By losing excess fat and increasing your metabolism, you can stimulate weight loss. Losing fat requires a reduction in your overall calorie intake and an increase in the amount of calories you burn. Healthy weight loss generally occurs at a rate of 1 lb. to 2 lbs. per week, and you can only make slight changes to your metabolism.
Increase Your Muscle Mass
By engaging in strength training and increasing muscle mass, you can lose excess fat and increase your metabolism. Muscles burn more calories than fat. As your muscle mass increases, so does your metabolism. This increase in calorie burning muscle mass helps you lose fat. To build muscles, engage in strength training at least three times a week for 20 minutes each session. Gradually increase the amount of weight you lift. This allows you to increase your muscle mass without risking injury.
Eat More Fiber
Including more fiber in your diet can help you shed extra fat. Fiber-rich foods are often lower in calories, yet because of their fiber content they are filling and slowly digested by your body. Eating between 25g and 35g fiber every day can help you eat less overall, cutting your calories. The reduction in calories helps you lose the extra fat stored in your body. High-fiber foods to add to your diet include beans, lentils, fruits, vegetables and whole grains.
Eat Regularly
Too much food can cause an increase in fat, but eating more often doesn't have to add pounds to your waistline -- and it may help you to shed fat and increase metabolism. Spread your daily food intake over five small meals or snacks rather than three larger meals. Eat a meal or a snack every two to three hours. Regularly eating, in this way, keeps your digestive system working, which helps keep your metabolism elevated. Also, by eating healthy foods throughout the day you can avoid giving into tempting high-calorie snacks or binge eating at the next meal.
Do Aerobic Exercises
Regular aerobic activity increases the amount of calories your body burns while you work out, and it can help you shed extra fat. Get at least 30 minutes of physical activity for five days out of each week. By increasing the intensity of the exercise and adding more exercise time to your routine, you can shed progressively more excess weight.
Get Sleep and Decrease Stress
Lack of sleep and stress can cause you to eat more overall and crave high-fat, high-calorie foods. Lack of sleep causes your appetite-stimulating hormone, ghrelin, to rise and leptin, the hormone that tells you when you are full, to decrease, according to Good Housekeeping. Stress increases your level of cortisol, which causes you to crave high-fat foods. To reduce your fat, get eight hours of sleep every night and reduce your stress level. Either remove highly stressful people and situations from your life or practice stress-relieving techniques such as medication and yoga.
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