The quickest way to lose body fat in any part of your body requires you to have a caloric deficit, which means that you must expend more calories than you burn. Although many fad diets and fad exercise gadgets promise you quick weight loss, there is no substitute for regular exercise and a healthy diet to lose fat weight permanently.
Fat Metabolism
During exercise, stored triglycerides are broken down into fatty acid chains and glycerol, which are their basic components. They are released into the bloodstream and muscle cells, where the fatty acids are transported into the cells' mitochondria and broken down by a complex series of chemical reactions to produce energy, carbon dioxide and water. Combined with oxygen, your body breaks the carbon and hydrogen bonds of fatty acid chains. Glycerol is transported to your liver for storage and to make other compounds, such as cholesterol. Fat metabolism continues as long as oxygen and glucose are present in your cells.
Misconceptions
Many people believe that exercising the stomach region can reduce body fat from that area only. However, the fat-burning process occurs throughout your entire body, not just from one body part. Performing many reps of abdominal exercises, such as crunches and sit-ups, will not reduce your stomach fat. It will increase the size of your muscles which will increase your waistline. Fat loss occurs only when you expend more calories than you consume.
High-Intensity Training
Although steady-pace aerobic exercise, such as running or cycling, burns a higher percentage of fat calories during exercise, your body burns more net calories by doing high-intensity exercises that do not require oxygen, such as strength training or sprinting, according to Coach Robert dos Remedios, author of "Cardio Strength Training." For example, if you weigh 150 lbs., you can burn about 140 calories in 30 minutes from jogging at 4 mph and 420 calories from 30 minutes of sprinting and strength training. Forty percent of your caloric expenditure from jogging comes from fat, which equates to 52 calories. From strength training and sprinting, 25 percent of your caloric expenditure comes from fat, which equates to 107 calories.
From this example, high-intensity exercise burns more than twice the amount of fat as low-intensity exercise within the same amount of time. You would need to jog at least 90 minutes to burn about 400 calories. Strength training also increase muscle mass and density, which increases your fat-burning potential.
Interval Training
Remedios recommends you use the interval training method to burn the most calories in the least amount of time. It also helps you increase stamina, muscular endurance, strength and speed at the same time. Interval training is when you perform one bout of high-intensity exercise for a short period of time followed by a short period of rest. You can use a variety of exercise equipment and methods to train, such as kettlebells, suspension cables, pull-up bars, medicine balls, jump ropes and your own body weight. For example, do 20 seconds of push-ups and rest for 20 seconds. Then do 20 seconds of medicine ball throws and rest again. Repeat this pattern until you have completed one full circuit.
Expert Insight
Coleman recommends that you eat a small meal within 30 minutes after your workout to prevent muscle loss. The meal should consist of lean protein and carbohydrates. This minimizes the amount of protein your body converts to glucose for energy. Eat five to six small meals instead of two or three large meals a day to sustain your metabolism.
References
- "Cardio Strength Training"; Robert dos Remedios; 2009
- "Ultimate Sports Nutrition"; Ellen Coleman; 2004
- "IDEA Fitness Journal"; Creative Total-Body Exercises; Rodney Corn; 2010
- MayoClinic.com: Weight Loss
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