6 Fat-Loss Hacks You Can Add Daily

The basics of fat loss are simple.  There is nothing “quick and easy” about maintaining a caloric deficit for any length of time to drop unwanted fat, but that’s what's necessary to get it done.  Any blog post or infomercial claiming the next great fast fat loss system is usually trying to sell you something, or they don’t know shit, probably both. The grind of an effective fat loss program can be brutal, but the cool thing is if you lock in and stick to your plan, you’ll lose the fat.  A lot of experts try to make it way more complicated but the truth of the matter is nothing beats busting your ass in the gym and getting in quality nutrition while burning more calories than you are consuming.  Aside from the basics of a competent fat loss exercise and nutrition protocol, there are some tricks that can get you to your goal faster, most have been covered before and are common sense, but it’s funny how often people overlook even the most basic info when it comes to fat loss.  Follow these easy to implement fat loss hacks daily to get quicker results!


  • Try nicotine gum- Nicotine gets a bad rap. While it’s certainly fact that the single most addictive legal products in the world are loaded with nicotine, that doesn’t necessarily mean that nicotine by itself is going to cause cancer, CVD, or any other life threatening diseases associated with smoking.  The fact is all the other garbage the cigarette companies pack into that cigarette is what’s going to put you in a casket, not the nicotine.  The poisonous delivery system is the issue here.  Nicotine gum carries the stimulant in a much cleaner and carcinogen free package.  Competitive bodybuilders have been using nicotine for years, mainly as an appetite suppressant during extreme low calorie diets to get as lean as possible to step on stage.  It’s also proven that it may lead to fat loss directly. (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11477508).  Ever wonder why people that quit smoking tend to put on weight? Well, there’s your answer.  Be careful however, read the warnings and decide if this is for you. Nicotine gum is usually available in 2 or 4mg pieces.  Start with the 2mg and only chew once per day.  You shouldn’t need more than 2 doses a day to reap the positive benefits.  Personally, I can use 4mg pieces and feel great but some have reported to feel nauseous with that high a dose, so find where you are comfortable and roll with that.  Cycle on and off, I prefer a 4 week on and 2 week off cycle to avoid any possible addiction.  Just like any other stimulant, nicotine isn’t for everyone.  If you feel lightheaded, nauseous, or stomach discomfort, stop use.  I also wouldn’t recommend former smokers try it either.  For those that have issues with nicotine (and some will), caffeine can mirror some of the same benefits.
  • Pound more water- Seems like common sense and I know this has been written and spoken about since humans evolved from apes to our current state of mankind, but it’s a simple step that’s cheap, easy, and effective. Staying hydrated will aid in almost anything you are trying to do in the health and fitness arena.  Billions upon billions of dollars are spent each year on supplements by people that are constantly in a state of dehydration.  You could have saved that 59.99 you just dropped on the newest “fat burner” pill you got at GNC and opted to fill up your water bottle for free and gotten better results.  Always have water, always be drinking, especially if you are interested in losing body fat.  Water helps almost every system in the human body function more efficiently, and it can also aid in weight management according to a recent study. http://www.annfammed.org/content/14/4/320.
  • Find a quality Protein Powder and add it to your diet- Of the macronutrients, Protein is king. When in a caloric deficit, if you lack enough protein, you can wave goodbye to any lean mass or strength you may have accumulated over the years.  This is the quickest way to wind up “skinny fat”.  Who wants to drop a bunch of weight and be left with a weak, soft, and smaller pudgy frame?  Probably not you.  A way to effortlessly add protein to your diet is to find a quality protein powder and put down 50g each day.  Recent research suggests there is an insignificant difference in terms of effectiveness using protein powder or getting protein from whole foods, so break out the blender bottle and get to chugging. (http://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/8/5/288/htm).   If you count your macros and are hitting your protein number consistently then good for you, you can skip this one.  My bet is most are not.  For those looking to increase lean mass, maintain lean mass during a low-calorie diet, or just trying to be stronger and look awesome, protein should be at least double the RDA of 0.8g per 1 kg of bodyweight or even more! (https://jissn.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12970-017-0174-y).
  • Eat more fiber- And no, I’m not talking about the usual advice of cheerios, grains, and wheat bread. A lot of the typical recommendations for fiber do not yield the most bang for your buck in terms of the ratio of fiber to useless calories.  Now that we know fiber can contribute to weight loss even when it’s the only factor examined (http://annals.org/aim/article/2118594/single-component-versus-multicomponent-dietary-goals-metabolic-syndrome-randomized-trial), the trick becomes getting more fiber without getting too many useless calories on board.  A medium avocado comes packed with over 10 grams of fiber and only 12 g of carbs.  It also provides a serious helping of high quality unsaturated fats to your diet.  Chia seeds are another great option as a 1 oz. serving packs in 10g of fiber and only 12g of total carbs.  Other quality sources are any green veggies, sauerkraut (great probiotic also), artichokes, and low carb wraps (I recently found a brand that has 10g total carbs and 7g of fiber!).  Get your fiber in, but don’t pick up too many extra crappy calories in doing so.
  • Perform strength training with high intensity and track your rest periods-  Make the most of your gym time.  You pay the membership, you find time to get there, then why are you scrolling through Instagram for 4 minutes between sets? Why do you set the treadmill on the same settings you have for the past year and que up Netflix on your iPad?  How is that going to get you any closer to your goal?  It’s doing the exact opposite.  This is letting yourself get distracted from the discomfort of tough work that will eventually lead to success if you give it a chance.  Most people want to know what the coolest, most bad ass looking exercises are and what the next trendy fat loss program is when the answer is right under their nose: working hard. Almost any program executed with very high intensity will yield better results than a great program at low intensity.  That should be in your mind for every set and every rep during a training session.  The sets you can do while B.S ing with the guy next to you are a missed opportunity to improve.  Track your rest periods.  Having a wrist watch with a timer is an effortless way to make sure you are staying on track, especially if the alarm is slightly annoying.  It’s amazing how much work can get done when you aren’t checking your Facebook timeline between every set.
  • Add 10 minutes of HIIT training to the end of each workout- HIIT training is the most time efficient and effective training system that drops fat/spares muscle in existence.  Sure, you can burn fat if you walk on a treadmill for 2 hours a day, but this article isn’t called “6 Long and Boring Fat Loss Hacks You Can Add To Your Day”.  There are many ways to integrate HIIT. A very smart person wrote about them here:   https://breakingmuscle.com/fitness/conditioning-that-wont-kill-your-gains.  This type of training will not only burn fat and improve your cardio, it can increase explosiveness and lactate threshold.  With steady state cardio, the only thing you are improving, is steady state cardio.  Also, HIIT will elevate EPOC (excess post-exercise oxygen consumption) so the calorie burn continues well after your session.  When you get home from the gym, binge on Netflix from your couch instead of the treadmill, all while getting increased benefits.
