Wednesday, October 8, 2014

How to lose fat without going on a "diet" or stepping one foot in the gym

There are many ways in which a person may lose fat and even develop a little bit of muscle tissue, all before going on a "diet" or stepping one foot in the gym.

To be able to lose fat, we need to use more calories than what we consume. In other words, at the end of the day, there must be a net negative calorie balance, or as I like to call it, a calorie deficit. Now this may be done in two ways, either by taking in fewer calories (eating less or eating healthier) or by burning more calories (through activities like exercising for instance).

If we want to lose fat without going on a diet or without stepping a foot in the gym, we're going to have to create conditions that ensure fewer calories in and more calories burned. There are a number of ways in which this may be done and we'll discuss each one of them right here.

1. Drink more water

Our bodies are approximately 70% water and water, as we all know, is as essential for life as breathing is. But how does drinking enough water help with fat loss? Well for starters, water helps the liver to metabolize fat. So that means that by drinking more water you can optimize the liver's fat metabolizing function so that more fat may burned when you need it for energy.

Another reason why water may help is because it fills you up, meaning you'll more than likely stuff less food into your face. When you drink a glass of water before a meal, there'll be something in the stomach which takes up space. That means less space available for all the other food you plan on eating. Drinking a glass again after the meal will fill up all the rest of the stomach and leave you feeling stuffed. More water therefore also equals fewer calories taken in.

The best way is to have a water bottle with you at all times. Keep it full and stay hydrated for optimal fat loss.

2. Get more fiber and protein for breakfast

It has been shown that  breakfast high in protein and fiber will keep you fuller for longer and keep those hunger pangs at bay. How can you ensure a high protein and fiber breakfast? Easy, eat 4 eggs and have yourself some beans or other legumes in the mornings. You can even buy fiber pills or capsules, or add a fiber powder to your morning orange juice. It's so easy! 

Protein and fiber takes way longer to digest and move through your body. It therefore takes longer before your system is empty and the brain sends signals that you're hungry again. This will enable you to stick it out until lunchtime, or longer even!

Another thing about fiber. Not only does it keep you fuller for longer, which means you probably won't stuff your face with everything you see after breakfast (fewer calories in), but it also takes much more effort for the body to digest it and move it through your system. And that's not all, fiber is not absorbed by your body, meaning it does not add any calories. So in essence, your body must use energy to digest fiber and it won't add any calories. That's calories burned, but no calories in! Simply awesome!

3. Drink coffee or green tea together with pure grapefruit juice

Coffee and green tea will supply you with caffeine. Caffeine has been shown to boost metabolism and suppress appetite. Ahh, but here's a neat little trick to extend the life of caffeine. If you drink pure grapefruit juice (or eat a grapefruit for that matter) before you drink your coffee or tea, you can extend the effects of the caffeine in the tea or coffee! That means longer appetite suppression and a longer metabolic boost.

Why grapefruit? How does it work? Well, grapefruit contains a substance called naringin. It's what gives grapefruit it's bitter taste. Naringin has the effect of prolonging the bio-availability of certain compounds in our digestive systems. Taken with coffee or green tea, you'll have a longer duration appetite suppression and metabolic boost. If you can't stand the taste of grapefruit, look out for a naringin supplement. They're also easy to find these days.

4. Stimulate fat loss with spices

There are many spices in the world and they may be used not only to make our food taste great, but also to aid our fat loss efforts. Here are three of the best:

Cayenne pepper

Cayenne pepper is like nature's thermogenic. Adding cayenne pepper to your food will have the effect of speeding up your metabolism. This means you'll have a higher resting metabolic rate which in turn means that you'll burn more calories during the day.


Cumin is a really great spice. When you add it to your food, Cumin also has the effect of speeding up the metabolism like Cayenne pepper, but in addition to that, Cumin may also burn fat directly, especially in the abdominal area plus, Cumin has been shown to speed up and improve the digestive system. So what this means is that by eating Cumin you can burn calories and fat and also absorb fewer calories when you digest your food. Amazing!


Turmeric has the effect of blocking the formation of new fat. It can be seen as nature's fat blocker. Eating Turmeric will thus cause fat to pass through your digestive system without being absorbed.

