If your main goal is fat reduction, you’re not alone. Many people want to tone certain areas of their body and maintain a lean, trim figure – especially during the summer months when clothing is minimal. But burning fat is much easier said than done. In fact, according to Nutrition.gov, you need to burn off 3,500 calories more than you take in to lose just one pound of body weight. That requires shaving off 500 calories each day to lose one pound a week, or 1,000 calories each day to lose 2 pounds a week.
Keeping all of that in mind, you might decide to skip your daily candy bar or muffin for the sake of your future 6-pack abdomen – but there are also a number of other strategies you can take when developing a diet plan to burn away your fat. Here’s what you need to do.
Are you getting enough protein?Eat more protein
It’s recommended that you take in 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight each day. If you’re trying to lose weight, use your goal weight as a basis of measurement. For example, if you’d like to get down to 140 pounds, you should be consuming 140 grams of protein each day. Chicken, eggs, nuts and low-fat cheese are all great sources of protein.
Drink cold water
Staying hydrated is key to looking and feeling great, and drinking cold water can help you achieve your goals even faster. The energy it takes your body to warm up the water you consume can help boost your metabolism and, in turn, promote fat burning. Plus, there’s nothing better than a cold glass of water after a tough workout – so, drink up!
Add some spice
Tossing in some red pepper flakes to your next stir fry dinner won’t just add intense flavor – it’ll also help you shed your fat. Capsaicin, the compound that gives chili peppers their heat, jumpstarts your metabolism and makes your body burn off calories. Just 1 tablespoon of the substance is enough to shed fat.
Caffeine can help boost your metabolism.Drink coffee
If you’re like many people, you drink a cup of coffee every morning. Fortunately, this is most likely working in your favor. Caffeine in moderation can boost your metabolism and fight off body fat. Tea drinkers can also benefit from the caffeine that’s naturally included in certain types, like green tea. Whether you choose coffee or tea for your morning beverage, you’re successfully fighting fat. Just be sure to not add too much cream, sugar or other fatty ingredients to your drink, as doing so could negate your fat shedding efforts.
Add more fiber
Cereal that’s packed with fiber may not be your first choice when perusing the aisle of your grocery store, but you might want to change that. Adding more fiber to your diet is a great way of burning fat. You can also find high amounts of the substance in whole grains, like bread and crackers, and certain fruits and vegetables.
Try new methods
These techniques can only go so far. Sometimes, no matter how much you change up your diet and exercise plan for the better, you’re still left with pudge in some areas. If your trouble areas are your abdomen, love handles or inner or outer thighs, you may be a good candidate for CoolSculpting. The procedure is a noninvasive, effective approach to reducing levels of fat in these areas of the body. Sessions last an hour, and results can be seen after just one treatment.
