This is what I’d do, methodically .
[1] OWN IT:
About 6-7 years ago, one of my colleagues “ unexpectedly ” dropped about 80 pounds. He was a powerlifter aiming for 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 asked him how he did 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 struggle 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 get rid of 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 stressed .
[3] I'D EAT A "PROTEIN-FIRST" DIET:
The first thing in my mouth each meal is protein. Every meal is based on it, then comes other stuff: carbs (potatoes, sweet potatoes, rice) and, of course, veggies.
Protein:
Blocks hunger
Controls cravings for sugary and fatty foods
Enhances your metabolism
Accelerates 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 optimizes 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 stunned when they add heavy lifts. Their heart rates skyrocket more than during Swings or Snatches, boosting the body’s calorie demands for recovery.
[5] I would lift explosively (HIGH POWER ):
I’d make each rep as forceful as I’m able—no more “phoning it in” or just “surviving” my sets. If I were already been doing “a bunch of Swings,” I'd 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 solvent on an antique chest of drawers, you have to do the thing you suck at most —because it forces you to use more energy.
I favor low-rep strength work—that’s my bias. The opposite would be higher-rep KB ballistic work, like sets of 10+. That would exhaust me , 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 required .
[7] I would sleep more:
Sleeping more helps burn fat ; sleeping less encourages fat storage[2]. Hard to believe , but true. Lack of sleep increases hunger and makes you lose muscle (“fat-free mass”). I’d make sure I get 7-8 hours every night.
[8] I would breathe more:
Breathing—specifically diaphragmatic breathing—is a relaxation technique . Reduced stress lowers cortisol, which reduces 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 would train 4-6x week:
Making your body lose 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 do more work. How you organize your training is up to you. I like contrasting training:
Intense workouts alternated with easy ones
Heavy sessions followed by light sessions
That style makes the body work without burning it out . I would keep sessions focused but short —20 to 30 minutes.
[10] I'D PRIORITIZE RECOVERY:
I’d guarantee I stayed uninjured by focusing on restoration/ flexibility work, knowing my body would stiffen from extra use. If you’ve ever had an injury from excessive use , you know it’s quite painful. Better to head that off early .
So, 5 to 15 minutes of restoration work each session. “Yeah, but won’t that take total workout time up to 45 minutes?” Perhaps. Or I could alternate hard training days with easy restoration days and do more restoration work instead.
So How Long Would It Take?
As long as it needed .
But probably, no more than 12 weeks . Maybe as long as 16, depending get more info on my recovery.