M. and Gardner, C.D. (2008), Drinking Water Is Associated With Weight Loss in Overweight Dieting Women Independent of Diet and Activity. Obesity, 16: 2481-2488. https://doi.org/10.1038/oby.2008.409
Welton S, Minty R, O’Driscoll T, Willms H, Poirier D, Madden S, Kelly L. Intermittent fasting and weight loss: Systematic review. Can Fam Physician. 2020 Feb;66(2):117-125. PMID: 32060194; PMCID: PMC7021351.
Hollands MA, Arch JR, Cawthorne MA. A simple apparatus for comparative measurements of energy expenditure in human subjects: the thermic effect of caffeine. Am J Clin Nutr. 1981 Oct;34(10):2291-4. doi: 10.1093/ajcn/34.10.2291. PMID: 7293955.
How To Lose 1 Pound a Day: Shedding Pounds Made Easy
Most people would be willing to shed a few pounds at the drop of a hat. Losing weight not only makes you look better, but it can also reduce your risk of contracting chronic health issues. These benefits make losing weight alluring, and it is also what sells gym memberships.
However, the weight loss process can be slow and meticulous, and most people do not have the patience to stick to a weight loss program in the long run. This is also why fad diets that promise significant weight loss in a short period are such a hit.
‘How to lose 1 pound a day’ is a common question personal trainers get asked by beginners. Before we dive into this subject, let’s get the record straight. Losing a pound each day is not entirely safe or sustainable. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends limiting your weight loss to 1-2 pounds weekly to keep your physique transformation journey gradual, steady, and sustainable. [1]
According to JAMA, you must burn 3,500 calories to lose a pound of body fat. As you can probably tell, burning 3,500 calories daily is not sustainable, safe, or even possible for most folks. Furthermore, a pound of body fat doesn’t necessarily translate to a pound of body weight. [2]
Losing a pound each week means a daily weight drop of 0.14 pounds, which is a far cry from the goal of shedding a pound each day. Also, weight loss doesn’t happen overnight. It might take up to a couple of weeks before a beginner starts seeing progress after switching to a weight loss program.
Prerequisites For Losing 1 Pound a Day
You must enter a calorie deficit to lose weight, meaning you must expend more calories than you consume in a day. You could achieve a calorie deficit by eating less or exercising more. A balance of both is ideal for losing a pound a day.
Remember, each individual is built differently and will react uniquely to different diets and training stimuli. There is no way to promise a pound of weight loss each day for everyone. For example, your results might differ from your training partner’s.
The tips mentioned in this article will help streamline your weight loss process and ensure you get the best bang for your buck.
In this article, we go over the 15 most effective tips to shed the spare tire. We have also included five training programs to ensure optimal weight loss. To ensure your safety, we won’t recommend radical steps. Contrarily, we will only recommend ways that will help achieve safe and sustainable weight loss in the long run.
Sticking to these steps will help you achieve your body weight goal and promote a healthy lifestyle, which will pay dividends in the long run.
15 Steps To Lose 1 Pound a Day
Sadly, there is no magic pill that will help shave off a pound from your belly each day. Losing a pound a day is an ambitious goal that demands commitment, effort, and patience. The tips mentioned below will help you make sustainable lifestyle changes and improve your overall health and well-being:
Hydrate
Cutting water is one of the fastest ways to shed body weight. It is common to lose a few pounds in a single day by dehydrating yourself.
Most fitness models start cutting water 2-3 days before a photoshoot. It helps them get diced and achieve crisp conditioning. Professional bodybuilders take this a step further and use diuretics to get in shape for competitions. However, hobbyist lifters and the general public should stay away from these methods, as they are unsafe and unsustainable.
Plus, once you resume your regular water intake, you will rapidly regain the weight you had previously lost.
Prolonged dehydration can cause headaches, delirium, confusion, fatigue, dizziness, dry mouth, and constipation. Left untreated, it can contribute to kidney stones, kidney failure, and heatstroke, all life-threatening illnesses. [3]
Tip: Water Intake Calculator
Stay Away From Fad Diets
Many people flock to fad diets, such as the boiled egg diet and the cabbage soup diet, that promise significant weight loss in a short period. However, these diets have little to no scientific evidence backing them. Most of these diets gain popularity rapidly but are equally quick to disappear.
Most fad diets require you to completely cut out some food sources, which can lead to nutrient deficiencies. Sticking to an imbalanced diet for an extended period can lead to chronic health conditions, which can worsen over time.
While choosing a diet, you must analyze if it follows a balanced approach to nutrition. Cutting out certain foods from your diet can result in developing a negative relationship with food, which can make matters worse. Plus, the weight lost through radical diets often bounces back as soon as you switch to a regular diet.
You must consult your healthcare provider before starting any new exercise or diet program, especially if you are dealing with any health issues.
Patience
After your body starts adjusting to the changes, you will experience rapid weight loss in the initial days in the form of water weight. However, you might hit a plateau if you don’t consistently change your diet and training program.
Furthermore, setting more realistic objectives can assist you in cultivating more patience and perseverance in the process. For example, you could change your weight loss goal from losing one pound daily to losing 4-5 pounds in a month. This new goal is achievable and safe.
Checking off a monthly weight loss goal can help keep you motivated. It will also act as a reinforcement that you are on the correct path.
Count Your Calories
Calorie tracking is a must if you want to lose weight. You cannot just eat whatever you like and hope for a weight loss miracle. Based on your current weight, you must set a daily calorie consumption goal to meet your target body weight.
You could determine a calorie goal for yourself by using a TDEE calculator. Alternatively, you could use a calorie-tracking app like MyFitnessPal to account for your average calorie intake.
Log your meals in the calorie-tracking app to find out your macronutrient (carbs, proteins, and fat) split. Most calorie-tracking apps have a robust food and recipe database, which makes tracking your meals easy and convenient. Some apps also come with a barcode scanner for tracking the calories of packaged foods.
