1. Don’t drive yourself nuts wondering how to reduce body fat while you’re running away from cravings
I am not saying pig out on junk every time the thought pops into your head but on those occasions where you just can’t function because you are dreaming of that Mars Bar you so desperately think you need then by all means buy one, eat it and get the craving out the way so you can get on with life.
2. Work with your hunger pains
Many folk seem to think they are gaining results from suffering away listening to their tummies rumbling, feeling sick and dizzy from not eating, convincing themselves that they must be losing tonnes of body fat. WRONG! WRONG! WRONG! WRONG!
By causing your body to starve you are actually encouraging your body to store the food you do consume as well as slowing down your metabolism – this is not how to reduce body fat.
Take note of the time you are hungry and plan your meals so you have something on hand. Remember if you’re training regularly you should be eating up to 5-6 nutritious meals per day – all of which should contain a lean source of protein.
3. Do you have fat phobia?
Do you avoid meat, eggs, dairy and any thing else that you think might have fat? If you do then you’re going to have to smarten up because it will cause you more grief and could deter those much wanted fat loss results.
Lean red meat and poultry, fish, egg whites and low calorie dairy (within reason) play a major role assisting with providing your body with the “goods” it needs to build strong healthy muscles.
As for junk food well there is nothing wrong with having a cheat meal once in a while, in fact it can help boost your metabolism by shocking it! Just don’t go over the top with it.
How to reduce body fat… more cool tips
4. Using veggies and salad to your advantage
Rather than filling up on rice, pasta, potato and bread for all your meals take advantage of the great recipes and the variety that veggies and salads offer. Not only do they fill you up but they don’t rely on as much flavoring to make them taste good. PLUS they don’t have any where near as many calories.
Your evening meal is a perfect example of how this can help you gauge how to reduce body fat. Due to our lack of activity in the evenings, consuming lighter meals with less calories is a better fat loss option than consuming heavy rice and pasta dishes, especially when all you are going to be doing is taking it easy and sleeping.
5. Drink lots of water!
To keep you hydrated and feeling re-freshed.
6. Have fun with your protein intake.
If you battle with consuming enough protein then find a protein powder such as Prograde that you find convenient and the enjoy the taste of. If you get bored with your protein shakes just change the flavors.
You also have the option of mixing vanilla protein powder with yogurt, fruit, and other natural low GI food sources to help make them more enticing. Mixing things up a little to make it easier with your how to reduce body fat eating plan.
7. Battling with Calorie reduction?
Why not cycle your calorie intake? As most of you know reducing your calories by 15 % can help break that plateau …. but then what do you do when your body gets used to that?
Say for example you’re consuming 1900 calories per day. You’ve completed the above option of reducing your daily calorie intake by 15% which equals 1615 calories per day. You can then mix it up a little…
Decrease your calorie intake by 10% (1900 – 10% = 1710 calories per day). Then ” up” your calorie intake by 5% (1900 + 5% = 1995 calories per day) and so on – get my drift? Keep your body guessing while also stimulating your metabolism. Some people alter it on a weekly basis some every few days… go with what works best for you. Throw this into your eating plan once in a while to clean out the cobwebs.
8. Keep your portion sizes simple
If you use “gram portions” with your meals and find that your eating program falls by the wayside because you don’t have time to weigh your food etc then use “portions sizes or comparisons” to quickly calculate the size of your meals.
A deck of cards is a great way to gauge a portion size. Find something on hand that is close to the size of the amount of food you require for your portions so you can have it handy and compare it. It’s faster and helps the reduce the hassle of preparing meals.
9. Add variety to your meals
Not long ago I wrote an article on “spicing up”. your food. Why not introduce new Indian, Italian, Mexican and Asian healthy dishes into your eating program to help keep those taste buds happy. And so you’re not smacking your head against the wall falling back into same pit falls and wondering all over again how to reduce body fat.
10. FRIENDS AND FOOD
You may think that this is old fashioned – but it works and it’s fun.
Why not have a “bring and share” food bash. Have everyone bring over their favorite low GI / low calorie / healthy casserole / dish / salad / whatever. Socialize with your food and make it fun. You will be surprised at just how many wonderful how to reduce body fat cooking ideas can arise from a bring & share dinner.
