Fat loss programs are relatively easy to design but require a lot of dedication to follow. The industry is filled with opportunistic and unscrupulous companies that promote and sell all kinds of quick fixes and shortcuts. The reality is that loosing fat takes time, effort and a lot of dedication but it is worth it every time. Most of the people I train want to loose fat and add lean muscle. The first step is to understand that there will be no 3 times a week-20 minutes a day BS. This is the false marketing we hear from advertisers that prey on the quick results with minimum effort mentality. Sadly this “fast methods” don’t work. What does work is a systematic combination of cardiovascular and resistance training with a healthy approach to nutrition.
What I am going to do now is to give the prescription to fat loss that will guarantee success. I must warn you that while I know that this plan works, the difficult part is to be consistent and stick to each step. This prescription is also a generic program and does not take into account specific needs.

Part I: Nutrition
1.Reduce caloric intake. Not eating a lot of sugars or fats is important but at the end of the day if you are eating too many calories you won’t loose weight.
2.Make vegetables your main food source. Veggies are low in calories and very high in nutrients, just what your body needs.
3.Plan what you are going to eat in advance. If you have a plan you are more likely to make smart decisions than if you wait until you are hungry and your options are low.
4.Don’t keep junk food in your house, this way you won’t have those bad options available.
5.Drink plenty of water. Several times we eat because we think we are hungry when we are really thirsty.
6.Eliminate the following: deep fried food, fried food, candy, refined sugars, anything with multiple added sugars and hydrogenated oils and saturated fats.
7.Spread the calories throughout the day. If you eat smaller, frequent meals, you will enjoy constant energy throughout the day and will reduce cravings due to hunger.

Part II: Training

1.According to the American College of Sports Medicine, a weight loss program requires exercise to be perform at moderate to higher intensities for over 5 hours a week.
2.Training should be a combination of cardiovascular and resistance training. The breakdown I recommend is to alternate resistance and cardio days. Resistance training should be performed at higher intensities and cardios should be longer recovery sessions at the beginning. Cardio sessions will then progress in intensity.
3. Guidelines for resistance training:
-Perform total body routines.
-Choose exercises that involve all major muscle groups.
-Don’t waste time isolating smaller muscle groups such as the shoulder or the calves. This smaller groups can be work in combination with other larger muscle groups. For instance: squat+lateral raise or the lunge+bicep curl.
-Don’t take long breaks between exercises, this means that the best programs will ensure that the same muscle groups will not be worked one after the other. Combine a chest, back and leg exercise rather than a upper chest, lower chest, combination.
-Remember that the more work you put in the more calories you will burn. This means more reps, more sets and all main muscle groups in the same workout.
4. Guidelines for cardio training:
-Begin building endurance but don’t focus exclusively on longer slower cardios. Increasing the intensity will ensure more calories burnt in less time.
-Forget about the “fat burning zone”. Faster, more intense cardios burn more calories from all sources.
-Do interval training.This will ensure variety in intensity and will make cardios more challenging and fun.
-Mix it up, cross train, try different activities. Remember when you were a kid and playtime was fun., exercise is the adult version of playtime. Find activities that you like and you won’t have weight issues again.

Conclusion: a combination of good nutrition and exercise is the key to weight loss. We must also ensure that we are getting enough rest to have the energy to be consistant and allow our bodies to recover from our routine. Good luck and stay active!

Luis