The basic condition you need to meet
In the human body, fat burning takes place only when one condition is met – reaching a state of energy deficit. Adipose tissue acts as an energy store in the body. If we consume more energy (calories) with food than our body uses, the surplus eaten will be stored as body fat. On the other hand, if we take in less energy (calories) than our body requires for current needs, the missing amount will be compensated from “stores”, i.e. body fat. In summary – to lose weight, you need to burn more calories than you take in. You can achieve it in three ways:
- Limiting the calorie intake,
- Increasing the daily amount of exercise and physical activity,
- Combining the above two methods for optimal effect.
If the above condition is met, you can move to the next level. Below you will learn strategies to boost your metabolism and fat burning rate even more effectively.
Protein in your diet
One of the most important strategies for weight loss is to try to minimize the feeling of hunger between meals. If meals on a slimming diet are filling, this reduces the likelihood of snacking and makes it easier to stick to your goals. Protein increases postprandial satiety, which means that after a meal containing a serving of protein, we are more full compared to a meal without this ingredient.
Studies show that consuming more protein is associated with lower body fat and a reduced risk of obesity. In addition, protein is the building block of muscles. This translates into maintaining a higher proportion of muscle mass during the weight loss process, and thus increased metabolism. If you want to accelerate fat burning, eat a serving of protein in every meal you have during the day.
Coffee and green tea
Coffee and green tea are sources of caffeine, which is mainly known for its stimulating properties. However, this is not the only function caffeine fulfills in the human body. Caffeine speeds up metabolism and the breakdown of fatty acids found in adipose tissue. In addition, it improves performance during exercise, making workouts more effective, and can significantly increase daily energy expenditure. In addition, people who regularly consume coffee have a lower risk of obesity.
Remember that there can be different kinds of coffee. A small black one without sugar provides virtually no calories, unlike sweetened coffee whitened with cream or milk. If you add sugar or milk to your coffee, you will not feel the positive effects of caffeine on fat burning. Sugar and milk added to coffee increase its energy value, which, if you drink several coffees a day, can derail the energy deficit condition.
Steps – an underrated fat slayer
During the weight loss process, we often place too much emphasis on workouts and sports activities while underestimating the value of NEAT (non-exercise activity thermogenesis), or spontaneous physical activity. While training accounts for only a percentage of daily energy expenditure, everyday spontaneous physical activity accounts for more than 20 percent of daily calories burned. If you lead a sedentary lifestyle, have an office job, and mostly move around by car – start making lifestyle changes first, and only then focus on the training plan. Studies show that low NEAT is associated with obesity.
A basic, simple and reliable tool to help verify spontaneous physical activity is to count steps. The feature is now available on most smartphones, watches and sports bands. The WHO recommends a minimum of 10,000 steps per day, in addition to exercise activity, to maintain health and fitness. If you feel that your body doesn’t move enough during the day, start with small modifications: walk to the store, choose a walk with an interesting podcast on your headphones instead of watching a TV series, and replace at least one hour of sedentary work with standing.
Sleep for fat burning
If you ever think about doing a workout at the expense of less sleep, you’d better drop the idea. Not in every case will the extra workout and the calories burned during it contribute to accelerating the rate of fat burning. Sometimes less is more, and it is sleep that can be a non-obvious weapon in the fight against excess weight.
Research shows that a sleep of less than 6 hours per day is associated with a higher risk of obesity among women. Sleep deprivation can contribute to changes in the endocrine system, including concentrations of hunger and satiety hormones. After a sleepless night, the desire to reach for snacks grows, especially those that are very high in calories, such as fast food and candy. The demand for sleep is an individual matter and depends on age, among other factors. On average, adults need at least 7 hours of continuous sleep per day.