Enter a Calorie Deficit
After determining your average daily calorie goal, you must enter a deficit to lose weight. Cutting 500 calories from your diet will result in a one-pound weekly weight drop. Similarly, cutting 1,000 calories will help you shed two pounds a week.
For example, if you consume 2,200 calories daily, you must shift to a 1,700 kcal diet to shed the spare tire. Cutting 1,000 calories from a 2,200-calorie diet is not recommended. If you want to shed two pounds weekly, you should cut 500 calories from your diet and burn the remaining 500 calories through exercise.
Eat Nutrient-Dense Foods
On a weight loss diet, you must get your calories from nutrient-dense whole foods, such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, non-fat and low-fat dairy, fish and seafood, unprocessed lean meat, and skinless poultry, nuts, and legumes.
Avoid empty calories such as alcohol, sugar-laden beverages, and highly processed foods. Eating nutrient-dense whole foods will keep you feeling full and supply the necessary nutrients to your muscles throughout the day.
Fiber is often overlooked in a weight loss diet. Folks following a 2,000-calorie diet should have at least 28 grams of fiber daily, as it helps with macronutrient absorption and getting the most nutritional value out of your food. It also promotes gut health, reduces bloating and the risk of constipation and diarrhea. [4]
Follow a Personalized Diet Plan
No two people will react to the same diet and training program the same. Your training partner might lose more weight than you while eating the same food and doing the same exercises as you. How your body responds to training and diet depends on multiple factors, including genetics, age, gender, body weight.
You must follow a suitable macronutrient split according to your body type and goals to fast-track your progress. Plus, you must plan your meals in advance to ensure you don’t fall off your diet regimen. Dedicate a day of the week to prepping meals; it will reduce the possibility of you ordering junk food from your favorite fast-food restaurant when you are starving and have nothing to eat at home.
To lose one pound a day, you must also watch your portion sizes. Using smaller plates and cutlery can reduce your meal size and calorie intake, helping you take inches off your waistline. You must eat your favorite healthy foods throughout the week to reduce cravings.
Though not necessary, you can also use dietary supplements, such as a whey protein supplement and fat burners, to help with your goal of losing one pound a day.
Avoid Binge Eating
Snacking on junk food is one of the biggest reasons for weight gain. Folks that do not follow a diet plan are at a higher risk of bingeing on snacks throughout the day. Following a structured diet plan keep you satiated and lowers your cravings.
You must avoid high-calories beverages. It is very easy to overshoot your daily calorie goal by chugging on sugar-laden drinks without even realizing it. Plus, you must switch to low or zero-calorie substitutes when and where possible. Making small changes in your diet can lead to big results in the long run.
When snacking, choose healthy snacks, such as mixed nuts, Greek yogurt and berries, and apple slices with peanut butter.
Read also 7 Ways To Stop Binge Eating
Stay Consistent
Consistency is key in a weight loss program. To lose a pound a day, you must be consistent with your daily meals, workouts, and sleep schedule. Consistency is even more crucial when you have a shorter timeframe to work with.
When you are consistent with your diet and training program, your body burns fat more efficiently. Furthermore, staying consistent with a fit lifestyle minimizes the risk of gaining excess body fat and improves your overall health and well-being.
Choose Healthy Fats
Many people blame fats for their excess body fat. However, this assumption is faulty. Consuming healthy fats is essential for optimal body functioning and health. Furthermore, it provides your body with essential nutrients and promotes the feeling of fullness, reducing your overall calorie intake.
Nuts, seeds, avocados, and fatty fish should be the primary sources of fats in your diet. Fats can help reduce inflammation and improve insulin sensitivity, leading to better weight management.
However, you must ensure that you choose healthy fats over unhealthy fats. Staying away from processed and fried foods can help reduce the risk of chronic diseases, such as heart disease and type 2 diabetes while promoting overall health.
Tip: Use Fat Intake Calculator
Stress Less
When you are stressed, your body releases the cortisol hormone into your bloodstream, which makes you hold onto body fat. Chronic stress is one of the leading causes of weight gain and increases the risk of health issues like high blood pressure and type 2 diabetes. Increased cortisol levels can also increase appetite and cravings for unhealthy foods. [5]
Chronic stress can also hamper your motivation to train, eat healthily, and stay consistent with a fit lifestyle.
To lose a pound each day, you must keep stress at bay. Meditation, yoga, and exercise are among the best ways of combating stress. Nonetheless, you must consult a healthcare professional if you are dealing with high levels of stress and are unable to control it using these three methods.
Try Fasting
Fasting is an incredibly effective method of shedding body weight. Intermittent fasting (IF) is a rage among fitness enthusiasts. It involves cycling between voluntary fasting and non-fasting. The 16/8 protocol is the most popular IF method, involving fasting for 16 hours a day and eating in the remaining eight-hour window.
Beginners should start with easier fasting protocols, such as the 14/10 method. It involves fasting for 14 hours and a 10-hour feeding window. Advanced lifters can opt for the ‘OMAD’ protocol, which involves eating one meal a day. Fasting protocols with longer fasting windows are more effective at helping you lose a pound each day.
Get Enough Sleep
Sleeping for at least seven to eight hours is essential to allow your body enough time to rest and recuperate. Since losing one pound a day requires you to follow a stringent diet and training program, you must take your recovery just as seriously.
Get ready for what we are about to say next. It is so polarizing that ‘the hardest workers in the room’ might lose sleep over it. Ready? Here we go — don’t hesitate to hit the snooze button. Alarm clocks have a snooze button for a reason. They help you get in the much-needed sleep.
Quality sleep helps balance your hormones, which can help control hunger, satiety, and metabolism. Fatigue due to a lack of sleep increases your risk of feasting on junk food and skipping exercise.
