Memorial Day Weekend Is Here

How did you do with your goals? I would say I am pretty happy with what I have achieved since I suggested the Memorial Day shape up on April 14th. I am down about 3lbs and a few inches all over.

Here is me as of last weekend May 22nd 2010 (on the left) and on the right, me on March 20th 2010 (that’s about 10 weeks…I didn’t have a pic any closer to April 14th…):

Not too bad. This week I have been eating like crazy and way off target though.

So – if you are not happy with how you look – remember, the 4th of July is still 6 weeks away. For most of us in cooler climates, this is the “real” start of summer anyways. After that you will only have one more “big” summer weekend left to show off your hard work.

Here are 8 ways to lose fat fast:

1. Take advantage of the nicer weather and extended daylight to get outside and be active. If you can, get up in the morning and get your workout out of the way first thing. This could be key to your success as there tend to be a lot more evening spur of the moment parties as the weather gets nicer.

2. If you do not have a diet and exercise plan you are happy with right now – get one. You must eat fewer calories and be more active in order to burn body fat. I like Red Carpet Ready, the Female Body Breakthrough, Cardio Strength Training, Kettlebell Training for Fat Loss, and Ultimate You. I recommend starting with Tom Venuto’s Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle. This is a great program for anyone – AND – Tom is starting a new bodycomposition contest in the next few days. Everyone who buys Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle is automatically eligible to compete and win one of two five start trips for two to Maui (not bad! Lose weight and go on a great trip.)

3. The simplest advice is to each fewer high calorie foods. If you avoid high carbohydrate foods and stick to protein and vegetables, you will automatically eat fewer calories, feel fuller, and actually burn more calories (up to 20% by digestion alone.) For good food that fits this description, I strongly recommend the new Primal Cookbook:

As you know, I happy been pretty happy with a lot of the recipes I have tried from Mark’s Daily Apple. While eating “primal” may not cure all of your ills, its tasty and simple. Not too expensive either. My favorite recipes is still the Thai Salad of Awesome.

4. Despite the common advice to eat every few hours – I would recommend allowing four hours between meals. This allows your body to go into fat burning mode. Constantly eating, even small things, keeps your insulin elevated and this is not prime for fat burning. This includes beverages with calories like juice and soda as well.

5. With that advice in mind, consider trying Intermittent Fasting. Like I said, in the summer there can be a lot of unexpected parties and this can make it difficult to always stay on diet. Fasting on days you do not have plans can be a simple way to make sure you have the dietary deficit you need to continue to lose fat. Here is a post I did on fasting if you want more info.

6. Try interval training instead of long long sessions on the treadmill or track. You’ve got better things to do with your time, and this will keep your fat burning hormones where they need to be. Here is a post on how to start HIIT for total beginners.

7. Likewise, try kettlebells! Kettlebell training can burn as many as 20 calories per minute! Its also really easy to take your kettlebell on the road with you. All you need is one kettlebell and a few spare feet of space in either direction in order to do your workout. Here is a post I did on getting started with kettlebells. Here is one just on kettlebells for women.

8. If you will be traveling by plane for your summer vacation, obviously you cannot take weights with you. Instead, try bodyweight training for fat loss (no equipment needed), or valslides (small and light weight.) Here is a post I did on how to use Valslides to get great abs.