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How to Lose Body Fat in 9 Simple Steps

Diet tweaks, exercise ideas and everyday practices — here's how to lose body fat fast
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We're all about self-acceptance, but if we're being honest, it'd be nice to know how to lose body fat. Whether it's for health reasons or purely to feel more confident in a bikini, sometimes we're on a mission to lose body fat fast — but it's not an easy task. There's an insane amount of information out there on how to reduce body fat, and it can be tough to weed through the fat-burning facts — and myths.

We turned to famous fitness gurus, Karena Dawn and Katrina Scott, from Tone It Up, and fitness expert, Michelle Lovitt, to learn the best ways to lose body fat. The good news? It doesn't require counting calories or a strenuous exercise routine. (We're doing our happy dance too.) Here, how to lose body fat in nine simple steps.

Image via Imaxtree

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Eat Every Four Hours
Finally, a fat burning plan we can get down with. According to fitness expert and trainer Michelle Lovitt, providing your body with a constant stream of energy (aka food) is essential for losing body fat. "If your body is undernourished, or you're only eating one-to-two meals a day, this is perceived as stress to the body," Lovitt says. "Due to this stress, your body releases high levels of cortisol, which affects insulin levels leading to body fat storage typically around the midsection." In other words, eating is the key to burning body fat. (As if we needed any more excuses to stuff our faces.)

Lovitt says keeping your glycemic load down throughout the day (during meals and snacking) is vital. She recommends pairing a protein with a carbohydrate to keep insulin levels low. "I always like to keep a variety of snacks in my bag just in case," Lovitt says. Her go-to fuel: almonds, granola or a bag of protein-packed IPS Chips.

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Don't Overdo the Good Stuff
Unfortunately, there is such a thing as too much of a good thing. While healthy fats like avocados, trail mix, healthy oils and nut butters are nutrient-dense, they're also calorie-dense. "Even though they're healthy, the calories can add up -- and excess calories store as fat," Karena and Katrina say. "We don't count calories, but we like to stay calorie aware."

When it comes to healthy fats, stick to the serving size listed on your foods, otherwise those spoonfuls of peanut butter will add up quick, resulting in excess body fat.

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Don't Be Afraid of Carbs
Carbohydrates are a scary word for most women, and many are quick to cut carbs when they're trying to figure out how to lose body fat. While you should definitely be aware of the type of carbs you're scarfing down, Karena and Katrina say you shouldn't remove them from your diet altogether. "Carbs are vital, and they're how you burn fat," the Tone It Up duo says. "Remember in science class? 'Fat burns in a carbohydrate flame.' You just need to make sure you're incorporating the right carbs."

Karena and Katrina recommend replacing processed & packaged carbs (think: pasta, breads, breakfast cereals) with carbohydrates rich in fiber and nutrients, like sweet potatoes, quinoa, brown rice, whole-wheat wraps, brown rice wraps and oatmeal. These "good carbs" help to balance blood sugar levels, tone up muscle and shed body fat.

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Lose Body Fat by Staying Hydrated
And we don't mean with a martini. "Hydration is key in keeping your metabolism high and your body functioning as a fat burning machine," Karena and Katrina say.

According to the fitness experts, dehydration causes fatigue, a slowed metabolism (yikes) and unhealthy cravings. The worst part? When you're dehydrated, your body can't burn fat efficiently, which means all of your hard work in the gym and the kitchen goes unnoticed.

"Make those workouts and healthy meals count by drinking plenty of water," Karena and Katrina say. "It's essential to drink at least half of your body weight in ounces daily." This means if you weigh 150 pounds, you're drinking 75 ounces of water throughout the day.

BY JESSICA AMARIS | FEB 3, 2017 | SHARES
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