Workout
Although you could lose a pound a day just by cutting your calorie intake, it is not sustainable or healthy. Engaging in cardiovascular and strength training can help speed up your weight loss progress and tone your muscles. High-intensity interval training (HIIT) is an incredibly effective way of promoting weight loss while keeping your workouts short and exciting.
You must follow a personalized training program to optimize your weight loss, meaning you should choose a workout regimen based on your experience level. Punching up your weight class can lead to burnout and increase your risk of injury. Regular exercise can also help regulate hormones related to appetite and metabolism, such as insulin and cortisol.
Move More
Besides sweating it out in the gym, you must ensure that you are constantly moving throughout the day. A sedentary lifestyle increases your risk of contracting chronic health conditions such as type 2 diabetes and hypertension.
Set a daily step goal for yourself and reorganize your day to ensure you hit your objectives. You could start with a 5,000-steps-a-day goal and make your way up to walking 10,000 steps daily.
Tip: Try Walking Calorie Calculator
5 Workouts To Lose 1 Pound a Day
Following a balanced training program that includes strength and cardiovascular training will optimize your weight loss. We will focus on HIIT workouts in this article to lose one pound a day.
HIIT Workout 1 — Tabata Workout
Tabata workouts include doing eight rounds of 20 seconds of strenuous exercise followed by 10 seconds of rest. Perform each exercise for eight rounds before switching to the next exercise.
Eight rounds of exercise, including working time and rest, will add up to four minutes. Three exercises in this Tabata workout and two recovery periods will take you 14 minutes to complete.
Exercise
Sets
Time (in seconds)
Rest (in seconds)
Burpees
8
20
10
Recovery
60 seconds
Jumping Lunge
8
20
10
Recovery
60 seconds
Spiderman Plank
8
20
10
Many people compromise their form during a HIIT workout to make the exercises easier. However, doing this hampers the effectiveness of the lifts and increases your risk of injury.
HIIT Workout 2
The second HIIT workout in our quest to lose one pound a day includes a balance of strength training and cardio exercises. You will need a pair of dumbbells to perform this workout. This workout comprises performing two rounds of the following circuit:
Exercise
Time (in seconds)
Rest (in seconds)
Close-Grip Chest Press
30
30
Leg Raise
45
30
Squat Hold
45
30
Renegade Row
30
30
Plank
45
30
Dumbbell Overhead Press
30
30
Thruster
75
30
High Knees
45
120
Rest for 30 seconds between exercises in the circuit. You are allowed a two-minute rest between circuits. To stick to the rest duration between exercises, keep all the equipment near you before starting the circuit.
Since the rest durations between exercises are short, use that time to take your position for the next lift. You must complete this workout within 20.5 minutes.
HIIT Workout 3 — EMOM
Every minute-on-the-minute (EMOM) workouts are an underutilized form of HIIT workouts. In an EMOM workout, you must complete an exercise within 60 seconds. Your goal with EMOM exercises is to complete each exercise as quickly as possible as the remainder of the 60 seconds is used as rest between exercises.
Time
Exercise
Reps
Minute 1
Dumbbell Squat
15
Minute 2
Renegade Row Push-Up
20
Minute 3
Squat Jump
15
Minute 4
Sit-Up
20
Minute 5
Burpee
10
Complete the 15 dumbbell squats as quickly as possible without slacking on your exercise form. Use the remainder of the minute as your rest before moving on to the next exercise at the beginning of the second minute.
HIIT Workout 4 — AMRAP
In the following workout, you must complete as many reps as possible (AMRAP) of the following exercises within nine minutes. AMRAP workouts are excellent for competitive folks. In these workouts, there are no defined rest durations. You can take as long as you want between exercises to rest. Furthermore, you can also break an exercise to catch a breath. Your ultimate objective is to complete as many reps as possible within nine minutes.
Exercise
Reps
Butt Kicks
100
Jumping Jack
80
Mountain Climbers
60
Side-To-Side
40
Abdominal Row
20
After completing 100 reps of butt kicks (50 right side and 50 left side), move onto the jumping jack without stopping for rest — if you can. The total number of reps you can complete will be your final score. Challenge your friends to beat your score. You can also set your score as a benchmark for yourself and try to beat it in a subsequent workout.
HIIT Workout 5 — Ladder Workout
When used correctly, ladder HIIT workouts can melt fat off your body. The rep structure of a ladder workout is like climbing a ladder. You start with a few reps and work up to high-rep sets. The rest between exercises increases with the total number of reps. Like in real life, you must also come down a ladder. After performing the set with the highest number of reps, work towards the small rep sets. Also, you must do all of this within a specific time limit.
In this HIIT ladder workout, you’ll perform two exercises on a single ladder rung. For example, for this workout, you will perform one rep of the wall ball and dumbbell thruster before moving on to the two-rep wall ball and thruster.
Exercise and Reps
Rest (in seconds)
1 Wall Ball and 1 Dumbbell Thruster
0
2 Wall Ball and 2 Dumbbell Thruster
10
3 Wall Ball and 3 Dumbbell Thruster
15
4 Wall Ball and 4 Dumbbell Thruster
15
5 Wall Ball and 5 Dumbbell Thruster
20
6 Wall Ball and 6 Dumbbell Thruster
20
7 Wall Ball and 7 Dumbbell Thruster
25
8 Wall Ball and 8 Dumbbell Thruster
25
9 Wall Ball and 9 Dumbbell Thruster
30
10 Wall Ball and 10 Dumbbell Thruster
45
After completing 10 wall balls and dumbbell thrusters, continue back down the ladder as far as possible within the remaining time.
Note: The content on Fitness Volt is for informative purposes only and should not be taken as medical advice to diagnose, prevent, or treat health problems. If you’re suffering from a health issue, are pregnant, or are under 18 years old, you should consult your physician before starting any new supplement, nutrition, or fitness routine.
