Prince

34 Ways to Lose Fat

Readers like you share their successful strategies for obliterating the blubber.

Originally featured in:
Men's Fitness May, 2002


While we at Men’s Fitness strive to give you the keys to shedding fat, they’re only as good as the usage they get. From recipes to workouts, cutting-edge studies to the most fundamental expert advice, we try to enlighten you on every method available for knocking a notch (or two) off your belt.

But just as Jackie Chan’s fighting style is different from Jet Li’s, we realize everyone is unique, and that different techniques work for different people. So we tapped into our Web site (MensFitness.com) and asked our readers to give us their best—and easiest to implement—fat-loss tips. They overwhelmed us with their nutrition and training savvy. These simple, proven strategies will help anyone lose fat and firm up. So what are you waiting for? Start reading and start shedding.

1
My latest fat-loss booster is Dijonnaise. I have never been able to eat a tuna or turkey sandwich without using mayo—it’s too dry or too fishy. However, mayo has about 100 calories and 11 grams of fat per serving, while Dijonnaise has only about 15 calories and zero grams of fat in the same amount. —David Wimberly

2
Quit drinking [alcohol] and utilize the calories saved for one additional whey protein drink per day. —Jeff Helton

3
Cross-train. Run three or four kilometers Monday, Wednesday and Friday, and weight-train Tuesday and Thursday one week. The next week, reverse that and weight-train Monday, Wednesday and Friday, and run Tuesday and Thursday. I’m 43, married with two kids, and I’ve been training for only one year, yet I’ve gained muscle, lost fat and inches, and become more defined. —Reg Adams

4
I run before breakfast. This creates a fitness mentality that I hold on to the rest of the day, helping me eat healthier and exercise more. Also, I drink more liquids than I used to. This seems to fill me up and temporarily subdue my hunger pangs. —David Ignell

5
Cut out saturated fats from your diet and replace them with only good fats, like nuts, olive oil, fish and avocados, to name a few. —Warren Tessler

6
The proper combination of resistance and cardio training is a must. But to really kick things into high gear, try using hot sauce or red pepper flakes in every meal, and drink twice as much water as you think you can. Both will boost your metabolism. —Brent Kaneski

7
A well-balanced diet combined with cardiovascular training and strength-building exercises is the only way to lose unwanted fat safely. The reason most people fail is because they don’t draw up goals that motivate them to achieve obtainable plateaus; instead, they would rather take the quick fix to the fat problem. —Willis W. Owens, certified U.S. Army master fitness trainer

8
Do interval training, alternating running, biking and hiking. Go strong and hard for two minutes, then take it easy for one minute. Then go hard again for another two minutes. Do this cycle for approximately 20 to 30 minutes three times a week. —Mike Pritchard

9
Buy a body-fat monitor, like the Tanita. Monitoring your body weight and fat percentage allows you to see how effective certain exercises are, and how damaging certain foods are to your fat-loss program. —Charles Mills

10
I try to leave a little food on my plate; that way I realize I don’t have to eat the whole plateful and I still leave the table satisfied. —Eric Stanaland

11
Drink at least a gallon of ice water every day. If you can handle the frequent trips to the bathroom, the energy that your body uses to warm the near-freezing water to body temperature will help you lose an extra eight to 12 pounds per year. —David Kirkpatrick

12
I keep an inspirational note posted on my refrigerator: “Nothing tastes as good as being thin.” —Peter Istvan

13
Get in the habit of not eating anything a good two or three hours before you go to bed. —Matt Eicher

14
Bike, bike, and did I mention bike? It’s the least boring exercise that I have ever come across. —David Meintel

15
The single most effective method for fat loss is high-intensity resistance and cardio work, in particular circuit training. —Edward Freeman

16
One of the best ways I’ve found to cut back the fat is simply to limit simple-sugar intake (soda, cookies, candy, etc.). Instead, go for water, skim milk, natural fruit juices and fruit. It’s a simple step that can have a big payoff. —James Craft

17
I swear by using Slim-Fast in my morning coffee instead of milk. Any of the chocolate varieties will do. —Marsh Lucas

18
Just say no to junk food. I lost 30 pounds by refusing to buy any more potato chips and ice cream. I loved them both. I just made a determined effort to cut them out of my diet, and it really worked. Then I started eating an overall healthier diet and watched my portions. After several months, I dropped another 25 pounds. During the second phase, I also increased my level of physical activity. One year later I still do a regular weight routine and run/bike for aerobic exercise. It feels great not hauling around those 55 pounds of blubber. —Kyler Bowness

