When it comes to weight loss, calories do count. If you eat too much, even if it’s healthy food, you will gain weight. And dropping your calories too low or too quickly can also cause your metabolism to slow down and your body to store fat.

To avoid this, it’s important to create small deficits over time. Jumping right into a low-calorie diet and staying there for months is the fastest route to hitting a wall.

Start by logging your food for a few days to get a baseline. See what your average calorie intake is and lower it every 14-20 days by 10% to start.

For instance, if you’ve been eating 2000 calories on average each day you’ll want to begin by lowering your calories by 200. So that means you will eat 1800 calories during week one and two.

Doing this will keep your metabolismflexible and allow you to keep burning fat in the long run and avoid that dreaded plateau that continued low-calorie diets often create.

I’m guessing you may be wondering what exactly reverse dieting is…

Well instead of continuing to lower your calories or stay at that 1200-calorie mark which is often seen in most typical diets today, you’re going to reverse your calorie intake by slowly increasing them each week.

It’s just a small amount, around 50 calories a week. You can keep doing this until you get back to the 1600-calorie mark.

Now to really amp up your fat burning, there are a few more techniques you can use to really maximize your fat burning.

anything until 12 pm the next day. You’ll naturally eat around 200-400 calories less and your body will be tapping into your fat stores for energy thus maximizing fat burning without having to do a thing.

Now another myth you’ve likely heard is that you must avoid carbs at night or you’re going to end up gaining weight

Well, that’s just nonsense and a complete myth. Research shows that this is NOT true at all.
Actually, you should be eating most of your carbs at night.

Here’s why…

When you eat carbs it releases tryptophan into your bloodstream. This tryptophan then causes a release of serotonin in the brain. Serotonin is what makes you want to relax and chill out. It makes you sleepy.

his serotonin release mimics your circadian rhythm and thus helps you sleep better.

Better sleep = Increased fat burning

Additionally, eating too many carbs can lower your blood sugar leaving you feeling lethargic and tired.

Ever get that 3 pm energy crash?

Often it’s from eating too many carbs at breakfast or lunch.

So, change what you know about when to eat carbs.

If you want to burn maximum fat, stop eating carbs for breakfast and lunch. Yes,that means no more muffins, bagels, cereal, toast, or juice if you want to get that rocking mommy body.

But hey those processed foods aren’t that great for you anyways…more on that later.

The goal is to get your carbs post-workout and in the evenings, with a majority of them in the evenings.

Macronutrients – Balance is Key

When it comes to getting lean, protein, carbs, and fat ALL play a roll in helping you get the results you desire

Eliminating any one of these food groups can interfere with fat burning hormones and cause your fat loss efforts to come to a screeching halt.

Now we already talked a little bit about carbs, but there’s more to it than just timing. Carb selection and amount are also necessary factors in the fat loss equation.

It’s important to select the best carb sources to maximize your fat burning while also leaving you feeling energetic. These include rice, potatoes, tapioca, and small amounts of fruit.

If possible avoid grains and gluten as most people have allergies or intolerances to these foods that can interfere with weight loss.

Additionally, you must deserve your carbs. The amount of carbs you eat must be deserved and this depends on four main factors:

1. Your current body fat percentage. The leaner you are the more carbs you can have. If you’re trying to lose weight then you’re going to want to keep your carbs lower.

2. Muscle mass. The more muscle you have the more carbs you can have and will need.

3. Your activity level. The more active you are the more carbs your body will need. So if you’re a mom say who works out 3-4 days a week to stay fit and healthy your carb intake will be very different than someone else training daily for a triathalon.arbs you can have and will need.

4. Your body type. You may be someone that looks at a carb and simply gains weight. Or on the other hand you may be able to eat lots of carbs without it really having an impact on your weight. Everyone has different genes that impact how well you can handle carbs or not. Typically, if you are more “squaty” and have a “round” body, carbs should be low. If you have a muscular build and athletic body type, 30-40% of your calories can be carbs. If you are very slender and lean, you can have more carbs.

Next up is protein. Women often don’t get enough protein; however, protein is an important component of building muscle, increasing your metabolic rate, and balancing your insulin. These are all important components of fat loss.

Aim for 1 gram of protein per pound of bodyweight to maximize muscle gain and fat loss.

Lastly, don’t fear those fats. I know it sounds a little crazy, but if you want to burn more fat then you must eat more healthy fats.

Now you have the basis to take things to the next level and burn that fat. I know you’re crazy busy, so it’s important to save time by cooking in bulk whenever possible.

