ZAC PERNA'S TOP 5 FAT LOSS HACKS
ZAC PERNA'S TOP 5 FAT LOSS HACKS
Dieting and training for fat loss can be tough. You'll need to adjust your food intake, eating less than usual to force your body to burn fat, and you'll probably have to step up or even change your workouts too.
The good news is there are some hacks and tricks you can use to maximize fat loss. Put them into action and you'll reach your desired level of leanness much sooner and easier than you ever have before.
TRACK AND INCREASE YOUR NEAT
NEAT stands for non-exercise activity thermogenesis. It refers to the number of calories you burn that aren't directly attributable to exercise. For example, walking your dog or washing your car by hand are both examples of NEAT.
NEAT can have a significant impact on fat loss. A lot of people are, other than when they exercise, predominantly sedentary. Spending all day sitting in front of a computer burns very few calories. The more minutes of NEAT you accumulate per day, the higher your calorie expenditure will be.
Use an activity tracker to measure your NEAT and ensure you purposely increase it. One way to do this is to accumulate 10,000 steps per day. This may seem daunting, especially if you are training hard and dieting, so your energy levels are lower than usual. But walking is a very low-stress activity, and you can also spread it out across your day.
Set the alarm on your tracker to remind you to get up and move every hour or so. This will make getting your 10,000 steps much easier.
GET CARB-SMART
While you can eliminate carbs from your diet to speed up fat loss, it's not usually a good idea if you are training hard too. Your body needs carbs for energy. However, a lot of carbs are very high in calories and not especially filling. That means it's very easy to eat a lot of them and that will put the brakes on fat loss.
If you want to lose fat and still eat carbs, replace things like bread, rice, pasta, and breakfast cereals with lower-calorie carb sources such as fibrous and starchy vegetables. Because of their high fiber content, they are much more filling and won't spike your blood glucose as much either.
These types of foods will provide you with sustainable energy, ward off cravings, keep you satiated, but won't derail your diet. Veggies for breakfast might sound odd but, for fat loss, ditching the cereal and eating something healthier and more fibrous will really help.
USE A WELL-DESIGNED FAT LOSS SUPPLEMENT STACK
No supplement will help you lose fat if you aren't eating right and training hard. But, the right supplements, in conjunction with a healthy diet and appropriate exercise plan, will enhance your progress. Think of supplements as effort multipliers – the harder you work, the more effective they are.
Supplements can be used individually but often work even better when combined or stacked. This creates a sort of 1+1=3 scenario. Speed up your fat loss efforts with this great, tried-and-tested fat loss stack.
OxyShred – this thermogenic drink mix increases your mental and physical energy and also wards off hunger. Available in a range of great-tasting flavors, it's available in regular, non-stim, and hardcore varieties, so you can choose the right one for your needs. Take a scoop before training, or any time you need a fat-burning energy boost.
Creatine – fat loss diets can cause muscle atrophy. Losing muscle mass will lower your metabolic rate, so you lose fat more slowly. You'll lose strength too. Creatine helps preserve muscle mass and also increases your energy and endurance for training. Best of all, it's calorie-free, and all you need is one five-gram scoop per day.
Protein powder– your body needs protein for a variety of reasons. It's vital for muscle repair and growth, it boosts your metabolism, it's filling, and can help preserve muscle mass even on very-low-calorie diets. Getting enough protein is not always easy, but protein shakes can help. One or two servings of your favorite whey or plant-based protein powder per day will help ensure you get enough of this critical macronutrient.
OxySleep – sleep is crucial for fat loss. When you sleep, your cortisol levels fall, and your body gets busy repairing itself after the stresses of the day. Too little sleep can rob you of the energy you need to work out and can even chip away at your willpower and motivation, making it harder to stick to your diet. It’s no coincidence that we tend to crave sweets and junk food when we are sleep deprived.
You don't need to use all of these supplements on your fat loss journey, but there is no denying that they will help. If you want to lose fat faster and easier than ever before, these are the best supplements you can use.
BEAT CRAVINGS WITH SUGAR-FREE JELLY (JELL-O)
Sweet cravings can hit hard on a fat loss diet. You might be able to ignore them for a few hours or even a few days. But, eventually, they will wear down your willpower, and you'll find yourself reaching for a fattening treat. Sugar-free jelly is virtually calorie and fat-free. You can eat it without derailing your diet, but it will still satisfy your sweet cravings.
It's very cheap and easy to make. Just mix up the contents of a sachet with some boiling water and then allow to cool and set. It's low in calories, but the high-water content means it's very filling.
HAVE A HIGH PROTEIN DESSERT, DAILY!
Fat loss dieting invariably means cutting desserts from your menu. This can trigger unpleasant cravings, especially at night. Beat this problem and give your body the nutrients it needs to recover and grow while you sleep by including high-protein desserts in your diet, especially just before bedtime.
Take a scoop or two of your favorite protein powder, blend with a little almond milk and some frozen berries, and chill for a few hours to set. It tastes just like ice cream but will actually enhance fat burning and muscle growth compared to regular ice cream thanks to the thermic effect of food and high protein content.
Dieting is hard enough without feeling like you are deprived. Knowing you can have a high-protein dessert at the end of the day makes eating for fat loss much easier.
WRAP-UP
Losing weight and getting lean doesn't have to be unpleasant or difficult. With these hacks, you'll make much faster progress, and you won't have to diet as long or as hard. They also make the entire process much more enjoyable. Put these hacks into action from the very start of your next fat loss diet. You'll love the results!