Help yourself with these easy tips for rapid fat loss. Remember, knowledge is only powerful if properly applied. Make a commitment to applying new things every day, and as time passes, you will be thankful for these productive habits.

9. Consume the “right” fats.

Dietary fat is not the enemy. Low fat diets do not work and can lead to many health problems. I have found a correlation between very low cholesterol levels and depression. Good dietary fats are a key component to good health. The best choices are extra virgin olive oil, avocados, mixed nuts, fats from organic meats, and the like.

The most important supplemental fat source is omega 3 fatty acids, which you have all heard of lately due to the recent research. You must get a filtrated fish oil that is toxin free. I can vouch for my brand, Alpha Omega, because I see the lab tests. Oil that isn’t filtrated can lead to metal toxicity and other health problems that you do not want to deal with. Going back to omega 3s, a key to reducing body fat is controlling the release of insulin because it is a fat storage hormone. The Alpha Omega was specifically designed to optimize your blood sugar levels following meals to give you the best chance to use food as fuel instead of allowing it to be stored as fat. Obviously, the food choices you make will play a large role in this as well.

Eating grass-fed beef is your best choice as a red meat source. In many situations, properly raised grass-fed beef will have higher omega 3 content than some fish! Verify that the cattle are raised without the use of antibiotics or hormones.

10. Do not abuse alcohol.

I am not sure how drinking became so popular among people wanting to reduce body fat. Let me break it to you. Drinking is probably one of the worst things you can do. It will set you back for weeks depending on how much you consume. I have dozens of patients paying the price now for drinking done years ago because certain fat deposit sites were developed directly from alcohol side affects and they take three times as long to burn off. One of those nice sugar laden tropical drinks is the obesity market’s best friend. There’s no better way to pack on the pounds.

In addition to what has been obvious to me from a metabolic standpoint, I link drinking binges to junk food binges. A fat storing environment is cultivated when drinking, and I have found that clients make bad food choices when they are drunk for lack of a better term.

Do not expect to be mentally sharper or perform well during workouts if you have consumed alcohol in recent days. There’s no better way to zap the nervous system and lower testosterone levels.

11. Drink 0.6 times your body weight in pounds to determine the number of ounces you need per day.

Cold water forces the body to expend energy to heat it up to body temperature. I consider water to be an essential nutrient. You must drink water with and between meals to optimize health, especially during times of increased physical activity and heat. Do not wait until you are thirsty. Be pro-active. Even a two percent decrease in bodily water content can trigger many health problems. This is perhaps the easiest thing people can do to improve their well-being.

In addition to all of the health benefits, water will keep muscles full and prepared for action. When I say water, I mean water, not diet pop or other drinks. I hate to break it to you, but diet soda is not so great. One or so a day is ok, but more than that can get in the way of your goals. Coffee is fine, but use regular milk or real cream instead of sugar and the like. Remember that coffee will dehydrate you to a degree so you must drink ample water to replace what is lost.

12. Never use breakfast as a cheat meal.

I do advocate periodic cheat meals but never for the first meal of the day. Research proves that breakfast is the most important meal of the day when it comes to setting the pace for blood sugar levels. I want my clients to satisfy cravings, but at the same time, I want to minimize the damage and prevent body fat accumulation. Take alpha omega before and after any cheat meal and you will keep blood sugar levels under control, which will minimize body fat accumulation. It is not a fat blocker because that concept is a scam. However, the concept is somewhat similar.

13. Exercise often!

As a population, we are not exercising enough, especially kids, which is scary. I have kids who tell me that they play sports all of the time, but they are referring to video games. That does not count! Yes, weight training is excellent for fat loss and that would be the area of focus I would suggest for anyone aiming to lose body fat. It is far better than cardio—ten times better in my book. Weight training elevates your metabolism for longer periods of time and activates a fat burning hormonal reaction. When you get a chance, be active!