Wrapping Up
Many people follow fad diets to help them drop their body weight quickly. However, most of these extreme methods are unsafe and unsustainable. To lose one pound a day, you must focus on making lifestyle changes that promote weight loss while improving your overall health.
Although the 15 healthy lifestyle tips and five workout routines detailed in this article might not make you drop a pound daily, it will put you on the right path to sustained weight loss. Now that you have all the knowledge you need to shed the spare tire, go ahead and put it to good use. Best of luck!
References
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2021). Losing Weight. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/healthyweight/losing_weight/index.html
Wishnofsky M. CALCULATION OF DIETS. JAMA. 1957;163(5):384–385. doi:10.1001/jama.1957.02970400056024
Taylor K, Jones EB. Adult Dehydration. [Updated 2022 Oct 3]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2023 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK555956/
Miketinas DC, Bray GA, Beyl RA, Ryan DH, Sacks FM, Champagne CM. Fiber Intake Predicts Weight Loss and Dietary Adherence in Adults Consuming Calorie-Restricted Diets: The POUNDS Lost (Preventing Overweight Using Novel Dietary Strategies) Study. J Nutr. 2019 Oct 1;149(10):1742-1748. doi: 10.1093/jn/nxz117. PMID: 31174214; PMCID: PMC6768815.
McEwen BS. Neurobiological and Systemic Effects of Chronic Stress. Chronic Stress (Thousand Oaks). 2017 Jan-Dec;1:2470547017692328. doi: 10.1177/2470547017692328. Epub 2017 Apr 10. PMID: 28856337; PMCID: PMC5573220.
usechatgpt init success
usechatgpt init success
usechatgpt init success
Intermittent Fasting and Liver Health: The Surprising Benefits You Must Know About
Did you know intermittent fasting can also improve your liver health?
In this article, we explore the connection between intermittent fasting and liver health, understand the benefits of intermittent fasting on the liver, and present our conclusions based on scientific facts. So hop on as we begin our journey into intermittent fasting and its effects on liver health.
Intermittent Fasting and Health Benefits
For the uninitiated, intermittent fasting involves cycling between periods of fasting and eating. This abstinence period is known as the fasting window. Few practice it daily by staying away from calories for several hours each day, and the others do not eat anything for a couple of days or more each week. After the fast gets over, you are supposed to consume your daily requirement of calories in what is known as the feeding window.
Owing to its popularity, multiple intermittent fasting schedules have been devised. The most popular ones are 16/8, where you fast for 16 hours and eat in the remaining eight-hour window; the 5/2 approach, where you eat normally for five days a week and limit calorie intake to 500-600 calories on two non-consecutive days; and One Meal A Day fasting, where you fast for the entire day, and only have one meal at the end of the day.
There are other, more demanding intermittent fasting plans, too. If you are a hardened dieter, you could try a 3-day fast or even a monk fast, where you fast for 36 hours. Based on the schedule you follow, there are many amazing benefits that you can accrue from intermittent fasting. Here are some of them:
Weight loss
Reduction in insulin resistance [1]
Possible cancer prevention (though not yet proven)
Improvement in heart health [2]
Brain health improvement and prevention of neuro-diseases like Alzheimer’s
Anti-aging effects [3]
Reduction in chronic inflammation [4]
Of all the benefits of intermittent fasting, the most sought-after is weight loss. Many people who have given up on traditional dieting find new hope in intermittent fasting. It is recommended that they start with a light fasting schedule, possibly 12/12, and gradually work toward more demanding IF routines like OMAD or Alternate Day Fasting.
Liver’s Role in the Body
The liver is the body’s largest solid internal organ and performs several crucial functions. It is responsible for processing nutrients from food, producing bile to help with digestion, playing an important role in regulating blood sugar levels in the body, and removing waste and toxins from the blood. It is also responsible for medication breakdown and storing minerals and vitamins in the body. If the liver does not function optimally, it can lead to health issues like fatty liver, cirrhosis, and hepatitis.
Relation Between Fatty Liver and Cellular Mitochondria
Much research has been done on the potential benefits of intermittent fasting on animal health and mitochondrial functioning. Mitochondria are cellular components that are responsible for the metabolism of energy. Before moving into this topic, it is important to note that most studies on IF and mitochondria have been done on animals. Hence, no definitive claims can be made that it will be observable in humans too.
Scientists believe improper mitochondrial functioning plays a huge role in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. This theory is based on the fact that the mitochondria are responsible for the metabolism of fatty acids. NAFLD is partly caused by improper fat metabolism, where the fat ends up in the liver.
Intermittent Fasting and Fatty Liver
A systematic review and meta-analysis done in 2021, published in Frontiers of Nutrition, discovered that intermittent fasting could reduce liver enzymes in people with fatty liver disease. [5]
In this meta-analysis, most of the studies were conducted on participants observing Ramadan fasting, a close replication of the 16/8 fasting regime, where you fast for 16 hours and eat your food in the remaining eight-hour window.
Another 2021 systemic review and meta-analysis published in Diabetes Research And Clinical Practice confirmed the positive relationship between Ramadan fasting and decreased liver enzyme levels. [6]
Again, there was a 2019 randomized controlled trial by Scientific Reports that found that alternate-day fasting (with participants following 18/6 fasting every other day and eating 70% of usual food intake on the fasting days) reduced the enzyme levels in the liver, and also improved some markers of liver scarring and liver fat accumulation. [7]
In all the above studies, we cannot say with certainty that the results achieved by following the fasting protocols were independent of the weight loss that participants experienced. It has only been suggested (not proven yet) that intermittent fasting can improve the liver’s health independent of calorie restriction/weight loss because IF changes how our bodies utilize energy, favoring fat metabolism.
