Mega Feature: 50 Fat Burning Tricks You Need To Know

If you’re reading this then the chances are that you have tried to burn fat, but your methods are just not as effective as you would have hoped.

If you seem to be spending all your time eating the right protein and your Saturday nights are being spent down the gym, but you are still not seeing the results you would hope for – then something obviously needs to be done about it.

This guide has 50 tips for fat burning, all backed by facts and figures so you know that they’re the real deal! With everything you need to know, these 50 tips will help to make sure that whatever you’re lacking from your fat burning regime you’ll soon know and be able to rectify it without delay!

Diet

What you eat has a massive effect on your body, how much fat you store and how much you burn. You should already know this – but these 11 food rules might help to make your life a little easier when it comes to eating the right foods!

1. Go Pro

Research has shown that if you follow a high protein diet then you’re more likely to burn more body fat than someone who hasn’t taken steps to follow this type of diet. You should look to get 50% of your total daily calories from protein. If you do this over 2 months you’ll find that you burn a decent amount of body fat.

2. Take It Slow

The type of carbs you choose is also important. You need to choose whole grains such as brown rice and whole meal bread as these are slow to digest and will prevent your insulin levels from spiking. Recent research has shown that if you follow a low-calorie diet with the right type of carbs you’ll lose more weight than if your carbs all came from refine sources

3. Fat

Contrary to popular belief you do not need to have a fat free diet. In fact there are certain fats (such as omega 3) which can help fat loss. Make sure that you choose good fats from places such as salmon, olive oil, walnuts etc and they make up around 30% of your daily calorie intake then you’ll find that you boost fat loss rather than hinder it.

4. It’s Egg-citing

If you don’t already know – eggs are full of protein which is essential when it comes to promoting muscle growth. If you eat eggs for breakfast (never skip breakfast) then you are likely to eat less calories throughout the rest of the day – which will lead to you being able to burn more body fat. A good way to get enough protein is to have 6 scrambled eggs (3 whole eggs and 3 egg whites).

5. The Right Type of Fruit

Grapefruit is a massive weapon when it comes to fat burning and muscle building. Research has shown that even if you eat as normal but simply eat half a grapefruit a day you’ll probably lose around 4lbs in 12 weeks – with these statistics, imagine how much weight you could lose if you were actually trying!

6. Milk

Dairy is a big part of an varied diet and milk is one of the best ways to get this. Adding milk into your diet can help to burn fat around your abs. There are different reasons for this but it is more than likely because calcium can help to regulate hormone calcitriol – which would usually inhibit fat burning throughout your body.

7. An Apple A Day

An apple a day keeps the doctor away – because they’re packed full of antioxidants. As a slow digesting carb they can also help you to feel fuller for longer. Eating an apple can help you have more energy and it can even boost muscle strength. Although apple polyphenols can appear to directly decrease bodyfat by an increase in the activity of genes that enhance fat-burning and decrease fat production and storage, the additional improvement in endurance and strength can help further fat loss by enabling you to train with more intensity and longer.

8. Spices

If you want to give your metabolism a boost and help your body to burn off more calories then try to add hot peppers to your diet. Thanks to an ingredient capsaicin it helps to reduce hunger too! You can add this with crushed red peppers, pepper sauce or hot peppers – if you’re not able to stand the heat then you can also get hot pepper supplements which also have a great effect on your metabolism.

9. Buts

Nuts are packed full of good fats, which means that they’re a good snack to choose when you’re trying to eat well. Studies have shown that people can benefit from a high-fat, low calorie diet (around 40% total calories from fat) as long as the fat comes from something like almonds. People who do this will lose large amounts of body fat, especially around their abs and stomach area.

10. Organic

When you go to the supermarket, it can be tempting to overlook organic goods because of the cost of their goods. However actually these goods are much better for you – for example organic milk has 70% more omega-3 fatty acids than normal milk, which we all know is better for you. Organically raised eat also have higher levels of good fats, so if you can afford to invest in organic goods then you’ll find yourself much better off health wise – these are not just a gimmick.

11.GUAC

Keeping insulin levels in your body low is essential if you want to encourage fat loss and burn off as much as you can. Looking at eating things like avocados can help because they’re full of monosaturated fat – which isn’t stored as body fat and it cuts insulin release to help boost your chances of burning fat.
Fluids
As much as the right food is important – so is drinking the right things. Here are 8 beverages that can help.

