This is what I’d do, systematically .
[1] OWN IT:
About 6-7 years ago, one of my colleagues “ all of a sudden” dropped about 80 pounds. He was a powerlifter going after 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 managed it .
“It was pretty simple,” he said. “I talked to [a mutual friend] and he said, ‘Dude, you gotta own get more info your sh*t.’ And that was it.”
In other copyright, if you struggle to lose weight, you have to pinpoint 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 toss all cookies, chips, crackers, and soda. Then I’d hit the freezer and eliminate 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
Cuts down on cravings for sugary and fatty foods
Boosts your metabolism
Aids 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 improves 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 soar more than during Swings or Snatches, driving up the body’s calorie demands for recovery.
[5] I'd definitely lift with maximum force ( high intensity ):
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 double 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 hate the most —because it forces you to use more energy.
I love low-rep strength work—that’s my bias. The opposite would be higher-rep KB ballistic work, like sets of 10+. That would gas 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 burns fat ; sleeping less encourages fat storage[2]. Unbelievable, but true. Lack of sleep increases hunger and makes you lose muscle (“fat-free mass”). I would make sure I got 7-8 hours every night.
[8] I would breathe more:
Breathing—specifically diaphragmatic breathing—is a relaxation technique . 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 inhibits 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 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:
Intense workouts alternated with easy ones
Heavy lifting mixed with lighter sessions
That style makes the body perform without overtraining. I'd keep sessions efficient and brief—20 to 30 minutes.
[10] I’d Put Emphasis On RECOVERY:
I’d make sure I stayed injury-free by focusing on restoration/ movement work, knowing my body would become tense from extra use. If you’ve ever had an injury from overuse , you know it’s unpleasant . 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 alternate 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 duration. Maybe as long as 16, depending on my recovery.