We know you that you want to get rid of that last bit of subcutaneous layer of blubber in order to finally uncover that cut body you've got hidden underneath. We recently asked Mensfitness.com readers: If you could get to transform your body overnight, would you pump up your shoulders, get a huge chest or a go for a serious six-pack?

The answer? None of the above: 43 percent of you said that you'd want an "overall fat-free physique" rather than a single bigger or better body part — and we want to help you get down to your fighting weight.

We asked some of the best and brightest trainers and experts about the best ways to jumpstart fat loss and compiled our results in three sections: Training-Based Tips, Diet-Based Tips, and Lifestyle-Based Tips. You'll have to work hard for every ounce, of course, but we can promise you—the results will be hella worth it.

If you think that hitting the weights is the only thing you have to do to lose fat faster, you’re wrong. You need a soild balance of weight training, cardio and diet.

Picking up a sport (especially getting into pick-up games) is a great way to burn extra calories, trim away the fat and still have a hell of a lot of fun doing it.

Boyce is a huge proponent of sports in training as well: “Playing a sport involves cardio and lots of non-linear movement (jumping, back pedaling, side stepping) making it healthier than straight jogging,” he said. “Plus it keeps you having fun without getting bored.”

You don’t have to be the next Michael Jordan to go down to your local park, hop on the basketball court, and look for a game. Just do it! Most people are happy to have another player. Just make sure you at least know the rules (and know how to dribble, duh).

The jury might still be out on the longevity of the current CrossFit craze that’s sweeping the fitness nation, but there’s no denying the benefits of this total body workout that will test your physical abilities in just about every way. The combination and timing of exercises, the competitive aspect of the sport, and the group-training philosophy of CrossFit are just a few of the things that makes it such a great workout. If you’re looking for a good way to burn a crazy amount of calories, drop some fat, and change up your usual, boring workout routine then CrossFit is a good investment of time. The only thing that might not thank you is your wallet.

Taking photos before, after, and during a weight loss journey is a great way to stay motivated throughout the entire sweat-inducing ordeal. Not only do you get to see the fruits of your labor as your skin tightens up, your face thins out, and your body transforms into a lean, mean, fat-burning machine, but you can also share your progress photos (if you’re brave enough) on social media. It’s a surefire way to up your confidence as comments like “Wow! Look at you!” and “How much weight have you lost?!” start to make their way into your inbox.

When MensFitness.com interviewed Jacksonville Jaguars Fullback Greg Jones for its 25 Fittest Football Players article, the 6’1” 254-pound beast talked glowingly about how training in a group improves everything about his workouts.

“One of the things that sets me apart from some other players in the league are the people I surround myself with,” Jones said. “I have great people around me. We’re always lifting each other up when we have bad days.”

And that’s exactly what training with a partner or group can do for your workouts (and your ability to lose fat faster). It’s all about motivation. You pull each other out of the doldrums and into the world of the fit. Just when you think you can’t run any farther or do that last rep, you have your buddy there to make sure you do it.

What’s the easiest way to fall off the wagon when you’ve been doing so well making healthy food choices? How about this? You just got home from an insanely intense workout at the gym. You’re tired, sweaty, and your body is begging for some rest. But now it’s time for dinner. Your stomach is growling but you just don’t feel like cooking anything after that workout. That’s when you tap into the cabinet where you’ve hidden all those takeout menus, grab the phone, and dial up your favorite greasy spoon for a Double-Cheesy-Super-Cheesesteak (With Extra Bacon). And then you sit back and watch the wagon you’ve just fallen off of rumble down the road, never to be seen again.

Or you can create a meal calendar and plan (and even cook) your meals ahead of time. Now you’ve got your grilled chicken and veggies all portioned out and ready to pop in the microwave when you get home from the gym. Welcome to the land of weight loss!

“Drinking more water,” says Boyce, “will help your body avoid storing water due to deficiencies. People often don't make the connection that high water retention often means there's a lack of it in your diet.” Not only is water great for you and your active, healthy body, but the alternatives like soda and alcohol are some of the very worst things you can ingest when trying to lose fat quickly. Sugary high-in-(empty)-calorie drinks are one of the ways that weight can sneak up on your without you even realizing it. Stay away from the processed drinks and pour yourself a nice cold glass of H2O.

