This is what I’d do, step-by-step .
[1] OWN IT:
About six or seven years ago, one of my colleagues “suddenly ” dropped about 80 pounds. He was a powerlifter chasing a BIG squat—800lbs if I recall correctly—but could never get below 260. When he lost that 80 pounds, I hadn’t seen him for a couple of years, so I training asked him how he accomplished it .
“It was pretty simple,” he said. “I talked to [a mutual friend] and he said, ‘Dude, you gotta own your sh*t.’ And that was it.”
In other copyright, if you have trouble to lose weight, you have to acknowledge your excuses—those stories and lies you tell yourself—and get rid of them. Change your stories.
[2] GET JUNK FOOD OUT OF THE HOUSE:
I’d go through the pantry and remove all cookies, chips, crackers, and soda. Then I’d hit the freezer and clear away pizza, ice cream—any high-calorie “binge-y” food. If it’s not there, I can’t eat it, especially not on impulse when I’m under stress .
[3] I'D EAT A "PROTEIN-FIRST" DIET:
The first thing in my mouth each meal is protein. Every meal is centered on it , then comes other stuff: carbs (potatoes, sweet potatoes, rice) and, of course, veggies.
Protein:
Stops hunger
Stops cravings for sugary and fatty foods
Speeds up your metabolism
Improves your recovery between workouts
In fact, 2015 research by Dr. Jose Antonio, PhD, et al, stated[1]:
“A high protein diet (3.4 g/kg/d) combined with a heavy resistance training program boosts body composition in healthy trained men and women.”
[4] I'D LIFT HEAVY (HIGH FORCE):
I’d use a 4-6RM for my most important lifts, especially if I’d been doing a lot of KB ballistics. Many people who do “lots of Swings” are surprised when they add heavy lifts. Their heart rates shoot up more than during Swings or Snatches, driving up the body’s calorie demands for recovery.
[5] I’d lift with maximum force (HIGH POWER ):
I'd make each rep as powerful as I can —no more “phoning it in” or just “surviving” my sets. If I had already been doing “a bunch of Swings,” I would probably increase my usual rep ranges (or raise them by 50%). For example, sets of 5 become sets of 10; sets of 10 become sets of 20.
[6] I'd "bias" my training:
Most people do only what they enjoy . But to strip fat off your body like turpentine on an antique chest of drawers, you have to do the thing you are worst at—because it forces you to use more energy.
I lean towards low-rep strength work—that’s my bias. The opposite would be higher-rep KB ballistic work, like sets of 10+. That would tire me out, requiring more energy. For someone who does “a lot of Swings,” it’d be the opposite: a lot of heavy strength work. Again, more energy than normal needed.
[7] I would sleep more:
Sleeping more aids fat loss; sleeping less promotes fat gain [2]. Hard to believe , but true. Lack of sleep boosts appetite and makes you lose muscle (“fat-free mass”). I'd make sure I get 7-8 hours every night.
[8] I'd breathe more:
Breathing—specifically diaphragmatic breathing—is a way to reduce stress. Less stress → less circulating cortisol → less belly fat . Diaphragmatic breathing turns on the parasympathetic (“rest and digest”) system and counters the sympathetic (“fight, flight, or freeze”) system.
High cortisol also lowers anabolic (muscle-building & fat-burning) hormones like testosterone (T) and growth hormone (GH). So, breathing lowers cortisol and rebalances T and GH levels.
[9] I'd train 4-6x week:
Making your body burn fat is no mean feat. It’s like Scrooge McDuck hoarding his treasure: your body wants to hold on to fat. So you have to push it to burn regardless—by making it work more . How you organize your training is up to you. I like contrasting training:
Hard sessions followed by easy sessions
Heavy lifting mixed with lighter sessions
That style makes the body work without burning it out . I would keep sessions efficient and brief—20 to 30 minutes.
[10] I’d Put Emphasis On RECOVERY:
I’d guarantee I stayed uninjured by prioritizing restoration/ flexibility work, knowing my body would stiffen from extra use. If you’ve ever had an injury from repetitive strain, you know it’s no fun . Better to head that off before it happens.
So, 5 to 15 minutes of restoration work each session. “Yeah, but won’t that take total workout time up to 45 minutes?” Maybe . Or I could switch between hard training days with easy restoration days and do more restoration work on those days .
So How Long Would It Take?
As long as it required.
But probably, no more than 12 weeks' time . Maybe as long as 16, depending on my recovery.