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Easier Ways to Shed Fat

You don't need a personal trainer to shed some fat. With any weight loss or weight control plan, it is important to prioritize your health above other considerations such as fast weight loss. It can be difficult and tiring to wade through all of the different diet plans and decide which is best for you. However, there are certain things you can do that have been proven to reduce body fat.

  1. Substitution

    • Substitute low-fat versions of foods you already eat. For instance, it's smart to eat nuts because they are high in fat and protein, so they will keep you full longer than carb-based snacks such as chips or crackers. However, soy nuts are significantly lower in fat than cashews, macadamia nuts and even almonds. The same goes for cheese. Instead of reaching for a block of full-fat cheese, choose a low-fat cheese snack.

    Sugar

    • When you consume more calories from sugar than you burn off, those calories get stored in your body as fat cells. Reduce sugar by drinking water instead of juice or soft drinks. While many low-calorie versions of sweet drinks exist, there are potential dangers in consuming artificial sweeteners such as aspartame. Instead, you can try diluting sweet drinks with some water. Avoid candy and other snacks high in sugar, and get your sweet fix with natural sugars from fruit and berries. Another benefit of fruit is that it is high in fiber. Foods that are high in fiber, such vegetables and whole grains, are proven to help reduce fat.

    Portion Size

    • Even if you limit yourself to healthy, well balanced meals, you may be struggling to shed fat because you are simply eating more than you need. Look up recommended amounts of different types of food for your body profile (height, weight, age and so on). Give yourself at least 30 minutes to eat a meal. Drink a glass of water before eating, and chew your food slowly. After you've eaten a smaller amount than you typically eat, give yourself 15 minutes to see if you're still hungry or if you've grown accustomed to eating too much.

    High Intensity Exercise

    • High intensity exercise is a proven to burn more fat than low intensity, long duration cardio exercise. Spending 20 minutes a day on high intensity exercise will help to increase your metabolic rate all day. In addition to cardio, lifting weights will increase muscle mass, which helps to burn fat better than cardio training alone.

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