This is your chance to ask the questions you’ve always wanted to ask about any aspect of health and fitness. The best questions posted on the Facebook page will be responded to on the blog or Podcast.
“I’ve always wanted to be able to fit into a size 10 dress, I feel like I’ve tried every diet out there but I’m always disappointed with the lack of results and end up quitting. What can I do to get me down to a size 10 as quickly as possible?”
Following the strategy below should help you drop a dress size in less than 4 weeks:
- Resistance training will burn fat more efficiently than cardio, start with the Propane Protocol
- Drink 1 pint of water before each meal.
- Skip breakfast, and have a cup of black coffee. No it is not the most important meal of the day, nor is it required to kick-start metabolism. , lowering your daily intake.
- Increase your ‘NEPA’ – Non-Exercise-Physical-Activity: Cycle to work, take the stairs, park at the far side of the car park, get off the bus one stop earlier.
- Rotate your food choices to manage satiety.
- Drink only water, coffee and green tea.
Training
The first step for anyone who isn’t already training with weights at least twice a week should be to start doing so. I appreciate that not everyone is a member of a gym and it can be costly to join, but not only does weight-training help you lose fat, it will help you keep the weight off.
Importantly, by joining a gym, you’re making a commitment – one much more significant than buying a pair of trainers or getting your bike out of the shed. The next best substitute is a mix of jogging and sprinting (which you could do alongside resistance training too). If you aren’t sure how you should be training when you’re in the gym – have a look at the propane program.
By getting a sensible training schedule in place you should be able to drop weight (and dress sizes) but most importantly this should be a sustainable change – not like a fad diet that gets you to a size 10 in 3 weeks but then you’re heavier than ever not long later.
Diet
The one thing that’ll affect weight loss above all else is the difference between the amount of calories consumed and burned. So it’s as simple as eating a little bit less energy than you use. You could do this by eating exactly the same as you were and adding the exercise. But also make a few changes: get into the habit of eating 3 healthy meals a day and having a few healthy snacks when you need them (2 or 3 would be acceptable).
As someone who’s new to this don’t get too lost in the details straight away: try and eat meat, fish or eggs with each meal and some low glycemic-load carbs (wholemeal bread, pasta, rice, root vegetables) as well as a serving or 2 of vegetables. As snacks, good choices are: a small handful of nuts, a piece of fruit or even the old cliché of carrot/celery sticks. Try not to consume any liquid calories and be aware that water and green tea are always the best choice.
When trying to do something like this it’s important to be patient, but after a few weeks without progress start lowering calories by eating smaller portions and make sure you’re progressing in your training.
Good luck!
