Losing weight doesn't have to be hard. There's never been more research done into ways to help you burn calories faster and more efficiently. Science is learning something new every day, from foods to boost our metabolism to workouts that keep the fat burning longer. Here are some of my favorite new discoveries to help burn calories quicker.
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Eat protein: You probably know that eating a diet high in protein is good for you. But, did you know that protein can actually burn fat itself? One new study found that when your body digests protein it burns up to 30 calories for every 100 protein calories consumed. That's a lot compared to the 7 calories burned digesting the same amount of simple carbs, like processed food. And best of all, you don't need to do anything. Your body does it for you!
Other foods that seem to boost weight loss: Yogurt, green tea, whole grain cereal, good fat from olive oil, avocados, nuts, eggs and beans. Fresh fruits and vegetables are also good foods to increase weight loss because they're naturally low in calories and high in vitamins and fiber. Plus, they have a high water content, which is another fat burner.
Exercise right: It's not just exercise, but how you exercise that can boost fat burning. Several studies show you will lose weight quicker if you exercise in bursts. Doing two 30-minute workouts with 20 minutes of rest in between burns more fat than exercising non-stop for an hour. This holds true with all types of exercise from running to walking to biking.
But if you want to boost your metabolism, make sure you incorporate vigorous aerobic exercise into your workouts. The University of Alabama at Birmingham found that 40 minutes of intense aerobic exercise can help the body continue to burn calories a full day after the work out.
Resistance training, like weight lifting, helps build muscle, which helps burn fat, even when you're not working out. Numbers vary, but most experts recommend 30 minutes of resistance exercise two or three times a week. And here's an interesting discovery. It turns out you will burn more calories if you lift weights after cardio, or aerobic exercise, rather than before.
Shocking ways to burn fat: Other studies show fat burning can result from things you wouldn't usually think about. For instance, people who wear jeans burn about 8 percent more calories per day than people who dress up. The reason? They tend to move more during the day. Listening to music while exercising also tends to bump up the fat burning. People tend to exercise longer because they're concentrating on the music instead of the workout.
Burning fat doesn't have to be complicated. Eat the right foods and get moving! It worked for me and it will work for you, too.
This post was originally published on October 10, 2013.
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