40 simplistic ways to Burn Fat. by Sonia K. Alfred.

40 simplistic ways to Burn Fat.    

 by 

Sonia K. Alfred.

The ultimate ways of improving your metabolic rate and burning fat fast.

The human body is a remarkably adaptable machine. Even if years of neglect have allowed the accumulation of fat in your body, you can rid yourself of it at a much faster rate than you brought it on board.

Here are 40 proven ways:

1. DO NOT DIET: This is important, because restricting food will kill your metabolism. It sends a signal to your body that says, "Hey! I'm starving!" And your body responds by slowing your metabolic rate to hold on to existing energy stores. What's worse, if the food shortage continues, you'll begin burning muscle tissue, which just gives your enemy, visceral fat, a greater advantage. Your metabolism slows further, and fat goes on to claim even more territory.

2. Vary Your Calorie Intake: This is a way to outsmart your body and lose body fat without lowering your metabolism. By varying your calorie intake every few days instead of eating the exact same amount of calories every day, keep the starvation mechanism in check and continue to burn fat. Says  Jim Stoppani, Ph.D:

"Although in today's society food tends to be accessible and abundant, our bodies are designed to store as much energy as possible to prepare for times of scarcity. One way the body does this is by adjusting its metabolic rate based on calorie intake.

If you stick with the same calories every single day while dieting, your body will adjust by lowering metabolic rate to prevent you from burning off too much body fat. It's all about hormones.

When leptin levels are high, your metabolic rate stays high; when leptin levels drop, so does your metabolic rate.

When calories are low and steady, leptin levels fall so does metabolic rate. Eating higher calories on some days and lower calories on others helps to keep leptin levels up."

3. Increase Your Protein: Increasing protein intake will increase your metabolism and help to maintain your muscle mass, all of which helps with fat-burning. In fact, your body burns more calories when you eat protein than when you digest either fats or carbs. This may explain why the fat-burning effects of eating more protein were confirmed in a study published in the American Journal of Physiology. One group was fed a high-protein diet (just over 1 gram per pound of body weight per day) while the second group consumed an amount closer to the lower recommendation of the RDA (recommended dietary allowance). The group eating the higher-protein diet burned the most fat.

4. GO ORGANIC WHEN YOU CAN: Canadian researchers report that dieters with the most organochlorines (pollutants from pesticides, which are stored in fat cells) experience a greater-than-normal dip in metabolism as they lose weight, perhaps because the toxins interfere with the energy-burning process. In other words, pesticides make it harder to lose pounds. Of course, it's not always easy to find or afford organic produce. But in general, conventionally grown items that you peel—avocado, grapefruit, bananas—are fine. But choose organic when buying celery, peaches, strawberries, apples, blueberries, nectarines, sweet bell peppers, spinach, kale and collard greens, cherries, potatoes, and imported grapes; they tend to have the highest levels of pesticides.
   
   

5. DRINK COFFEE OR TEA: Caffeine is a central nervous system stimulant, so your daily java jolts can rev your metabolism by 5 to 8 percent—burning about 98 to 174 calories a day. A cup of brewed tea can raise your metabolism by 12 percent, according to one Japanese study. Researchers believe antioxidants called catechins in tea provide the boost.

6. FIGHT FAT WITH FIBER(FFWF): Research shows that some fiber can fire up your fat burn by as much as 30 percent. Studies find that those who eat the most fiber gain the least weight over time. Aim for about 25 grams a day—the amount in about three servings each of fruits and vegetables.

7. DRINK MILK: There's some evidence that calcium deficiency, which is common in many women, may slow metabolism. Research shows that consuming calcium through dairy foods such as fat-free milk and low-fat yogurt may also reduce fat absorption from other foods.

8. EAT WATERMELON: The amino acid arginine, abundant in watermelon, might promote weight loss, according to the Journal of Nutrition. In a laboratory study, adding this amino acid to the diet of obese mice enhanced the oxidation of fat and glucose. Snack on watermelon and other arginine sources, such as seafood, nuts, and seeds, year-round.

9. DRINK COLD WATER: German researchers found that drinking 6 cups of cold water a day (that's 48 ounces) can raise resting metabolism by about 50 calories daily—enough to shed 5 pounds in a year, with essentially zero additional effort. The increase may come from the work it takes to heat the water to body temperature.

10. do not skip breakfast: Eating breakfast jump-starts your metabolism so it's no accident that those who skip this meal are 41⁄2 times as likely to be obese. The heartier your first meal is, the better. In one study published by the American Journal of Epidemiology, volunteers who got 22 to 55 percent of their total calories at breakfast gained only 1.7 pounds on average over 4 years. While those who got zero to 11 percent gained nearly 3 pounds.
    

