Three things you need to know about losing fat

each meal and snack. Log your calories in an old-fashioned journal.

In order to determine how many calories you need, multiply your goal weight by 10 if you’re sedentary, or 12 if you’re active. For example, a sedentary woman with a goal weight of 140 pounds would require 1,400 calories, while an active woman with a goal weight of 140 pounds would require 1,680 calories.

If you want to lose fat but don’t want to lose weight, just reduce your current weight by 5 pounds. Doing so will help you burn fat, and then you can put the weight back on through muscle later by putting in time and effort at the gym.

2) You need cardio and strength training - not just one or the other

If your primary goal is weight loss—the first step in losing fat—a combination of cardio and weights is your best bet and no, lifting two-pound dumbbells vigorously doesn’t count. Hop on a treadmill, join a spin class, or use a stair climber.

While you’re still in the weight-loss process, devote 50% of your workout time to moderate to vigorous intensity cardio and the other 50% to strength training. Later on, once you’re in a place of weight maintenance, alternate days for cardio and strength training, or split your workouts 60-40 in favour of weights.

3) Calorie-dense make it hard to lose fat

Whether you’re sipping a latte, freshpressed green juice, or beer, caloric beverages make it difficult to lose weight, period. The carbohydrates in calorie-containing beverages is broken down to sugar very quickly in the bloodstream, where it is picked up by insulin and stored in the midsection as fat. Avoid any and all caloric beverages during the fat reduction process, and stick to noncaloric beverages like black coffee, unsweetened tea, and of course water.

beverages