12. Green

Many people talk about the benefits of green tea, although sadly these are still overlooked. Green tea contains epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) which inhibits the enzyme that normally breaks down the neurohormone norepinephrine. Norepinephrine is what keeps your metabolic rate up and so by stopping it breaking down means that you are able to burn more calories. Green tea is also a way to keep yourself hydrated during workouts, which is extremely important!

13. Black

Oolong and black tea come from the same plant as green tea but they are processed differently -which is why they’re more of a brown/black colour. However they do have the same antioxidants in them which means that they can be just as helpful when it comes to aiding fat loss. If you can’t stand to drink these then you can get supplements which can help just as much.

14. Water Temperature is Important

If you want to give your metabolism a temporary boost then quickly drinking 2 large glasses of cold water can help according to recent German research.

15. Energy Boost

Don’t be discouraged from using energy drinks as some of them can actually boost fat loss. A study from 2008 showed that when a person consumes an energy drink with 200mg of caffeine and 250mg of EGD for 30 days they reduced body fat by 11lbs, without changing any of their eating or fitness rituals.

16. Whey Lean

If you’re looking for a healthy snack between meals then drinking whey protein is a good place to start. Research has shown that if someone has a whey protein shake before a meal (around 90 minutes before works well) then they are likely to eat much less food – which helps to lower calorie intake throughout the day. Casein shakes did not have the same effect.

17. Soy Protein

If you drink around 20grams of soy daily you’ll lose abdominal fat – especially if you add it to your diet for the long term. The great thing about soy protein is that it can also help you to have decreased appetite and therefore have fewer calories eat a day.

18. Get Thick

When you look at instructions on protein shakes they’ll often tell you to add a certain amount of water. One handy trick is to add a little less water so that the shake is thicker. You’ll get all of the same nutritional benefits but you’ll feel fuller for longer because it is thicker in your stomach.

19. Not So Sweet

It can be tempting to go for drinks like diet coke because of the fact they are calorie-free. Actually these are full of artificial sweeteners which can actually have a detrimental effect on your weight loss. Drinking these can also make you feel hungrier, so you end up eating the calories you avoided by picking the diet can of pop over the full-fat one.
Supplements
We all know that there are different supplements you can take – here we’ll take a look at 6 supplements that you could really benefit from.

20. Green Tea

We know that green tea can benefit you in many ways, but not everyone likes the taste of it. Don’t worry though because taking 500mg of green tea extract twice a day can be just as beneficial.

21. CLA

A healthy fat CLA supplement is also something that you can benefit from, especially if you want to target ab fat and burn this off as much as possible.

22. Fish

We know that omega-3 fats found in fish oil can help fat loss. However, if you don’t want to eat fish in order to benefit from this then taking supplements with a few grams of fish oil in can be just as good for you.

23. Astaxanthin

Research has shown that combining Astaxanthin with a decent exercise program can help to accelerate fat burning and weight lose – as well as giving you better endurance when it comes to completing a workout. You should take 4mf of Astaxanthin with food at least once a day although the second dose with your prework out meal can also be beneficial.

24. Go Commercial

A 2009 study reported that lifters taking the fat-burner Meltdown by VPX (containing caffeine, synephrine, yohimbine and beta-phenylethylamine, to name a few) burned 30% more calories and had a more than 40% increase in markers of lipolysis (fat release from fat cells) for the 90 minutes afterward when researchers measured calorie burn compared to when subjects consumed a placebo. Regardless of the brand of thermogenic you choose, follow label instructions and take the other five supplements mentioned here as well.
Lifting
If you are not seeing the results you were hoping for then it could be that you are not lifting in the right way – these tips could help!

25. Carnitine

This amino-acidlike compound is critical for carrying fat in the body to the mitochondria of cells, where it’s burned away for good. Research confirms that taking carnitine when dieting can help maximize fat-burning efforts. Take 1-2 grams of carnitine in the form of L-carnitine, L-carnitine L-tartrate or glycine propionyl-L-carnitine.

26. Go Heavy

Many people are under the impression that working out for the longest time possible is the most beneficial but that is not the case at all. Studies have shown that if you are able to lift heavier weights this is the best way to improve muscle mass, even if you are able to do less reps overall. Bodybuilding and burning fat is all about how much you can do in terms of strength and not in terms of minutes.

