There are multiple theories as to how metabolism works, and what role it plays in burning fat. Some scientists believe that we burn calories more efficiently when our bodies are cooler. Others say that there is a specific core temperature at which we burn the most calories. Until there's more conclusive scientific research, the best we can do is to stick with tried-and-true methods of burning fat, such as eating a balanced diet, increased muscle mass, and regular exercise.
Your body has a natural fat burning circuit. This is what allows the body to release stored fat and change your body shape by having the ability to shrink and strengthen different areas of your body at will. Forget about supplements and exercise programs that only help you lose water weight or add muscle bulk, this is about being able to turn on stubborn body fat stores in specific areas like around the inner thighs, stomach, arms or buttocks when you want.
I've received a lot of questions from people who want to lose ten pounds, twenty pounds, and sometimes even up to fifty. I've explained in great detail how to lose weight based on each individual's body type, activity levels, and metabolism. I've spoken about how to keep the fat off for good once it's gone.
Why is too much body fat dangerous?
Higher levels of body fat are linked to some pretty gnarly health issues. Visceral fat, the type that surrounds the organs, is the most dangerous and can lead to heart attacks, diabetes, strokes, high blood pressure and osteoarthritis.
1. Exercise intensity
One of the most powerful ways to manipulate the proportion of fat used to produce energy is to adjust the intensity of your exercise. The question that follows therefore is how hard should your aerobic training be to maximise fat burning? As we’ve hinted above, lower intensities favour fat burning but as the intensity increases, carbohydrate becomes more and more important until at very high intensities, almost all of the energy to fuel exercise comes from carbohydrate burning and none from fat-burning.
2. Safety first
When building up your total weekly volume, you need to ensure you do so only gradually to avoid the risk of injury or burnout. Unless you’re already an experienced trainer, it’s strongly recommended that you seek advice from a fitness professional before putting together any programme. This will help ensure you derive maximum benefits as safely and comfortably as possible.
3. Drink Ice Water
Drinking water at any temperature is not only a necessity, but also very beneficial for your body. You should be aiming for somewhere between 11 and 16 cups each day, according to the Mayo Clinic.
Here's what's surprising: When you drink one cup of ice water, according to the University of Washington, you'll burn 8 more calories than if the water was at room temp. This happens because your body works a little harder to bring the water temperature up to normal body temperature.
So, 10 cups would give you 80 extra calories, which is pretty marginal in the grand scheme of calorie counting. But, if you're the "every little bit counts" type, then add those ice cubes and get to drinking.
As a bonus, drinking water helps you feel full, which may prevent snacking and overeating, according to an August 2015 study in Obesity.
4. Chew Your Food Slowly
Isn't that what your mom always said? "Go slow and chew your food!" She wasn't wrong.
Eating slowly is an effective way to control your appetite, according to a December 2021 article in Nature's Scientific Reports. Not only that, but (this is the good part) slower chewing can increase post-meal diet-induced thermogenesis (calorie burning) due to oral stimuli. That's why the authors note it's effective way to help prevent obesity.
Chewing food slowly can also help you feel fuller longer. A small December 2018 study in Nutrients found people who ate slowly had a greater increase in satiety after their meal and also snacked less during the day.
5. Don’t Sit On Your Tush the Rest of the Day.
“An elevated metabolism can last all day,” says Jamie. “The secret is to avoid being an exerciser who is relatively sedentary before and after your workout.”
Vacate your chair to burn more fat during the day.
Just getting up from your chair is beneficial. While talking on the phone, stand up and move around. Do the same at meetings. Every step counts.
And many of us are guilty of this! We sweat like crazy for an hour, then sit or slumber for the remaining 23 hours of the day. Not good, asserts recent research. If you’re at work, get up from your desk chair every half-hour or so and walk around the office. Step into a colleague’s office instead of sending an email. Better yet, coax the colleague into taking the conversation outdoors for a walk around the block. Talk shop while racking up a half-mile together. (And it’ll feel good to get away from office noise for a few minutes.)
Just getting up from your chair is beneficial. While talking on the phone, stand up and move around. Do the same at meetings. Yes, every step counts.
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