Happy healthy eating folks,
Yours in fun, health and fitness
© Mandy Gibbons
Virtual Fitness Trainer
Persons who are of good health, suspect of their health or are aware of any conditions, physical deficiencies or diseases should always consult a physician before undertaking any eating or exercise program. Mandy Gibbons, Virtual Fitness Trainer, www.virtualfitnesstrainer.com.au and www.virtualfitnesstrainer.com disclaims any liability or loss in connection with the above program or advice given in this article.






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I have always loved to excercise but for the longest time since last year i have been very lazy. But I have been eating better and making my food portions to the right sizes hank you i went form 176 to a great 130 and am so happy!!!
THAT’S FANTASTIC, ESME!!
It’s my pleasure, I love to help VFT subscribers!
please give me tips to reduce body fat
Head here, shashikala… http://virtualfitnesstrainer.com/fat-loss/
Hey I have been on so many diets that tell you your going to lose weight in like 2 weeks but nothing changed so I decided to go the healthier way currently I consume 1400 calories a day I do a bit of exercise at school but I don’t really push myself so hard I really hate exercise so I was wandering if the amount of calories I consume now and abou 3 times a week of casual exercise will be enough for me to lose 15 kilos I’m 3 months I weigh 64 kilos I want to go down to 50
Hi Chiara
15kgs is a lot of weight to lose. Are you actually trying to lose overall weight or do you want to focus on reducing bodyfat? Are you wanting to tone up too?
You mentioned school… I’m not sure how old you are, but I would definitely suggest putting more effort into your exercise routine.
If you could give some examples of what you are currently consuming and what your current exercise plan consists of that would be great…
Hello,
I really want to get my body fat down to about 7 percent. Right now i weigh 110 pounds and am 5′ 6″. What can i do?
7% Stacy… is there any reason why you want your body fat that low? I’m not sure if you’re aware of the side affects of having such a low percentage of body fat?
Hi, I have been eating really well and trying to get my body fat percentage down (currently about 19%)
I work out about 6 times a week – 3 of which are cardio and I don’t really see much changes. I really want to get defined abs and can only really see the upper abs
any suggestions?
Hi Sarah,
I have many suggestions, but do not know which ones apply to your specific situation, so I will briefly touch on some of the most common things that get in the way of getting defined abs. First, I should point out that getting really defined abs it tough and requires a lot of dedication in all aspects of health and fitness (exercise, nutrition, recovery, etc.), unless you are lucky and have great genetics.
With that out of the way, here are some things that may help. First, nutrition is key and you need to have a nutritional program that maximizes your metabolism. This means eating 6 or so small meals throughout the day (having a quality protein source with each meal), drinking enough water, fiber, healthy fat, no alcohol, minimal sugar, processed food, unhealthy fat, etc.
With exercise, the biggest mistake people make is doing the same workouts all the time. This could be doing the same resistance training exercises, using the same weights, running the same route, walking at the same speed or for the same length of time, etc.
For information on abdominal training and specific exercises check out VFT’s 6-pack abs section (http://virtualfitnesstrainer.com/six-pack-abs/). I have 8 articles/videos in that section and there are many others as well.
There could also be any number of other issues, such as not getting enough sleep, being too stressed, or even eating foods that you have minor allergies to. Some possibilities could be wheat, dairy, gluten, etc.
These are some places to start, but we could always do better. If you are not already doing it, I strongly recommend keeping a nutritional journal. Then you can make little changes and track the progress over time to see what works and what doesn’t. I hope this helps,
Ross
i work out hard 5 days a week and do cardio for around 2 hrs 6 days a week (basketball). i have a 12 % body fat and pretty nice abs when i flex. i want to have great abs without flexing and get my body fat down to about 9 %. im 6 4 about 200 lbs. what can i do to get my body to the next level?
Hey Paul
First up, way to go!!! 12 % body fat… Great job!
You haven’t mentioned anything about your nutrition. Often, especially when you’re getting down to smaller percentages in body fat, it’ll be what you eat that makes or breaks your efforts.
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