first of all, a 19 year old should know that it's spelled l-o-s-e.
basics of fat loss:
Let’s start with some MISCONCEPTIONS.
1. I CAN TARGET WHERE I WANT MY FAT LOSS TO COME FROM
Wrong! Understand that you cannot target fat loss. In other words, there is no particular exercise you can do to remove fat from a specific region on your body. When you burn fat, the body decides where it comes from, not you.
2. CRUNCHES/SITUPS BURN FAT
Wrong! For some reason, people seem to think that doing crunches will burn fat. It will not. Crunches are anaerobic exercise. Aerobic exercises are what will burn fat. More on that later.
3. SUPPLEMENTS ARE MAGIC PILLS
Wrong! Supplements are made to fill gaps in an already healthy nutritious diet. There are, of course, some thermogenic supplements made specifically for the purpose of burning fat, but most are hyped.
4. DIET SODA IS OKAY
Wrong! Aspartame, the main sweetener in diet sodas is more addictive than regular sugar and it triggers your appetite, so while you may save some calories at the time, you’ll be more likely to eat more later.
5. I HAVE NO SIX PACK
Wrong! Everyone has a six pack. The issue is simply how much fat is hiding it. The only way to reveal those abs is to cut your bodyfat percentage.
And now, how to go about fat loss.
1. EAT THE RIGHT STUFF AT THE RIGHT TIME
You’ve heard it before. To lose weight, you have to eat less. Well, guess what? It’s true! The key to weight loss is to take in less total calories than your body needs to maintain its current weight. When this happens, the body has no choice but to lose weight. What you’re going to have to do is count each and every calorie you eat. It sounds hard, but it’s not. Start with 500 less calories than you normally take in. You should see a loss of 1-2 pounds in a week, which is what is healthy. If you stop seeing progress, decrease your intake by another 500.
Now, here’s something you probably haven’t heard. Eat every 3 hours to lose fat. See, when the body goes longer than three hours without eating, it goes into a sort of “starvation mode” and starts storing fat, not burning it.
So what do I eat every 3 hours? Well, earlier in the day is when you should have the majority of your carbs (don’t forget that sugars are carbs) because the later in the day that you consume carbs, the less likely they are to be burned, and the more likely they are to be stored as fat. Carb rich foods include pasta, oatmeal, fruits, etc. Also, breakfast should be your largest meal. Studies show that the larger your breakfast is, the leaner the person is (generally). Try eating nothing but celery, white fish, protein shakes, green tea, and some fruit. It might get boring, but it should definitely help with fat loss.
Water. Water makes up over 70% of the body so it only makes sense to give the body what it wants. Drink at least a gallon a day.
Be sure to have a protein shake ASAP postworkout. Mix it with some orange or cranberry juice to refuel both carbs and protein.
2. CUT THE CRAP
Donuts, cake, cookies, ice cream, candy, soda, diet soda, fast food, beer – it all has to be cut from your diet. Not to mention the saturated fat from those items; the high sugar value is also extremely bad. As I mentioned, sugars are carbs and carbs convert to fat. Especially those kind of unnatural sugary carbs found in those items. Get rid of it all!
3. EXERCISE CORRECTLY
Cardiovascular activity is vital to losing fat. Here’s what to do: exercise first thing in the morning on an empty stomach. Just have some water or a protein shake beforehand to prevent dehydration. After waking, your body’s glycogen levels (blood sugars) are low are so your body’s first choice for fuel is compromised. This means is has to turn to something else for energy: fat cells.
What kind of cardio? Running is great. Plyometrics is great. Inteval training is great. Pretty much any cardio exercise that gets your heart rate up, your blood pumping, and your sweat drenching your clothes is great. Do this every morning every weekday. Take the weekend off to recover.
If you can follow this schedule AND eat correctly, you should see weight loss. Just remember that one without the other can only achieve very minimal progress. Exercise and correct nutrition together is the one-two combo for health and fat loss.
4. SLEEP!
Sleep is vital for maximum bodily performance. It’s your way or recharging and recovering. Get at least 8 hours of sleep per night. A University of Chicago study discovered that just three nights of poor sleep can cause muscle cells to become unresponsive to the hormone insulin. Over time, this leads to fat storage in the belly.