


Do this: We can't harp on this advice too much: Eat at least 1g of protein per pound of bodyweight every day. Your major protein sources should be lean meats (chicken, steak, turkey breast, tuna), egg whites (the yolks contain the fat, so discard most of them when you're trying to lose fat), protein powder (whey or casein), and low-fat cottage cheese. As for fat, limit it to 20-30% of your total daily caloric intake.

If losing weight is your 2019 resolution, you may be priming yourself to fail just by labeling it as such. That's because almost 80% of resolutions are kaput by February. A big part of why they’re unsuccessful is due to mental whiplash. In December, everyone is saying, "Gorge on cookies and cheese plates and eggnog!" But come January 1st, all of a sudden it's "DIET! DETOX! CLEANSE!"




The easiest way to cut calories? Eliminate excess dietary fat—meaning no butter, oils, or salad dressings (low-fat or fat-free dressings are OK); remove the skin from chicken; substitute egg whites for most of your whole eggs; avoid whole-milk dairy products; and ditch marbled red meats such as rib-eye for lean cuts such as flank. Keep some healthy fats in your diet, such as salmon, mixed nuts, peanut butter, and avocados.
Muscle tissue is a biologically active tissue, this means that it needs and uses calories just to continue being. Some studies have shown that 1 pound of muscle can burn up to 50 calories per day by simply existing. This means that if you gain 10 lbs of muscle you can eat 500 more calories per day and still lose fat. This is just one of many reasons why it is so important to preserve muscle tissue while cutting fat.
Spending your lunch break outside or taking a quick walk during your workday will make a huge difference. Taking 10-20 minutes in the sunshine mostly unprotected (but always protecting your face) will help to naturally boost your body’s vitamin D levels. There are so many benefits of Vitamin D – it will boost your immune system, energy levels, and overall mood!
Sleep quality matters as much as quantity, according to Gillespie. In general, an uninterrupted seven hours is better than 12 hours of tossing and turning. Of course, for new moms or others for whom sleep is hard to come by, naps are better than nothing. But if it’s possible to get your nightly sleep done in a solid block, that’s your best bet, she says.

The human body will process carbohydrates the same way first thing in the morning as it does right before bed. So feel free to eat some carbs before bed. It will not hinder your fat loss one bit. In fact, newer studies have even shown that consuming carbs before bed may even lead to a slightly higher metabolism, but further research is still needed on this subject.
But back it up just a tad.....I started following FWTFL after a post I read on Seersucker + Saddles. I followed for a while, like months and months. It's easy to make excuses not to do something when you're afraid to step out of your comfort zone. Well, April rolled around and I turned 38. I realized ANOTHER year had passed by and I still wasn't in the shape I wanted to be in, so it was time to think about my priorities. You see, my plan was to be "fit for 40" but at the rate I was going 40 would be here and everything would be the same. I knew we had a couple vacations planned for the early summer so as soon as those were out of the way, I pulled the trigger for the July 10th bootcamp. Since the beginning I was super psyched to learn and take in as much as I could. It didn't take long to start noticing changes in my mood and my energy, and even in the physical changes my body started having! The best part was the confidence that came with all that and the determination to keep at it. Its almost (no, very) addicting to get in good health with results to show for it! Once you get a taste of it you want to have more-more of those body changes and certainly more of that "I can actually really do this" feeling! I never thought I'd have the willpower to do all that Ive done these past 6 weeks.

After you train, it's difficult to gain body fat. Why? Depleted, broken-down muscles soak up both protein and carbohydrates for growth and recovery. If you eat too little at this time, you may actually set yourself back by impeding recovery; supporting recovery and growth actually increases metabolism while impeding it slows metabolism. In terms of spurring recovery and growth, just about the most counterproductive thing you can do after a hard workout is starve yourself.
3. Stand up more: By now, we all know sitting for too long increases your risk for most diseases, including obesity. But it also shuts down your body’s ability to metabolize fat. According to a study from Missouri University, certain enzymes in the blood vessels of muscles that are responsible for burning fat are “shut off” if you sit still for too long. The good news? The researchers say standing and moving just lightly will re-engage the enzymes.