11. Eat 6 Smaller Meals Per Day, instead of 2-3 large meals: This will ensure that you supply your body with the nutrients necessary to build muscle and burn fat. Bonus: Your resting metabolic rate increases. It will also prevent your body from kicking into "starvation" mode, which can happen when too much time elapses between meals. If this happens, your body will start burning muscle for energy and increasing your body-fat stores, as well as slowing down your metabolism. This is the exact opposite of what you want to happen.

12. Train With Weights: Weight training itself burns calories. Studies also show that, unlike aerobic exercise, weight training increases the calories you burn at rest for up to 39 hours after your workout. Plus, the more muscle your body has, the more calories you burn each day. Even if your goal is solely to lose body fat, you need to train with weights. This will help prevent any of the weight you lose from being muscle. If that happens, your metabolism would slow, stalling your fat-loss efforts and turning you into a skinny-fat person.

13. Limit Sugar Consumption: Taking in simple carbs (sugars)right after weight training replenishes muscle and liver glycogen stores, but excess sugar consumed at other times will be stored as fat. Satisfy your sweet tooth occasionally, but try limiting your intake of sugar to fresh fruit. Replace sugary beverages like soft drinks and juice with water, coffee, tea or diet soda.

14. Consider Fat-Burning Supplements: While they aren't a cure-all, if you utilize fat-burning supplements correctly, they can give your fat loss a boost.
    

15. Increase Vegetable Consumption: Vegetables are nutrient-dense, meaning they pack maximum nutrition value with minimal calories, leaving you more full on fewer calories. Consume five servings a day of veggies, whether as a snack, on a sandwich or on the side of a chicken breast. Order your next burger with fresh vegetables instead of french fries.

16. Eat More Healthy Fats: "Healthy fats are totally underutilized by individuals trying to shed body fat," says Matarazzo. "You have to reduce calories to get rid of body fat, but you don't want to cut out healthy fats completely." Fats take longer to break down in your stomach and help control blood-sugar levels, leaving you more satisfied and reducing your cravings. Include avocados, fatty fish, olives, nuts and seeds, and oils such as olive, flaxseed and canola in your diet.

17. Sleep More: Getting enough sleep at night is paramount for optimal fat burning. People who sleep less at night suffer a slower metabolism, a lower testosterone release (which assists in fat burning for both men as well as women to a smaller degree), and a higher level of hunger throughout the day. All of these factors will work against you if you're trying to lean down.Prioritize sleep like you would your workouts. Yes, it's that important.

18.  Stress Less: Too much stress can cause you to binge eat, drink more alcohol, or make poor lifestyle choices. Stress also causes a surgein the fat-storing hormone cortisol. When you have a high amount of cortisol in your system, it can quickly translate into muscle breakdown and extra storage of that tough-to-beat belly fat.To manage your stress, schedule some stress-beating activities into your schedule. Take a bath, read, chat on the phone with a friend, play outside, take a walk, exercise, ortake a nap. The better you can control stress, the better you'll feel and the faster you'll see progress."Instead of focusing on the number on the scale, use the mirror, your clothes, an

19. Eat iron: If you don't have enough of this mineral, your body can't get enough oxygen to your cells, which slows down your metabolism," explains Samantha Heller, R.D., a nutritionist at the New York University Medical Center. Most multivitamins contain around 18 mg (the RDA for adults); you can also get your fill by eating three to four daily servings of foods rich in iron, such as lean red meat, chicken, fortified cereal and soy nuts. If you're feeling symptoms like fatigue and weakness, ask your doctor to test you for anemia (it's a simple blood test) at your next physical.

20. Avoid alcohol: Want to keep your favourite meals from going straight to your hips (thighs, belly)? Wash them down with water,not wine. Alcohol slows your metabolism by depressing the central nervous system. A British study found that when alcohol was added to a high-fat, high-calorie meal, less dietary fat was burned off and more was stored as body fat.

21. Workout (Exercise): Interval training in which you add bursts of high-intensity moves intoyour workout is a surefire metabolism booster, says Glenn Gaesser, Ph.D., director of the Kinesiology Program at the University of Virginia and author of The Spark. Researchers at Laval University in Quebec found that high-intensity interval training burns more fatthan regular, consistent aerobic exercise. If you usually jog at a 10-minute-mile pace, for example, add a 30-second sprint every five minutes. Or add a one-minute incline to your treadmill workout every five minutes. "Even if you just have 10 minutes for a quick workout you can walk at a normal pace and then add in a 30-second bout of speed-walking every three minutes," recommends Gaesser.
    

22. Chew on sugar-free mint gumafter a meal: Mint flavors send signals to your brain that it’s time to stop eating.

23. YOGA: Yoga has been proven to help with fat burning. You can burn up to 344 calories a session.
    

24. SWIMMING or BIKING: You can burn up to 500 calories per hour.

25. Keep your body guessing: Change is good, swap out or change your style/your old program for a new one every four to six weeks.

