10 ways to stay motivated & keep lean through autumn

Losing weight and getting ripped is not an overnight experience. Unless you are already fairly lean be realistic that your fat loss is a long term goal.

1. STICK TO A REGIMENTED DIET

You need to be strict and stick to a specific diet or nutritional plan. Bodybuilders will eat a very specific diet that rarely changes for 12 weeks or more leading up to a competition and we all know how good a bodybuilder looks and how lean they get. You don't need to go that hardcore or anything, but if u set up a good clean diet, pre workout supplement and stick to it 100% allowing yourself only one cheat day a week then you will get better faster results.

2. REALISTIC GOALS & EXPECTATIONS

Losing weight and getting ripped is not an overnight experience. Unless you are already fairly lean be realistic that your fat loss is a long term goal. Typically one can expect to lose 500g-2kg a week. As more weight is lost this will slow and it will become increasingly harder to shift the fat.

3. STRUCTURE A DIET YOU CAN MAINTAIN

As mentioned above, it is very important to set a structured specific diet. The next important point is to ensure the diet you use is something that is realistic and maintainable for you. In other words if you get a diet plan off a friend and it's full of their preferred foods, chances are you will not stick to the plan.

4. DON'T STARVE YOURSELF

Whilst starving yourself is guaranteed to burn fat, it is also the perfect way to burn muscle. You will actually burn more muscle then fat, in the long term this means you will have reduced your metabolic rate and when you return to your usual diet you will get fatter faster. NOT GOOD.

5. PROTEIN IS NUMBER ONE

The number one ingredient in your battle of the bulge is PROTEIN. Best protein powder will keep you fuller for longer and ensure you are not burning any muscle whilst maintaining a good fast metabolism. General rule of thumb is to ingest 20-30g of protein per meal every 3 hours. This can be in the way of a high quality protein meal or proteins shake such as Scivation Whey or International Protein Synergy 5 etc

6. CUT DOWN YOUR CARBOHYDRATE INTAKE

As important as it is to increase your protein consumption, it is also just as vital to cut down on your carbs. High carbohydrate diets will supply your body with too much energy which will inevitably be stored as fat. Keep carbs to 150g max for the day depending on activity level and majority consumed pre and post training.

7. DON'T AVOID ALL FATS

Fats are essential in your diet, even when you are trying to get ripped, but you should always look for foods that are naturally low in fat. High fat foods should be avoided or only eaten very occasionally. The types of fats you want come from foods like Flax Seed Oil, Salmon, Olive Oil, avocados and nuts. These should be consumed sparingly but a small amount is necessary each day. Check out for more about fat burner supplements.

8. EAT MORE VEGETABLES

Not only are vegetables an extremely important source of vitamins, nutrients and fibre, but they are an integral part of any fat stripping diet. Non starchy vegetables like broccoli, lettuce, cabbage, capsicum, etc. can be eaten in relatively large amounts. These vegetables can be cooked or used in salads and are a great inclusion to any meal.

9. STAY NATURAL

It is very important for health and fat loss reasons to try and stay as natural as you can when choosing foods in your diet plan. This is true regardless of your goal, be it bulking up or ripping up. Make it a goal to stay away from processed foods, fast foods, sugary foods and fruit juices etc as they are all very high in calories and just plain bad for your health. Instead opt for more fruit, vegetables, nuts, fresh lean meat and brown rice etc.

10. STAY HYDRATED

Your body produces a lot of waste by products when we are losing weight and burning fat so it's very important to increase or water intake. Protein also has a toxic by product which needs to be flushed from the body, so we should stick to a minimum of 2-3 litres of water a day. The more water, the more fat burning and waste removal. Increase fluid intake by an extra litre in very hot weather or on days you perform intense exercise. Also stay away from fruit juices and soft drinks as they are very high in sugars and energy and will make it next to impossible to lose fat! Check out for more about supplements Australia for staying healthy.

The Supplement Den is one of Australia’s largest supplement providers in Australia.