Losing weight requires you to burn more calories than you need daily. When this occurs, your body is forced to tap into stored fat, which results in weight loss. If you want to speed up fat burning, you need to cut back on calories and select exercises to shed more calories per workout session. This will help you accomplish your weight-loss goals faster.
Calculating Fat Burning
MedlinePlus advises that losing 2 lb. per week is a healthy goal. If you want to lose this amount of fat, you need to burn 7,000 calories each week. This breaks down to about 1,000 calories daily. Meet this requirement by combining vigorous physical activity with a diet that promotes weight loss. For example, decrease calories by 500 and aim to burn 500 calories through exercise daily.
Exercise to Burn Fat
Increase fat burning by selecting exercises that burn large amounts of calories during each session. For example, instead of low-impact aerobics that burn 365 calories an hour, select high-impact aerobics that shred 511 calories for a 160-lb. person. Walking at 3.5 mph burns 277 calories 1 hour; however, jogging burns 584 calories in the same amount of time, according to Mayo Clinic.com
Aim to complete at least 2.5 hours of physical activity each week, recommends the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Weight-Loss Promoting Foods
Cut calories by selecting foods that are low in calories and high in volume. Fruits, vegetables and whole-grain carbohydrates are good choices. These foods are high in fiber and take longer to digest, allowing you to feel more satisfied. Lean sources of protein and low-fat dairy are other options.
There are a few foods that appear to promote quicker fat loss, too. For example, almonds are rich in magnesium, which stabilizes blood sugar levels and promotes weight-loss, according to "Fitness" magazine. Soy is another option, which appears to cause quicker weight loss in people, compared to traditional dairy products. Also, consider eating salmon. This food is rich in omega-3 fatty acids that boost your metabolism and promote quicker fat burning.
Maximizing Workouts
What you eat before starting your workout matters. Exercising on an empty stomach makes you sluggish, resulting in a less effective workout. An hour before working out, eat a nutritional meal, such as whole-grain cereal and low-fat milk. Within 2 hours post-workout, eat a snack to aid in muscle recovery. Select a snack that contains both carbohydrate and protein, such as nuts and dried fruit.
References
- Mayo Clinic.com: Exercise for Weight Loss
- MedlinePlus.com: Weight Loss Tips
- Mayo Clinic.com: Eating and Exercise: 5 Tips to Maximize your Workouts
- Mayo Clinic.com: Energy Density and Weight Loss: Feel Full on Fewer Calories
- "Fitness" Magazine: The 10 Best Foods for Flat Abs
- CDC Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: How Much Exercise do I Need?
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