Whether you’re looking to improve your overall health or simply slim down for summer, burning off excess fat can be quite challenging.
In addition to diet and exercise, numerous other factors can influence weight and fat loss.
Luckily, there are plenty of simple steps you can take to increase fat burning, quickly and easily.
Here are 10 of the best ways to burn fat quickly and promote weight loss:
1. Start Strength Training
Strength training is a type of exercise that requires you to contract your muscles against resistance. It builds muscle mass and increases strength.
Most commonly, strength training involves lifting weights to gain muscle over time. strength training to have multiple health benefits, especially when it comes to burning fat.
Strength training reduced visceral fat in 78 people with metabolic syndrome. Visceral fat is a type of dangerous fat that surrounds the organs in the belly.
12 weeks of strength training paired with aerobic exercise was more effective at reducing body fat and belly fat than aerobic exercise alone.
Resistance training may also help preserve fat-free mass, which can increase the number of calories your body burns at rest.
10 weeks of resistance training could help increase calories burned at rest by 7% and may reduce fat weight by 4 pounds (1.8 kg).
Doing body-weight exercises, lifting weights or using gym equipment are a few easy ways to get started with strength training.
Summary
Strength training has been shown to increase resting energy expenditure and reduce belly fat, especially when combined with aerobic exercise.
2. Follow a High-Protein Diet
Including more protein-rich foods in your diet is an effective way to reduce your appetite and burn more fat.
In fact, multiple studies have found that eating more high-quality protein is associated with a lower risk of belly fat.
A high-protein diet can help preserve muscle mass and metabolism during weight loss.
Upping your protein intake may also increase feelings of fullness, decrease appetite and reduce calorie intake to aid in
weight loss.
Try incorporating a few servings of high-protein foods into your diet each day to help amp up fat burning.
Some examples of protein-rich foods include meat, seafood, eggs, legumes and dairy products.
Summary
Eating more protein may be associated with a lower risk of belly fat. Increasing your protein intake can decrease appetite, lower calorie intake and preserve muscle mass.
3. Squeeze in More Sleep
Going to bed a bit earlier or setting your alarm clock a little later can help boost fat burning and prevent weight gain.
Better sleep quality and getting at least seven hours of sleep per night increased the likelihood of successful weight loss by 33% in 245 women enrolled in a six-month weight loss program.
A lack of sleep may contribute to alterations in hunger hormones, increased appetite and a higher risk of obesity.
Although everyone needs a different amount of sleep, most studies have found that getting at least seven hours of sleep per night is associated with the most benefits when it comes to body weight.
Stick to a regular sleep schedule, limit your intake of caffeine and minimize your use of electronic devices before bed to help support a healthy sleep cycle.
Summary
Getting enough sleep may be associated with decreased appetite and hunger, as well as a lower risk of weight gain.
4. Eat More Healthy Fats
Although it may seem counterintuitive, increasing your intake of healthy fats may actually help prevent weight gain and help you maintain feelings of fullness.
Fat takes a while to digest and can help slow the emptying of the stomach, which can reduce appetite and hunger.
Following a Mediterranean diet rich in healthy fats from olive oil and nuts was associated with a lower risk of weight gain compared to a low-fat diet.
when people on a weight loss diet took two tablespoons (30 ml) of coconut oil daily, they lost more belly fat than those who were given soybean oil.
Meanwhile, unhealthy types of fat like trans fats have been shown to increase body fat, waist circumference and belly fat in human and animal studies.
Olive oil, coconut oil, avocados, nuts and seeds are just a few examples of healthy types of fat that may have beneficial effects on fat burning.
However, keep in mind that healthy fat is still high in calories, so moderate how much you consume. Instead of eating more fat overall, try swapping the unhealthy fats in your diet for these healthy fat varieties.
Summary
Fat is digested slowly, so eating it can help reduce appetite. A higher intake of healthy fats is associated with a lower risk of weight gain and decreased belly fat.
5. Fill up on Fiber
Soluble fiber absorbs water and moves through the digestive tract slowly, helping you feel fuller for longer.
According to some studies, increasing your intake of high-fiber foods may protect against weight gain and fat accumulation.
Increasing fiber intake promoted feelings of fullness and decreased hunger. In fact, an increase of 14 grams of fiber per day was associated with a 10% decrease in calorie intake.
Not only that, but it was also linked to nearly 4.4 pounds (2 kg) of weight loss over a four-month period.
Fruits, vegetables, legumes, whole grains, nuts and seeds are a few examples of high-fiber foods that can boost fat burning and weight loss.
