Losing fat that will last for a lifetime requires hard work, dedication, and patience.
There are a lot of fat-burning supplements and fad diets that promise quick weight loss. But the most effective way to achieve and maintain a healthy weight is making healthy lifestyle changes that include following a long-term weight loss-friendly diet and an exercise routine.
Also, there are several strategies you can do to lose fat that will last while improving your overall health.
Here are 13 simple tips on how to lose fat that will last.
1. How to Lose Fat: Load Up on Protein
Increasing your protein intake suppresses your appetite and increases fat burning.
In fact, many studies have shown that consuming more high-quality protein has been associated with a lower risk of obesity and excess body fat.
A high protein diet has also been indicated in other research to help improve metabolism and preserve muscle mass during weight loss.
Increased protein intake reduces hunger and increases feelings of fullness, leading to reduced calorie intake.
To up protein intake, try adding protein sources, such as meat, eggs, seafood, tofu, legumes, and dairy products like cheese and yogurt, in your every meal.
2. How to Lose Fat: Choose Healthy Fats
Surprisingly, consuming healthy fats can aid in weight loss.
In fact, a Mediterranean diet rich in healthy fats from nuts and olive oil has been shown in a 12-month study to result in greater long-term weight loss than a low-fat diet.
In addition, diets rich in olive oil have also been observed in another review to be associated with greater reductions in belly fat and body weight than diets without olive oil.
On the other hand, trans fats—fats often found in processed foods—have been linked to increased long-term weight gain.
Nutritious fats include avocados, seeds, nuts, olive oil, and coconut oil.
However, take note that healthy fats are also high in calories, so make sure to control your portion sizes. You can try replacing refined oils and processed ingredients with some of the aforementioned healthy varieties.
3. How to Lose Fat: Opt for Unsweetened Beverages
One of the simplest and most sustainable ways to lose fat that will last is replacing sugary beverages with healthier selections.
Sugar-sweetened and alcoholic beverages offer little nutritional value and are loaded with calories, which increase your risk of overeating.
In fact, these drinks have been found in studies to be associated with a higher risk of excess belly fat.
So instead of sipping these high-calorie drinks, try choosing calorie-free beverages like green tea or water.
Green tea is rich in antioxidants and contains caffeine, which can help improve metabolism and increase fat burning.
Also, drinking 570-ml water before a meal has been shown in one small study in 14 young men to increase satiety, reduce hunger, and reduce calorie intake.
4. How to Lose Fat: Load Up on Fiber
Soluble fiber is a type of fiber that helps you feel full for longer.
Consuming more fiber-rich foods has been shown in some studies to protect against weight gain.
For example, eating more fiber has been found in one study in 345 people to help participants improve their dietary adherence and increase weight loss.
In addition, increasing soluble fiber intake has been shown in another review to significantly reduce body weight and belly fat, regardless of calorie intake.
Excellent fiber sources include whole grains, fruits, vegetables, legumes, seeds, and nuts.
5. How to Lose Fat: Ditch Refined Carbs
Cutting back on refined sugar may help you lose extra body fat.
Refined carbs are low in fiber and nutrients as they are stripped of their ban and germ during processing.
They also tend to have a high glycemic index (GI), which can cause a rapid increase in blood sugar, leading to increased hunger.
In addition, diets high in refined carbs have been shown in studies to be associated with increased belly fat over time.
Diets high in whole grains, on the other hand, are associated with lower body weight and body mass index (BMI), as well as a smaller waist circumference.
Instead of consuming refined carbs from breakfast cereals, white bread, pasta, pastries, and processed foods, try eating whole grains like oats, barley, quinoa, buckwheat, and whole wheat.
6. How to Lose Fat: Do More Cardio
Also known as aerobic exercise, cardio is among the most common forms of exercise that train the heart and lungs.
It can be one of the most effective ways to lose fat and weight.
For instance, increased aerobic exercise has been found in one review of 15 studies to reduce belly fat in middle-aged women.
In addition, aerobic exercise has been shown in other studies to reduce belly and body fats, decrease waist circumference, and increase muscle mass.
A few examples of fat loss exercises include walking, jogging, running, and cycling. Try doing cardio for roughly 20–40 minutes each day or 150–300 minutes per week.
7. How to Lose Fat: Try Strength Training
Strength training typically involves lifting weights, and it increases strength and builds muscle mass over time.
It has been found in some research to offer several health benefits, especially when it comes to losing fat. Strength training can be the best fat loss workout.
