I’m a fitness coach — here’s how to drop a pants size by Halloween

If you missed your shot at a summer bod, do not despair, one fitness influencer promises you can still get fit by fall.

Jenna Rizzo, a Georgia-based women’s weight loss coach, is sharing her three essential tips for dropping a pants size by Halloween.

“I know how frustrating and confusing all the different weight loss information is on the internet,” she said in a TikTok last week. “Allow me to simplify it for you — here are the three things you need to focus on. You can forget about everything else.”

She promises, “Do those things for the next three months, and sorry, not sorry, you’re going to have to buy new clothes for fall.”

1. Start strength training

Rizzo’s No. 1 recommendation for weight loss is to start strength training.

She explains, “You do not need to waste your precious time doing hours of cardio in the gym. When you strength train, you can focus on specific muscles that you can tone and create shape.”

Rizzo revealed photos of her body when she followed an all-cardio regimen versus her toned physique now. “The only cardio I do is just walking my dogs throughout the day,” she declared.

Rizzo’s argument is supported by science. Researchers at Stanford University recently found that participants who did strength training lost more fat and had better blood sugar maintenance than those who did cardio or a combination of strength and cardio.

While strength training might not immediately burn as many calories as a cardio workout, it builds muscle tissue — which requires more energy and calories over time to maintain.

2. Track your calories and protein intake

Experts agree that weight loss happens when the body is in a calorie deficit, meaning you’re expending more calories than you’re consuming.

Rizzo emphasizes the importance of staying in that deficit and supporting healthy weight loss with adequate protein: “You have to be in a calorie deficit to lose weight, and you have to be eating enough protein to make sure that weight you’re losing is fat and not muscle.”

She argues that proper protein intake is the best defense against “getting skinny fat” — that is, a person who appears to be in great shape but whose overall health tells a different story.

Rizzo swears by the MyFitnessPal app for tracking calories.

3. Devise a bedtime routine and stick to it

When it comes to getting lean, Rizzo stresses that counting zzzs is just as important as counting calories. “Sleep is so crucial to weight loss, and most people do not get enough,” she said.

She urges adopting a strict shut-eye schedule: “You are going to go to bed on time every night. We’re stopping this doom scrolling on TikTok every night until 2 a.m. You’re going to create a nice bedtime ritual, you’re gonna follow it, and you’re gonna get at least seven hours of sleep every single night.”

Rizzo’s sleep suggestion aligns with research that shows sleep is as critical to weight loss as dieting.

According to one such sleep study, people who snoozed less than seven hours a night were found to have the most chaotic eating patterns, were more prone to diet lapses, and were more likely to exceed their weekly alcohol consumption limits than those who hit the hay for at least seven hours.