These results are encouraging, and you can certainly try intermittent fasting to beat non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, provided you also consider other things like diet optimization, physical activity, and strategic supplementation.
Intermittent Fasting, Liver Health, and Diabetes Prevention
In 2020, Australian researchers used modern analytical tools to try and understand how intermittent fasting works and its association with the liver to help prevent diseases. A study on mice found that 12 hours of daily intermittent fasting for 30 days reduced liver mass significantly and improved blood glucose levels. [8]
By studying the effect of proteins on mice’s liver, which can be suitable human biological models, scientists have come to a better conclusion about how fasting can reprogram liver proteins. The researchers found that the HNF4 protein is responsible for the regulation of a large number of proteins and that it plays a role in intermittent fasting.
Dr. Larance, who headed the research, says, “For the first time, we showed that HNF4-(alpha) is inhibited during intermittent fasting. This has downstream consequences, such as lowering the abundance of blood proteins in inflammation or affecting bile synthesis. This helps explain some of the previously known facts about intermittent fasting.”
During the study, it was also discovered that alternate-day fasting was responsible for changing the metabolism of fatty acids in the liver. This is vital knowledge that can be applied to find improvements in glucose tolerance and diabetes regulation.
Besides this, intermittent fasting can also reduce liver inflammation, thereby helping prevent liver diseases like fatty liver and liver cancer.
Tips For Maintaining a Healthy Liver
The liver is undoubtedly one of the most important organs in the body. If the liver stops working, toxins accumulate in the body, food cannot be digested, and medications will never leave the bloodstream. Here are some ways in which you can care for your liver.
Limit or Stop Alcohol Consumption
You are mistaken if you think only people with severe alcohol addiction get liver diseases like liver cirrhosis. Even 4 ounces of hard liquor (for men) and 2 ounces (for women) can start to scar your liver. Hence, highly regulate or abstain from alcohol. It is your best shot at avoiding liver disease.
Wash Vegetables and Avoid Toxins
Any vegetables you buy from the local market must be washed thoroughly before cooking. These vegetables have toxic chemicals sprayed on them to make them look fresh, which can have disastrous consequences for your liver’s health.
Prevent Hepatitis A, B, and C
Hepatitis A and B are viral liver diseases. Get yourself immunized if you think you may be at risk. Hepatitis B and C can become chronic and destroy the liver. They are transmitted through blood and other body fluids, so practice safe sex. Hepatitis A is spread through contaminated water and food, so wash your hands thoroughly as a safety practice.
Keep an Eye Out for Medications and Herbs
Many medications and drugs can be toxic to the liver. Please do your research thoroughly before taking any medicines.
Exercise and Eat Right
Keep fatty liver disease at bay by exercising regularly to avoid obesity. Also, eat the right kind of food.
How to Incorporate Intermittent Fasting into Your Schedule for a Healthy Liver?
If you want to assimilate intermittent fasting into your lifestyle to boost your liver health, you must start small. Begin with 12/12 fasting, where you fast for 12 hours and eat in the remaining 12-hour window. This method is great for the initial week of intermittent fasting. Gradually, you can work up to 14/ 10 fasting, fasting for 14 hours daily and eating your meals in the remaining 10-hour window.
Once you get used to 14/10 fasting, ramping up the fasting hours is easy. Attempt 16/8 fasting at this point, where you fast for 16 straight hours daily and consume all your meals in the remaining nine hours. After you are comfortable with the 16/8 regimen and have been practicing it for a few weeks, you should take it a notch higher, especially as the good results start showing.
Experienced intermittent fasters can easily do the “One Meal A Day” (OMAD) plan, where you eat only one meal daily and fast for the remaining time. Some graduate to a three-day fast or monk fast after doing OMAD for some time.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the warning signs that your liver is not alright?
Here are the telltale signs that something is wrong with your liver:
Jaundice, yellowing of the eyes and skin
Pain and distention of the abdomen
Swelling in the lower legs
Forgetfulness and confusion
Dark colored urine
Pale colored stool
What foods are good for the liver?
Many foods have specific antioxidants and compounds that support liver function and repair. You can have blueberries, fatty fish, grapefruit, cranberries, olive oil, and broccoli.
What can I drink tea to flush my liver?
It is not possible to completely flush the liver. However, you can have beverages rich in antioxidants like tea, coffee, and beetroot juice to detoxify as much as possible.
Conclusion
Intermittent fasting comes with a host of benefits, including improved liver health. Studies have shown that it can prevent fatty liver disease. It also helps the liver maintain insulin levels and prevent type 2 diabetes. Intermittent fasting, according to studies, can also improve insulin sensitivity, reduce inflammation in the liver, and reduce liver fat.
Note: The content on Fitness Volt is for informative purposes only and should not be taken as medical advice to diagnose, prevent, or treat health problems. If you’re suffering from a health issue, are pregnant, or are under 18 years old, you should consult your physician before starting any new supplement, nutrition, or fitness routine.0
References
Sathananthan, Matheni, et al. “Six And 12 Weeks of Caloric Restriction Increases Β Cell Function and Lowers Fasting and Postprandial Glucose Concentrations in People With Type 2 Diabetes.” OUP Academic, 1 Sept. 2015, https://doi.org/10.3945/jn.115.210617.
Mani, Kartik, et al. “Lysosomes Mediate Benefits of Intermittent Fasting in Cardiometabolic Disease: The Janitor Is the Undercover Boss.” PubMed Central (PMC), 14 Sept. 2018, https://doi.org/10.1002/cphy.c180005.
Alirezaei, Mehrdad, et al. “Short-term Fasting Induces Profound Neuronal Autophagy.” PubMed Central (PMC), 14 Aug. 2010, https://doi.org/10.4161/auto.6.6.12376.
