Lose Fat Fast!

Forget reading self-help books and buying endless pills and powders online, in a bid to lose fat and get trim! Follow this checklist of fat loss actions from someone who knows how to get healthy, REAL results FAST!
 
Tick each item off in turn, and if you struggle to make that change or action, come back to it when you’re ready. If you can implement 90% of these points, you WILL be a successful fat loss winner! Achieve all 50 and you will be dropping pounds in no time at all…
 
 
01. Read this checklist and make it YOUR plan!
02. Tell EVERYONE you know that you’re going to lose fat – the more people you tell, the harder it will be for you to back out and give up quietly.
03. Build a support team around you – make sure your family and friends are on side. These are the people you will spend most time with, and they could be the people that unintentionally lead you off course.
04. Find or buy a notebook and make it your daily journal, to map your progress. Unless you note down your actions you’ll have no way of remembering where things went wrong.
05. Take a daily multivitamin and a fish oil or cod liver oil capsule. This will help you fill any holes in your diet while improving your eating habits. Far too many people get far too little essential fats in their diet, a vital part of the body fat loss process.
06. Drink a glass of water when you first get up. This will set you on the road to rehydration, improve your mood and help you focus on the day ahead.
07. Aim to drink at least another 1.5 litres of water during each day. If you remain dehydrated, your fat loss efforts will grind to a complete halt.
08. ALWAYS eat breakfast – eggs or porridge are good choices. Skip the sugary cereals and jam.
09. Walk for at least 10 minutes each day – either to clear your head or as part of your commute to work or college.
10. Give yourself 5 minutes of ‘ME’ time every day – NO MATTER WHAT. Do what makes you feel good – but don’t eat! Listen to music, watch TV, read a book or magazine, have a bath – whatever makes you happy and helps you to unwind. Reducing stress will help your body relax and help you to lose fat.
11. Eat 2 pieces of fruit a day, 1 with breakfast. Opt for berries and apples.
12. Always get to bed before midnight - the closer to 10pm the better. Don’t underestimate the power of sleep! A lack of sleep will stop your body of getting the physical repair it needs from the day’s activities and exercise.
13. If you have to drink coffee, save it for breakfast only. Ideally, opt for caffeine-free teas. Red bush tea tastes great and is caffeine free. Give it a go! Too much caffeine hampers the absorption of essential minerals, raises your blood pressure and interferes with your sleep patterns. It causes your body to feel under stress.
14. Don’t rely on toast for breakfast – mix your options. A lot of people can reduce bloating simply by cutting down on bread. Try to limit bread to one meal a day.
15. Take the stairs instead of the lift / elevator – no excuses!
16. Leave for work or the kids run 5 minutes earlier than you need to. This will give you those sacred extra 5 minutes that you can use productively later in the day.
17. Aim to eat 5-6 times each day – smaller portions, more regularly. That means 5-6 clean meals.
18. That equates to breakfast, mid-morning snack, lunch, mid-afternoon snack and dinner, with a possible evening snack too, but only if needed.
19. Remember, eating 6 times a day means reducing your portions throughout the day. It doesn’t mean 6 big meals!
20. For each meal or snack you need protein, carbohydrates and fats, plus water.
21. For breakfast try: boiled egg (protein and fat) with a slice of wheat-free toast (carbs). Alternatively, try a small bowl of porridge oats mixed with water or skimmed milk, sprinkled with some raisins, a spoonful of flaxseeds and a chopped apple. Add a cup of coffee or tea.
22. Mid morning, have a small snack, like a small protein bar, a slice of melon and a piece of ham, or a few almonds and an apple.
23. Nuts are a great source of quality fats and protein, as a snack, but don’t go overboard and only stick to a small handful.
24. Eat something healthy every 2-3 hours. Remember small portions, more regularly.
25. Eat some protein at every meal or snack. At main meals, choose animal protein; lean meat, fish or eggs. At snack time opt for animal protein or nuts and seeds. Protein requires twice the energy to process as fat and carbohydrates. Your body uses roughly 25 calories to process 100 calories of protein! Eating protein is like pouring lighter fuel onto your metabolic furnace!
26. Eat vegetables or a piece of fruit every time you eat. Vegetables and fruit provide numerous vitamins and minerals to keep your body running smoothly and are also a good source of carbohydrate, high in fibre but low in sugar.
27. Ditch processed food. They’re high in trans fats (artificial fats that clog your arteries and lead to heart disease) as well as salt, and high in calories. ‘Processed’ generally means anything that didn’t come straight from an animal or the ground. Anything packaged, wrapped or man made is processed.
