Five Simple Rules for Fat Loss

Let’s be clear on this: If you want to become a professional cheerleader, you need to be fit -- not skinny. No dance team will want a cheerleader who’s clearly undernourished. The reality is that a lot of women who plan to join the auditions struggle with fat loss. Because of this, they starve themselves or fall for fad diets. Don’t ever do this, ladies.

To help you achieve the athletic look of a professional cheerleader, you only need to follow simple truths. I hope my tips below will make you look amazing without you feeling overwhelmed. We’ll keep things simple, okay?

1. Train before breakfast.

Exercise in a fasted state (when your stomach is still empty). The big advantage here is that you burn more fat. Basically, you’ll be tapping into your body’s stored fat and that you’re raising your metabolism after several hours of inactivity.

Dig deeper: Great Benefits to Working out in the Morning

2. Practice conscious eating.

Many people eat based on how they feel. When you do that, you neglect the amount and quality of food you eat. Improve your relationship with food by being a mindful eater. Pay attention to how the food smells and tastes as you eat it. Take a moment to appreciate the meal that’s right in front of you. Turn off the television. Put away your phone.

3. Eat whole foods.

There’s no need to stress yourself about calories and prepare complicated meal plans. Adopting a whole foods diet simply means eating foods in their natural state. Go for real apples instead of artificial apple juice. Choose real potatoes instead of potato chips. Whole foods contain fewer calories which means they’re fat loss friendly.

4. Make an effort to manage your stress.

Stress and weight gain are connected. Stress triggers the release of cortisol, the stress hormone. When you’re under constant stress, cortisol remains elevated. The effect is that your metabolism slows down. Your cravings, particularly for sugary foods, increase. Manage your stress by journaling your thoughts, getting more sleep, and using relaxation techniques.

Related: Reach Your Pro Cheer Goals: How to Avoid Burnout and Keep Going

5. Focus on progress, not perfection.

No matter what you do in to improve your fat loss, whether it’s working out or eating healthily, understand that it’s all a process. Results don’t happen overnight. But stay with it. Be consistent. Take little steps. You will soon create big changes that you will be proud of. 

I hope that this short article inspires you to experiment with these actionable rules for fat loss. Since these habits are easy, you’re more likely to maintain them over time!

Here are more fitness tips to inspire your practice: 

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