27. Go Light

As much as it is important to go heavy – you also need to know when to go light. Studies have shown that the best way to get the results you want from your body is to mix up your exercise routine and do different types of workouts. So, for example, do some workouts using lighter weights for 10-20 reps and then heavy weights for 307 reps. This way you are mixing up your routines and giving your muscles a varied workout, which is the best way to get them to grow!

28. Rest Less

When you are tired you want to rest, however, this can sometimes mean that you lose your flow. Generally, people lose more weight if they only rest 30 seconds between sets, so try to do this if you are able too – although of course you should be aware of pushing your body too far. Listen to your body, if you do really need to rest – rest!

29. Force It

While it is not recommended to work out to failure all of the time, it can be beneficial to do this sometimes. If you’re doing a number of sets you could try and do one of them to failure – where you literally cannot do anymore! This should be done with high-intensity workouts where possible. As always though, listen to your body to avoid doing yourself an injury!

30. Be Free

When you go to the gym you’ll be given all sorts of different equipment that you are able to make a use of. If you’re given the choice between fixed machines such as leg presses and free weights always go for free weights. When using free weights you are generally able to exercise more and therefore you’ll burn off more body fat.

31. Feel The Need For Speed

Once again – you need to look at the type of work out you doing rather than just trying to work out for as long as possible. Think short, sharp bursts of exercise rather than long drawn out workouts which aren’t always as effective as you would hope. By using your muscles quickly you encourage them to burn more fuel as you work out. Mix things up – try to do two sets with fast reps and then 2 sets with normal paced reps – this will give you the best possible chance of your fat burning efforts being successful.

32. Be Negative

GH frees up far from cells which allows it to be burnt off. When you perform a negative-rep work out (say three sets of bench presses) your GH levels increase by over 4,000% – so it stands to reason that working out in this way is going to help you burn extra body fat. Get a spotter to help you add a regular set on to your work out once you have reached failure. You’ll be surprised at the difference it can make!

33. Music

If you concentrate on your work out you are more likely to see positive results. When you are working output your ipod on and work out along to the music. This is likely to make your work out more intense and therefore help give your fat loss efforts a much-needed boost.
How You Run
As much as working out is important, so is taking part in other workout types – for example cardio!

34. Go After It

It can be hard to know when to do your cardio work out, however, research has shown that doing it after your weight work out will show you the best results. The great news is that it is the first 15 minutes after your workout that cardio will have the most effect, so even if you don’t feel much like doing cardio you know that even just 15 minutes worth can make a massive difference.

35. Hiit It

High-intensity interval training (HIIT) is important, especially in short bursts. If you’re doing HIIT then you probably won’t be able to do this for a long period of time – so the best thing you can do is mix it up with low-intensity exercise. Lots of people choose to do sprinting and jogging for these, for an easy way to get in your cardio and be able to do both high-intensity and low-intensity workouts.

36. Stagger It

One great way of getting in enough exercise is to stagger your workouts. So for example if you want to get in 30 minutes of running but you are unable to do this is one hit, split it into three with a rest in between. This intense cardio will give you the fat burning boost you need and the rest time will allow you to run for long enough for it to have a maximum effect.

37. Time of Day

The time of day that you exercise can have a massive effect on how many calories you burn when you work out. Research has shown that if you are able to work out in the evening then you’ll have a higher metabolic rate and therefore a better chance of burning more calories as you work out. Of course you should not use this as an excuse not to work out – an early morning workout is better than no work out at all!

38. Scottish Work Out

Edinburgh University looked into what sort of sprinting you should do, with some interesting results. They have shown that when subjects did 30 second sprints 4-6 times in a row (with a few minutes rest in between) their glucose and insulin levels would be reduced within 2 weeks. We know that keeping your insulin levels consistently low can really help you to burn fat. It just goes to show that even if you don’t have time to do a massive, long work out – even short sprints like this can make the difference.

39. Climbing

Keep things interesting and look at other types of cardio that you can use – because that will help keep things interesting and help you motivation. Rock climbing can be beneficial because it increases your heart rate and this is equal to an intense work out (IE sprinting). You can burn up to 12 calories a minute doing rock-climbing – so in just half an hour you could burn 400 calories – as well as trying something new and exciting.

