Top Five Fat Loss Strategies Walking One of the simplest and most effective weight loss strategies we have is as easy as walking. That’s right, walking. Now, it's not going to completely rip the fat off in a week but done over the long term and done consistently, it really adds up. What I recommend is gradually working your way up to about 30 minutes in the morning, and 45-60 minutes later on in the day. This can be done outside or on a treadmill. The benefit of walking outside, especially in the morning, is to get that sunlight exposure to start the day. Getting sunlight exposure in the morning is so important to help regulate melatonin which will ultimately allow us to get better quality sleep. The increased melatonin regulation will also help to decrease stress. How do these two things relate to fat loss? Well, you can’t lose fat consistently if you’re not sleeping properly and stressed out all the time. Fasting Another super simple, albeit not quite as easy way to lose weight is to practice fasting. Now, I covered intermittent fasting in detail in episode 4 so if you have any questions about whether you should try it or not listen to that episode or send me a direct message. That being said, fasting is definitely something I utilize when I’m trying to burn fat myself and it works great. Not only do I use an intermittent fasting schedule during the week but occasionally I will even do an extended fast of 24-36 hours to really boost my metabolism and overall reduce calories if nothing else. Lifting This is a big one. Strength training and weight lifting are not just for athletes and not just for those who are actively looking to bulk up or put on loads of muscle mass. Strength training and weight lifting are by far and away from the single most effective exercise, you can partake in to lose weight and build muscle. Even if you think you don’t care about building muscle and just want to lose weight, keep in mind that the more muscle mass you have, the higher your metabolic rate will be at rest and therefore the more calories you will burn. That should make you want to lift! Tracking Calories You’ve heard me say it before and I’ll say it again when it comes to burning fat and losing weight, there is simply no getting around the fact that over the long term, you must be in a caloric deficit. And how can you know if you’re in a caloric deficit if you’re not tracking? The answer is you can’t. Now, there can be exceptions if you’re a high-level athlete who is on a workout and dietary regimen year-round, but other than that it’s impossible. H.I.I.T. The last fat loss strategy I want to discuss is H.I.I.T. which stands for High-Intensity Interval Training. It’s been increasing in popularity every year for the past decade or so because it really has a compelling case as the most effective form of cardiovascular exercise. H.I.I.T consists of doing an all-out, hard-as-you-can effort for about 10-15 seconds, followed by a short rest period of about 45 seconds, followed by another all-out interval, and repeat that say 7-10 times.