10 Easy Ways to Burn More Fat
10 Easy Ways to Burn More Fat
We are very adaptive creatures and if you have noticed that your mid 30 spread has turned into your mid 40 spread then don’t panic. Read on for 10 easy ways to burn more fat, time is on your side and with these simple changes your body can adapt to a healthier and fitter you.
Don’t Step On The Sad Step
If you are burning fat the likelihood is that your gaining muscle, muscle is heavier than fat. In which case stay off the sad step or the weighing scales as others like to call it.
You could be eating right, training well, lost 3lbs of fat, gained 3lbs of muscle and you look fantastic. But what will the scales say? You have stayed the same? This is not true. Your weight is not a reflection of your progress. Use the mirror, assess how you feel and keep an eye on how clothes fit for signs of your mind and body changing for the better.
Curb Your Calories Slowly
Burning fat is not all about stopping your calorie intake overnight. You must curb your calorie intake gradually to stop your body moving into starvation mode and storing fat as a protective measure. Make smaller calorie reductions to your intake over the next 2 to 4 weeks and get your body used to fuelling itself on smaller portions and burning fat as a top up.
Outsmart Your Body
To vary your calorie intake from day to day is a good way of keeping your body guessing in regards to burning fat for energy. If you maintain the same calorie intake for long periods your body will adapt to this intake and continue in this steady state. However, varying higher calorie intake on some days with lower calorie intake on others will constantly kick start your metabolism into burning fat.
Free Yourself with Free Weights
By using free weights during your exercise you are increasing your resistance training. Resistance training increases the calories burnt during the workout and also keeps your metabolism high for hours after. Furthermore training with weights encourages your body to target body fat as a way of fuelling your workout rather than using up muscle tissue during weight loss.
HIIT Those Fat Stores
HIIT, or high intensity interval training is a form of exercise where you work out for short intense periods of time. The short high intensity exercise will target your fat stores immediately to use as fuel and increase your heart rate to get you through the workout. Therefore your metabolism will be sky high and remain working at this rate for hours later. The beauty of HIIT is although its high intensity training, because its short bursts of exercise with short rest periods you can do this in 15 to 20 minutes.
Eat Fat
I know, I know, this does sound counterproductive. However, by eating ‘good or healthy’ fats your body is better prepared for fat loss, muscle production and quicker recovery from exercise. ‘Good’ fats include increasing your intake of polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats which are easily accessible from fish, nuts, eggs olive oil and good quality peanut butter.
Curb Your Carbs
There are many fad diets that cut carbohydrates out completely, but where carbs are sugar you need elements of this to fuel your body, give you energy for workouts and restore your body.
However, of course curbing your intake of carbohydrates will support your fat loss goals. If you are eating carbs try eating them when your metabolism is high during the morning and at lunch, or immediately after exercise. Evening carbohydrates are a lot more difficult to shift because you are less mobile or sleeping.
Praise the Protein
To keep your metabolism high and your ability to burn fat up you need to increase your protein intake. Maintaining your muscle mass will be essential for fat burning and a higher protein intake will support this process, especially if you’re exercising more. Believe it or not your body actually burns more fat digesting protein than it does with other fats and carbs, sign me up!!
More Meals Not Less Meals
It is tempting to eat less thinking that your body will respond positively. However, when burning fat try to aim for smaller meals more often throughout the day. 5 to 6 smaller meals every day will increase your resting metabolic rate and stop your body from ’starving’ where it automatically stores fat to protect itself and burns muscle, not good! By eating smaller healthier meals full of protein and good fats more often you are fuelling your body to burn fat throughout the day.
Drink Water
You can increase your fat burning metabolism by drinking plenty of water. Being hydrated and staying this way is key to burning fat and fuelling your bodily functions, especially if your exercising more. Furthermore if you increase your intake of cold water, your body can even burn fat to heat the water to body temperature so it can be of use around your body.
Also if you don’t drink enough water your kidney function starts to slow, this slack is picked up by your liver. One function of your liver is to help your body burn stored fat for energy and if it’s picking up your kidney’s jobs as well then this reduces its fat burning performance.
Louise and Richard Thomas founders of Fresh Start
At our Fresh Start boot camp we are constantly evolving the way we work with our guests. We encourage different ways to burn fat with individuals and aim to change and develop different lifestyle choices. You will get plenty of opportunities to discuss and carry out fat burning methods when you attend our Boot-camp holiday in Chiang Mai, Thailand.
