Top 8 Fastest Ways To Lose Fat
#1 – Interval Training
All cardio training is not equal. Whilst any form of exercise is better than none at all, studies have repeatedly shown that interval training is more effective for weight loss that steady state cardio. That is, you will burn more body fat overall by running fast for one minute, steady for two minutes and repeating several times than you will if you run at a steady pace for the duration of your workout. You don’t have to limit this approach to running either – you can adopt it on the bike, rowing machine, X-trainer, in a circuit class etc. The bottom line: get the most from your fat burning workouts by going down the interval training route.
#2 – Eat Regularly Throughout The Day
Starvation and severe restriction of calories do not work. Period. Yes, it may work in the short-term but it will actually make you fatter in the long-term as you will lose essential muscle mass, lowering your metabolism and actually leading to a slower rate of fat burning. To shift the fat and keep it off, regular eating – including healthy snacks between nutritious main meals – is the way forward. This approach will keep your insulin levels stable, prevent hunger pangs that could result in binge eating and will keep you energized for the full day which will in turn fuel more effective fat burning workouts. In a nutshell: healthy snacking is actually good for you.
#3 – Avoid Sugar
Sugar is the enemy, leading to obesity, diabetes and heart disease. This is serious stuff. But what about losing fat? By limiting your sugar intake, you significantly lessen your risk of developing insulin resistance, a condition where excess insulin is released into the bloodstream but is ineffective at shifting sugar into the cells. Unfortunately, this hormone also tells fat cells to collect fat from the bloodstream and hold onto it, contributing to obesity. If you’re going to eat sugar, get it from fruit – far more nutritious than its processed enemies – as it contains vitamins, minerals, fibre and water.
#4 – Get Enough Sleep
Sleep really is the unsung hero of fat loss and not a factor that immediately springs to mind. Both insufficient and poor quality sleep can lead to elevated levels of the hormone cortisol which is responsible for breaking down body tissues, including muscle. This can lower metabolism, the rate at which the body burns energy, leading to weight gain. Also, a lack of sleep that leads to fatigue can lead the body to think that energy supply is low, increasing the desire to eat which is not going to help fat loss. No short cuts here: get 7-8 hours of quality sleep per night.
#5- Lift Weights
It’s an old-fashioned view that weight training is for meatheads and steroid-riddled bodybuilders. Everyone can benefit from three short sessions of weight lifting per week. Why? Put simply, this form of exercise increases the amount of muscle in the body. This in turn increases the number of calories we burn each day as muscle is a calorie hungry tissue. Building a little muscle is a great long-term strategy for sustained weight loss. Stick to exercises where you get the most bang for your buck: assisted dips and pull-ups, chest and shoulder presses, rows, deadlifts, squats and lunges. The moral of the story: lift weights to stay lean.
#6- Eat Fat
Surely eating fat will make you fat? Not quite. A healthy body needs fat to function properly as it plays a key role in hormone production. Many of these hormones are involved in how the body burns energy and builds muscle so if hormone production is interrupted by low fat levels, it will be difficult to build and maintain muscle. Since muscle burns calories 24 hours per day, interrupted hormone production can only be a bad thing as metabolism will be reduced, making you fatter. Remember though, stick to healthy fats such as those from fish, nuts, seeds and olive, sunflower and sesame oils.
#7- Keep On Top Of Stress
As with sleep, this is another key player in the fat loss battle. Remember our good old friend cortisol. This hormone is released by the body in response to stressful situations which, as well as breaking down indispensable muscle mass, can cause some people to overeat as a means of coping with the increased stress. This will of course lead to fat gain if stress is a constant factor in your life. The top and bottom of it: deal with the stress to short-circuit the negative cycle if you want to lose body fat and keep it off. Take time out every day in order to relax or find something that achieves this effect such as yoga or meditation.
#8- Avoid Diet drinks
Food and drink manufacturers have a lot to answer for when it comes to misleading the public. Yes, diet drinks may indeed contain less sugar than their sugary cousins but are they actually effective in achieving effective weight loss? No. It just so happens that the artificial sweeteners used in place of actual sugar act as signals telling the body to store fat and carbohydrate, making you hungrier and more likely to eat. Not to mention the fact that the sweet tasting drinks promote insulin release which reduces fat burning. Clearly, diet drinks are not the solution. Drink what your body was designed to drink: good old-fashioned water.
Courtesy of http://www.uncoverdiscover.com