26. Squats: The more muscles you can recruit with proper form, the stronger you’ll get, and the more fat you’ll burn.

27. cardio Workout: Try jumping rope between sets, or string together some exercises into the circuits.

28. dark chocolate instead of  milk chocolate:  It contains less sugar and more energy-boosting antioxidants. It is also referred to as "Brain food"

29. Do push-ups every morning: It’ll jump-start your day, and it gets in some additional upper-body training.
    

30. Craving something sweet?: Eat a fat-free snack instead of chocolate ice cream and save more than 200 calories. You can also try resisting and ignoring the cravings.

31. HEAT UP YOUR MEAL: It turns out that capsaicin, the compound that gives chile peppers their heat, can also fire up your metabolism. Eating about 1 tablespoon of chopped peppers (red or green) boosts your sympathetic nervous system (responsible for your fight-or-flight response), according to a study published in the Journal of Nutritional Science and Vitaminology. The result: a temporary metabolism spike of about 23 percent. Stock up on chile peppers to add to salsas, and keep a jar of red-pepper flakes on hand for topping pizzas, pastas, and stir-fries.

32. GET MORE VITAMIN D: Vitamin D is essential for preserving muscle tissue. Get 90 percent of your recommended daily intake (400 IU) in a 3.5-ounce serving of salmon. Other good sources: tuna, fortified milk and cereal, and eggs.

33. STAND UP: Whether you sit or stand at work may play as big a role in your waistline as your fitness routine. Missouri University researchers discovered that inactivity (4 hours or more) causes a near shut- down of an enzyme that controls fat and cholesterol metabolism. To keep this enzyme active and increase your fat-burning, break up long periods of downtime by standing up; for example, while talking on the phone.

34. Avoid processed foods: Some Processed food contain trans fat, a manufactured fat that's difficult for your body to break down.

35. Chew slowly: Studies show it’ll help you eat much less.

36. Track your foods and figure out exactly what and how much you are eating: What you eat is important. Pretty much everyone knows this.However, surprisingly, most people actually don’t have a clue what they are really eating.People think they’re eating “high protein,” “low-carb” or whatever, but tend to drastically over- or underestimate. For anyone who truly wants to optimize their diet, tracking things for a while is absolutely essential.It doesn’t mean you need to weigh and measure everything for the rest of your life, but doing it every now and then for a few days in a row can help you realize where you need to make changes.If you want to boost your protein intake to 25-30% of calories, just eating more protein rich foods won’t cut it. You need to actually measure and fine tune in order to reach that goal.
    

37. Stock up on Avocado: Sure, avocado's got all the right junk in all the right places, but fat isn't theonly thing the fruit has going for it. An avocado also provides nearly 20 vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients essential for healthy weight management, including 14 grams of satiating fiber and 66 percent (60 micrograms) of your daily need for vitamin K—a nutrient that helps regulate sugar metabolism and insulin sensitivity.
    

38. APPLE CIDER VINEGER: Best for Burning fat and reducing harmful blood lipid levels that can lead to cardiovascular disease. Apple cider vinegar is composed mostly of acetic acid, which has been shown to delay gastric emptying and slow the release of sugar into the bloodstream—keeping you fuller longer. Plus, studies show acidic foods increase the rate at which the body burns off carbs, and the faster you burn off carbs, the sooner your body can start incinerating fat.

39. Grapefruit: Best for Boosting metabolism and burning belly fat. Eating half a grapefruit can enhance your body's fat-burning performance, according to a study printed in the journal Metabolism. When participants ate half a grapefruit before meals, they shrunk their waits up to an inch—in only 6 weeks! Researchers attribute the effects to a combination of phytochemicals and vitamin C in the grapefruit which may help reduce visceral (belly) fat and lower cholesterol levels.

40. GO BLUEBERRIES: Best for Fending off heart disease, burning belly fat, and reducing risk of age-related disease. Berries are packed with polyphenols, powerful natural chemicals that can help you lose weight, and even stop fat from forming. Blueberries are a nutritional powerhouse because they're full of a specific group of polyphenols, anthocyanins, which put the blue in blueberries. A recent American Journal of Clinical Nutritionstudy of more than 200,000 people found that a higher consumption of fruits with anthocyanins was associated with a lower risk of type 2 diabetes and obesity. They're one of the best foods to help you never feel old because these same blue-hue antioxidants help protect cells from age-related damage by changing the way neurons in the brain communicate and reducing the accumulation of protein clumps most frequently seen in Alzheimer's.
    

Don't be the kind of person who complains about your situation but never does anything to improve it. Don't become "happy" with the status quo of being miserable. Now use this knowledge to take action.

Your health is in your hands.