What Makes a Person Burn Fat?

Fat is a fuel that the body can use during exertion; although it's not the only fuel, it's the one most visible when there is too much of it. Burning fat efficiently is desirable, and the key to efficient fat burning is metabolic rate. Exercise is recommended for this reason, because the metabolic rate stays elevated after exercise ends. Metabolic rate slows with age, so the boost to keep it working most efficiently is exercise.

The Body Mechanism

• No matter what the latest fat burning or weight loss craze is, a pound still equals 3,500 calories. Burn 3,500 calories more than you ingest and you will lose one pound. Consume a net gain of 3,500 calories, and you'll gain a pound. Most women have no more than 130 pounds of lean body mass, and therefore can't eat more than 1,300 calories per day if they want to lose fat. Most men have 170 to 200 pounds of lean body mass, and therefore should consume 1,700 to 2,000 calories per day to lose fat.

Weight Bearing Exercise

• Slow-motion strength training is an intense form of weight training, wherein weights are lifted and lowered very slowly--10 seconds up and 10 seconds down. The pace helps people avoid the injuries sustained with rapid movement, and is the chosen exercise regimen for the elderly and those rehabilitating after an injury. The key benefit of slow motion resistance training is that it is both anaerobic and aerobic at the same time. According to C. Leigh Broadhurst, Ph. D., author, research geochemist and Visiting Scientist at the USDA's Environmental Management and Byproduct Utilization Laboratory, you can do this kind of workout once a week and be in better shape than an avid jogger.

The Fiber Benefit

• Dietary fiber is both soluble and insoluble. Soluble fiber dissolves in water, and is the type found in fruits, for example. Insoluble fibers don't dissolve, and therefore aid digestion and fat burning. Insoluble fibers are commonly found in whole grains and nuts. Not more than 100 years ago, average daily fiber consumption was 40 to 50 grams. Today, it is half that. Boost the fiber closer to 40 grams per day, and fat loss will occur, because some dietary fat binds to the fiber and is carried out of our bodies.

The Glucose Question

• The human body supplies glucose to everyone as needed for activity. The more vigorous the activity, the more glucose is used as energy. Unfortunately in the US, consumption of glucose is far too high. It began with the development of high fructose corn syrup in the 1970s. High fructose corn syrup does not spoil at room temperature. When low-fiber grains and quick cooking cereals are eaten, they're metabolized as glucose within our bodies. Finally, there's alcohol. Once it's consumed, it is also metabolized as glucose in our bodies. That's a lot of sugar, stored as fat if not burned.

Olive Oil Benefits

• Monounsaturated fatty acids are those found in olive oil. Monounsaturated fatty acids, or MUFA, as they are called, can help burn fat. Consider calories from MUFA replacing calories from simple carbohydrates. MUFA-rich foods include olives, almonds, avocados, macadamia nuts, peanuts, seeds and dark chocolate. Substituted isocalorically, meaning the calorie switch is equal, less food is consumed. MUFA have nine calories per gram while carbohydrates have only four. MUFA is also burned off as energy; it is not stored in the body.