How to Burn Fat Fast

Reducing your body fat has many advantages and health benefits. Decreased fat may help improve or better manage chronic conditions (diabetes or high blood pressure) and even reduce your risk of colorectal cancer and heart disease.^[1] In addition, burning off body fat may make you feel better, have more energy and more motivation to stick to healthier behaviors (like exercising regularly).^[2] There are a variety of diets and exercise plans that promise fast weight loss and reduction of body fat. The best way to lose body fat rapidly is through a combination of diet, exercise, and small lifestyle changes.

Steps

Method 1 Altering Your Diet

1. 1 Eat regular, balanced meals. It's important to eat regular, balanced meals each day. Skipping meals or going too long without eating can increase your hunger and make it more difficult to stick to your diet plan.^[3]
   • Eating regularly helps keep your metabolism fueled appropriately which will help support the reduction of body fat.
   • Some studies show that when you skip meals, you can get too low on nutrients. In addition, you can get too hungry which may cause you to overeat or overindulge.^[4]
   • Try to eat at least three meals daily. You may need to add one to two snacks especially if there are more than four or five hours between two meals.
2. 2 Limit your carbohydrate intake. Some carbohydrates are essential to a healthy diet. However, studies have shown that low-carb diets help you burn fat faster than other diet plans.^[5]
   • Carbohydrates are found in many different foods. It's best to limit carbohydrates from foods like grains since the nutrients in the grain food group can be found in other foods. You don't run the risk of missing essential nutrients in your diet by limiting this particular group.
   • Focus on high-fiber, nutrient-dense carbohydrates such as fruits, legumes, and vegetables. Avoid canned or frozen products with added sugar or sodium.
   • If you choose to eat grains, choose 100% whole grains over refined grains. Whole grains are a much better source of fiber than refined. In addition, some studies show added heart benefits to diets rich in whole grains.^[6]
3. 3 Increase your protein intake. Protein provides your body with energy to help burn calories. A higher protein intake along with a lower carb diet can help you burn body fat faster than other diet plans.^[7]
   • Include a source of protein at each meal. One serving is generally about three to four oz or 1/2 cup.^[8]
   • Avoid fatty cuts of meat. Choose leaner options (like poultry, low-fat dairy, legumes, or lean beef) whenever possible. This will help your fat intake as well as control your cholesterol.
   • Protein shakes can be an effective way to increase the protein in your diet, but this is typically unnecessary unless you are aiming for large muscle gains.
4. 4 Eat more greens. Green vegetables provide your body with a lot of essential vitamins and minerals. They are very low calories and very high in a variety of nutrients.^[9]
   • Dark leafy greens like kale, mustard greens, spinach and swiss chard are high in fiber, Vitamin A, Vitamin K, Vitamin C, and a variety of B Vitamins.
   • In addition, dark green vegetables are known to be very high in carotenoids which are thought to be a type of antioxidant that helps block cancer cells.^[10]
   • Limit pale colored vegetables like iceberg lettuce, as they contain very few nutrients.
5. 5 Add some spice to your meal. Some spices can actually increase your metabolism and help you burn calories quicker. Add some to your cooking to bring the heat and shed the pounds. ^[11]
   • Cayenne pepper may help increase fat burn and suppresses your appetite. It may also speed up your metabolism, which can help burn more calories.^[12]
   • Cinnamon may also raise your metabolism. Some studies show it also lowers blood sugar and LDL cholesterol.^[13]
   • Black pepper has been shown to improve digestion and burn fat faster.^[14]
   • Mustard powder can increase your metabolic rate by as much as 25%.^[15]
   • Ginger may help reduce appetite and improve your metabolism. It also aids in digestion and helps decrease nausea and vomiting.^[16]
    
6. 6 Avoid processed foods. When you're trying to lose weight and burn fat at a faster rate, you'll need to cut out some foods that may prevent you from reaching your goal.
   • Processed foods often contain many preservatives and artificial additives in addition to being higher in calories and fat.^[17]
   • Take the extra time to prepare your own meals. Not only will you know everything that you are putting in, but you will have control over how it is prepared so as to keep the most nutrients.
7. 7 Drink lots of water. Water is essential to the proper functioning of the body. When quick weight loss is your goal, adequate hydration is key. You need to flush toxins through the body and water is a key ingredient to this process. It also helps your body's natural filter: the liver.
   • The average person should drink about eight to 13 cups of water a day, for a total of around 64 plus ounces.
   • While exercising, it is recommended that you drink an additional two cups of water. This will vary depending on the intensity of your workout. As you increase your workout regimen, you increase your risk of dehydration.^[18]

