Health and Fitness
Six Lifestyle Habits to Skyrocket Fat Loss
I document powerful fat loss tips from my personal experience learned by trial and error, also backed up by science.
How I Solved Fat Loss Mystery
I owe my success in the fat loss journey to powerful lifestyle habits gained via experimentation, customization, and persistence.
I tried fad diets in my younger years and wasted thousands of dollars on supplements. None of those expensive and tiring attempts produced any results. I felt frustrated and empty. Fortunately, I explored and pursued some effective methods.
This post introduces six lifestyle habits that significantly impacted my health, especially shedding unwanted visceral fat.
In addition, these habits helped me to become fat-adapted. They initiated autophagy, eliminating loose skin after significant fat loss, and defined my belly after 50. Saggy skin and belly fat were the most obstinate things in my life.
Even though each item has robust scientific backing, none of these items are theoretical. On the contrary, they are practical and doable with little effort, intention, and commitment.
Besides, most of my loyal readers want to learn from real-life examples rather than theories. Learning from the experiences of others can give us valuable perspectives to customize our solutions.
1 — Combined Workouts
Combining several types of workouts produced optimal results for me. In my younger years, my focus was on cardio.
I used to run around miles every day. I was skinny but never had a chance to lose belly fat. My hormonal profile was awful when doing only cardio.
However, there is nothing wrong with cardio. In fact, cardio is an excellent workout for many good reasons, but excessive cardio is harmful to the body.
I mentioned the detrimental effects of running a story. After stopping excessive cardio, my chronic stress became more manageable.
A remarkable shift happened in my hormonal profile when I learned about calisthenics and moderate weight-lifting, especially compound workouts such as squats with dumbbells.
I started gaining lean muscle and losing belly fat. My fat percentage significantly reduced, and muscle quality increased, as confirmed by DEXA scans. Combined workouts made me insulin sensitive.
2 — Mindfulness Practices and Emotional Regulation
I have an overactive brain that generates a myriad of thoughts every day.
While some of those thoughts are valuable for my survival and growth, most are irrelevant and unswerving such as anxiety and guilt-producing ones. Worst of all, they initiate destructive emotions and increase my stress.
Chronic stress puts us in a vulnerable situation. This hormone skyrockets since our bodies use cortisol to manage stress when we experience chronic stress fueled by destructive emotions.
The cortisol hormone prevents fat burning, especially in the abdominal area when it is elevated. It even can lead to insulin resistance.
My solution to address the cortisol issue was mindfulness. The mindful approach to life significantly reduced my stress and helped me regulate my emotions.
When I had fewer destructive emotions, my emotional intelligence and maturity gradually improved. Adding intentional smiles, laughter, therapeutic writing, and even dancing as part of mindful practices reduced my chronic stress and anxious thoughts.
In addition, observing my thoughts and emotions for 20 to 30 minutes each day reduced my stress and improved my sleep quality substantially.
Most anxious thoughts disappeared and were replaced with uplifting ones. When my cortisol levels normalized, I experienced noticeable fat loss, mainly from my abdominal area.
3 — Adequate and Restorative Sleep
My sleep issues, such as insomnia, disappeared when I managed my chronic stress via mindfulness practices.
Quality sleep is so critical that it gives meaning to our life. When I was experiencing insomnia, life did not mean much. Several times I felt mildly depressed and even experienced anhedonia.
However, when I resolved my sleep issues, I occasionally felt euphoric and mostly worked and studied in a flow state. My hormonal profile positively changed.
In addition, I felt the performance of neurotransmitters which was proven in some cognitive tests that I performed with the help of colleagues in various cognitive science labs.
The best part of the sleep was its contribution to melting my visceral fat. As high-quality sleep made me insulin sensitive and optimized my cortisol levels, tapping into belly fat was a breeze. It was the secret key to the fat loss mystery for me.
4 — Time-restricted eating & Customized Nutrition
I have struggled with many useless diets for several years.
I didn’t know the importance of a customized diet. I thought mainstream diets like the popular Mediterranean diet would suit me as health professionals touted them.
Learning there is no single diet meeting for everyone was eye-opening for me. I designed my ultimate diet through deep investigation and constant trial and error.
Experimentation is ideal for me, but it might not be for others, so I don’t highlight my diet.
Nonetheless, I emphasize the importance of a customized diet for everyone with support from qualified healthcare professionals who have access to our health records and medical history.
Besides diet, when and how often we eat matter a lot.
When I delved into the body of knowledge, I found significant evidence of the benefits of time-restricted eating. It is also known as intermittent fasting publicly. Starting with skipping a meal, I noticed a considerable improvement in my health.
When I skipped two meals in a few months, I became fat-adapted. The hunger switch was turned off smoothly.
An abundance of physical and mental energy entered my life unexpectedly with the power of ketosis. As a by-product of the fat-adapted state, I lost significant visceral fat from my abdominal area. And even better, I never gained them after decades.
5 — Perspiring in Hot Sauna
Cellular cleansing is critical to staying healthy and losing fat. Our fat cells hold toxic materials. However, cells don’t like poisonous content.
In addition to the toxic waste created by our metabolism, we also get toxic materials from air, water, and food. Ongoing chemical reactions create harmful materials, such as damaged organelles and proteins.
