What if you could change your bod in the same amount of time it takes you to make yourself a cup of tea?
While you may not actually see a drop in body fat percentage in just a few minutes, you can do a something small in 5 minutes to lose weight.
In fact, thinking small might be smarter than trying to drastically overhaul your routine all at once.
Trying to make big sweeping changes to your lifestyle can feel overwhelming and unattainable before you even start. Instead, focusing on smaller tweaks empowers you to reach your goals.
Accomplishing each one reinforces your commitment. And small changes add up to big results.
Check out our list of things you can do in 5 minutes to lose weight, and give one or two a go for a couple of weeks (no need to put them all into play at once – introduce one new habit at a time so you’re more likely to stick to it, rather than feeling overwhelmed), and get ready to see some changes in your body.
1. Wake up, workout
No time to squeeze in a 30 minute HIIT before work? No problem. You just need to set aside 5 minutes to lose weight with a cardio workout plan that boost energey and create a positive mindset to start the day.
For a low-impact alternative, try various fat burning yoga poses.
2. Sip on green tea or matcha
Although sipping on tea while leaving the rest of your routine intact isn’t going to magically make those last five pounds go poof, there is proof it can help.
Green tea and matcha have caffeine and antioxidants, which may help boost your metabolism to help you to burn more calories throughout the day, explains Zeitlin. Just skip the green tea supplements, since super-high doses can be toxic and cause liver damage.
3. Consider trading chicken for fish at lunchtime
Poultry is a healthy, simple sandwich staple and salad-topper – but consider swapping turkey for tuna or chicken for grilled salmon a couple of times a week.
Fish and seafood are great sources of lean protein that help fill you up, boost your focus, and help you maintain healthy muscles to burn fat. Plus, they’re low in calories.
What’s more, fish is one of the best sources of omega-3 fatty acids, heart-healthy fats that fight inflammation and potentially even boost weight loss by helping you to feel fuller for longer and boosting your metabolism. And most of us don’t get enough.
Consider having fatty fish like salmon, tuna, trout, halibut, or shrimp at three meals per week.
4. Sip coffee before workouts
Studies have suggested that sipping on coffee before a workout can increase calorie burn as well as endurance by increasing focus and sustaining energy. But that doesn’t mean you should chug it.
Even just half a cup before a workout will ensure you have an extra boost without feeling too jittery.
Add a splash of cream and even a sprinkle of sugar if you want; just skip the whole-milk latte since it might make your stomach feel icky.
5. Do a 5-minute HIIT workout before a big meal
No, we don’t endorse working out before every meal or ‘earning’ your food, but if you’ve got a big birthday dinner or a night out on the books and you want to squeeze a little something in beforehand, it could be beneficial.
Once you’ve finished an intense workout, your body needs the carbs and sugars anyway, so it’s the perfect day to enjoy a little.
For optimal calorie burning, choose total-body HIIT moves that work multiple muscle groups: squats, push-ups, pull-ups, lunge variations, and sprints.
Suggested workout:
A) 30 seconds of goblet squats (or another lower-body move like squat jumps or lunges) to get your heart rate up, followed by 30 seconds of rest.
B) 30 seconds of pushups (or another upper-body exercise that recruits multiple muscle groups, like rows, pull-ups, or TRX rows), followed by 30 seconds of rest.
Continue alternating between lower- and upper-body moves for five minutes total.
6. Add deadlifts and squats to your lifting routine
If you’re hitting the gym anyway, include moves like deadlifts and squats that maximize the number of muscles you’re working.
Get more bang (and butt) by lifting heavy – you’ll get more results for fewer sets and reps.
Try for three to four sets of three to five reps instead of 10 or more reps at a lighter weight.
7. Fit in a post-workout snack
While it might seem counterintuitive to eat more when you’re trying to shed pounds, getting enough protein is essential to building muscle – which in turn burns more calories throughout the day than fat.
What’s more, keeping your blood sugar stable by spreading healthy meals throughout the day means you’re less likely to really overdo it at any one meal.
To maximize the effects of a strength-training workout, have a snack with about 20 to 30 grams of protein and 60 to 90 grams of carbs about 45 minutes to an hour after you finish.
This way, you are replenishing and building your muscles with much-needed nutrients.
8. Drink a glass of water before meals
Staying hydrated boosts energy and prevents cravings, cutting the chances you’ll graze on extra calories you don’t really need between meals.
Our bodies interpret thirst as hunger, so you may be reaching for more food when really you just need more water.
Divide your weight in half, and that’s the number of ounces of water you should try to hit each day (so if you’re 140 pounds, you’ll want 70 ounces of water, or eight to nine cups).
In addition to keeping a water bottle on-hand to sip throughout the day, try to down a full glass of water about half an hour before each meal.
Not only does that guarantee you’re getting three glasses minimum, but a number of studies have found that sipping water before meals may help you lose more weight overall, potentially by cutting the number of calories you eat.
9. Snack on veggies while you’re prepping dinner
Wine might be your dinner prep go-to, but make sure you’re getting some crudités in there, too.
Vegetables are very low in calories and high in fibre to keep you satisfied and full so you don’t overeat at your next meal.
Alternatively, you can start your dinner with a colorful salad topped with a tablespoon or two of vinaigrette. In all, shoot for two to three cups of veggies per meal, says Suter.
10. Make overnight oats
Skipping breakfast might seem like an easy way to cut calories, but it basically guarantees that you’ll over-eat later in the day.
Plus, having a high-protein breakfast within one hour of waking up helps your bod build and maintain muscle.
Since it takes a near-miracle to just make it out the door showered and on time most mornings, prepping your breakfast the evening before guarantees you have something healthy and filling to grab.
Try whipping up a serving of overnight oats, and you’ll feel like you’re having (a very healthy) dessert for breakfast.
Other simple, filling, grab-and-go pairings include one serving of a protein, one serving of fiber, and a healthy fat.
11. Pack your workout clothes the night before
Time is the biggest reason people fail to work out. So toss your clothes, shoes, snack, and water bottle into a bag the night before, and you’ll be that much more inspired to hit the gym the next day.
12. Go to bed five minutes earlier
Research has linked a lack of sleep with overeating and weight gain.
By aiming for seven or more hours of sleep each night, you can stop food cravings before they start and make smarter and healthier food choices throughout the day. Plus, you’ll have more energy to hit the gym.
If hitting the sheets an hour earlier is daunting, aim for just five minutes a day. Keep at it, and in just one week you’ll already be a half hour ahead of schedule.
One last thing… you should try this 2-minute “after-dinner ritual” that
burns up to 2 pounds of belly fat per day…
“All
this by a 2-minute “after-dinner ritual?” I asked.
I
met an old friend for lunch last month and I was super impressed with how good
she looked.
She
said, “It’s not so much about the “after-dinner ritual”, but more about how it
gives you a regenerative form of deep sleep that is responsible for everything
we need to dramatically increase our fat burning metabolism and improve our
health and appearance.”
Even
though I was skeptical, I’ve been struggling with my weight over the last few
years, so I gave it a shot and watched the same video she did.
Well,
it’s only a couple weeks later and you know what they say about how “you can’t
transform your body overnight”…
They’re
right – it actually took me 16 days to lose 22 pounds.
Now
it’s my girlfriends asking ME what I’M doing differently 💅
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