If you missed your chance to transform your body over the summer, don't despair: one fitness influencer promises you can still get in shape by fall.
Georgia-based women's weight loss coach Jenna Rizzo shares her three top tips for losing a pant size in time for Halloween.
Women's weight loss coach Jenna Rizzo shares her three top tips for losing a pant size in time for Halloween. jennaaaamariee/TikTok
“There's so much diet information on the internet and I know it can be frustrating and confusing,” she said in a TikTok last week. “Let me simplify it for you: Focus on three things. Forget everything else.”
She promises: “Keep doing these things for the next three months, and you'll have to buy some new clothes for fall.”
1. Start strength training
Rizzo claims that strength training is better than cardio when it comes to weight loss. Shutterstock
Rizzo's number one recommendation for weight loss is to start strength training.
She explains: “You don't need to waste precious time in the gym doing hours of cardio. Strength training allows you to target specific muscles to tone and sculpt them.”
Lizzo shared photos of her body from when she was doing cardio-focused workouts, and her toned body now. “The only cardio I do is walk my dog all day,” she declared.
Lizzo shows off her body before and after strength training. jennaaaamariee/TikTok
Rizzo's claims are backed up by science: Stanford University researchers recently found that participants who strength trained lost more fat and maintained better blood sugar levels than those who did aerobic exercise or a combination of strength and aerobic exercise.
Strength training may not burn as many calories as aerobic exercise right away, but it does build muscle tissue, and maintaining muscle tissue requires more energy and calories over time.
2. Track your calorie and protein intake
To maintain a calorie deficit, Rizzo suggests downloading a tracking app. Shutterstock / Funstock
Experts agree that weight loss occurs when your body is in a calorie deficit, meaning you burn more calories than you take in.
Rizzo stresses the importance of maintaining a calorie deficit and supporting healthy weight loss with enough protein: “You have to be in a calorie deficit to lose weight, and you need to be consuming enough protein to ensure that the weight you lose is fat and not muscle.”
Lizzo says the right protein can help prevent “skinny fat.” Jenna Aamaly/TikTok
She argues that adequate protein intake is the best defense against “skinny obesity,” a condition in which people appear physically healthy but their overall health is different.
Lizzo relies on the MyFitnessPal app to track her calories.
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3. Create a bedtime routine and stick to it
Rizzo says proper rest is a prerequisite for losing weight. Shutterstock / New Africa
When it comes to losing weight, Rizzo emphasizes that counting sleep is just as important as counting calories: “Sleep is so important for weight loss, and most people don't get enough sleep,” she says.
She urges adopting a strict bedtime schedule: “Go to bed on time every night. Stop scrolling through depressing videos on TikTok until 2 a.m. every night. Create and stick to good pre-bed habits to get at least seven hours of sleep every night.”
Rizzo's sleep suggestions are consistent with research showing that sleep is just as important to weight loss as dieting.
One sleep study found that people who slept less than seven hours a night were the most likely to have poor eating habits, neglect their diet, and exceed their weekly alcohol intake limits compared to those who slept at least seven hours.
