How do I burn fat? How do I get lean? Probably the most common question I hear from current and potential clients. Nutrition is the biggest part to this equation and I’ve got some great tips to help you below.
1. Increase protein levels - A high-protein diet will not only stimulate hypertrophy (muscle building) but it can also enhance fat loss. Researchers found that significantly more body fat was lost by subjects who followed a high-protein diet (40% of total daily calories from protein) for eight weeks, than those who followed a low-fat/high-carb diet. The increased levels of peptide YY, a hormone that tells the brain to decrease hunger, is one reason behind why eating more protein can help burn more fat.
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2. Complex carbs - Choose slow-digesting whole grains such as brown rice, brown pasta and 100% whole-wheat bread to keep insulin levels low and steady. These foods will prevent insulin spikes from halting fat-burning ensure you don’t turn your body ito a fat-storing machine. A study conducted at Pennsylvania State University found that subjects following a low-calorie diet with carbs coming only from whole grains lost significantly more abdominal fat than those following a low-calorie diet with carbs from refined sources.
3. Add fats - Certain fats like omega-3s will not lead to fat gain, instead, they will actually stimulate fat loss. Eating fat to lose fat doesn’t sound like it should work, but if you keep your fat intake at about 30% of your total daily calories by choosing fatty fish such as salmon, sardines or trout as well as other healthy fat sources such as olive oil, peanut butter and walnuts, you can actually boost your fat loss efforts.
4. Eggs! - Eggs are packed with protein. They have been shown to help with muscle strength and mass. Research shows that consuming eggs for breakfast not only eat fewer calories throughout the day but also will help you to lose significantly more body fat. Scrambled eggs in the morning with some spinach and tomatoes is my recommendation.
5. More milk - Dairy products are rich in calcium. This property can help promote fat loss due to the fact that calcium regulates the hormone calcitriol. This hormone causes the body to produce fat and inhibit fat-burning. When calcium levels are adequate, calcitriol and fat production are suppressed while fat-burning is enhanced. Adding foods like low-fat cottage cheese, milk and yogurt (Greek or natural) to your diet are great ways to boost protein intake and aid fat loss.
6. Make it spicy - Hot peppers contain an ingredient called capsaicin. This is a chemical that has been proven to promote calorie-burning at rest as well as reduce hunger and food intake. Particularly effective when used with caffeine, it has also been shown to boost fat-burning during exercise.
7. Eat more nuts - Be sure to include nuts such as walnuts, almonds, Brazil nuts and macadamia in your diet. Significantly more body fat was lost during a study from Loma Linda university (California) when subjects opted for a low-calorie, high fat diet when the majority of their fats came from almonds in 24 weeks.
8. Go organic - Ofcourse, this option can be more expensive, but UK scientists found that organic milk had about 70% more omega-3 fatty acids than conventional milk, and a study published in the Journal of Dairy Science found that grass-fed cows produced milk containing 500% more conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) than cows who were fed grains. Organically raised cattle also produce meat that contains higher levels of CLA and omega-3 fats. So it would make sense to opt for the more expensive organic meat, cheese, cottage cheese, milk and yogurt as it has been shown that the extra properties it has like the omega 3’s and CLA has been shown to promote more fat loss and stimulate muscle growth.
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Have a good day,
Matt
Synergy Fitness Systems
About the author
Matthew Healey is a qualified personal trainer and sports therapist. Matt is the owner of Synergy Fitness Systems in the UK which has been helping people change their body and improve human and sports performance for several years.
Matt has worked with many different types of clients from professional athletes, to recreational sports people to the general fitness population.
Matt has extensive experience in the fitness industry and has worked in many different settings including a top human performance centre in San Diego owned by Todd Durkin as well as working with sports teams and individual athletes and clients.
Matt’s area of interest is human and sports performance, and injury prevention and rehabilitation. At Synergy Fitness Systems, Matt focusses on improving the function, efficiency and performance of each of his clients and athletes.
