Summer is Over. Don’t Get Fat!

Summer is over. Gone till next year is the season for pool parties, the beach, skimpy Herve Leger dresses, and booty shorts. This does not mean it’s time to give up your fat loss goals since staying skinny is A LOT easier than getting skinny. So why not start now for next year instead of freaking out in April?? And why not prime yourself for the holiday season so you have at least a bit of wiggle room? I’m trying to help you make your life a lot easier… you should listen to me.

Contrary to popular belief, losing fat does not take hours upon hours in the gym. In fact, it can be done with no gym at all.

It is a common misconception that when one wants to get skinny, one should go to the gym and kill oneself until one can’t go anymore. The truth is, the most important factor in losing fat is your diet. Have you ever heard the expression “6-pack abs are made in the kitchen”? Well, it’s true.

Although precise percentages are impossible to measure, it has been proven through numerous scientific studies that diet contributes about 70-80% to the fat loss puzzle. In other words, if you don’t work out and just keep a strict diet you will lose 70-80% of the fat that you would have lost if you work out and diet.

Have you ever gotten a bad flu and lost 5 lbs in a matter of a week through not eating? Or have you ever killed yourself in the gym for a month and saw no results for a month? This is all due to diet.

All that said, I am NOT knocking working out. Exercise makes you feel good, builds muscle for a firmer shape, and helps you burn calories more efficiently.  You should definitely work out on a regular basis in order to stay healthy and vibrant. However, we all know that there always comes a time when we are in a pinch to lose some fat, and focusing on perfect diet and perfect gym routine is virtually impossible when you have a job, a boyfriend, nails to get done, bikini to wax, etc.

Therefore, if you can focus on one thing just focus on diet, and squeeze in some gym when you can.

Now, let’s take a look at which diets will get you results the fastest in ranking order:

1. EAT LESS FOOD – You need a lot less food than you think, especially when not working out. Humans can go days, even weeks without food. Although I am not trying to lead you in the direction of an eating disorder, I am a proponent of periodic fasting. It not only makes you lose fat, but also makes you healthy.  ”Eat, Stop, Eat” is a fabulous guide on how to get started. Guides are extremely helpful when starting a program like this since I’m betting if you do it on your own you give up on day 1.5 due to hunger.
2. LOW CARB DIET – Not the healthiest way to drop pounds, but not the worst either. If you are not into fasting, the old school method of cutting out carbs still works. It baffles me how when things go out of style, people think they don’t work anymore. Just because Dr. Atkins is dead, doesn’t mean carb counting stopped working. Here’s a good guide on how to stick to it.
3. XTREME FAT LOSS DIET – If you are one of those type A people who like precise instructions, check this one out. It’s a combination of tricking yourself into eating less food, while revving up your metabolism. I’ve seen my friends drop quite a bit of fat on this one.