Perhaps one of the most talked about things in health and fitness is how to “burn” fat. I put together a few key things I think will assist the body in burning fat.
1. Drink plenty of water- Water helps the liver process food into energy. If your liver lacks the correct amount of water than food will just sit in the body and eventually be turned into fat. A good rule to get you started is the 8-8 rule which states one should drink 8-8 ounces of water a day. Keep in mind however that everyone is different and many other key factors should be taken into consideration such as your workout plan, environment, and the time of year. For instance you would probably sweat more in summer time than in winter therefore you may need more water to stay healthy during the summer months.
2. Drink less alcohol or stay away from it all together- Alcohol will actually slow down your metabolism causing your body to store more fat.
3. Workout 4-5 times a week– Not only will working out cause your body to gain muscle which in return will burn fat, it will also speed up your metabolism especially when you implement plenty of cardio into your workouts. Cardio is also good for reducing stress and it will give you more energy. Some types of cardio are better for fat loss while others are better for working the respiratory system. Walking on a treadmill for 33 minutes at an incline of 2.0 and a speed of 3.5 has been known to be a great workout for burning fat.
4. Eat breakfast- I cannot stress enough that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Not only are you “breaking your fast” you are ensuring that your body has the energy to start your day off right. In a perfect world breakfast would actually be your biggest meal of the day.
5. Correct Caloric Intake- We live in a world where most think that if you can get by on a glass of water and a celery stick you'll lose fat fast. This of course couldn't be farther from the truth. The body actually tends to store fat when you don't take in the correct amount of daily calories. This is part of a natural defense mechanism. Daily caloric intake should be based on your BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate) which is the amount of calories that the body will burn over a 24 hour period while lying down and doing nothing else. Your BMR can be calculated by using the formula shown below.
English BMR Formula
Women: BMR = 655 + (4.35 × weight in pounds) + (4.7 × height in inches) – (4.7 × age in years)
Men: BMR = 66 + (6.23 × weight in pounds) + (12.7 × height in inches) – (6.8 × age in years)
Metric BMR Formula
Women: BMR = 655 + (9.6 × weight in kilos) + (1.8 × height in cm) – (4.7 × age in years)
Men: BMR = 66 + (13.7 × weight in kilos) + (5 × height in cm) – (6.8 × age in years)
Reference: BMR Formula/ bmi-calculator.net.formula.
Once you've calculated your BMR you will then need to figure out how many calories you will burn doing your daily activities. So if you go to work each day and run in the afternoon calculate how many calories your body burns while doing so. You can do this by simply searching on the internet for the activity. For instance you may be able to look up calories burned while running in a search engine to get an estimate. Once you have calculated your BMR and daily calories burned add these two numbers together to get your approximate caloric intake. In order to lose weight, maintain weight, or gain weight you will either need to eat at, below, or above this number.
Implement these things into your life and you should start to see the fat falling off!
* YOU SHOULD ALWAYS CONSULT YOUR PHYSICIAN BEFORE ENGAGING IN ANY NEW WORKOUT OR DIET PLAN.
Learn more about burning fat and other health and fitness related topics with Blake Miley at MileyFitness.com. MileyFitness.com is like your own personal gym where you'll find expert designed workout plans, fitness videos, nutritional articles, healthy recipes, and much more! Come join us at MileyFitness.com today and start moving toward a healthier life! http://www.mileyfitness.com
