Skip to content

20 Ways to Lose Body Fat Really Fast From Top Nutritionists and Trainers

Making simple changes can rear big weight loss results.
FACT CHECKED BY Christopher Roback

Do you want to get fit fast? If you are trying to lose body fat in time for summer, get ready to change some of your lifestyle habits. Body Network compiled tips and tricks from nutritionists, trainers, and other health experts to help you get into the best shape ever. Here are 20 ways to lose body fat really fast.

Meal Prep

Healthy meal prep containers with quinoa, chicken and cole slaw overhead shot
Shutterstock

Nutritionists and weight loss experts, including Samuel Emmanuel Dickerson Jr (@betterforyoursociety) recommend meal prepping for fat loss. In one video he explains that you should cook your protein, veggies, and carbs in bulk for the week.

Combine Protein, Vegetables, and Carbs

Hands holding salmon and buckwheat dish with green beans, broad beans, and tomato slices. Nutritious dish with vegetables and fish from above. Healthy balanced diet
Shutterstock

Dickerson also recommends keeping meals to an easy ratio. "For each meal, eat 5 to 8 oz of protein, vegetables, and a small serving of carbs," he says.

Snack Healthy

Blueberry and raspberry parfaits in mason jars, scene on a rustic wood background
Shutterstock

Yes, you can snack your way to fat loss. However, keeping healthy snacks on hand to fuel your body instead of adding calories is the way to go. "Keep healthy snacks available like fruit, protein bars, greek yogurt, etc," Dickerson says.

Write Down Everything You Eat

Woman hand writing journal on small notebook at outdoor area in cafe with morning scene and vintage filer effect
Shutterstock

Chris McMahon, a nutrition and fitness coach, recommends writing down everything you are eating so you can take an honest look at your diet. "You don't even have to track calories, but actually write down everything that you are eating, even liquids," he tells Body Network.

Take a Thorough Analysis of Your Diet

Shutterstock

Once you have written everything down, including condiments, cooking sprays, oils, and even what you eat off your kids plate, do a thorough analysis. "All of those little things stack up," he points out. For example, if you have two coffees a day with half-and-half, "there's a huge portion of calories," he says. "Just to be honest with yourself and figure out what you're actually consuming."

Stay in a Caloric Deficit

Shutterstock

You have to burn more than you take in to lose weight. "The best way to actually shrink your stomach would be to be in a consistent calorie deficit," McMahon adds. "There's no way around it. People say that diets don't work. That's not true."

RELATED: I Lost 60 Pounds in 16 Months with EMS Workouts and Ditching Nachos

Amp Up Your Protein Intake

Food high in protein close-up
Shutterstock

Jason Kozma, aka Mr. America recommends following a high-protein diet. "Protein feeds the metabolic rate and helps you to feel full and satisfied from meals," he explains. Some experts recommend about 0.8 to 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight, while some suggest using your goal body weight in the calculation.

Strength Training

fitness, sport, training, people and lifestyle concept - group of women with barbells flexing muscles in gym
Shutterstock

When it comes time to exercise, focus your energy on strength training, which will help you burn fat fast and also aid in future fat loss. "The base of your workout routine should be resistance training. It builds lean muscle mass, which increases your metabolic rate," Kozma says. According to the Mayo Clinic, strength and weight training help reduce body fat, preserve and increase lean muscle mass, and burn calories more efficiently. Strength training may also help you:

  • Develop strong bones
  • Manage your weight
  • Enhance your quality of life
  • Manage chronic conditions
  • Sharpen your thinking skills

HIIT Workouts

Beautiful women doing a cardio HIIT routine and squatting. Three fit women in sportswear working out and doing squats in the gym
Shutterstock

He also recommends HIIT workouts for blasting fat fast. "High-intensity interval training (HIIT) burns more energy in less time when you are short of time," Kozma says. There is a lot of research backing up the benefits of HIIT workouts, including body fat reduction, improved cardiovascular function, and mental health. It is also time effective.

Cardio

Woman Cycling Through Park
Shutterstock

Kozma also recommends amping up cardio workouts, says Kozma. "If you have significant fat to lose you need to add cardio exercise like running, cycling, or swimming to burn fat and improve cardiovascular health," he explains.

RELATED: 20 Incredible Ozempic Success Stories of All Time

Time Your Meals

Smart watch on the woman's hand
Shutterstock

If you want to burn fat fast, time your meals accordingly. "Eat at least 30 grams of protein within 30 minutes of waking and space meals 3 hours apart to radically speed up your metabolism," instructs Kozma. "Don't eat within 3 hours of going to sleep."