28. If you want to drop body fat, forget sugar. Processed and artificial sugar is hidden in everything from fruit yoghurts to bread - even your favourite breakfast cereals that you assumed healthy! A reduced sugar diet will stop cravings, reduce fat storage and save you a lecture from your dentist and your doctor!
29. Choose fresh food whenever possible. Your body will thank you!
30. Steer clear of alcohol - 2 glasses of wine = the calorific equivalent of a bag of chips! Alcohol slows down your metabolism and inhibits fat burning!
31. Portion sizing is crucial to your fat loss results. For fish, meat and dairy, eating a portion roughly the size of your palm is ideal (just the palm area, not the finger length too).
32. Aim to eat a serving of vegetables, equivalent to 2 clenched fists, at each meal.
33. A serving of grains should equate to the size of your fist. Make sure that you measure this ONCE the grains are cooked. Grains include bread, rice, pasta and cereals.
34. Unless your meal contains a fish protein, you will want to add some quality fats to your plate at each meal. This can be achieved by lightly drizzling a small amount of olive oil or dressing over your food, sprinkling a small pinch of nuts or seeds onto your vegetables, or adding avocado to your vegetable options.  
35. Before heading to the supermarket you need to write a shopping list of exactly what you intend to buy. Don’t leave shopping to fate by simply wandering down the aisles and seeing what takes your fancy, especially if you find yourself shopping on an empty stomach!
36. Stick to the basics; meat, fish, eggs, wholegrain bread, tinned and fresh vegetables, fruit, porridge oats, flaxseeds, nuts, butter, natural yoghurt, wild rice, sweet potato, olive oil, water, green tea, fresh herbs. Anything else should be considered ‘cautionary’.
37. No biscuits, cakes, sweets, flavoured yoghurts and milks, crisps (chips), alcohol, pastries and baked goods (cookies, croissants etc). Remember: the whole point of this exercise is to lose weight.
38. Stock up your cupboards with the necessities; tinned soups, tinned vegetables, rice, porridge oats and fruit.
39. Don’t starve yourself
40. If you sit for long periods of time, get up and make sure you move about and stretch.
41. If you feel tired, don’t reach for the coffee. Get outside for 5 minutes fresh air.
42. When you reach for something that you know to be less than healthy, ask yourself; ‘will this put me closer or further way from reaching my fat loss goals?’ be honest.
43. Don’t expect fat loss with poor eating habits – FACT
44. Start exercising – 5 minutes at first
45. If you don’t have an exercise plan, ask at your local gym
46. Focus on moving your whole body when you exercise – start with swimming, walking and hiking. Running and jogging really aren’t advisable at first. A lot of people carrying extra weight (and even those not) find themselves plagued with injuries, because of poor technique and muscle weakness. If you want to jog, find an expert that can assess your technique and make adjustments.
47. If you want to exercise at home, try skipping, push ups and squats. You could follow an exercise DVD on the TV, but only attempt what feels achievable. Don’t push yourself too hard too soon.
48. Give yourself time to see change. Don’t give up after a week. Losing excess weight requires a decision to make a lifestyle change. Follow these 50 rules and you will start to see change very quickly!
49. To be sure of change, measure yourself. Grab a tape measure and measure around 3 points; your chest, your waist and your hips (the widest point). Retake these measurements once a fortnight and look for a drop in centimetres. This will be your most accurate measure of whether this plan is working for you. Jumping on the scales will not tell you the whole story.
50. OK, my final pointer. Stick with it. You CAN lose weight, despite what anyone might tell you or what you’ve been led to believe. Take it slowly and look for change. See an increase in energy, an improved complexion, a more controlled appetite, less cravings, a better attitude and more concentration. A change in body shape will come if you stick to the formula. Remember that an improved diet and exercise program need to be combined to give you maximum results. One or the other, on their own, will not work as well. Be sure to stay active and feel like your body is working.
 
So, all you need to do now is get started. Print out this article, grab a pen and make a plan. Start ticking off each of these action points and make it your goal to implement as many as possible in the coming weeks and months. Be realistic and do what you can, when you can, but realise that the more you drag your heels, the less likely you are to achieve success. Attack fat loss head on and you WILL see a positive change in your body!
 
Good luck and keep me posted of your efforts!