Summary
A higher intake of fiber may be associated with fat loss, decreased calorie intake and greater weight loss.
6. Increase Your Cardio
Cardio, also known as aerobic exercise, is one of the most common forms of exercise and is defined as any type of exercise that specifically trains the heart and lungs.
Adding cardio to your routine may be one of the most effective ways to enhance fat burning.
For example, one review of 16 studies found that the more aerobic exercise people got, the more belly fat they lost.
Running, walking, cycling and swimming are just a few examples of some cardio exercises that can help burn fat and kick-start weight loss.
Summary
Cardio may also help reduce waist circumference, lower body fat and increase muscle mass.
7. Drink Coffee
Caffeine is a primary ingredient in just about every fat-burning supplement, and for good reason.
The caffeine found in coffee acts as a central nervous system stimulant, increases metabolism and boosts the breakdown of fatty acids.
Caffeine intake can temporarily increase energy expenditure and enhance metabolism by 3–11%.
Higher caffeine intake was linked to a higher rate of success with weight loss maintenance among 2,623 people.
To maximize the health benefits of coffee, skip the cream and sugar. Instead, enjoy it black or with a small amount of milk to prevent the extra calories from stacking up.
Summary
Coffee contains caffeine, which can increase the breakdown of fat and raise metabolism. higher caffeine intake may be associated with greater weight loss.
8. Try High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT)
High-intensity interval training, also known as HIIT, is a form of exercise that pairs quick bursts of activity with short recovery periods to keep your heart rate elevated.
HIIT can be incredibly effective at ramping up fat burning and promoting weight loss.
A young men performing HIIT for 20 minutes three times weekly lost an average of 4.4 pounds (2 kg) of body fat over a 12-week period, even with no other changes to their diet or lifestyle.
They also experienced a 17% reduction in belly fat as well as a significant decrease in waist circumference.
HIIT may also help you burn more calories in a shorter amount of time than other forms of cardio.
Performing HIIT helped people burn up to 30% more calories than other types of exercise, such as cycling or jogging, in the same amount of time.
For an easy way to get started with HIIT, try alternating between walking and jogging or sprinting for 30 seconds at a time.
You can also cycle between exercises like burpees, push-ups or squats with a short rest period in between.
Summary
HIIT can help increase fat burning and burn more calories in a shorter amount of time than other forms of exercise.
9. Increase Your Iron Intake
Iron is an important mineral that has many vital functions in the body. As with other nutrients such as iodine, a deficiency in iron may impact the health of your thyroid gland. This small gland in your neck secretes hormones that regulate your metabolism.
Low levels of iron in the body may be associated with impaired thyroid function and a disruption in the production of thyroid hormones.
Common symptoms of hypothyroidism, or decreased thyroid function, include weakness, fatigue, shortness of breath and weight gain.
Similarly, a deficiency in iron can cause symptoms like fatigue, dizziness, headaches and shortness of breath.
Treating iron deficiency can allow your metabolism to work more efficiently and can fight off fatigue to help increase your activity level.
Unfortunately, many people don’t get enough iron in their diets. Women, infants, children, vegans and vegetarians are all at a higher risk of iron deficiency.
Be sure to incorporate plenty of iron-rich foods in your diet to help meet your iron needs and maintain your metabolism and energy levels.
You can find iron in meat, poultry, seafood, fortified grains and cereals, leafy green vegetables, dried fruits and beans.
Summary
A deficiency in iron may be associated with impaired thyroid function and can cause symptoms like fatigue and shortness of breath.
Treating iron deficiency aided in weight loss.
10. Give Intermittent Fasting a Shot
Intermittent fasting is a diet pattern that involves cycling between periods of eating and fasting.
Intermittent fasting may help enhance both weight loss
and fat loss.
One review looked at the effects of intermittent fasting, including alternate-day fasting — a method that involves alternating between days of fasting and eating normally.
They found that alternate-day fasting over a period of 3–12 weeks reduced body weight by up to 7% and decreased body fat by up to 12 pounds (5.5 kg).
Eating only during an eight-hour window each day helped decrease fat mass and maintain muscle mass when combined with resistance training.
There are several different types of intermittent fasting, including some where you eat only on certain days of the week and others where eating is restricted to specific hours of the day.
Popular types of intermittent fasting include Eat Stop Eat, the Warrior Diet, the 16/8 method and the 5:2 diet.
Find a variation that fits in with your schedule and lifestyle and don’t be afraid to experiment to find what works best for you.
Summary
Intermittent fasting has been shown to reduce body weight and body fat and may help preserve muscle mass when combined with resistance training.
Credit Source: www.healthline.com