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Utilizing the following four tips can help you maximize your weight loss and reduce body fat.
The four primary ways in which you can burn your body fat include:
- Nutrition
- Exercise
- Stress management
- Getting good sleep
Nutrition
- Follow a high protein diet
- Eating more protein-rich foods makes you feel full for long, may help reduce your appetite and help you burn fat. Studies suggest that eating more protein is associated with lower chances of accumulation of excess fat in the body and obesity.
- Aim to eat a few servings of protein-rich foods, such as meat, seafood, eggs, legumes, and soy and dairy products (milk and yogurt).
- If you suffer from kidney problems, a high-protein diet may not be for you. Consult your doctor before starting on such a diet.
- Make room for fiber
- The fiber content of food absorbs water and moves through your digestive tract slowly. This makes you feel full for longer, and you end up consuming less food.
- Aim to eat at least 25 grams of fiber by consuming fresh fruits, vegetables, and legumes. It may boost fat loss and ultimately, weight loss.
- Include healthy fats in your diet
- Though eating more fatty foods contributes to fat gain, do not give up on fat completely. Fat is a macronutrient, so consume fats for your body. However, choose low-fat products instead of high-fat items (low-fat skimmed milk instead of high-fat milk).
- Include healthy sources of fat, such as nuts, nut butter, fish, eggs, avocado, olive oil, canola oil, and trans-fat-free margarine for baking.
- Eat plenty of vegetables and fruits
- It is a good strategy to replace processed, packaged food with fruits and vegetables.
- Most fruits and vegetables are naturally low in fat and calories and are filling.
- You can lower your calorie intake by substituting high-calorie foods with fruits and vegetables. Additionally, fruits and vegetables are rich in antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals that help boost your metabolism and thus weight loss.
- Intermittent fasting technique
- Intermittent fasting is a dietary strategy in which you have periods of eating and fasting spread throughout the day or week. The most popular methods include the 16/8 method and the 5:2 method.
- The 16/8 method involves fasting or restricting your calorie intake to 16 hours per day and eating normally for the rest of 8 hours.
- The 5:2 method allows you to have only 500 to 600 calories on any 2 days per week and eat normally for the rest five days of the week.
- Intermittent fasting can lead to weight loss. However, do not compensate by eating too much food during eating periods when you are allowed to eat normally.
- Consult your doctor before you start intermittent fasting especially if you have any underlying health conditions.
- Intermittent fasting is a dietary strategy in which you have periods of eating and fasting spread throughout the day or week. The most popular methods include the 16/8 method and the 5:2 method.
- Ditch the sugary drinks
- Sugary drinks, such as soft drinks or sodas and sweetened fruit juices, can promote the accumulation of fat in the body, especially in the abdominal area. It is better to let them go or have them occasionally.
- Drink coffee
- Coffee is a stimulant that keeps you alert and energized during the day and has a positive effect on your waistline. A zero-calorie drink, black coffee promotes fat loss from the body by boosting your metabolism, increasing the oxidation of fatty cells, and increasing your exercise performance.
- Remember not to load it up with sugar if you want the fat loss benefit. Limit your caffeine intake so that it does not perturb your sleep. Pregnant women are particularly advised to limit their caffeine intake to 200 mg a day (about one to two cups of coffee).
Exercise
The American Heart Association recommends at least 30 minutes of moderate physical activities five days a week or 150 minutes of physical activities spread over a week. Try including high-intensity exercises, also called high-intensity interval training (HIIT), along with moderate ones in between. HIIT is an effective form of exercise to lose one to two pounds per week.
Any aerobic activities, such as brisk walking, jogging, cycling, swimming, or Zumba dancing, can help you lose weight. You can consider performing weight-bearing exercises and muscle-strengthening exercises. These exercises help increase your muscle mass and enhance your metabolism and fat loss.
- Aerobic exercises
- These exercises help you lose overall fat. Examples include brisk walking, running, swimming, and jumping rope. To reap the maximum benefits, perform these exercises with greater intensity and for a longer time.
- High-intensity interval training (HIIT)
- HIIT involves performing short bursts of high-intense activities followed by a short resting period or periods of activities with low intensities. For example, you can do mountain climbers for one minute followed by a minute of brisk walking in place. This kind of exercise strategy helps you lose subcutaneous fat in a short time.
- Strength training
- Exercises that improve muscle strength and muscle mass do not directly contribute to weight loss or fat loss. A more muscle mass means that you burn more calories even when you are resting.
Stress management
Sometimes, you may follow the right diet and right exercises to lose weight, and you may still not get the desired fat loss effect. This may be because of the stress.
- Chronic stress stimulates the release of the hormone, cortisol, which can hamper your plan of losing fat.
- Managing stress can help you lose the stubborn fat that you have been trying to lose for a long.
Sleep
Getting seven to nine hours of sleep each day is a simple way to lose fat. This is already proven by multiple studies.
A study published in the journal, Sleep Medicine, found that sleeping fewer than six hours per night was associated with a higher risk of obesity among young women.
Getting inadequate hours of sleep may result in problems with the release of hunger hormones, an increased appetite, and greater odds of developing obesity.