No sweating, no dietary changes.

Photo byPhoto by Steven Coffey on Unsplash

On February 25th, I read this story by Ashley Richmond. On March 9, which is the day I am writing this, I have lost fat. I didn’t cut my body weight in half, but I did get rid of some of those small amounts of fat I had on my hips for a few years.

And it feels good. Because I didn’t change anything else. No change in diet. No intense workouts. In fact, I tried to get rid of them by eating tons of veggies and working out every day, but those things never shrunk.

This simple quick routine was inspired by Ashley’s story and consisted of the following: 30 minutes of peaceful walking, second thing in the morning. With a few conditions to make it work.

Here’s what happens when you work out in the middle of the day

I have been exercising regularly for almost two years and eating healthy 95% of the time. Although I’ve noticed that my physical well-being has improved a lot, I couldn’t burn off that localized fat that I stare at in the mirror every day. I’ve now figured out why.

When you exercise in the middle of the day, that is, with food in your body, what your body burns is not fat, but the calories you just ingested. Because your muscles first burn through stored glycogen for energy.

“After about 30 to 60 minutes of aerobic exercise, your body starts burning mainly fat,” explains Dr. Burguera to Cleveland Clinic. A duration which goes up to one hour for non-intensive exercise.

Of course, exercising always has its benefits. You won’t store the calories you just burned. But unless you push really hard for a really long time, you won’t gain weight, you’ll tone your body, but you’ll mostly keep the localized fat you’ve been wanting to get rid of for so long.

I used to do moderate exercise at the end of the day for about 40 minutes. That’s why it wasn’t working.

I hate working out right after I wake up in the morning

I just can’t. I’ve tried, many times, but it’s just horrible. And I’m a firm believer that you can’t stick with something you hate. We’re talking long-term goals here, not one-week experiments.

Working out first thing in the morning was therefore unthinkable.

When I started questioning my habits, especially my breakfast habits, I found out that it didn’t make sense. I was eating right after waking up even if I wasn’t hungry. Only to find myself starving two hours later.

After some experimentation, I found what I thought was the perfect combination: drink a glass of water while my black coffee brewed, then sip it quietly while reading a few pages of a book. Then I’d get ready and start working, before taking a breakfast break when I felt the need.

But something bothered me: having to interrupt my work to eat. And I would find myself restless mid-morning because I had been sitting up since I got out of bed.

Ashley’s story provided the solution.

I picked the “walking” option

Here’s the two-step protocol that Ashley proposes:

“When you wake up, drink a cup of coffee, green tea, or black tea, without any added milk, sugar, or any other form of calorie. This needs to be a calorie-free drink that you’re drinking in a fasted state, but something that contains some level of caffeine.
When you’ve finished your beverage, engage in 10–30 minutes of light to moderate cardio. Pick something that will be sustainable — something you can do every single day. It doesn’t have to be strenuous, just something that will raise your heart rate and get your blood flowing.”

This includes, for example, yoga, swimming, biking… and walking. I chose the latter. Here’s my new routine: I wake up, drink coffee, get ready and head out for a walk at my own pace. I don’t time anything. I just found out that the loops I do take an average of 30–40 minutes to complete.

I use this time to practice mindfulness. Paying attention to my sensations, my surroundings, emptying my mind. In addition to burning some fat, this routine also helps me start the day fully present, calm, and it gives my restless legs some exercise before they have to stay still. All benefits.

It’s also a great time to explore your neighborhood, take your camera with you, or walk your dog. As a digital nomad, my favorite part is when I arrive on the beach and walk barefoot in the water. It’s so soothing and unreal to have the whole beach and ocean to myself, with that magical morning light.

As I edit this article a few days after writing it, I am now in Costa Rica, 5 minutes away from the beach. So I’ve replaced most of that walk with a swim in the ocean, which is just an amazing way to start my day.

The caffeine+cardio combo is very powerful

Not only does Ashley offer an amazing fat loss tip, but she also does a great job of explaining how it works. All credits go to her:

“Fasted cardio is a powerful fat loss strategy on its own, but combined with caffeine, it becomes even more potent. Caffeine helps to mobilize fatty acids during your cardio, leading to even more fat burning.
During fasted cardio, your body will have minimal to no stores of readily available energy — i.e. glycogen from the foods you eat. Your body will therefore need to tap into energy stores in the body — i.e. stored fat. In fact, a study has shown that you will burn up to 20% more fat than you would have if you had eaten beforehand.
Interestingly, it is suggested that this protocol is particularly effective for stubborn areas, such as the thighs.
Furthermore, exercising in the morning will boost your metabolic rate and lead to EPOC — excess post-exercise oxygen consumption. This is where your body continues to burn calories for up to 24 hours after a workout, meaning you’ll be burning extra calories for the rest of the day.”

Final thoughts

It looks like a magic trick. So far, I’ve found nothing but benefits to this method. And most importantly: it’s sustainable. I don’t feel like I have to do it every morning. I just look forward to doing it.

No pressure. No stopwatch. If you like it, and if it’s a good fit for you, you’ll stick with it. Naturally. Effortlessly.

Don’t try too hard at anything. If it’s for you, you’ll feel it’s right.

Thank you, Ashley.