Bodybuilding Fat Loss

Wednesday, May 7, 2008

12 Tips for a Fat Burning Diet

Have you tried to lose weight and failed? Have you ever started a diet that seemed to work well in the beginning but suddenly you found that you didn't lose weight anymore? If so than you are not alone. The human body's metabolism makes weight loss difficult. In fact losing weight is a complicated process. It is a complex inter-play of many biochemical metabolic processes. The argument that a negative caloric diet could lead to automatic loss of weight is too simplistic and does not apply to all.

Many people who stick to a calorie-reduced diet don't lose weight as fast as they think they should. That's because they activate metabolic protection. Their body senses starvation and shuts down fat burning in order to conserve fat as an emergency energy source. Hence the key to losing weight is to induce the body to turn on its metabolic processes in particular the fat burning metabolism.

The key to doing that should involve three interrelated processes namely:
Conditioning the body for optimal fat burning
Reducing fat absorption from other sources and inducing
Triggering the body's natural fat burning metabolism

Don't worry is this sound complicated. The above information has been condensed in the form of 12 easy tips to promote the body to burn fat all day long and thus lose weight easily.

Tip 1 Do not go hungry

While it is true that you need to cut down your caloric intake you should not cut down too drastically so much so that you feel hungry. It's a good idea to have an idea of how much calorie you need to consume given your weight in order to spread your spread consumption adequately throughout the day. Excessive caloric reduction could cause the body metabolism to hit the brakes. It will also begin to break down muscle tissue for energy. The best strategy would be to eat just enough so that you are not hungry but at the same time induce the body to increase its metabolism. A midmorning snack and mid-afternoon snack of about 150 calories will do the trick.

Tip 2 Drink plenty of water

This is probably the most important tip of all. Almost all of us are guilty of consuming too little water. We need to remember that metabolism is a process that requires water. Water is necessary for proper isotonic balance of body fluids and also to help in transportation of waste products of metabolism. When we consume too little water the body tends to slow down metabolism simply because it cannot ensure an optimal metabolism and getting rid of waste products. Therefore the secret to unlocking metabolism starts with drinking enough water. As a general rule we should all consume at least 8 glasses of water a day. Studies have shown drinking enough water could lead to a loss of about 50 calories a day - enough to shed 5 pounds in a year.

Tip 3 Breathe properly

Fat metabolism is a process that also requires oxygen. Therefore a well oxygenated and well hydrated tissue is essential for optimal fat loss. This is the tragedy of modern life as most of us do not drink enough water and also do not use our lung capacity in an optimal manner. According to some research people generally use only about 25% of their lung capacity. Therefore simply learning to breathe properly and deeply would do wonders to enhance fat metabolism. This requires conscious efforts but costs nothing at all.

Tip 4 Eat more iron rich foods

In order to promote efficient oxygen uptake from our breathing we need to eat iron rich foods. Women in particular are at the losing end because they lose iron due their periods. In some women the situation is so bad that their iron levels are very low indeed. By having low iron levels oxygen uptake is inefficient and that directly contributes to their inability to lose weight. Therefore one should eat iron-rich foods such as shellfish, lean meat, beans, cereals and spinach as they are excellent sources of dietary iron.

Tip 5 Consume more vitamin D

Vitamin D has a main role in determining how the body manages energy which directly involves fat metabolism. Unfortunately many of us do not eat enough Vitamin D. You can get your daily requirement of Vitamin D in a three and half ounce serving of salmon. Other great sources of Vitamin D are tofu, tuna, shrimp, fortified milk, cereal and eggs.

Tip 6 Eat plenty of fiber

Everyone needs to add natural fiber to their diet. Research has shown that certain types of fiber such as resistant starch can increase fat metabolism by up to 30%. Resistant starch is formed when foods such as potatoes, grains and beans are cooked and allowed to cool down. Such foods should not be re-heated as it would transform them. They are called resistant starch because they are resistant to quick digestion. Therefore such foods give the feeling of fullness and curbs hunger.

Since resistant starches are resistant to digestion they are also not broken down and stored as fat. Instead what happens is that they get fermented as they get to the large intestine creating small fatty acids called butyrates which inhibit metabolism of carbohydrates. Since the body is deprived of breaking down carbohydrates it breaks down fat instead. A good choice would be to consume at least 20-30 grams a day of such resistant starch daily. This would roughly correspond to about half cup of potato, rice or cereal plus half cup cooked vegetables or one cup of cooked beans and 1 slightly unripe banana.

Tip 7 Drink more milk

Together with Vitamin D calcium too plays an indispensable role in fat metabolism. Therefore drinking milk is actually good if you want to lose weight. New research shows that three or four daily servings of low-fat mail and yogurt can help adjust your body's fat-burning machinery by providing Vitamin D and also by reducing fat absorption from other products.

Tip 8 Eat enough protein

One of the basic things to know is that muscles play a central role in metabolism which explains why greater muscle mass increases metabolism. Protein is necessary for building and maintaining muscle tissues. Research has shown that consuming protein can increase fat metabolism by about 35%. As such it is important to include at least 3 ounces of lean meat or fish or two tablespoon of nuts or 8 ounces of fat-free yogurt to every meal or snack.

Tip 9 Do not skip breakfast

Very often people tend to skip breakfast thinking that they are cutting down calories or simply because of their lifestyle. This is major mistake because the body would misread the lack of food as a threat and lower its metabolism to conserve energy. Therefore it is not surprising that studies show that people who skip breakfast are more likely to be overweight or obese. Therefore it is important not to skip breakfast. At the same time breakfast should not be too greasy, too sweet or overly heavy. An oatmeal breakfast with fat-free milk and a tablespoon of nuts is ideal. If one doesn't have the time a fat-free yogurt is an excellent idea for people on the go.

Tip 10 Drink coffee or tea

Have you ever felt refreshed after a cup of coffee or tea? That is because caffeine is a stimulant that works on the central nervous system. In fact coffee can rev up the metabolism by 5-8%, an equivalent of 98 to 174 calories a day. There is also some evidence that tea also aids weight loss. Therefore consuming coffee or tea as part of our daily diet appears to do more good than harm. However if you suffer from diabetes then you should avoid coffee as it causes blood sugar levels to become elevated. Even if you are diabetic you should go easy on the sugar and cream. In line with the maxim "everything in moderation" I have found that 2 cups a day, in the morning and in the late afternoon, works well for me.

Tip 11 Exercise smart

Effective fat loss requires both a combination of low calories and some level of physical activity. You need not worry about having to stick to some strict exercise regime though it would be great if you can. However do not despair if you cannot because you could also integrate your daily activities into what is known as Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis, or NEAT to boost calorie burning activities. Small movements such as leg movements, stretching, walking up the stairs, or even just standing when talking on the phone can boost calorie burning up to 350 calories a day.

Tip 12 Keep off alcohol

Alcohol slows down fat metabolism. As little as two drinks can slow down fat metabolism by 75 %. In addition alcohol causes dehydration. Dehydration causes your body to lose water and interfere with fat metabolism. Therefore keeping off from alcohol is a very effective way to ensure a high fat metabolism.

Ilango's website http://www.fatfurnacesite.com is devoted to empowering as many people as possible to the easy way to lose weight and reclaim their confidence and health by inducing their body's natural fat burning process.