13. Gain some muscle for a change.

It seems like 75 percent of the people who come into my office and 90 percent of the women want to lower their body fat percentage. But you can’t diet effectively forever, and at times, the best long-term solution for reviving metabolism is to put on some muscle! Remember that a long-term diet, especially with low caloric intake, will actually teach the body to store fat to preserve survival. If you have been dieting for an extended period of time with poor results, a sluggish metabolism may be to blame! No, ladies you are not going to pack on 20 lbs of muscle overnight. That is not going to happen without the right genetics and efforts to do specifically that. However, some gains in muscle, say even 5 lbs, can help you burn many more calories 24 hours a day, seven days a week while improving your hormonal landscape as well. Remember, more muscle also helps with long-term bone health and every day function.

14. Change your diet at least every three months.

Do you follow the same training program forever? Well, if you do, it is a mistake. The body adapts very quickly to stimuli including those created through your nutrition plan. The priorities of your nutrition plan should change often and so should your macronutrient percentages. This will also help to dictate the change of some food sources, which is highly beneficial. This gets into some more complicated topics but check with Scott@infinityfitness.com for more details.

The goal is to break the cycle of the body using just protein or even carbs for fuel. We want the body to be overloaded with dietary fat for a period of time so the system can efficiently use fat as fuel. When you return to a lower dietary fat intake, the body will still know how to utilize the stored fat on your backside as fuel instead of your hard earned muscle.

15. Amino load between meals.

Amino Loading with 100 % MR and Muscle Synthesis provide the specific fuel the body seeks for optimal mental and physical function between meals. Why does amino loading fool the body into burning body fat? The specific ingredients, ratios, and proprietary technology found with 100% MR and Muscle Synthesis provides high impact nutrition with only a few calories, signaling the body to believe massive amounts of food have been consumed. Metabolism is revamped through the roof to handle the incoming nutrients, but there is no food to digest, leaving stored body fat as the only source available to burn.

16. Lower your stress levels.

I know this is easier said than done, but it is a key factor of the fat loss equation. Stress will ruin your insulin sensitivity, causing the body to over-secrete the fat storage hormone, insulin. Furthermore, high cortisol levels elevated due to stress also activate fat storage receptors. For men, the mid-section is the problem area, and women have a harder time with the hips/buttocks area. We are well-equipped to deal with short-term stress such as being chased by a wild animal, but the long-term stressors from overdue bills, relationship issues, or sick relatives are what really take a toll. Signs that you are overstressed include excessive body fat levels, consistent fatigue, irritability, and lack of motivation. Overtraining syndrome has similar symptoms because high stress levels are one of the key factors involved with reducing your capacity to recover from training.

Those who are highly stressed should consider Fat Reduce, Alpha Omega, 100% MR and Muscle Synthesis to combat some of the negative effects created by this problem.

17. Get your rest.

A lack of sleep makes your hormones turn in the wrong direction. Countless studies show that a few nights of poor sleep can negatively alter your insulin sensitivity. In our experience, those with inadequate sleep consume more sugar for a variety of reasons. A good night’s rest is a key to successful days fueling optimal physical and mental energy to accomplish the tasks at hand.

Optimizing your natural anabolic hormone levels is an important part of the recovery process as it relates to weight training. Lack of sleep is a common cause of overtraining. While some people have trouble going to sleep, many more experience difficulty staying in a deep level of sleep. Waking up feeling tired is a sign that the quality of sleep is poor. High stress levels are a common reason behind some sleep difficulties. Try the Fat Reduce PM, which was engineered to lower stress levels before sleep.

Knowledge is not power. Only knowledge properly applied is powerful. Work hard and smart, utilizing a customized plan appropriate for your needs. Fat loss is not a one size fits all matter. The three most common traits that we see among those who are most successful are a sense of urgency to reach a set of goals, the ability to get right back on track when life knocks you off course, and the ability to consistently execute a well-designed routine with no room for excuses. See you at the beach!