Although it may sound simple, there is no one guaranteed method for losing fat. However, 100 different ways to accelerate weight loss and win the battle of the bulge have been found by successful losers.

The following tips are designed to help you lose weight quickly and effectively. Incorporate three or four into your daily routine, and you’ll see results sooner than you thought possible.

1. Eat more protein

Proteins require more energy to digest than carbs, resulting in the burning of more calories. For every 50g of protein replaced with carbs, 41 calories are saved.

2. Read labels

Avoid foods with “high-fructose corn syrup” in the ingredient list. This sugar substitute has been linked to obesity and has increased more than 350% in the U.S. since 1971.

3. Get off your ass

Doing exercises standing instead of sitting will help you burn up to 30 percent more calories, according to Joe Stankowski, C.P.T. The solution for the bench press is to do dips.

4. Mix up your movements

Perform supersets of lower-body and upper-body exercises, alternating between sets. This will allow your lower body to rest while your upper body is working. According to Craig Ballantyne, C.S.C.S., this will produce a faster, more effective workout.

5. Exercise blind

If you want to lose weight quickly, try using the elliptical trainer without holding on to the handles. This will make your core muscles work harder to keep you balanced and burning more calories.

6. Embrace yardwork

See every physical activity as a chance to lose weight and tone your body—even the ones you try to avoid, like mowing the lawn. (Just be sure to use a push mower.)

7. Snack on dill pickles

They have one calorie per slice.

8. Take larger steps

When using the stair climber, every five steps, take one large step to get back to your normal walking pattern. This step recruits additional muscle, accelerating weight loss, says Cameron McGarr, C.S.C.S.

9. Rent motivation

Designate one night a week to watch a movie that gets you pumped to work out. For example, if you’re looking to hit the weights, Rocky is a great choice. If you’re into cycling, American Flyers will do the trick. And for team sports, Hoosiers will get you fired up. If you’re a runner, Chariots of Fire and Without Limits are both great options.

10. Break a record

Try running a bit further than you did last time you went for a run. Even if it’s just a bit further, it will help burn more calories and promote weight loss.

11. Smash your dinner plates

You should buy smaller plates if you want to eat less food. Large plates make it easy to fill your plate and eat more than you would if you had smaller plates.

12. Cut carbs

If you’ve been hearing something a lot, it’s probably because it’s effective. A recent study published in the Journal of Nutrition found that men who decreased their carbohydrate intake to 8 percent of their daily calories lost 7 pounds of fat and gained 2 pounds of muscle in six weeks.

13. Lift first, then run

According to McGarr, if you do cardio after you lift weights, when you are already tired, it will have a greater effect than doing it beforehand.

14. Change directions

This interval-training trick on the elliptical trainer will help you burn more fat: Ride for 30 seconds as fast as you can, then immediately reverse your direction and ride for 30 additional seconds just as fast in the opposite direction. Rest 60 seconds, and repeat.

15. Fill up on high-fiber foods

Beans are a “good carb” because they take up a lot of space in your stomach, making you feel full and less likely to eat more. One half cup of beans contains 8g of fiber. Studies have shown that men who add 12g of fiber to their diet every day can lose a quarter inch from their waistline without changing their diet in any other way.

16. Top your salad with vinaigrette dressing

Researchers have found that acidic foods can increase the body’s ability to burn carbohydrates by 20 to 40 percent. It is believed that the acids in these foods blunt insulin spikes and slow the rate at which food empties from the stomach. Fermented foods like pickles and yogurt are also good sour options.

17. Don’t skip meals

If you don’t eat for long periods of time, your body will start to break down muscle tissue for energy instead of fat. Intermittent fasting might be good for weight loss, but if you skip meals you will have problems.

18. Try the VersaClimber

The steeper your incline is when doing cardio, the more calories you burn.

19. Don’t be a couch potato

If you’re a TV addict, calculate how many hours you watch right now, and stop watching reruns–even if there’s an episode of Seinfeld you’ve never seen. Spend the time you save on your feet: either outdoor or at the gym.

20. Hit the weights

If you’re inclined to be lazy, it’s not as bad as you think—just 10 minutes a day of lifting, three days a week, will help according to Harvard research. 30 minutes of weight training per week has a greater reduction in waist size than almost any other variable.

21. Pass on the potatoes

Potatoes are not good for you if you are trying to lose weight. They raise your insulin levels, which causes your body to burn less fat. (Sweet potatoes are okay to eat though; they have more nutrients and fiber.)

22. Eat your biggest meal of the day after you lift

It takes more calories to digest food after a weight-training session than if you hadn’t worked out at all.

23. Chug H2O before a meal

This text is telling us that drinking water can help us to feel fuller and reduce our appetite.

24. Request substitutions

Dr. Jeff Volek suggests asking for vegetables instead of starch sides when ordering at a restaurant. Your server will be happy to make the change.

25. Join a league

You should sign up for a sport to help you exercise regularly. Being part of a team will help keep you motivated to continue exercising.

26. Break between scoops

If you can’t live without ice cream, cake, or other calorie-laden desserts, have one small scoop or slice and then wait 20 minutes. You’ll often find that you don’t want any more after the hormones kick in and make you feel full.