19
I lost 45 pounds in six weeks with a three-days-on, four-days-off diet program and a treadmill at home. The latter gives me no excuse to skip a day of aerobic exercise. —Jonathan Valdez

20
Do 45 minutes of cardio before breakfast, then have a protein shake. —Jeremias Voigt

21
I was once 250 pounds and only 5'6". I decided that running every morning before breakfast was a nice start to improving my health, physique and confidence. I did not see results right away, but when I mixed in weight training after a month of running, weight just started to pour off. That’s when I started hearing all the “Wow, you’re losing weight” comments. My exercise program consisted of a 20- to 30-minute run (Monday through Friday) and weight training every other day. I also avoided fast/junk foods. I now weigh a lean 180 pounds. I’m 26, and I haven’t been at this weight since high school. —John Fisher

22
I try to eat five or six small-portion meals of protein, carbohydrate and healthy fats (unsaturated) daily and watch total calorie intake, letting my waistline be my guide. —John J. Holland Jr.

23
Swear off all personal “trigger” foods—the ones you cannot eat just one of, like chips or cookies. —John Patterson

24
I recommend 60 minutes of hard cardio three days a week, and 30 minutes of weight training followed by 30 minutes of hard cardio three days a week. —Mike Johnson

25
Work out after work, with heavy weights first and then cardio (get a good sweat going), then eat only protein afterward. —Kris Castro

26
Beware of fat-free items—these should be eaten in moderation, as they contain more sugars that turn into fat. —John Belcner

27
A regular walk/jog routine, combined with weight training, is a very effective way of reducing fat levels. For example, you can walk for a minute, then jog for a minute, ensuring that your heart rate is sustained at an optimum level for fat burning. Train with weights three times per week and walk/jog on intervening days. —Louis Schoonbrood

28
A 20-minute cardio session in the morning, then small meals every two hours works amazingly for me. —Peter Driscoll

29
Tell everyone what your goal is and when you hope to achieve it. I have shared this simple tip with several friends, and they love to hate it. They love it because they all achieve their goals, but they hate it because they become aware of their goals, forcing them into the gym and onto the running track. I have lost an incredible 36 pounds, and went from a size-35 waist to a 31 or 32. Believe it or not, my entire motivation comes from this small tip of mine. It’s simple, and it works. —Guy Faubert

30
I eat no more than I burn—period. I use nutritional software to track my eating and make sure I don’t go off track. I generally try to avoid junk food, but am not overly strict with my diet, or I couldn’t stick to it day after day. I eat really well during the week, but enjoy a nice restaurant meal on the weekend. —John Ruzicka

31
My best results have come from sprints—100 percent intensity while running, cycling or doing some aerobic activity for 30 seconds, then dropping to 50 percent to 60 percent for the next 30 seconds. Start with five repeats of sprints, then increase as desired. —Phil Jackson

32
Cut out processed foods, which often contain large amounts of sodium, sugars and preservatives that your body simply doesn’t need. In addition to cutting up, I had more energy when I made the switch from processed to fresh foods. —Christopher Rodousakis

33
Change your routines up periodically—monthly with weights and every other week with cardio. This method will keep your muscles guessing and keep your body from growing accustomed to your exercises. Also, set achievable goals for each exercise. Then, when you reach those goals, set some more. This simple method has helped me lose 45 pounds and reduce my body fat from 31 percent to 12 percent. —Daniel Messer

34
Strive to eat your last meal of the day by 6 p.m., with the exception of a protein shake well before bedtime. —Bob Schuster



If you think this article is stupid, or you disagree with it, I do not give a shit!

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• BigBackGrips - If you lift weights you've got to try these grips!

Rob_NC

The person in #17 obviously hasn't read the ingredient label on a can of that crap.

Artificial Intelligence is no match for Natural Stupidity.

Brian_m35

There definitely are some good pieces of advice here. I'm not sure that I agree with all of them, but I'm sure I'll be putting several to use.

Rob_NC

Brian, Take the advice of the very smart people on this board.

Artificial Intelligence is no match for Natural Stupidity.

nikegurl

i'm stealing this line....i have to (apologies to Dr. Pain)

Diet Rules. Cardio Drools. (i'm a believer!)

If you want to achieve things that others can't...