“Vegetables,” said Boyce, “(especially the cruciferous kind) are anti estrogenic, meaning they will fight against that hormone being active in your body resulting in fat storage. Upping veggies can help get you lean. Plus they're good for you.”

There was a reason your parents always told you to eat your veggies. Sure, they’re not always the most pleasing to the palate, but they’re really good for you. Experiment with new recipes and spices to make veggies more tasty and you’ll be well on your way to a healthy, fat-burning diet.

Here’s the thing about the human body: It’s much smarter than you think. If your daily caloric target is 1500 calories and you hit that number consistently every single day, your body is going to recognize it and your metabolism will start to plateau (so to speak). If you want to “trick” your body into jumpstarting your metabolism again, all you need to do is vary that daily caloric intake to keep it guessing. Try downing 1200 calories one day and 1800 the next. As long as it all balances out, you should be fine and there’s a good chance your increased rate of metabolism should help you burn fat faster.

Everyone loves their carbs. We know, we know. They’re so tasty! But guess what? They’re terrible for you if you’re always stuffing your face with them!

“The most important step is to control the carbohydrates,” say Duffy. “Most people get fat from eating too many carbs, eating carbs alone, and eating them late at night. Instead, what people should do is eat carbs in combination with complete proteins and good fats. Eating carbs alone will lead to an increase in blood glucose. This increase in blood glucose causes an over release of insulin and then triggers a fat storage response by the body. This triggers the body's hunger mechanism as well as its sugar craving mechanism. When carbs are combined with proteins and fats, glucose in the blood stream is buffered by the metabolites of the consumed proteins and fats. This will not lead to an over release of insulin and thus not fat storage, hunger or sugar cravings.”

And, more importantly, Duffy tells us to remember that “all carbs turn to sugar (glucose). Good carbs. Bad carbs. Net carbs. Fibrous carbs. They all turn to sugar! Which, in turn, causes a hormonal influence (insulin over-release) to fat gain. Eating complete proteins and good fats does not cause this mechanism to happen.”

This one is self-explanatory: Walk more and drive less. The more you walk, the more active you are. The more active you are, the more calories you burn, and the more weight you can potentially lose. Instead of driving up the street to grab your morning coffee, take a nice brisk walk up and back. If you want to take the family to the park for an hour, skip the gas-guzzler and slap on your favorite pair of sneakers instead. Not only will you save a few bucks on gas, but also your body will thank you for it.

We checked in with Dr. Michael Breus, Phd. (world renowned sleep doctor and consultant to the team behind the Renew SleepClock) to see just why sleep is so vital to staying healthy. Here’s what the doc had to say:

Does the Paleo Diet work? Some men will answer that quesiton with a "Hell, yes!" Others? They're more skeptical.

But whether you've gone full Paleo, are simply dabbling in the diet, or know nothing more about it than its CrossFit association, one thing's for sure: Any gym-going dude is going to benefit from upping the protein and produce every once in a while.

So here, 18 healthy breakfasts, lunches, dinners, and desserts built for the fit guy—courtesy of Dana Carpender, author of 500 Paleo Recipes: Hundreds of Delicious Recipes for Weight Loss and Super Health. Use them to fuel up tonight.

(Please note: All recipes adapted from the book; however, the photos you see here do not appear in the book.)

SEE ALSO: The Essential Paleo Diet Shopping List>>

INGREDIENTS:

• 4 slices bacon, raw
• 6 eggs
• 1 tsp horseradish

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Put big, heavy skillet over medium heat. Use kitchen shears to snip the bacon into the skillet. Fry it crisp, separating the bits as it cooks. While that’s happening, whisk eggs with horseradish.
2. When the bacon bits are crisp, scoop them out of skillet to a plate and reserve.
3. Pour off all but a tablespoon or so of the grease. Now pour in eggs and scramble until they’re almost set. Then add the bacon bits and scramble them in. Serve.

