One of the most common questions I get asked is how do I get started losing weight?

Keep in mind that body fat is stored energy. 

When we take in more energy than our bodies can use over time, the extra energy gets stored on our bodies as fat.

In order to lose body fat, you’ll need to spend more energy every day than what you take in through the food you eat—we call this being in a caloric deficit.

Here are 3 easy things you can do to put your body into a caloric deficit and boost your metabolism:

1. Get moving every day for at least 30 minutes

2. Eat a high-protein diet with lots of vegetables (at least two servings a day)

3. Drink lots of water (around 64 oz per day)

Step 1: Get Moving

The more you move, the more calories you burn—especially in the beginning of your fitness journey. 

I recommend blocking out 30 minutes at least five days per week for doing some cardiovascular exercise. You can go for a daily walk or bike ride, participate in sports or active hobbies, even gardening and housekeeping can burn calories! Any activity that gets your heart rate up into a moderate intensity zone for an extended period of time (at least 5 minutes) counts as cardiovascular exercise.

To burn even more calories, you can extend your cardiovascular exercise time to 50 or 60 minutes per day or add in some vigorous exercise one or two times per week for 15-25 minutes (vigorous exercise is anything that gets your heart rate up into a high intensity zone; to avoid burnout or overuse injury, you’ll want to limit vigorous exercise to up to two times per week).

Remember—whenever you’re moving, you’re burning calories. So getting up and moving around throughout your day is another great way to get your body burning fat.

Step 2: Fuel Your Body

Eat Protein & Veggies

At the same time that you increase the amount of calories your body spends by moving more, you’ll also need to reduce the amount of calories your body takes in by cleaning up your diet.

Focus on getting plenty of lean sources of protein (at least 20 grams of protein at every meal) and eat plenty of vegetables (at least one serving at every meal).

Good sources of lean protein are things like chicken breast, turkey breast, lean cuts of beef, egg whites, soy products (like tofu and tempeh), and nonfat Greek yogurt. Protein rich foods are naturally low in calories, will help you stay satiated and fuller for longer so that you experience like hunger. They are also the building blocks for muscle, and will help you to maximize your gains in the gym.

Vegetables are also an important food for fat loss because they tend to be low-calorie and provide the body with vitamins and micronutrients that support our immune system and weight loss. Because they are naturally high in fiber, so they also will help you stay feeling fuller for longer when combined with a high-protein diet.

Drink Lots of Water

Drinking plenty of water is great for fat loss because it boosts your metabolism and can help stave off snack or sweets cravings.

The amount of water that everybody needs to drink is very individualized. A good place to start is 64 oz per day—but be ready to adjust that as needed. 

To figure out how much water your body needs, make sure to a) drink when you’re thirsty and also b) check the toilet after you urinate—darker colored urine indicates poor hydration, so if you see darker urine make sure that you drink some water.

Step 3: Stay Consistent

These three things alone can help you to make significant fat loss gains in the first 1-3 months of your fitness journey. But they only work if you do them consistently! Give yourself the time to practice and master these habits, and do your best to stick to them most of the time.

At some point, you may notice that your fat loss progress begins to slow down to what we call a plateau—this is completely normal, and it’s part of our body’s adaptation system. When that happens, you’ll need to change something in your weekly diet and activity plan in order to keep your body burning more calories than what you’re taking in. I’ll cover that in my next article, so make sure to sign up for the email list and follow me on social media to get notified when the next post comes out!

Jayd Harrison is an author, health coach, and online personal trainer from the Raleigh-Durham area of North Carolina. Over the last decade, she has helped individuals to find their strength and build a healthy lifestyle through personal training, group fitness, and online fitness content. Check out her blog, Youtube channel, and Jaydigains Twitch channel to learn more. Subscribe to the email list to stay up-to-date and receive special offers on Jayd Harrison Fitness & Wellness services and products.