Method 2 Exercising to Burn Fat

1. 1 Measure your heart rate. While resting, place two fingers on your wrist near the center so that you can feel your heart rate pulse. Use a timer or a clock with a second hand, and count your pulse for 15 seconds. Multiply this by four to get your resting heart rate per minute. ^[19]
   • Your Maximum Heart Rate (MHR) is roughly 220 minus your age. For example, if you are 30 your MHR would be about 190.
   • Your target heart rate while exercising vigorously should be around 70–80% of your MHR.
   • These numbers will help you gauge the intensity of your workouts.
2. 2 Start your routine with a low-intensity exercise. As you are getting started, you will want to ease into your workouts. In addition, studies have shown that you burn the most calories from fat at low-intensity exercises.^[20]
   • Try to get 20–30 minutes of lower intensity physical activity in each day.
   • Low intensity workouts will not cause your breathing to increase significantly. If you can easily carry on a conversation, then it's low intensity.
   • Your target heart rate for a low-intensity workout should be around 40% of your MHR.
   • Anything from a brisk walk to mowing the lawn can be a low impact activity. Incorporate these into your daily routine for a week or two before moving on.
3. 3 Include moderate and vigorous intensity workouts. Once you have a week or so of low-impact workouts under your belt, you can start moving a bit faster.
   • Jogging or power walking is a great way to get into a moderate workout. Bicycling on relatively flat terrain is another good way to get moving.
   • Your target heart rate should be around 60% of your MHR. You should start noticing a quickening of breath and sweat after about 10 minutes.
   • Once you start noticing that your moderate workouts aren't pushing your system very hard, you can start ramping up to a more intense workout.
   • Your target heart rate for a vigorous workout should be around 80% of your MHR.
   • Running, cycling hills, rowing, and most competitive sports such as basketball or tennis provide a vigorous workout.
4. 4 Work out in the morning. If you can, try to squeeze in your workout in the morning. Some studies show that you burn more calories from fat in the morning before you've eaten your first meal.^[21]
   • Working out in the morning tends to lead to a higher level of consistency in exercise routines.^[22] Exercising before the work or school day begins helps keep other obligations from interfering. Many people also find that working out early energizes them for the rest of the day.
   • Exercising too close to bedtime can lead to difficulty falling asleep, as your heart rate will still be elevated.

Method 3 Managing Fat Loss

1. 1 Create a food journal. This journal will track the calories you intake as well as the calories you burn. Tracking these helps guide your diet to maximize your fat loss and may help you stay on track toward your goal.^[23]
   • For each day, track what time you eat, what you are eating, and the approximate calories of what you ate. Be sure to note which food groups, if any, dominate your diet.
   • On the same page, note what you did for exercise, how long you did it, and how intense it was. Also, write down the approximate number of calories burned. While each person's calories burned will vary quite dramatically, average rates can be found in the chart here.
   • Keep track of your weight for the day. This will help you track your overall progress and might give you the motivation to keep on going.
   • Consider logging your exercise in this journal as well.
2. 2 Eat mindfully. Taking your time eating, paying attention to your foods and truly enjoying your meals may actually help you eat less.^[24]
   • Sometimes, when you eat too fast or are distracted you can overeat. When it's time for a meal or snack, remove all distractions (like TV's, cell phones or computers) and take at least 20 minutes to enjoy your meal. This may help your stomach and brain communicate when you've eaten enough.^[25]
   • Eating out of boredom is another common stumble. Try chewing a piece of gum when you're bored to take your mind off of food. Remind yourself that your meal is coming up soon.
   • Avoid snacking while watching TV. TV and processed snacks go together so well, but next time reach for an apple instead of chips. People rarely eat while watching TV because they are hungry, but because they have formed a habit. Work to recognize and break that habit.
   • Avoid midnight snacks. Eating before bed will increase the calories you have consumed for the day without giving you the opportunity to work them off. What you eat before bed doesn't turn directly into fat, but it will slow your weight loss progress down.
3. 3 Manage stress. Studies have shown that low levels of chronic stress release more cortisol which may make it easier to gain fat tissue and make it harder to lose it.^[26]
   • Managing stress is not only good for weight and body fat reduction but also for your mental and emotional well-being.
   • Try journaling, listening to music, talking to a friend or going for a walk to help you de-stress and relax.
   • If you're having a more difficult time managing stress, try seeing a life coach or therapist. These health professionals will be able to give you more directed guidance on stress management.
4. 4 Track your success. Keeping tack of how much weight you've lost or how much fat you lost is fun, exciting and can be motivating for you to stay on track toward your goal.
   • Weighing yourself regularly will give you one perspective of your body fat reduction. When you lose body fat, your weight will decrease over time.
   • You can also measure your waist, hips, thighs, and arms to see how much fat you've lost in different areas of your body.
   • You can also keep track of your body fat percentage. Your doctor or a gym staff member can take your body fat percentage and help you keep track of it over time.

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