8 Ways to See Weight Loss Results Quickly & Safely

Ok, here’s the straight up skinny (no pun intended) – to lose weight in 8-12 weeks, you’ll need to work hard and be dedicated. I’m talking about an average two pounds per week weight loss, so every bite will count and every minute of cardio matters.
The goal is to lose weight while preserving and building muscle mass. To accomplish this, follow these 8 key points, stick with your training program and follow your healthy nutrition plan.

1. Increase cardio – maintain weights. Experts recommend up to 1 hour of cardio, six days a week. We are aiming for up to 1 hour, 4 days per week. Compound, circuit weight train or unilateral train 2 days per week. Take one day off per week for recovery.
2. Eat starchy carbs early in the day, taper off at night. You’ll burn them during the day and they will burn you at night! The only exception is after a long evening workout, where you will need to replenish energy. When making any starchy carb (oatmeal, pasta, rice, cold cereal), use a measuring cup to ensure you eat the correct portion.
3. Eat protein at least 3 times per day. Protein helps you feel fuller, digests more slowly, and helps to prevent muscle catabolism as you lose weight. 80-100 grams daily is good.
4. Stop eating 3 hours before bedtime. Oprah broke through one of her weight plateaus using this strategy. Don’t have ANY late evening snacks or late dinners.
5. Minimize restaurant meals. It’s almost impossible to control portions – they are always large. If you have to eat out, stick to no-brainers like lots of salad, veggies, chicken breast, or small amount of lean meat or fish. If you really want to be successful, you have to remove the temptations.
6. Don’t eat ANYTHING fried and stay completely away from fast food (unless it’s salad).
7. Have one cheat meal ONCE per week. Try to keep the meal under 700 calories and do not let the cheat meal become a cheat day, days, or week.
8. At the end of each week, set one goal to improve upon, like incorporating more veggies into your diet, drinking more water, or upping your cardio workout.