Alam, Iftikhar, et al. “Recurrent Circadian Fasting (RCF) Improves Blood Pressure, Biomarkers of Cardiometabolic Risk and Regulates Inflammation in Men.” PubMed Central (PMC), 19 Aug. 2019, https://doi.org/10.1186/s12967-019-2007-z.
Yin, Cong, et al. “Effect of Intermittent Fasting on Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.” Frontiers, 11 June 2021, https://doi.org/10.3389/fnut.2021.709683.
“The Effects of Ramadan Intermittent Fasting on Liver Function in Healthy Adults: A Systematic Review, Meta-analysis, and Meta-regression.” The Effects of Ramadan Intermittent Fasting on Liver Function in Healthy Adults: A Systematic Review, Meta-analysis, and Meta-regression – ScienceDirect, 14 July 2021, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.diabres.2021.108951.
Johari, Muhammad Izzad, et al. “A Randomised Controlled Trial on the Effectiveness and Adherence of Modified Alternate-day Calorie Restriction in Improving Activity of Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease – Scientific Reports.” Nature, 2 Aug. 2019, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-019-47763-8.
Ma, Jianbo, et al. “Effects of Intermittent Fasting on Liver Physiology and Metabolism in Mice.” PubMed Central (PMC), 5 July 2021, https://doi.org/10.3892/etm.2021.10382.
Lee Priest Reveals Changes in Training & Diet from His 20s to 50s
Australian bodybuilding veteran Lee Priest made a name for himself with his insane conditioning levels and longevity. He’s one of the few competitors who continued to perform even after stepping away from professional competition. In a recent video uploaded on YouTube, Priest shared the changes in his training and diet from when he was in his 20s to now that he’s in his 50s.
Lee Priest started his career in the IFBB Pro League as a Men’s Open contender in 1989. He became one of the youngest athletes to earn a Pro Card at the age of 20. Boasting gigantic arms with razor-sharp muscle detail, he worked his way up the ranks with frequent contest appearances. He secured an invite to the Mr. Olympia competition in 1997, where he placed sixth in his debut.
Priest was a regular feature of the Olympia shows with six participations between 1997 and 2003. While he did not win the Sandow trophy, he went up against the likes of eight-time champ Ronnie Coleman, six-time champ Dorian Yates, Shawn Ray, and four-time victor Jay Cutler. He scored his biggest win at the 2006 Ironman Pro and made his final IFBB appearance at the 2006 Grand Prix Australia.
Lee has not lost his passion for working out and maintains a high level of personal fitness. He opened up about taking Deca (Nandrolone) in his teenage years to build muscle and how he’s managed to retain it despite facing health challenges such as a neck injury last November. Then, he offered his expertise on performing the decline bench press for optimal chest muscle growth. He cautioned his fans against loading up too heavy as the decline motion could increase the risk of injuries.
Earlier this year, Priest gave fans a look into building gigantic forearms. He revealed he never trained the muscle group suggesting his refined forearms were down to genetics and overall training. He listed eight exercises that could help grow weak forearms. The 50-year-old went on the offensive against the Men’s 212 division a few months ago. He believes the 212 competitors could hold their own against some of the freakiest mass monsters of the Men’s Open class if they brought their best package.
Following the announcement of the returning 2023 Masters Olympia, Priest expressed a desire to complete the show had it not been for his chest atrophy. Two months ago, Priest laid out tips for effectively using preacher curls to maximize biceps gains and pump.
Priest weighed in on the Minnesota court’s ruling permitting transgender athletes to compete in women’s sports weeks ago. He bashed the decision for being unfair to women and urged the females to go on strike in protest.
Lee Priest reveals changes in his diet & training from his 20s to his 50s
In a recent YouTube video, Lee Priest shared how his training and diet protocols have changed over time from when he was in his 20s to now that he’s entering his 50s.
While he continues to train in a similar fashion, he needed to make some adjustments due to his injuries.
“The only thing that’s probably changed now is the weights,” said Priest. “Until I had this or the neck injury from the car accident, exactly the same. I’d still go as heavy as I could because I get good heavy days. But now with injuries I just gotta work around things. But overall still exactly the same as when I started really.”
“It’s good to focus on your form and also seated you can’t cheat as much and you can’t go as heavy. If you do have a back problem it’s probably easier to do it seated as well rather than just bending over but whatever feels comfortable for you. Don’t be one of those people where they go well he does them seated I have to do them seated when you could feel it better standing up. Everyone’s going to be different because their limbs are longer or shorter. That’s fine what works for you. I say do both if you can.
“[Recovery is] about the same really. I sometimes go sort of hard on leg still but not as heavy. I do a good amount of weight higher reps but really focus on the quads and it still might be sore for two or three days at the most after but still recover pretty quick as long as I’m getting the sleep, the food in. I can still train and not eat a lot of food and not sleep well and feel like sh*t.”
He theorized burning fat might be tougher but he manages to stay in good shape with cardio while being around 211-213 pounds currently.
“Now, maybe burning body fat gets harder as you get older. Metabolism might slow down but I still do lots of cardio so it’s good for burning fat and keeping healthy.”
“2 hours minimum of cardio. An hour in the morning and another in the afternoon. Then I’ll walk the dogs as well so anywhere between two to three hours a day.”
“I’m sitting around 96-97 kilos (211-213 pounds). It’s a comfortable weight. I’m not force feeding myself. Sometimes I only have two meals a day so I could probably go heavier but I can’t be bothered.”
Lee Priest voiced his disapproval of the qualification requirements for the 2023 Masters Olympia last month. He encouraged the organizers to raise the age criteria from 40 to 50+ with the condition that the athlete did not compete for at least two to three years.
Based on the latest update, it’s evident Priest continues to enjoy working out and leading a healthy lifestyle even without competition.
You can watch the full video below.