Healthy Meals Your Kids Will Love

Free 3 Day Meal Plan

To make planning a bit easier for you, we’ve put together a quick and easy 3-day meal plan for you to follow.

■ 3 Sample Breakfasts

■ 3 Sample Lunches

■ 3 Sample Dinners

■ 3 Sample Snacks

Step 2: Strong Mommy Training

When it comes to working out more isn’t always better and can actually be detrimental to your fat loss efforts. You’re busy, so with this plan you can save time in the gym while still dropping pounds and working toward a fit body.

The Cardio Myth

If you’re spending hours doing cardio while ignoring the weights then it’s no wonder you’re not seeing the results you desire.

You may have heard thatcardio is the fastest way to lose weight, but unfortunately this is a myth. In fact, too much cardio can actually cause your body to STOP burning fat.

See those long cardio sessions that last 45 or 60 minutes can increase your cortisol.

Insulin resistance sets you up for a host of problems, such as causing you to hold onto fat more easily or keeping you from utilizing nutrients properly.

You are already bombarded with all kinds of stress on a daily basis so why make matters worse?

Stop doing so much cardio. Workout less to reach your goals.

It may seem counterintuitive but it’s proven to work.

And now that you’ve freed up some extra time you can get in a few extra zzz’s or spend more time doing things that matter. All of which reduce your stress even more!

Replace Steady State Cardio with SHIIT Training

And it gets better…you only have to do these workouts 1-3 times per week.

So this could potentially save you HOURS each week!

You can still use your traditional forms of cardio such as running, rowing, jump roping, biking, or other type of repetitive cardio based activity. Find something you enjoy and that works for your fitness level, age, and health.

You’ll want to start with a good warm-up for about 5 minutes before jumping into your interval sprints. And remember those sprints should be super intense…You want to give it your all.

You know the type of sprint you’d be doing if you were being chased by a bear.

Here is an example SHIIT session:

5 minute warm-up

Less Cardio, More Strength Training For Maximum Fat Burning

You’ve already learned that when it comes to exercise more isn’t always better.

Additionally, strength training should be on the top of your to do list. Cardio intervals, although a great addition to your workout routine, isn’t going to cut it alone.

To get results, you MUST do strength training.

Strength training GETS RESULTS.

We both know you don’t have a lot of time, so why not get the best results in the least amount of time!
Strength training builds muscle. Muscle gives you definition and tone. It also has a huge impact on your fat burning.

To build muscle and maximize fat burning you need to push yourself with a weight that’s heavy and challenging.

Additionally, your workouts should be progressive. Have you ever seen someone in the gym doing the same routine day in and day out and yet they look exactly the same?

That’s because doing the same thing eventually creates a plateau. Your body becomes used to the same movements and the same weights and eventually, it no longer creates any sort of challenge or stimulus to keep making progress.

And unfortunately, just doing random workouts or what is known as “muscle confusion” only works in the short run as well.

So make sure your workouts are progressive. That you are building each week on what you accomplished the week before by changingload or volume. Add more weight or increase the number of sets or reps you are completing.

Be sure to train at least three days per week and up to five. Again, more isn’t always better. Allow your body time to recover. Overtraining can lead to increased cortisol and you now know what that means.

What About Yoga?

You may be wondering about lighter activities, such as yoga. And while these are great to increase flexibility and get your body moving, it’s not going to have the same impact on your body composition that strength and SHIIT training will.

However, it can definitely be a great way to reduce stress and cortisol, so if you enjoy it go for it! It’s a great way to unwind on your days off and de-stress.

Step 3: Accountability for Mental Shifts and New Habits

Sticking to a new workout and nutrition program isn’t easy. Change is never easy and trying to do it alone can make the difference between success and failure.

So, what’s one easy way to be sure you follow through on your commitment to yourself and get the results ONCE AND FOR ALL?Accountability!

Being accountable to others is often the missing component that gives you the needed motivation and inspiration to overcome your excuses.

When you do things on your own, it’s much too easy to make excuses,such as there isn’t enough time to workout today, I like food too much, or my genetics make weight loss hard. These excuses keep you from acting on creating new healthy habits.
They stand in your way and keep you stuck.

However, having accountability partners help to reprogram your thinking. It steers you toward the positive and what you can accomplish rather than what you can’t. It gives you a new sense of confidence and that extra push to succeed.

When you’re accountable to others it improves your willpower. Simply knowing someone has got your back and is checking in to make sure you’re doing what you say you will do increases the likelihood you’ll follow through.

Those emotional ties to others keep you from wanting to let others down and increases your likelihood of following through.
So before getting started be sure to find your accountability partner!

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