SERVES: 2

NUTRITION: 450 calories; 39 g fat; 20 g protein; 2 g carbohydrate; trace dietary fiber; 2 g net carbs per serving.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 cup flaxseed meal
• 2 cups shredded coconut meat
• ¼ cup sesame seeds (optional)
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• ½ cup water
• ½ cup coconut oil, melted
• ⅓ cup honey (or more or less, to taste)
• 2 cups chopped pecans
• ½ cup sunflower seeds
• ½ cup chopped walnuts
• ½ cup shelled pumpkin seeds
• ½ cup sliced almonds

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 250ºF.
2. In big mixing bowl, combine the flax meal, coconut, sesame seeds, salt and cinnamon. Stir together so everything is evenly distributed.
3. In a 2-cup measure, measure water, oil, and honey; stir together. Pour this over dry ingredients and use a whisk to stir it till everything is evenly damp.
4. Turn this mixture into an 11 x 13-inch roasting pan—you might want to line it with nonstick foil first. Press it into an even layer in the bottom of the pan and put it in the oven. Set your timer for 1 hour.
5. When the hour is up, pull out your pan. Use the edge of a spatula to cut the whole thing into 1-inch squares, and then scoop up those chunks and stir them around in the pan. They’ll crumble somewhat, and you can cut into somewhat smaller pieces—maybe 1⁄2 inch.
6. Now measure and stir in the nuts and seeds. Put the pan back in the oven and set your timer for 20 minutes. When time’s up, stir and turn everything and put the pan back in the oven. Repeat two or three more times, till the nuts and seeds are toasted to your liking, then remove from oven, cool, and store in a tightly lidded container.
7. Serve with coconut or almond milk.

SERVES: 16

NUTRITION: 396 calories; 35 g fat; 10 g protein; 18 g carbohydrate; 8 g dietary fiber; 10 g net carbs per serving.

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 lb fish fillets, cubed (get whatever’s freshest—shrimp or bay scallops work too)
• 10 limes
• 8 garlic cloves
• 1 tbsp minced fresh cilantro
• 1 habanero chile or jalapeño
• 1 small red onion, sliced paper-thin
• Salt and black pepper
• 16 large romaine lettuce leaves
• 2 avocados, diced
• 2 tomatoes, diced
• Hot sauce

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Cube fish and place in a nonreactive dish.
2. Juice limes into a food processor. Squeeze them well, but avoid the membrane, which can cause bitterness. Add garlic and cilantro. Seed hot pepper, remove white ribs, and whack it into a few pieces; throw it into the processor. Pulse until garlic cloves and pepper are finely minced. Pour this mixture over fish. Slice onion and add it to fish.
3. Refrigerate and let fish marinate overnight. Stir once or twice.
4. Next day, drain off most of the lime juice, leaving enough to keep fish moist. Salt and pepper to taste.

SERVES: 8

NUTRITION: 221 calories; 9 g fat; 23 g protein; 17 g carbohydrate; 3 g dietary fiber; 14 g net carbs per serving.

INGREDIENTS:

• 6 cups chicken broth
• 1 tsp Sriracha, or to taste
• 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast
• 1 avocado, diced
• 4 scallions
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• Salt and black pepper

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Pour broth into big, heavy saucepan and place over medium-high heat. Stir in Sriracha.
2. While broth heats, dice chicken into bite-size pieces; ditto the avocado. Slice scallions, separating white and crisp green parts.
3. When broth is simmering, stir in chicken and white part of scallions. (Don’t just drop the diced chicken in without stirring! It’ll congeal into a lump in the bottom of the pot. Stir it in.) Crush in garlic. Bring back to a simmer, turn burner to low, and let simmer for 10 minutes.
4. Salt and pepper the soup to taste. Ladle into bowls. Now divide avocado and sliced green scallion shoots among bowls, and serve.

SERVES: 4

NUTRITION: 277 calories; 13 g fat; 34 g protein; 6 g carbohydrate; 2 g dietary fiber; 4 g net carbs per serving.

INGREDIENTS:

• 4 chicken legs (leg and thigh quarters)
• ½ cup almond meal
• 1 tsp curry powder
• 1 tsp cayenne
• 1 tsp dry mustard
• 4 tbsp olive oil

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350ºF.
2. Cut drumsticks from thighs.
3. On a rimmed plate, combine almond meal with seasonings.
4. Rub each piece of chicken with a little olive oil, then roll in seasoned almond meal. Arrange in a roasting pan. Roast for an hour or so, until juices run clear when pierced to the bone, and the coating is crunchy.