Published: 7 May, 2023 | 11:07 AM EDT
Fasted Running Explained: Benefits and Precautions
Intermittent fasting is the latest buzzword in fitness circles. Practitioners of this form of calorie control swear by it as a means to achieve a better state of being. Athletes, in particular, are especially gong-ho about intermittent fasting, claiming that it helps them maximize their muscle gain while boosting metabolism.
One of the most popular fitness trends out there nowadays is fasted running. Those who practice it say that it has made a world of difference to their fitness levels while helping them shed fat. This article delves into the world of fasted running, looking into its pros and cons, and tries to give you a ringside view into what is now undoubtedly a major health trend.
Fasted running is popular for two main reasons. Firstly, there is a camp of followers who feel they do not have sufficient time in the morning to eat before going on a run. They also find that running on a full stomach causes cramps. The other camp of followers goes for fasted runs because they want the added benefits of running on an empty stomach, like fat loss.
A Quick Look at Intermittent Fasting
Intermittent fasting involves going without food for a certain number of hours a day and consuming all your calories in the remaining hours. These periods are known as the fasting window and feeding window, respectively. It has been claimed that intermittent fasting helps to lose weight, improve insulin levels, improve cardiovascular health, improve brain health, and potentially prevent cancer.
During fasting, the body uses up all its glycogen stores for energy and undergoes a metabolic switch wherein it enters a state known as ketosis. In ketosis, the body breaks down its fat stores to make ketone bodies that fuel the body in the absence of glycogen.
Intermittent fasting is a favorite with athletes as it helps them build more muscle while boosting their metabolic rates. Anabolic fasting, in particular, helps with this. From rank beginners to hardcore fasters, intermittent fasting has something for everyone. It has various routines and schedules that can be customized according to your needs.
During fasting, it is important to drink enough water to stay hydrated. If you feel hungry, go for a shot of lemon water to keep yourself satiated. If you are starving, sip a cup of bone broth during your fasting window. Remember, you must avoid consuming any calories during the fast to reap the maximum benefits of intermittent fasting.
What is Fasted Running?
Simply put, fasted running means that you run on an empty stomach. Another way of defining it is that you run after going through a long period without food. The majority of people practice fasted running as the very first activity in the morning before they have breakfast or consume any kind of pre-run snacks.
Running is an intense activity that requires lots of energy. This is why eating normally in the non-fasting hours leading up to the running time is crucial. This means you must consume enough nutrients to get sufficient energy to take care of running demands and other activities in your daily routine. Based on the caloric intake and volume of the last meal you had, if four hours have passed after your last snack or six hours have passed after your last meal, you are doing fasted running.
Besides getting sufficient energy for your running sessions, looking after hydration and recovery is also important. Depending on the kind of intermittent fasting you are doing, fluids may or may not be a part of your schedule. It is very important to be hydrated adequately to compensate for the fluid and salt loss during running.
You must also consider recovery after the running session. You need to pay attention to your running schedule so that you can plan your fasting periods to accommodate recovery times. During recovery, your body will have to replenish the energy it burnt during your exercise session. To do this, it has to have a ready supply of sugars, nutrients, and amino acids.
Related: Calories Burned Running Calculator
Benefits of Fasted Running
There are quite a few benefits attached to fasted running. Check them out here:
Fasted Running Could Increase Fat Oxidation
Fasted running increases fat oxidation, meaning that a larger percentage of calories you burn as you run comes from stored body fat instead of stored glycogen in the muscles. Your body has limited glycogen stores in the skeletal muscles and the liver; these levels will go down overnight during fasting.
An athlete who is endurance trained can store up to 2,000 calories in the form of glycogen in the muscles and the liver, while other runners can store about 1,500 calories. This is why, when doing fasted running, your body will try to conserve these limited glycogen levels and instead burn fat for energy.
A study has shown that you can burn 20% more fat during endurance training, like running on an empty stomach. [1]
Fasted Running Could Improve Digestive Problems
If you have a sensitive stomach, you might find that fasted running reduces gas, side stitches, cramping, bloating, and runner’s trots. Studies have discovered that you are more likely to have nausea while running if you are running on a full stomach. [2]
During exercise, blood gets diverted from the digestive tract to meet the enhanced oxygen demands of muscles. Your digestion will cease, and anything sitting around your stomach will stay there without getting digested. This irritates the gut, causing nausea, gas, and bloating.
If you have a sensitive stomach, even snacks can cause nausea. Hence, fasted running will be a good option for you.
Fasted Running Brings Greater Loss of Weight
Studies have shown that exercising on an empty stomach will cause you to consume fewer calories during the day. [3]
Possibly, fasted running decreases appetite by suppressing the hunger hormone ghrelin. Hence, while fasted running does not directly cause weight loss because it will not consume more calories compared to running on a fed stomach, it is possible that fasted running can help speed up weight loss because you are consuming fewer calories during the day.
Fasted Running Improves the Regulation of Blood Sugar
One main concern that runners have before they do fasted running is that they may become hypoglycemic, a state where their blood sugar is too low. This can cause headaches, fatigue, dizziness, nausea, irritability, and decreased performance.
However, studies show that fasted running does not cause a decrease in blood sugar, even in athletes with diabetes. [4]
Studies have even shown that if you exercise in a fasted state, like running, it can improve insulin sensitivity, leading to better blood sugar control. [5]
Even when backed up by these findings, it would make sense for you to consult a doctor if you have diabetes before you do fasted running.
Drawbacks to Fasted Running
While fasted running has wonderful benefits, it has some potential drawbacks. We take a look at these below:
Fasted Running Could Cause Muscle Loss
When you exercise in a fasted state, glycogen stores get depleted quickly, and your body turns to the fat deposits and the muscles for energy. So it is possible that fasted running can lead to muscle protein depletion, leading to muscle loss.
