Let’s talk about the best way to lose fat. You’ve probably heard that the best way to lose fat is to watch what you eat and exercise. Although many people know this there seems to be a disconnect between this universal knowledge and your ability to execute on it. This disconnect stems from something we call artificial complexity. Artificial complexity is taking something that should be simple and complicating it with a ton of details that really don’t matter in the bigger scheme of things. For example, many people will tell you that you need to do things like cut out sugar from your diet or do something extreme like crossfit to lose weight. Although those tactics can be helpful, they aren’t necessary. The only things that are 100% necessary are eating the right amount of food and moving your body. In today’s article we will tell you how to do both of these things, so you can get rid of the artificial complexity and start getting results!
Empty Your Mind
To get and stay lean you need to let go of your pre conceived notion of what it takes to get weight loss results. We know that Patty from work says you need to do X, Y and Z, but hear us out. Patty may be getting results, but you’re not Patty. You need to figure this stuff out for yourself and we are here to help you do that. Empty your mind now, so you can fill it with the tactics that will make getting lean and sexy super easy!
Artificial Complexity
A lot of people think they need to spend hours every day in the gym doing exercises they don’t like to get results. If you just want to be lean have a healthy body, it doesn’t need to consume your whole life. Your exercise routine should take just 30 minutes a day 5 times per week.
Another example of artificial complexity is nutrition and diet. A lot of people think they need to either follow a really strict, specific kind of diet like Paleo, low-carb or vegan or eliminate foods like sugar. They do that hoping to get a result, but don’t actually know what these small changes will actually produce in terms of physical transformations. The truth is what matters most is not little tweaks you make to your diet, it’s about your total food consumption.
Things like short-term diets or trying to do really intense workout plans that you don’t enjoy are not sustainable. What is sustainable is making plans, getting committed and doing the thing. Think about specific action steps you have to take as bricks. When these actions are stacked over time they add up to building a sturdy house (your body.) Just like you have to lay the foundation for a house, you’ve got to lay the foundation for your fitness transformation by tackling nutrition and exercise step by step. To build the house up all the way up, you have to get all these bricks stacked and this takes time. The results are not going to happen overnight, they’re going to happen over weeks, months and years of hard work.
Today, we’re going to help you start laying your bricks so you can lose body fat and get the body you want.
Brick 1: Calories
The most important thing you need to start with when you want to focus on losing fat is calories. This means total energy coming in versus energy coming out. Calories are what we use to function on a normal everyday basis whether it’s doing athletics or just living, eating and breathing. Now what happens to many people is that they consume more energy than they are expending. When this happens, they put on excess body fat or they are not able to get rid of stubborn body fat that they currently have.
So what we recommend is to check out our Nutrition Calculator where you can find out exactly how many calories you need to consume on a daily basis to lose body fat. Once you know that number, you can use a tool like My Fitness Pal, plug in your numbers and hit those targets. Eat the right amount of food 6 out of 7 days a week and you’re going start to see some serious results.
Brick 2: Macronutrients
Once you get the calories down and you can prove to yourself that you’re actually following through on a consistent basis with eating the right amount of calories for your body, then you can move on to calculating how these calories are broken down into macronutrients. When we say macronutrients, we mean fats, carbohydrates and proteins. Basically if you want to lose weight, you need to get your calories on target and then get macronutrients in the right amounts.
We know this can sound kind of confusing if you’ve never heard the word macronutrients or don’t know the difference between carbs and proteins. If you need a little extra help getting this dialed in, check out our JRD Nutrition System where we walk you through the whole process. Our Nutrition Calculator also tells you exactly how many macronutrients you should be consuming depending on your height, weight and fitness goals.
Brick 3: Move Your Body
We teach jump rope because in our opinion it’s the most enjoyable way to move your body. So if you want to get started with jump rope workouts, that’s completely cool and you can check out our Shredded Ninja Workout Plan or Swole Samurai Workout Plan for daily jump rope workouts to keep you committed. When you’re trying to lose weight, you want to make sure to choose exercises that get your metabolic rate up so you can burn more calories.
If jump rope seems intimidating to you, start with just walking. Maybe 3 to 5 times a week, go for a mile or 2-mile walk. As you start to gain momentum after a few weeks, add a few more days or add a little more distance each day. After a few months or when you feel comfortable, start hitting these jump rope workouts and give it a shot. If you don’t like that, go find something you do like. It’s not going to be sustainable unless you enjoy the way you move. Whatever you like to do the most is what you’ll be the most consistent with whether it’s jumping rope, lifting weights, swimming, biking or literally any form of movement that you enjoy.
Brick 4: Accountability
So now you know that calories and macronutrients are important and that moving your body consistently is what will help you lose weight. To be successful, you need to be committed and accountable. Our free 4-week challenge features four weeks of daily jump rope and body weight workouts that will keep you accountable. These are the type of workouts that anyone can do at any skill level. You don’t have to complete them when you’re first starting out, just do as much as you can of each workout. As you progress and improve your overall endurance and athleticism you can start to do more of the workouts and eventually complete them.
Brick 5: Creating a Consistent Schedule
Let’s get rid of all the guesswork of when you’re going to workout. One of the main reasons people skip workouts is because other things come up or they don’t make time for them. Start scheduling your workouts at a time that’s convenient for you whether it’s after work or first thing in the morning. Write it down on your calendar, set alerts on your phone and make sure to stay consistent and committed.
Also schedule time to hold yourself accountable to the results you are or aren’t getting. Look at the reality of the situation on a week-to-week basis and see what you’re doing and the results you’re getting versus what your goals are. There are three easy ways to keep track of your results and keep yourself accountable.
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Every week, take photos of yourself head on and from the side.
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Take weekly measurements of your arms, waist, chest, glutes and legs.
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Weigh yourself every 2 weeks or better yet, if possible check your body fat percentage so you can keep tabs on your fat loss and see the results you’re getting.
With those three things, you’ll get a complete picture of the results you are or aren’t’ getting. You are going to have an accurate picture of whether your body parts are getting bigger or smaller, you’ll see what the weight looks like and you’ll be able to subjectively look in the mirror and evaluate how you look.
The Best Way to Lose Fat Recap:
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Eat fewer calories than you are expending.
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Macronutrients: Change your eating habits to consume the right amount of proteins, complex carbohydrates and fats.
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Move your body in ways you enjoy. Choose exercises that are moderate intensity or high intensity to burn more fat.
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Stay accountable.
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Create a consistent schedule and do the thing.
Take Positive Action in Your Life
Be intentional when you are moving your body or when you are eating. When you are exercising, go as hard as you can go. The only way you are going to get better, continue to push yourself and lose weight is by going as hard as you can. Ask yourself if you’re giving this everything you have when you hit the gym or jump rope. Give it everything have and you’ll get the crazy results you’ve always dreamed about. Stick with it over weeks, months and years make this your lifestyle and you’ll get that lean and athletic body you’re looking for.
#dothething
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