Burning fat is a two-part process that involves a reduction in calories and an increase in exercise. While weight lifting is one way to help build lean muscle and increase metabolism, aerobic exercise is the only method that can actually burn fat. Those who want to burn fat will need to burn more calories than they consume.
The first step to burn fat is to determine how much weight you want to lose as well as how many calories you should eat in a day. Most people need between 1,500 and 2,000 calories per day, but this can vary based on age, activity level, gender, and medical condition. Any questions should be directed to a doctor or registered dietitian.
When considering calorie intake, it is also important to consider the types of foods consumed. When trying to burn fat or simply to live a healthy lifestyle, calories should predominantly come from vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and lean protein. Processed foods containing sugars and fats should be avoided, as well as simple carbohydrates; these are converted to fat within the body. Alcohol should be avoided as well. Some people find that smaller meals more frequently throughout the day helps them to burn fat and boost their metabolism.
Once you have created your diet plan, the next step in burning fat is aerobic exercise. If you haven't exercised in a long time, or are extremely overweight, it is a good idea to visit a doctor to get clearance to exercise as well as any advice as to how to begin. Otherwise, it is best to start slowly and work your way up from low intensity workouts to high intensity workouts.
There are many different types of exercise that are fun and that can help to burn fat. Brisk walking, jogging, swimming, cycling, dancing, aerobics, or kickboxing are a few of the most popular. There are many gym classes offered in aerobics, or they may be done independently. For an aerobic exercise to be effective, the heart rate needs to be increased for a sustained period of time. Experts generally recommend exercising from 30 to 60 minutes per day, three to five days a week.
Be sure to add variety to the exercises to prevent hitting a weight loss plateau. In addition, it is a good idea to add some weight training and stretching exercises to the program as well. Cutting back on calories and increasing aerobic exercise is the only way to lose weight and burn fat in a healthy way.