10 Tips for Burning More Body Fat

A major component in losing weight is to burn fat. You’ll need to burn fat every day for long-term weight loss results. Remember that small steps each day can add up to big results after a period of time. If you follow these tips, you won’t be in the same place six months from now that you are in today, and a year from now, you will be able to say you actually kept your New Year's Resolution to lose weight - and keep it off!

1. Move Every Day – Exercise is the MOST important component in burning fat. You want to walk fast, skate, swim, dance, and hike. Do whatever you can to keep moving as much as possible during the day. If you have a sedentary job, consider asking your boss for a stand-up desk or a treadmill desk. Studies show that sitting more than four hours a day is deadly.

2. Eat a Healthy Breakfast – When you get up, within about an hour of rising be sure to eat a healthy breakfast such as steel cut oats and berries. Add some whole, non-homogenized milk (raw if possible) for added delicious flavor and nutrition.

3. Get Some Daily Cardio – Aside from purposeful movement every day during work, it’s important to add in purposeful cardio for at least 30 minutes a day. You want to get your heart rate up for about 30 minutes through running, fast walking, dancing or other movement - but not necessarily all at once. Some studies have found that steady-state cardio actually helps your body conserve fat, instead of burning it, so you may want to try high-intensity interval workouts such as PACE instead.

4. Add Strength Training – Any type of resistance training can help you build your strength, whether by resistance bands or weight lifting. You don’t have to build bulky muscles. You can do daily planks for your strength training if you want to. Yoga and other types of body-weight exercise are great for strength training and flexibility at the same time - plus they don't require purchasing any expensive exercise equipment!

5. Eat More Vegetables – Try filling half your plate with vegetables without a lot of added fat, salt or sugar. Vegetables of all kinds are good for you. There are no “bad” veggies. Not even potatoes are bad for you. It’s what you put on them that could be bad.

6. Eat More Fruit – Unfortunately, fruit like bananas and avocado have gotten a bad rap due to advertising by the processed food industry. But, the truth is, fruit is good for you and you should eat it in abundance. (Keep in mind that some fruits are very sweet, and could pose problems for people with blood sugar issues. However, consuming them with some fiber and healthy fats will help slow the release of sugar into your blood.)

7. Supplement Where Needed – No matter how good a diet you eat, there are times you may need to add supplements. The very best way to know is to get tested by your doctor to find out where your levels are. Ask them to look at your vitamin B12 and D levels specifically, which are ultra-important for your health.

(Image courtesy of stockimages at FreeDigitalPhotos.net.)

8. Reduce Stress – Stress can cause a build-up of body fat due to increased production of cortisol which tends to cause fat to build up around the belly. People with a high level of belly fat are more likely to have cardiovascular issues and/or diabetes. Try meditation, prayer, silent reading, yoga, and other stress-reducing activities.

9. Get Enough Sleep – Sleep is very important to aid in burning fat and overall weight loss. Most people need at least 7 to 9 hours of sleep a night. The best way to figure out how much sleep you need is to go to bed earlier and earlier each night until you can wake up consistently at the time you need to rise for work each day without an alarm.

10. Drink Plenty of Water – Hydration is very important for proper digestion of nutrients, as well as eliminating fat. Be sure to drink at least eight glasses of water a day, and drink even more when you sweat, ingest caffeine or during dry weather.

Burning fat is easy when you know how. The important thing to remember is to do at least one or two things each day to work toward your goal. Avoid doing things that are contrary to your goal and you will be successful.

And be sure to check back here every week for our fast, fun, fat-burning weekly workouts!