Instead of focusing on losing weight, consider shifting your attention to burning fat. By designing your diet and exercise program around the concept of fat loss, you can lower your body fat percentage without losing muscle or slowing down your metabolism in the process.
When planning your diet, avoid focusing only on calories. Instead, think about how the foods you eat affect your body. For instance, by eating foods that are high in fiber and complex carbohydrates, you can avoid spikes in your insulin levels after eating. Insulin tells your body that it is time to shift into fat-storing mode, causing your metabolism to slow down. Keeping your insulin levels low by eating the right foods can give your metabolism a boost, encouraging your body to burn fat rather than storing it.
The section below lists some of the most effective fat burning foods. Try incorporating as many of these foods as possible into your diet to start seeing results right away:
Fish
Fatty fish like sardines, salmon, and mackerel are high in omega-3 fatty acids. When consumed regularly, fish can positively impact the levels of two hormones in your body, increasing leptin levels while at the same time lowering cortisol levels. Together, these changes improve your body’s ability to burn fat, making it faster and easier to reach your fat-loss goals. If you aren’t a big fan of fish, you can get the same benefit by taking a fish oil supplement.
Coffee
Drinking coffee during the day as well as before workouts can help you burn more fat in a couple of different ways. For one thing, the caffeine that is found in coffee naturally causes your body to burn more calories by increasing your heart rate and stimulating your nervous system.
Additionally, the caffeine gives you more energy, allowing you to work out at a more intense level for a longer period of time before becoming fatigued. By allowing you to push your workouts to the max, drinking coffee can go a long way toward helping you burn more fat.
Yogurt
Yogurt provides a number of fat-burning benefits. For one thing, it is high in protein. As a result, it can help you feel full for a longer period of time after eating, preventing unnecessary snacking. To get the biggest benefit, consider choosing Greek yogurt for its higher protein content.
Additionally, it also helps repopulate the gut with beneficial bacteria. This can result in better digestion, allowing you to get more nutrients from the food that you eat while at the same time minimizing bloating and other signs of digestive discomfort.
Finally, yogurt is high in calcium. Numerous studies have shown a correlation between calcium and fat burning. Based on the research, overweight individuals who increased their calcium intake saw a dramatic improvement in their body’s ability to burn fat.
Choosing the right fat burning foods will make it faster and easier for you to reach your weight-loss goals. Best of all, by focusing on burning fat rather than just losing weight, you can become lean and toned without losing muscle in the process.