Avoid Processed Foods

Young girl on dieting for good health concept. Close up female using hand reject junk food by pushing out her favorite sweet donuts and fried chicken and choose green apple and salad for good health.
Shutterstock

"Use natural foods rather than food in packages," instructs Kozma. "Avoid packaged and ready made foods. Minimize your intake of processed foods, sugary snacks, and sugar-containing beverages," he says. "Your body doesn't recognize them as food and stores them as fat."

Aim for 7 to 9 Hours of Sleep

Young female sleeping peacefully in her bedroom at night. Relaxing at nighttime. Copy space
Shutterstock

You can even accelerate fat loss in your sleep. "Most people need 7 to 9 hours of sleep to support optimal hormone function, muscle and bone repair, mental acuity, and metabolism," Kozma says.

Try Keto and Intermittent Fasting

Ketogenic low carbs diet concept. Healthy eating and dieting with salmon fish, avocado, eggs and nuts. Top view
Shutterstock

Eric Berg, DC, is a doctor and chiropractor who specializes in keto and intermittent fasting and recommends combining the low-carb ketogenic diet with intermittent fasting to lose weight fast. "This is a one-two punch. Just by doing intermittent fasting, you're gonna lower insulin. But if you add the low carb with it, you are gonna be very, very successful. Plus, going a low carb is gonna allow you to transition into fat burning a lot quicker versus just doing intermittent fasting by itself. And the way that you know you're in fat burning is you have no more appetite," he claims. Intermittent fasting works by "prolonging the period when your body has burned through the calories consumed during your last meal and begins burning fat," explains Johns Hopkins Medicine.

RELATED: 15 Quick Ways to Lose Body Fat Percentage in a Week

Walk More

Woman power walking nordic speed walk and jogging and running lightly in forest in spring or summer. Sport fitness girl sports training and working out living healthy active lifestyle in forest.
Shutterstock/Maridav

A number of fitness experts and influencers maintain that walking is the best workout for weight loss. How many steps should you aim for? Research in the journal Obesity found a link between walking 10,000 steps a day and weight loss and weight management.

Try the 12-3-30 Treadmill Workout

People running in machine treadmill at fitness gym
Shutterstock

Lauren Giraldo created the 12-3-30 treadmill workout, which involves setting the treadmill to a 12% incline and walking at 3 miles per hour for 30 minutes, claiming it was the secret to her 30-pound weight loss. In the years since, lots of people have jumped on the bandwagon. Walking on an incline burns more calories than walking fast or even running on a flat surface, which is why many experts suggest upping your incline. A 2013 study even found that walking on a 2 to 7 percent incline increased heart rate by almost 10 percent when compared with running on a flat surface.

Grab a Protein Bar Instead of a Candy Bar

Beautiful fitness woman with a towel eating a protein bar after working out at the gym. Sporty attractive woman after training. Sport and recreation concept.
Shutterstock

If you are craving a sweet treat, opt for a healthier protein bar over a candy bar. "Real food sources like meat, eggs, greek yogurt, cheese, legumes, etc. are good choices, but some protein bars and shakes can definitely fit as a replacement for sugary candy bars or high-calorie coffee drinks," says Body Network's Resident RDN, The Diet Diva Tara Collingwood.

Reduce Stress Levels

Woman sitting on the floor practicing yoga wear tip and leggings.
Shutterstock/Look Studio

Don't stress if you want to lose weight. Kozma recommends meditation, mindfulness, or yoga to clear the mind. "Chronic stress creates cortisol which can contribute to weight gain and other negative side effects. Steady state cardio can help with this, or any activity you truly enjoy that keeps you present."

Make Simple Swaps

Contrasting large and tiny food portions of Spaghetti
Shutterstock

Making simple swaps can be a big game changer.  "Instead of having a huge, huge plate of rice and a little bit of protein, cut that rice in half. Add a bunch of veggies to your plate and increase the protein a little bit and you'll be feeling that meal a lot more satisfied and with probably the same or less amount of calories," says Vicky Justiz is a fitness trainer and influencer with millions of followers across social media platforms, in a YouTube video.

Eat Nutrient Dense Foods Instead of Calorie Dense Foods

Scrambled eggs with cherry tomatoes , avocado feta cheese and olive oil.Selective focus, space for text.
Shutterstock

According to Justiz, consider swapping out calorie dense foods with more nutrients. "Nutrient dense foods are any kind of foods that have a lot of nutrients per calorie," she explains, offering the examples of veggies, whole grains, eggs, lean meats, "just like anything that has a lot of nutrients." Because they've got a lot of nutrients "they can help keep you full without being too, too calorie dense."

Leah Groth
Leah Groth has decades of experience covering all things health, wellness and fitness related. Read more