SERVES: 5

NUTRITION: 405 calories; 30 g fat; 30 g protein; 4 g carbohydrate; trace dietary fiber; 4 g net carbs per serving.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 ½ lbs pork shoulder, exclusive of bone
• Water
• 1 tsp salt (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Trim any major layers of fat off your pork shoulder, but don’t try to get it too lean; you’ll need the fat later on. Cut your pork into chunks roughly 1 ½ to 2 inches.
2. Put the pork in your big, heavy skillet—you want a single layer, but the pork cubes can be very close together. Cover with water, add the salt, if using, and put over a burner set to medium-high heat. Bring water to a boil, then turn burner down to low—you want to keep the water barely simmering.
3. Now let your pork cubes simmer, about 3-4 hours. (If you happen to be wandering through the kitchen, turn the cubes over once or twice.)
4. Let your pork simmer until the water has completely cooked away. Continue cooking, letting the pork cubes brown in the fat that has collected in the bottom of the skillet. When they’re crisply brown, they’re done.
5. Serve over salad and topped with guacamole (See: Guacamole Recipe).

SERVES: 4

NUTRITION: 301 calories; 23 g fat; 22 g protein; 0 g carbohydrate; 0 g dietary fiber; 0 g net carbs per serving (of carnitas only).

INGREDIENTS:

• ½ cup chopped walnuts
• 4 cups shredded cabbage
• 1 apple
• 3 tbsp walnut oil
• 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• ¼ tsp Dijon mustard
• 2 tbsp mayonnaise (See: Mayonnaise in the Jar Recipe)
• ¼ tsp black pepper
• Salt to taste

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Heat oven to 350ºF. Spread walnuts on a shallow baking tin and place in oven. Set your oven timer for 8 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, shred cabbage. Quarter and core apple, then cut in matchstick strips. Put cabbage and apple in a big mixing bowl.
3. Measure the rest of the ingredients into a bowl and whisk them together.
4. When the timer beeps, taste one walnut bit and see if they’re toasty. If so, add them to the mixing bowl. If not, give them another 2 minutes, then add to the salad.
5. Now pour on the dressing and toss to coat. You can chill this for a few hours, but it’s awfully good freshly made.

SERVES: 6

NUTRITION: 183 calories; 17 g fat; 3 g protein; 8 g carbohydrate; 2 g dietary fiber; 6 g net carbs per serving.

INGREDIENTS:

• 14 fl oz unsweetened coconut milk
• 3 tbsp honey
• ¼ tsp French vanilla liquid stevia, or to taste
• 5 eggs
• ⅛ tsp salt, scant

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Assemble everything in your blender and blend well, then taste. If you think it needs to be sweeter, add a little more liquid stevia.
2. Pour into a greased 1-quart Pyrex casserole. Cover with foil and put it in your slow cooker. Now fill the space around the casserole with water, up to 1 inch from the rim of the casserole. Cover the pot, set to low, and cook for 4 hours.
3. Turn off the slow cooker, remove the lid, and let the water cool till you can remove the casserole without scalding your fingers. Chill overnight before serving.

SERVES: 6

NUTRITION: 216 calories; 17 g fat; 6 g protein; 11 g carbohydrate; trace dietary fiber; 11 g net carbs per serving.

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 egg yolks
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tbsp wine vinegar or another tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 tsp dry mustard
• 2 dashes hot sauce, such as Tabasco
• 1⁄4 tsp salt
• 1 cup olive oil

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Put everything but oil in a clean old jar with a good tight lid (like an old salsa jar). Have oil measured and standing by in measuring cup with pouring lip.
2. Insert stick blender all the way down to the bottom of the jar. Blend egg yolks with the seasonings.
3. Keep blender running. Now slowly start pouring in oil; you want a stream about the diameter of a pencil lead. Work the blender up and down in the jar as you go.
4. When you can’t get any more oil to incorporate, and it’s puddling on the surface, stop. You’re done. Any leftover oil can go back in the bottle. Cap your jar of mayo and stash it in the fridge. (Lasts one week to 10 days.)

SERVES: Makes 1 cup (about 8 servings)

NUTRITION: 255 calories; 28 g fat; 1 g protein; trace carbohydrate; trace dietary fiber; trace net carbs per serving.

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