Some evidence suggests that doing fasted cardio can potentially increase the depletion of muscle for energy, which means that when you do fasted running, your body may begin to burn protein for fuel. [6]
Fasted Running Could Increase Cortisol Levels in the Body
Cortisol is one of the primary stress hormones in the body, and chronically elevated cortisol levels are associated with a signal to trigger the body to store fat, primarily in the abdominal region. We must remember that any type of exercise, like fasted running, is a stressor to the body. Even hunger, as well as prolonged fasting, act as stressors.
Hence, combining the two, i.e., fasting and exercise, can increase cortisol levels significantly, as studies have shown. [7]
Fasted Running Could Lead to Hormonal Imbalances
While fasted running can increase cortisol levels, some studies have shown that exercising in a fasted state could cause more hormone imbalances [8]. This can increase your risk of injury and negatively affect your recovery after workouts and the gains you derive from fasted running.
Fasted Running May Hamper Athletic Performance
The biggest concern runners have with fasted running is that it can hamper their performance, as research has shown, because they are not consuming adequate fuel before running. [9]
Your strength, speed, and intensity levels will naturally be higher if you run in a fed state. If you eat a meal rich in carbohydrates and protein before running, you can continue for a longer period compared to running on an empty stomach. Fasted running may hamper your ability to run for long distances and durations.
How Long Should a Fasted Run Last?
Unfortunately, there is no rule to determine the duration of your fasted run. The length of your run is influenced by your training intensity. Because of the lack of glycogen stores, any high-intensity effort would naturally need to be quite short, as it depends entirely on the glycogen stores.
On the other hand, if you are doing a long, slow recovery run, it can be done in a glycogen-depleted condition, as your energy will be derived from your fat stores. If you want to adopt fat burning as a principle, you should go for longer, slower runs. You should start with short periods and gradually work your way up to, ideally, one hour of a slow run.
At What Pace Should I Conduct a Fasted Run?
The most important factor in this question is the intensity at which you run. If you are looking for endurance, a long run should be conducted at 70-75% of your aerobic power. You could also go for shorter, higher-intensity runs, but these runs will be short, and you will need a lot of time to recover. You also have to be mindful that you replenish your carbohydrate stores immediately after the short burst run so that recovery and repair can happen optimally.
Frequently Asked Questions
What happens when you do a fasted run?
Fasted running is famous for its fat-burning abilities. When you do a fasted run, your glycogen levels will be low. Hence, your body will start to burn the fat stores it has, in what is known as fat oxidation, to fuel your run. This leads to fat loss.
Will running in a fasted state cause an increase in heart rate?
Fasted exercise, like a fasted run, will increase your oxygen uptake by 9.3% and your heart rate by 8.4%. This will happen within the first 60 minutes of exercise.
Should I eat after a fasted run?
You should eat a combination of carbs and protein within 60 minutes of ending the fasting run.
What should I eat after running fasted?
After a fasted run, you should consume a mix of protein and carbohydrates to promote muscle growth. This meal should be consumed immediately after the workout.
Conclusion
Including fasted running into your training regimen can have several potential benefits for your health and fitness. Training your body to burn fat for fuel improves your endurance and reduces the risk of chronic diseases. But remember to consult a doctor before you start because fasted running is not for everybody.
If you aim to take your running game to the next level, fasted running could be the solution. Irrespective of whether you are an amateur runner or a professional, fasted running is a very effective way to challenge yourself, give your performance a boost, and reach your fitness goals. Who knows, you may even discover an affinity for fasted running in the process.
Remember, fasting running is not a one-size-fits-all solution, and you must experiment with various training methods to discover the one that suits you best. So what are you waiting for? Lace up and hit the road!
References
Vieira, Alexandra Ferreira, et al. “Effects of Aerobic Exercise Performed in Fasted V. Fed State on Fat and Carbohydrate Metabolism in Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis | British Journal of Nutrition | Cambridge Core.” Cambridge Core, 9 Sept. 2016, https://doi.org/10.1017/S0007114516003160.
“Exercise-induced Nausea Is Exaggerated by Eating.” Exercise-induced Nausea Is Exaggerated by Eating – ScienceDirect, 25 May 2002, https://doi.org/10.1006/appe.2000.0391.
Bachman, Jessica L., et al. “Exercising in the Fasted State Reduced 24-Hour Energy Intake in Active Male Adults.” PubMed Central (PMC), 21 Sept. 2016, https://doi.org/10.1155/2016/1984198.
https://academic.oup.com/jcem/article/104/1/111/5105939?login=true. academic.oup.com/jcem/article/104/1/111/5105939?login=true.
Rothschild, Jeffrey A., et al. “What Should I Eat Before Exercise? Pre-Exercise Nutrition and the Response to Endurance Exercise: Current Prospective and Future Directions.” PubMed Central (PMC), 12 Nov. 2020, https://doi.org/10.3390/nu12113473.
“Does Cardio After an Overnight Fast Maximize Fat Loss? : Strength and Conditioning Journal.” LWW, https://doi.org/10.1519/SSC.0b013e31820396ec.
Kim, Tae Woon, et al. “Comparison of the Effects of Acute Exercise After Overnight Fasting Andbreakfast on Energy Substrate and Hormone Levels in Obese Men.” PubMed Central (PMC), 30 June 2015, https://doi.org/10.1589/jpts.27.1929.
Rothschild, Jeffrey A., et al. “What Should I Eat Before Exercise? Pre-Exercise Nutrition and the Response to Endurance Exercise: Current Prospective and Future Directions.” PubMed Central (PMC), 12 Nov. 2020, https://doi.org/10.3390/nu12113473.
“Intermittent Fasting and Its Effects on Athletic… : Current Sports Medicine Reports.” LWW, https://doi.org/10.1249/JSR.0000000000000614.