When it comes to burning calories, work smarter — not harder.
Fitness Coach DH (@dhfitinc) says there are four easy adjustments you can make in your day in order to maintain a calorie deficit to lose weight, and none of them involve dragging yourself to the gym.
Rucking
Enjoy a nice walk? No need to trade it in for an arduous run or stint on the treadmill.
“Walking at a moderate to vigorous pace can improve memory, sleep, cognitive function and help control your weight,” Dr. Robert Glatter, a board-certified emergency medicine physician, told The Post last year.
But you can upgrade your walking to rucking by adding a weight-filled backpack.
Rucking elevates walking from simple cardio to compound resistance training by adding weight to your back. The low-impact exercise is rooted in military training, where “ruck” refers to a rucksack and ruck marching, a core skill used by militaries worldwide.
“Why it works is that it increases your intensity, it engages more muscles, and it’s a simple way to burn more calories doing a simple activity without having to speed up. It’s easy on the joints, too,” DH said.
He recommends newbies get a backpack or specifically designed ruck and add weight. And if you don’t have gym weights, fear not: Water bottles, books, canned goods and even rocks can provide the resistance you need to feel the burn.
Research has also shown that rucking can improve muscle strength, aerobic conditioning, and endurance.
Experts maintain that people can burn 30% to 45% more calories via rucking than by walking without the extra weight.
Get more sleep
DH stressed how critical proper rest is for maintaining a calorie deficit.
“Sleep is super important for regulating your hunger hormones, improving your recovery from your workouts and optimizing healthy metabolism.”
Previous research found people who slept for less than seven hours a night had the most chaotic eating patterns, were more prone to diet lapses, and were more likely to exceed their weekly limits for alcohol consumption.
Most people burn 30 to 40 calories per hour while they sleep, according to DH, but a lack of shut-eye leads to overeating and decreased energy for workouts.
To build better sleep, he recommends going to bed 30 minutes earlier every night. “You’re not just gonna feel more rested; you’ll have an opportunity to burn more calories while you’re sleeping.”
Prioritize protein
The trainer stressed that protein is pivotal to any weight loss plan. It doesn’t just build and repair your muscles; it has a higher thermic effect, which means your body burns more calories digesting protein than carbohydrates or fats.”
He advised those looking to lose to incorporate protein into every meal and to focus on lean sources like chicken, fish, eggs, tofu, and Greek yogurt.
Protein can help you feel fuller because it takes longer to digest than other nutrients. It can also help preserve lean muscle mass, and muscle burns more calories than fat.
How much protein you need has long been debated, especially on TikTok.
The Recommended Dietary Allowance is 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight — or 0.36 grams per pound. For a 150-pound person, that’s 54 grams of protein daily.
But one dietitian advises eating at least 90 grams of protein every day, while a women’s weight loss coach swears by 120 grams of protein daily.
Set a clock for your workouts
Yes, you still need to exercise — but you can do it at home without a pricey gym membership.
DH said setting a clock for workouts allows for optimal calorie burn.
“Setting a specified time for your workouts will help you increase your intensity and focus so you’re not wasting time. It will also encourage you to push through hard sets and maximize your return on the effort you use during that workout time,” he explained.
He recommended two types of high-intensity interval training: AMRAPs, IE doing as many rounds or reps as possible in an allotted period, and EMOMs, meaning every minute on the minute you perform a set number of repetitions of an exercise.
“You only need 20 to 30 minutes for each of these, and you don’t even need to go to the gym to do it. You can do it from home using bodyweight exercises … basically, you’re gonna burn more calories in a shorter amount of time.”
According to a recent study, while a typical workout only takes 47 minutes, a gym-goer’s pre- and post-workout routine takes nearly four hours on average.