One of the effective ways to get rid of these harmful metabolic wastes is perspiration in hot saunas. Sweat helped me remove toxins effortlessly and with enjoyment, as I love the atmosphere of dry saunas, which is one of my hobbies.
I met many centenarians in those saunas. One of their secrets was activating SIRT2 genes attributed to longevity.
In addition, the extreme heat of the sauna can activate a natural cleansing process called autophagy. This process can recycle damaged cells, harmful bacteria, pathogens, viruses, and mutant proteins.
Autophagy is a mechanism cleansing the cells naturally. I shared my experience of autophagy in this article titled Three Tips to Initiate Autophagy: It is an essential contributor to longevity and healthy life.
6 — Multiple Cold Showers
Cold showers might scare some of my readers, as I used to fear them. I couldn’t even bear cold water for a few seconds. I was shivering so badly. I thought I was going to die.
Then, with the help of some friends, I learned to take cold showers.
Initially, I did not believe in many allegations about cold showers. They sounded petty to me. But, regrettably, how closed-minded was I! I regret underestimating the value of cold showers and their thermal effects on fat burning.
After a few months of taking regular cold showers every morning, my body got used to it. Shivering disappeared. I started enjoying them. And I felt remarkably joyful after a few minutes when mood-boosting hormones kicked in.
When our body gets exposed to cold, it spends significant energy to warm up. It is part of our homeostasis. The cold exposure can dense our mitochondria. I shared my perspectives on improving mitochondrial health before.
From a fat loss perspective, cold temperatures can increase fat burning. Cold showers are not as significant as compound exercises and time-restricted eating.
However, this lifestyle habit has been a supplemental measure to keep my healthy body fat by improving my mood and decreasing stress.
Cold showers also helped me give up my coffee addiction, ruining my digestive system. I explained the importance of cold showers in this article titled A Cold Shower a Day Might Keep the Doctor Away in My Experience.
Takeaways
1 — Combining several types of workouts can produced the optimal results.
2 — Mindfulness practices such as a short meditation session daily and watching our thoughts, emotions, and behavior can significantly reduce stress and improve sleep quality.
3 — Adequate and high-quality sleep is essential for health and fat loss.
4 — Customizing our diet with help from qualified dieticians can solve undesirable health issues and contribute to fat loss.
5 — Sometimes, skipping one or two meals without compromising nutrition and necessary calories can improve fat loss and bring other health and longevity benefits.
6 — Perspiring in a hot sauna, jacuzzi, or steam bath can bring many health benefits in addition to fat loss.
7— Trying a few minutes of cold showers and exposing to cold air outside may change our mood and contribute to fat loss as a supplementary activity. For example, I loved walking barefoot on the cold grass or beach sands in the mornings.
For me, the good is I don’t have to count calories anymore, as explained in the attached story.
Thank you for reading my perspectives. I wish you a healthy and happy life.
As a new reader, please check my holistic health and well-being stories reflecting my reviews, observations, and decades of experiments optimizing my hormones and neurotransmitters. I write about health as it matters. I believe health is all about homeostasis.
ALS, Metabolic Syndrome, Type II Diabetes, Fatty Liver Disease, Heart Disease, Strokes, Obesity, Liver Cancer, Autoimmune Disorders, Homocysteine, Lungs Health, Pancreas Health, Kidneys Health, NCDs, Infectious Diseases, Brain Health, Dementia, Depression, Brain Atrophy, Neonatal Disorders, Skin Health, Dental Health, Bone Health, Leaky Gut, Leaky Brain, Brain Fog, Chronic Inflammation, Insulin Resistance, Elevated Cortisol, Leptin Resistance, Anabolic Resistance, Cholesterol, High Triglycerides, Metabolic Disorders, Gastrointestinal Disorders, Thyroid Disorders, Anemia, Dysautonomia, cardiac output, and urinary track disorders.
I also wrote about valuable nutrients. Here are the links for easy access:
Lutein/Zeaxanthin, Phosphatidylserine, Boron, Urolithin, taurine, citrulline malate, biotin, lithium orotate, alpha-lipoic acid, n-acetyl-cysteine, acetyl-l-carnitine, CoQ10, PQQ, NADH, TMG, creatine, choline, digestive enzymes, magnesium, zinc, hydrolyzed collagen, nootropics, pure nicotine, activated charcoal, Vitamin B12, Vitamin B1, Vitamin D, Vitamin K2, Omega-3 Fatty Acids, N-Acetyl L-Tyrosine, and other nutrients.
Disclaimer: My posts do not include professional or health advice. I only document my reviews, observations, experiences, and perspectives to provide information and create awareness.
As part of my creative non-fiction writing goals, I’d like to share a few stories that might warm our hearts with a bit of humor into weighty topics.
Sample Humorous Stories
Finally, After Burning Her House, Georgia Found Enlightenment
Hilarious Tips to Prevent Brain Atrophy and Keep the Gray Matter Giggling
8 Psychological Points I Had to Unlearn and Relearn the Opposite
Based on my writing experience and observations, I documented findings and strategies that might help you amplify your voice, engage your audience, and achieve your desired outcomes in your writing journey.
I publish my lifestyle, health, and well-being stories on EUPHORIA. My focus is on cellular, mitochondrial, metabolic, and mental health. Here is my collection of Insightful Life Lessons from Personal Stories.
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