40. Martial Arts

Another good cardio work out to do is martial arts. There are different martial arts you can partake in, which helps to keep things interesting. If you’re lacking motivation when it comes to working out, trying new things can help to keep you interested. When you take up martial arts you have different work out cycles and by doing forearm strikes, sidekicks, stretches and front kicks you are able to burn up to 300 calories an hour.

41. The Right Fluids

When you’re working out, you probably already know the importance of staying hydrated. However, studies by Birmingham University have shown that if you rinse your mouth out (and spit it out after) with an energy drink you could probably cover more mileage than if you just rinsed your mouth out with water. Of course this isn’t ideal for indoor tracks but it is something to consider if you’re taking up cycling as part of your high-intensity training.
Everything Else
And lastly in our 50 fat burning tip guide, a few other little tips that could help you burn fat!

42. Get Up

It goes without saying that you won’t get the body you want just by sitting and watching TV. Extensive studies have shown that if you exercise 2.5 hours a week you’ll still have more of a higher circumference if you watch an hour of TV a day compared to someone who doesn’t. Of course no one is suggesting you don’t sit and watch TV or have a relaxing evening – just try and get up a couple of times an hour to stretch your legs and stop fat from settling around your stomach area.

43. Take A Picture

persuade yourself that you actually haven’t eaten as much as you have. Studies have shown that if you record a food diary for a week of all of the meals and snacks you eat you’ll be less likely to over eat in the future. You can just write down what you eat each week but this was not quite as effective as actually taking photos. It is thought that being able to look back and see what you have eaten gives you the ability to evaluate what you have eaten properly and think about making better food choices in the future.

44. Portion Control

The best way to look at this is to look at a study in New York undertaken in a cinema. People attending the cinema were given a large container of popcorn to eat, the equivalent of about 22 cups and some were given a medium container. The people given the large container ate 45% more than the people with the smaller container. This was tested with stale popcorn too – and still 35% more was eaten by people with large containers of it, even though they said they didn’t like the taste when they were asked.
This just goes to show that you need to be in charge of your portion control – don’t just dish it up on your plate and assume you’ll be able to control yourself. Instead dish up lean protein in large amounts and side dishes much smaller.

45. Laughter Is The Best Medicine

We already know that laughter is good for our health, however what we didn’t know is that it can help with our blood glucose levels. Studies in Japan have shown than someone eating a meal while watching a comedy show will have much lower blood glucose levels than those eating the same meal without any comedy entertainment to watch as they ate. Keep your blood glucose and insulin levels low by watching comedy shows while you eat.

46. Sleep On It

It is so important to get enough sleep for your general health, but for fat burning too! Studies show than if you’re sleeping less than 5 hours a night or less you’re likely to put on weight (around 30lbs over a few years). This is probably due to an imbalance of hormones which affects your metabolism as well as making you feel much hungrier. The best thing you can do is try to get around 7-9 hours every night which will benefit your health and help you to keep fat off – win, win!

47. Chewing Gum

Glasgow University recently looked into the benefits of chewing gum between meals. What they found is that if people chewed gum between meals, they’ll usually eat less when the 2nd meal is given to them. The reason for this is because when you chew gum your body increases satiety and therefore you feel less hungry and want to eat less – great news if you’re trying to decrease the amount of calories you want to eat each day.

48. Get Off The Bus

Remember that whatever exercise you do, you’ll burn calories – even if it doesn’t feel like exercise. Try and think about times in your normal daily routine where you could walk to where you need to be rather than getting the bus or taking the car. You’ll be surprised at how much mileage you could add up to when walking and all of this can help when it comes to burning fat and having a much leaner body.

49. Vibrations

Power plates might sound like some sort of gimmick but actually they can really help. Research by Stony Brook University has sown that if you spend 15 minutes a day on a power plate for 15 weeks then you’ll have less body fat. If your gym has a power plate then it could be beneficial to jump on this a few times a week – especially as it takes minimal effort to use it.

50. Playing Games

Games such as Dance Revolution can provide a great work out. There are lots of games out there now that get you off the sofa and moving around. These can burn as many as 10 calories a minute and so are well worth considering – especially if you want to have a little fun and involve the whole family in your work out!

---