28-Days-to-Lean Meal Plan
With the right plan and the right discipline, you can get seriously shredded in just 28 days.
Read articleTaking Fido for a walk 20 minutes twice a day can help you shed more than 12 pounds a year.
Adding weight without compromising your form recruits more muscle fibers, so you’ll get stronger while burning more fat.
Run 10 100-yard sprints to burn up to 500 calories.
Wait 20 minutes before going up for a second helping.
Studies show the color blue has an appetite-suppressing effect (as opposed to red and yellow plates).
Lentils, beans, edamame, and pears are all great sources to help you stay full between meals and snacks.
You’ll nosh on 50% fewer nuts in a sitting just trying to crack them open before eating.
Couples who train together are 34% more likely to stick to their workouts.
SEE ALSO: 25 Ways to Melt Off Fat Today
You can burn nearly 300 calories a class.
Eat at the kitchen table—not on the couch.
Swim laps or run in the water for a nonimpact workout.
You’ll be more motivated knowing what you look like and where you want to go.
They work more muscles than lat pulldowns.
You’ll recruit muscles in your arms and burn more calories overall.
Download a fit app like a digital workout log or quickie body-weight exercise program to eliminate excuses.
Sub in nonfat Greek yogurt for mayonnaise and sour cream—you’ll save 600 calories and 100 calories per half cup, respectively.
Add strawberries to your whey protein shake. these superfruits amp up the fiber—so you can feel fuller.
Servings of starches should never be bigger than a baseball.
Swap out your old program for a new one every four to six weeks. (Try these cross-training routines.)
A three- to five-ounce serving should be about as big as a smartphone.
Chew on sugar-free mint gum after a meal. Mint flavors send signals to your brain that it’s time to stop eating.
It’s a compound exercise that works nearly every muscle in your body.
Just concentrate on pushing yourself harder.
Trim 250 calories a day and you can shed up to two pounds a month.
In 10 minutes you’ll burn the same number of calories as you would on a 15-minute jog.
Turn your body into a fat-fighting furnace by alternating running sprints with jogs.
The high-fiber, protein-packed staple helps your body incinerate fat. Purée them for stews or toss with oil and vinegar and serve as a side dish.
Remove temptation at home and you’re much more likely to stick to your plan.
Once they’re met, add them to a pile. Having a stack of accomplishments will boost your confidence.
Biking to work or while you run errands burns about 500 calories an hour.
Strap on an elastic band to make the sprints harder and burn more fat.
Use the back of a teaspoon when tasting your dishes during food prep. You’ll take in fewer calories than when using the spoon normally.
Studies show it’ll help you eat much less.
They’ll stick to pork chops and skinless chicken breasts without the need for higher- calorie breads made of eggs and flour.
Being dehydrated can fool your body into feeling hungry.
Working with odd-shaped equipment like SandBells and truck tires helps your body recruit more muscle.
After about 500 miles, it’s time for a new pair. And throw in a new workout outfit while you’re at it—new gear means more motivation.
Stash sweets in out-of-sight places, like on high shelves or deep inside your cupboards.
Snack on fruit before heading out to keep you from bingeing on chips later.
Coat your skillet with cooking spray instead of butter. Most sprays contain zero calories and zero fat (versus 102 calories and 12g per tbsp butter).
The cross-training of mixed martial artists is second to none. Add in plyometrics and put together some supersets, keeping your rest periods low to start.
Cut 200 calories out of your mac ’n cheese. Swap half a cup of shredded cheddar cheese for half a cup of puréed cauliflower and butternut squash in your recipe.
Sleep deprivation can wreak havoc on your metabolism. Aim for at least seven hours of shut-eye.
Studies show that stress triggers the hormone cortisol to turn up your appetite.
Bring leftovers to the office instead of letting those extra chips, cookies, and cake pile up around your pad. Let your co-workers finish them off instead.
Fiery spices (and hot peppers) can speed up your metabolism and help you to eat slower.
Finish a crossword while watching TV. You’ll be less likely to eat if your fingers are busy.
Swap a side of rice with a low-cal veggie like broccoli. You can save 150 calories per serving.
Instead of crunches and sit-ups without weights, try doing a couple of sets of abs exercises with the heaviest weights you can hold.
Preferably one who is stronger than you—she’ll push you to work harder.
You can do your squats, pullups, and ab work with the kind of equipment you’ll find in a playground.
Train with resistance bands on the days you can’t make it to the gym.
Load up on low-fat cottage cheese. It’s a great source of calcium and packs about 160 calories per cup.
Slash rest periods in half while lifting. Your muscles and cardiovascular system will have to work harder, burning more fat.
Limit yourself to no more than 24 grams of added sugar (6 teaspoons) a day for women, 36 grams for men (9 teaspoons).
Poach (don’t fry) eggs, poultry, and fish.
Do a few sets of box jumps or mountain climbers to get warmed up.
You’ll see your progress in the mirror and get psyched to work out the next morning.
They’re loaded with the kinds of healthy fats your body needs to burn more fat.
One tbsp of PB has about 100 calories. Cut back by mixing equal parts PB with cooked carrots or sweet potato in a food processor until smooth.
Set a few easy goals every day—getting in 30 minutes of training, skipping your afternoon junk-food binge. Then build off of them.
Let go of the handles on the stairclimber or just lightly hold on— you’ll work your core while burning more calories.
Try the Prowler, jump rope between sets, or string together some exercises into the circuits.
Even if you just hit an indoor rock wall, you can burn more than 400 calories an hour.
SEE ALSO: The 15 Best Fat-Burning Foods