For example, resistance training for at least 4 weeks has been found in a review of 58 studies to help reduce body fat by an average of 1.46%, as well as decrease visceral fat and body fat mass.
Also, 5 months of strength training has been shown in another study to be more effective at reducing body fat in obese participants compared with aerobic exercise alone.
To get started with strength training, you can start using gym equipment, lifting weights, and doing bodyweight exercises.
8. How to Lose Fat: Try High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT)
A form of exercise that involves quick bursts of activity with short recovery times, high-intensity interval training (HIIT) keeps your heart rate elevated.
It has been shown in studies to be effective at promoting sustainable weight loss and increasing fat burning. This is another excellent fat loss workout.
For example, doing HIIT 3 times a week for 10 weeks has been found in one review to significantly decrease waist circumference and reduce body fat mass.
Another study also found that HIIT promotes calorie burning up to 30% more than other forms of exercise, including jogging, in the same amount of time.
To get started, try cycling between exercises like squats or pushups with short recovery times in between. You can also try alternating between jogging and running for 30 seconds at a time.
9. How to Lose Fat: Get Enough Sleep
One easy way to achieve and maintain a healthy weight is to get enough sleep. Sufficient sleep has been shown in several studies to be associated with weight loss.
For example, sleeping for < 6 hours every night has been found in one 10-year study to be associated with a higher risk of obesity among young women.
In addition, a lack of sleep has been indicated in other research to contribute to changes in hunger hormones, increased appetite, and higher obesity risk.
On the other hand, sleeping for at least 7 hours every night has been shown to be beneficial for weight management and overall health.
To get enough sleep, make sure to practice healthy sleeping habits, such as minimizing your use of electronic devices before bed, limiting your caffeine intake in the evening, and sticking to a regular sleep schedule.
10. How to Lose Fat: Eat More Probiotics
Probiotics are beneficial bacteria in your digestive tract that have been shown to play a role from immunity to mental health.
Interestingly, increasing your probiotic consumption through food or supplements has been shown in multiple studies to increase fat burning and promote long-term weight management.
For example, people who took probiotics have been shown in one review of 15 studies to experience significantly greater reductions in fat percentage, body weight, and BMI than those who took a placebo.
In addition, taking probiotic supplements has also been shown in another small study to help people on a high-fat, high-calorie diet lose fat and prevent weight gain.
There are certain species and strains of probiotics in the genus Lactobacillus that may be beneficial for weight and fat loss.
To increase your probiotic intake, you can either eat probiotic-rich foods like kimchi, natto, kombucha, tempeh, kefir, and sauerkraut or simply take supplements.
11. How to Lose Fat: Try Intermittent Fasting
Intermittent fasting is a well-known eating pattern that involves cycling between eating and fasting windows.
Although it is certainly not for everyone, it has been indicated in some research to improve fat loss and weight loss.
For example, eating only during an 8-hour window every day, combined with resistance training, has been shown in a small study to help reduce fat mass and maintain muscle mass.
There are different types of intermittent fasting: the 16/8 method, the 5:2 diet, the Warrior Diet, and Eat Stop Eat. You can experiment with any of these to know which one works best for you.
12. How to Lose Fat: Drink Coffee
Coffee contains caffeine, which stimulates your central nervous system, increases metabolism, and boosts fatty acid breakdown.
Caffeine may also improve fat burning during aerobic exercise, especially for individuals living a sedentary lifestyle.
Increased coffee intake has been observed in one large review of 12 studies to be associated with lower obesity risk, especially for men.
In addition, higher caffeine intake has also been shown in another study to be linked to a higher rate of success with weight loss maintenance.
Avoid adding large amounts of sugar or cream to your coffee to maximize its health benefits. You can enjoy it purely black or add in a little amount of milk.
13. How to Lose Fat: Manage Stress
Stress comes with increased levels of cortisol, which has been shown to be linked to increased fat.
In addition, chronic stress can also make you overeat, leading to weight gain.
To lessen and manage stress, make sure you take breaks from anything whenever you feel like you need it and try to focus on the brighter side.
The Takeaway
To lose body fat that will last for a lifetime, avoid crash diets or taking advertised weight loss supplements, which can be potentially harmful.
Instead, try incorporating the abovementioned healthy habits into your daily routine, such as increasing your protein and fiber intake, cutting back on sugary drinks and refined carbs, drinking black coffee, or taking probiotics.
All these healthy habits, combined with an active lifestyle and a well-rounded diet, can lead to long-term and sustainable fat loss. Follow them for life, and you’ll see the results you’ve always wanted to see.