You have to do things that others won't.

Brian_m35

Rob, I look forward to getting all the advice I can. This is one of the better message boards that I've been on. Some very knowledgeable people here.

w8lifter

Ditto to that!

w8lifter

And ditto to that too!

Prince

some of you must have missed my disclaimer at the bottom of the post.

• SBMuscle.com - Discount Supplement Superstore
• AlltheWhey.com - Bulk Protein Powders
• CEM Products - Research Chemicals & Supplements
• MusclePharm - Complete Nutritional Arsenal
• BigBackGrips - If you lift weights you've got to try these grips!

Brian_m35

Sorry Prince, I'll pay closer attention to the disclaimer next time.

Training God

Those are great tips.
I'm going to print those off.
Thanks Prince.

maxxlina

I'm gonna try one tip for a week.

Chest Rockwell

Hi guys!
I'm new here.
Just wanted to say Hi and that I am amazed with all the great info on this site.

My 2 cents on this article and this magazine(Men's Fitness) is they should change the name of the magazine to Skinny Little Bitches.
There is some good advice in this article and the magazine but Men's Fitness prints alot of shitty info. For example, I can't believe # 13 in this article.
Hey lets all not eat a few hours before bed so we can lose massive amounts of muscle while we sleep. I gurantee you the guy who sent in this suggestion is a Skinny Little Bitch and one of those pretty boyz at the gym who is afraid to put on a little fat to pack on some real mass.
I always eat like a friggin horse, even when I'm cutting.
I simply change the foods I am eating, up the fats, lower the carbs and gradually decrease calories in small increments.
Although it is possible to get to a low BF% without cardio I always seem to have to up the cardio to get to around 6% BF.
I love food to much!

w8lifter

lmfao! That was a helluva post! And I agree

Welcome to IM!

Mudge

What came to mind for me, was WTF is cutting an ounce of milk a day going to do for you?

Chest Rockwell

Thanks for the welcome w8 and I agree with you Mudge.
That guy really knows how to tweak a diet.
We can all get ripped by using Slim Fast in our coffee instead of milk. This guy is a genius!

I also read another great piece of info in the most recent editon of
Men's Fitness Magazine.
It was an outline of meals that you could eat throughout the day. They suggested that for meal 3 you should eat a protein bar.
mmmmmmmmmm.....
Glycerine and a blend of shitty proteins always helps me to build a better body. And I love all the sugar and the sugar substitues that store bought protein bars provide.
I want to take the editor of this magazine and shake the shit out of him.

I also love #34
What a crock of shit!
I think I eat around 3 times after 6 p.m, sometimes more,
in addition to a bedtime snack and a recovery protein shake in the middle of the night.

Ya gotta love the way a skinny little bitch thinks.

w8lifter

lmao! I like you

Solid_Steel

LMFAO ... I do too.

bigss75

Is what true? that sounds like that guy made it up.

Mudge

I don't know about the weight, but its the same principle as forcing yourself to let the body heat itself, which of course does burn calories.

As for honestly drinking "near freezing" water all day, sorry I wont do it.

Drinking water throughout the day though will also tell the body to dump water weight.

Kinesiology Vote @ Top 25 Deads Comp Bench
Motivation Bench form MaxCalc Charles Poliquin
When I let go of what I am, I become what I might be. Lao-Tzu
I don't know any sources so don't ask - thanks

LAM

it does help to burn calories but there are much easier ways..

Dumbest statement made in the Anabolic Zone for Nov

TBD

-----------------------------------------------------

What you talking about Willis ?

the_menace

Sorry to interrupt folks but I just found some things that I don't think is true. No offense on the post really but I found these two tips a little bit questionnable.

24
I recommend 60 minutes of hard cardio three days a week, and 30 minutes of weight training followed by 30 minutes of hard cardio three days a week. —Mike Johnson

25
Work out after work, with heavy weights first and then cardio (get a good sweat going), then eat only protein afterward. —Kris Castro

There's no such thing as getting too big!
6'2, 235 lbs.

Mudge

Since these were reader submissions, they aren't going to be absolutely great/perfect for everyone. Its just what some handfull of Joe and Joanns did that they thought made a difference for them.

Kinesiology Vote @ Top 25 Deads Comp Bench
Motivation Bench form MaxCalc Charles Poliquin
When I let go of what I am, I become what I might be. Lao-Tzu
I don't know any sources so don't ask - thanks