How to Burn Fat Efficiently
Most people think that if you lose weight then you are losing fat. But in actual fact, this may not be accurate. Naturally there will be some fat loss when the numbers on those scales go down, however this can also represent a loss of fluids and muscle mass.
Burning fat efficiently is not only the best way for you to achieve your desired figure but it also reduces the risks involved in you developing long term chronic disease.
Here are SIX of the top ways you can burn more fat efficiently...
1) Eat more fats
In order to burn fat, you have to eat fat. Wait, what? How does that work?
The body requires energy to keep its metabolism functioning properly. This energy is sourced from the nutrients we eat, namely carbohydrates, protein and fat. Fat packs in twice as much energy as the other two, so if you don’t have fat in your diet, you won’t have enough fuel to burn those calories. Also, in order to burn “old” fat from those stubborn places such as your buttocks, thighs and stomach, “new” fat is required as part of the process.
Here is another reason to have fat in your diet: Fat isn’t easy to digest, therefore it sticks around and keeps you feeling fuller for longer, which means it reduces those urges to raid the fridge.
Fat also assists in a process to increase muscle size, which as you read on you will understand that this assists in fat burning too.
Now this doesn’t mean running off to your local burger or pizza joint! The fat I am referring to is your good, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats not your bad and ugly saturated and trans fats. You can get your fat burning fats from olive oil, avocado, almonds, walnuts, flaxseeds and salmon, just to name a few.
2) Lift weights
A common misconception is that bodybuilders are the only people who should strive to gain muscle mass. However, increasing muscle mass can benefit everyone’s health and appearance.
When talking about metabolism, muscle mass is the “engine” of the calorie-burning machine. Strength training increases your muscle mass, which results in a more efficient engine, which leads to burning more calories and thus leads to weight loss. The more muscle you have, the easier it is to maintain your weight and as a bonus, the more calories you burn whilst at rest.
3) Say no to sugar
Eating sugar is like flipping on a switch to tell your body to store fat. And sugar is everywhere, not just in lollies, sodas and desserts but it’s also hidden in refined carbohydrates like breads, pasta, rice and even milk. Your body will quickly digest and absorb these sugars as glucose. However, when we have eaten too many of these ‘sugar laden’ foods our body has too much glucose circulating and therefore it gets stored as fat to be used as energy at another time. So, the more sugar you consume at the one time, the greater the rise in blood glucose, and consequently insulin, so the longer you stay in fat storage mode.
4) Do HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training)
This type of training is extremely efficient, especially when you are time poor. It involves alternating between short bursts of intense exercise and fixed periods of less intense exercise or even complete rest (eg; cycles of sprinting for 30 sec and then walking for 60 sec). You can get an unbelievable workout done in 8-10 minutes.
This form of intense exercise not only burns more calories during the session than a standard workout, but it also kicks your metabolism into overdrive. This kick-start allows your body to continue to burn fat and calories for 24 hours after you have completed the exercise.
5) Sleep more / balance hormones
Not having enough sleep can disrupt our metabolism and hormone balance, resulting in weight gain. This is caused by our night hormones, Ghrelin and Leptin, and when these are out of balance our body has a difficult time in sending us the correct messages of when to stop eating, therefore resulting in weight gain.
Sleep deprivation can actually turn into a viscous cycle because when you are low on energy, you will naturally go for your comfort foods, but you then won’t have energy to exercise, resulting in a larger waist line and further sleep loss.
Most people need between 7 and 9 hours sleep per night in order for their metabolism to work efficiently.
6) Manage Stress
Stress triggers our brain-to-body connection which activates a series of hormones whenever we feel threatened. It causes your brain to release adrenaline, which taps into your stored energy so that you can either fight or flee. At the same time you get a surge of cortisol which tells your body to replenish that energy even though you haven’t used very many calories. This can make you hungry, very hungry. Your body will keep on pumping out this cortisol as long as the stress continues and this can result in over eating. You may also find it more difficult to keep to healthy eating habits or exercise routines.
Managing your stress is so important for you to be able to take control of your life, stick to a healthy eating plan and continue with your exercise routine.
So, in summary if you combine eating well, exercising efficiently and looking after yourself, your body will thank you for it and do what ultimately is your goal: BURN FAT
