It doesn’t matter what type of training or dietary protocol you follow; none of them call for you to lard up. What you drink, how you train, and especially what you eat can all affect your ability to drop fat. We’ve compiled 25 proven tips that, when combined, can help you stay lean and mean through the winter. Remember, if you want abs, you have to start working toward that goal now.

1. Hit the Slide

Using sliders, or gliders, for body-weight exercises adds difficulty to the move and creates instability during each rep. This additional muscle recruitment allows you to torch more calories.

2. Lift Heavy

Excess post-exercise oxygen consumption refers to the increased metabolic rate you enjoy after a workout. Scientists at the Norwegian University of Sport and Physical Education analyzed multiple studies and found that training with heavier weights for fewer reps produces a greater rise in resting metabolic rate that’ll last longer compared to training with lighter weights for more reps. Don’t swear off high-rep training, but you should occasionally lift heavy (three to seven reps) to maximize the calories you burn when you’re not at the gym.

3. Become a Drinker

Despite this coming out of the home of Oktoberfest, German researchers have shown that drinking about 2 cups of cold water (not beer) can temporarily boost metabolic rate by roughly 30%. The effect appears to be mainly due to an increase in norepinephrine.

4. Slow Your Roll

Consuming slow-digesting carbs, such as brown rice, oatmeal, and whole-wheat bread, can keep insulin levels low and prevent spikes from halting fat burning. A Penn State University study found that subjects following a low-calorie diet with carbs coming only from whole grains lost significantly more fat than those following a low-calorie diet of refined carbs.

5. Eat Fat

Not only will certain fats—particularly omega-3s—not lead to fat gain, but they can promote fat loss. Aim to keep your healthy-fat intake at about 30% of your total daily calories. Healthy fats include fatty fish such as salmon, sardines, and trout, as well as olive oil, peanut butter, and walnuts.

6. Rest Less

Researchers from the College of New Jersey discovered that when subjects rested 30 seconds between sets on the bench press, they burned greater than 50% more calories than when they rested three minutes. To maximize fat loss, rest less than a minute between sets.

7. Get Citrusy

Grapefruits, oranges, and other citrus fruit are high in vitamin C and fiber and can help prevent strokes and promote fat loss. A study from the Scripps Clinic in San Diego reported that subjects eating half a grapefruit or drinking 8 ounces of grapefruit juice three times a day, while otherwise eating normally, lost an average of four pounds in 12 weeks, with some test subjects losing more than 10 pounds without dieting. The researchers suggest the effect is likely due to grapefruit’s ability to reduce insulin levels. Try adding half a grapefruit to a few of your meals, including pre-workout.

8. Chew Gum

A study done at Glasgow Caledonian University found that subjects who chewed gum between meals ate significantly less food at the second meal than those who didn’t chew gum. The researchers concluded that chewing gum increases satiety and therefore reduces food intake.

9. Say Soy-Anara to Fat

Soy protein is a proven fat burner. A 2008 review paper from the University of Alabama at Birmingham concluded that soy protein can possibly decrease appetite and calorie intake. The scientists also found that subjects who drank 20 grams of soy daily for three months lost a significant amount of fat.

By MFH