So, you’re looking to lose weight fast, hey?
If you’ve only got a few weeks to shed a few kilos, there’s a way to do so that’s still healthy and realistic, without completely depriving yourself of delicious things and flogging yourself with a boring diet of chicken and broccoli.
Sydney personal trainer Jono Castano makes a living out of transforming bodies, fast.
He usually gives his clients 12 weeks to overhaul their diet and exercise routine, which gives them enough time to make some serious changes.
But if you’ve only got a month, don’t stress. You can still make some serious headway in that amount of time.
We asked Jono for his top tips on shedding fat and building muscle in the shortest time frame possible.
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I mean, with a rig like this, we’ll listen to anything this guy says!
(Image: Instagram @jonocastanoacero)Start High Intensity Interval Training (otherwise called HIIT)
High Intensity Interval Training is where you work really hard during intense bursts of energy, then take a short rest, then start up again.
HIIT training usually lasts for between 20 and 45 minutes and burns a bucketload of calories, and gets you sweating, big time!
Jono says this form of exercise is his “go-to” for clients looking to lose weight fast, because it gets results quickly.
If you can’t afford a personal trainer or getting to a formal HIIT class at the gym is just too hard, you can easily create your own workout at home.
Pick a series of exercises and work as hard as you can for 45 seconds, then have a short break, before resuming the next round of 45 seconds.
“If you’re a beginner, rest for a minute, 45 seconds for intermediate and 30 seconds for advanced people,” Jono tells Now To Love.
“I’m massive about technique. I feel like it’s very difficult to maintain good form if you’re only having a 10 second break,” he says.
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Jono is a big fan of HIIT and weights training.
(Image: Instagram @jonocastanoacero)You need to exercise pretty much everyday
“If you’re wanting the best results, I always tell my clients the more you put in, the quicker results,” Jono says.
So that means moving your body six days a week, with one rest day.
But if that sounds absolutely unrealistic, don’t get too stressed – not every day has to involve a super intense workout.
“It doesn’t always needs to be a high intensity session,” Jono said.
“It could be a walk around the beach or around the shops. That’s still classified as output as you are still burning calories. I say do three high intensity sessions and three activity sessions, so yoga, Pilates or walking.”
This client lost fat and developed more muscle definition through HIIT exercise.
(Image: Instagram @jonocastanoacero)Even 20-30 minutes everyday will ensure you’re burning calories, which is what you need to shed the kilos!
Jono says the safest amount of weight you should be losing each week is 800g.
“When people don’t see the scale move, they get demotivated. Some people shed fat faster than others and I say to people aim for 0.8kg a week, just to keep it safe so you don’t demotivate yourself.”
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One of Jono’s clients wanted to lose weight for Coachella and did this in just six weeks.
(Image: Instagram @jonocastanoacero)
This woman shed fat off her stomach in just a few weeks.
(Image: Instagram @jonocastanoacero)But don’t give up all your fave foods, otherwise you’ll go crazy
Whatever your favourite vice is, be it pizza, fries or chocolate, Jono says giving up all indulgent foods entirely will actually sabotage your weight loss.
It’s pretty much impossible to eat clean 100 per cent of the time – plus, life is to be enjoyed!
“I’m a big believer in balance. You can’t restrict yourself too much and you have to enjoy life,” Jono said.
“As a trainer, it’s very difficult to completely overhaul someone’s habits that they’ve had for years. If you’re used to having carbs at night or you like to have a Kit Kat as a sweet treat, it’s very difficult to get someone to change that. They will do it for a week, but then they’ll be back to it,” Jono said.
WATCH BELOW: These are five easy food swaps that can fast-track your weight loss. Story continues after video.
But how can you enjoy a treat without completely derailing your progress? Track your calories.
You can work out how many calories you should be eating in a day by entering your age, height and weight into an online calculator.
Then, use an app like My Fitness Pal or Carbs Manager to enter in all your food, to ensure you’re not over the calorie limit.
Want to have a cheeky chocolate after dinner? Totally fine! Just enter it into the app and have a lighter lunch or evening meal.
“So you can still have a chocolate or a bit of pasta, as long as the rest of your day is light so you’re still in a calorie deficit,” Jono said.
