Having excess fat brings with it a higher risk for health complications and reduced self-esteem. Fighting the battle of the bulge takes hard work, and mental and physical discipline. Both diet and exercise play a significant role in burning fat on your body. When you first make changes, you may feel overwhelmed. The important thing is that you continually make progress every day, not matter how small. As the weeks go by, you will get into a rhythm and it will become easier.
Eating Less Calories
Fat is gained when you consume a surplus of calories that your body does not need for daily functioning. Fat is lost when you deprive yourself of calories to create a deficit. A good rule of thumb is to make a 500- to 1,000-calorie daily reduction from your current intake. One lb. is equivalent to 3,500 calories, so this will promote about 1 to 2 lbs. of weight loss every week.
Healthy Food Selection
Foods that are high in saturated fat, simple sugars and sodium do not fit well into a diet for fat loss. You are better served choosing foods that have a high nutrient value. Low energy density foods, like fruits, vegetables and whole grains, are high in nutrients, and they also have a high fiber content. This fills your stomach up and gives you lasting fullness once you are done eating. Include other healthy options in your diet like lean beef, poultry, beans, low-fat dairy and fish.
Five or Six Meals a Day
Eating two or three meals spaced many hours apart is not the best way to lose fat. This can leave you feeling ravenous in the middle of the afternoon and cause you to reach for a pack of cupcakes to quickly satisfy your hunger. A more effective strategy is to voluntarily eat fix or six meals through the course of the day. The key point is to keep them small and space them about two to three hours apart. Eating multiple meals will keep your hunger under control and give you a steady amount of energy.
Cutting Back on Liquid Calories
All calories register to the body, regardless if they are in the form of liquids or solid food. This means regular consumption of beer, wine, soda, fruit punch and mocha lattes with whipped cream will have a negative impact on your weight loss. Choose water as your main beverage to promote faster results. Water is calorie-free, it flushes toxins from your system and it also has a filling effect when you consume it with your meals.
Interval Training
Interval training is an exercise method that involves alternating your intensity back and forth from a fast to slow pace. Take running for example. Instead of moving at a steady pace, run fast for 30 seconds, jog lightly for 60 seconds, and continue to alternate throughout your session. This type of training has a greater fat-burning effect than steady-pace cardio. If you do not like running, choose a form of cardio that you do like. Being that interval training is intense, you do not have to exercise for a long time frame. Three, 30-minute interval sessions a week on nonconsecutive days is efficient.
Added Muscle
Building muscle helps raise your resting metabolic rate. This causes your body to burn more fat around the clock. The best way to do this is with a full-body workout that targets all of your major muscle groups. Include exercises like chest presses, shoulder presses, back rows, triceps dips, curls and lunges. Aim for 10 to 12 reps, do three to five sets and work out on three noncardio days a week. To keep your heart rate elevated and promote a higher caloric expenditure, take short rest breaks in between sets.
References
- Mayo Clinic: Energy Density and Weight Loss: Feel Full on Fewer Calories; Mayo Clinic staff; January 2011
- CNN Health: Slow and Steady Wins Weight-Loss Race; Jean Weinberg; January 2005
- The Diet Channel; Top 4 Benefits of Drinking Water; Michele Silence, M.A.; October 2006
- "The New York Times"; A Healthy Mix of Rest and Motion; May 2007
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