27. Brush your teeth more often

The study found that men who brushed their teeth were leaner compared to men who did not brush their teeth. The minty-fresh flavor from brushing teeth may make individuals less likely to snack in between meals.

28. Eat an unbalanced diet

This technique will help to keep your metabolism high and burning fat. You should aim to average 2,000 calories a day over the course of a week.

29. Dial up an incline

English researchers found that when you walk or run outside, you are applying force to the ground and propelling your bodyweight forward all by yourself. To counteract this, always walk or run on at least a 1 percent incline—the treadmill grade is nearly equivalent to outside running.

30. Avoid foods that come in a bag or box

The text is discussing the typical effects of highly processed carbs, which are foods that cause a quick spike in blood sugar levels and make it difficult for the body to burn fat.

31. Have breakfast every day

have long suspected that breakfast was the most important meal of the day, but this new study provides hard data to support that claim. The new study provides data that suggests that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, with obesity rates being 35 to 50 percent lower for those who eat breakfast regularly compared to those who do not.

32. Outdo yourself

When you use the rowing machine, do this interval workout: Row for 60 seconds and note the distance on the machine. Then, rest for 60 seconds. Repeat the process, only this time row for 55 seconds and try to match or go further than the distance from the first time. Continue until you can’t beat your original distance.

25 Quick Tips to Build Muscle & Burn Fat

1. “What gets monitored gets managed” – Unless you’ve been training for over a decade, it’s probably a good idea to write down your workouts. You may remember yesterday’s lift but how about your chest session from last month? My point exactly.
2. If your back hurts after conventional deadlifts, you may want to try a trap bar or sumo stance. Don’t be married to specific exercises, find the variation that works for you.
3. Speaking of deadlifts – if you’re going to chalk up, don’t pull a Lebron. No one wants to clean up a million pieces of chalk particulate.
4. Keto is trendy but if you’re an athlete this is probably the last thing you should consider if you value your performance on the field and in the gym.
5. If you’re dieting, don’t drink your calories. If you’re trying to gain mass, consider drinking most of your calories around your lift.
6. External validation isn’t needed for progression. You can work out, not post it on social media, and believe it or not, you’ll still get stronger and look better naked (i.e. lose body fat and gain muscle).
7. If you find yourself unable to function or perform without caffeine, you need to take a deeper look at your lifestyle and change something. Fitness can only be expressed when you allow fatigue to mitigate.
8. No one (besides you) really cares about how much you lift. I promise.
9. Yes, your knees can and should go over your toes when you squat. This is the 21st century, it’s time for this myth to die.
10. IIFYM (if it fits your macros) works from an energy balance standpoint – aka you will lose weight even if you eat Doritos, Twinkies, and Captain Crunch. However, it’s an extremely poor choice if you care about your health and longevity even slightly.
11. Technique trumps all – if you move like trash, it will eventually catch up with you.
12. If you find the front of your shoulders sore and overworked after bench press, odds are you might need some soft tissue work on your pecs along with t-spine mobility and upper back strength (aka learn how to set your shoulder blades and keep them there).
13. Spinal flexion is not bad. Read that sentence again. In fact, if you really want to challenge your personal biases, consider experimenting with Jefferson barbell curls – sadly these don’t work your biceps but your spinal erectors will thank you.
14. The difference between surviving and thriving is adequate sleep.
15. If you’re looking to work in fitness, certifications are a starting point, not an end goal.
16. If you’re just getting into fitness, the 3 simplest steps you can take to get healthier are: Eat more protein and vegetables, go to bed by 10 pm, and train with someone stronger than you.
17. Eating like an adult is hard. Do it anyways.
18. Mobility work is boring. Do it anyways.
19. Eating vegetables is boring (if you don’t know how to cook them). Do it anyways.
20. Despite what all the ads on YouTube and Facebook claim, you’re not going to get “shredded” in 8 weeks if you have 30lbs to lose.
21. Conditioning (i.e. cardio) won’t make you fat and AMPK won’t kill you. On the contrary, if you skip all cardiovascular work entirely, you’re likely doing yourself a disservice.
22. One of the simplest, most cost-effective habits you can utilize to improve sleep is to simply untuck your sheets which allows for better temperature regulation within your appendages.
23. If you’re going to ingest a protein shake or smoothie, include a chewable element (e.g. piece of fruit, chia seeds, shredded coconut, etc.) which will help stimulate the release of digestive enzymes and hydrochloric acid within the stomach.
24. Either learn how to use straps or mix your grip. But for the love of all things fitness, please don’t do both. Straps offset the need to use a mixed grip and a mixed grip offsets the need for straps. In other words, you’re offsetting the need to offset. No one likes double negatives…or people who mix their grip with straps. If you don’t know how to use straps, watch this.
25. 10 reps with the bar is not a viable warmup. Unless you’re being chased by a lion, it takes your central nervous system a few minutes to get acclimated to the ambient temperature, sound, sights, and smells. Move around, get loose, and pay attention to your body. There’s a reason you feel tight, don’t ignore it.