(While these spices are amazing for fat loss, remember that moderation is key here. Please do not go and smother your food with as much spice as you can. Food that is too spicy will be bad for you. You know the saying: Too much of a good thing is bad for you. This is definitely true in this case.)

4. Maintaining homeostasis

The human body always maintains a state of balance. This balance is called homeostasis. It is a condition in the body where all the aspects that ensure life are in perfect balance. For example, the correct body temperature for optimal health is 37 degrees Celsius and all factors that contribute to temperature are just so that the optimum temperature is maintained. Everything is in balance for the correct temperature to ensure optimal health.

When the body is disturbed out of homeostasis, it will always try to get back to get back into a state of balance as soon as it can. Often the body must expend energy to get you back into balance again. The energy required for balance must come from somewhere and that somewhere may be the fat reserves of the body.

Homeostasis may be disturbed by changing the temperature around us. If we can make it sufficiently cold around us, the body has to burn calories to keep us warm and at the right temperature. The amount of calories required to heat us up can be quite staggering. Consider that adventurers who climb Mount Everest burn an average of 10 000 calories, per day! And then also keep in mind that an average person needs about 2500 calories per day for normal function. Can you see how effective cold may be in burning off more calories? It really works!

How then can we make it cold around us, in a safe manner. Number one, take a cold shower if you can, mornings and evenings. In my LYFA! FITNESS 21 Day program I explain how a cold can be taken in the easiest manner possible. I learned of this manner in Tim Ferris' work, The 4-Hour Body: An Uncommon Guide to Rapid Fat-Loss, Incredible Sex, and Becoming Superhuman. I have taken many a shower this way, and it really works. Number two, drink 500 ml of icy cold water first thing in the morning, immediately upon waking up. The cold water will shock your system into operation, and the body will immediately start to burn calories for heat. Cold water in the mornings may also boost you metabolism by up to 30% when you drink it immediately upon waking up. Number three, if you can and you want to, go for a nice swim. The cold water in the swimming pool will suck the heat from your body, and your body must then burn calories to put the heat back in again.

5. Giving the body more oxygen

Just like a fire burns brighter and with more heat and intensity when you give it more oxygen (like when you blow on the embers to get them to burn brighter), so too will the body burn calories better with more oxygen. Better calorie burning, means more calories burned and consequently,  more fat loss.

How can we get more oxygen in the body? The answer lies in a great breathing technique I learned from Tony Robbins' work, Anthony Robbins' Personal Power II: The Driving Force!. I'll describe it here for you:

1. Breath in slowly through your nose. Fill the lungs up to their maximum capacity. Breathe really deep and long.
2. Hold that breath in for a number of seconds. 10 to 20 seconds will do nicely.
3. Now release it slowly but forcefully through your mouth until your lungs are empty.
4. Repeat

You can repeat this breathing technique 5 to 10 times, three times per day for extra oxygen to fuel the metabolism fires!

6. Avoid white foods

White foods are predominantly of the High GI variety. High GI foods are metabolized and absorbed easily and quickly. Low GI foods take longer to digest and absorb which means you absorb less (fewer calories in), you stay fuller for longer (even fewer calories in) and you burn more calories in the digestion process.

With these 6 techniques you should be able to lose a good amount of fat, considering you have a good amount of fat to lose before you even think of dieting and exercising. But remember friends, this is not THE technique for losing fat and gaining muscle. If you want to get serious about losing fat and building muscle, then nothing beats good old healthy eating and exercising. Start with these 6 techniques and then ramp it up from there. Take the steps required to improve your health and fitness for life!

Keep in mind also, that too much of a good thing may be bad or dangerous in this case. So don't go drowning yourself in water, or run butt naked in the rain and snow outside. Maintain a healthy degree of common sense when applying these principles and please don't overdo it. It can become dangerous and lead to injury and illness.

I hope these tips and tricks can help you in your endeavors to lose fat and build muscle. Please feel free to share your opinion, or maybe even your experience with some of these if you decide to try them out, in the comments section. You can also read up on the minimum threshold requirements for losing fat and building muscle to see just how easy it is to stay healthy and fit.

Until next time friends, STAY TRUE AND TRAIN HARD!

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