Lose Fat, Keep It Off

Wondering how to burn body fat? You may be pleasantly surprised to hear that consuming fat actually helps you burn body fat consistently. This is a good thing, because not only does consuming fat help you burn body fat, it also has many other health benefits. Here's a case for eating fat, why you shouldn't just eat it as snacks, and why you should eat fat on a consistent basis to really burn body fat faster.

When you eat foods that are high in fat, they do two things. First of all, your metabolism will be high. This is good, because it means your body will work hard to burn calories and you'll burn more of them. Second of all, your body will convert these high calorie foods into higher amounts of ketones. Ketones are chemicals that your body breaks down to use as energy.

So in order to prevent yourself from using up your fat reserves as quickly as possible, you have to suppress your body's hunger for food. In a nutshell, your body must stop burning the stored calories as quickly as possible. To do this, you must cut out sugars and take low-glycemic index carbohydrates like whole grains and vegetables. The reason these carbs are high in sugar is because when you burn body fat, your blood sugar goes down too - and cutting out sugars ensures you won't experience rapid fluctuations in your blood sugar levels, which can cause weight loss.

Low-glycemic index carbohydrates will make you feel fuller longer, so you'll burn body fat longer. You'll also avoid many people's "slow carb" dilemma: many people who hate carbohydrates find it difficult to lose weight at a steady pace, since their bodies always run on auto-pilot mode when it comes to burning carbohydrates. If you follow a special diet where you eat one meal a day, then after an hour or so you're in a constant state of partial ketosis (ketones are a lot like glucose, except they can be more dangerous than glucose when they are used by your body). Once you've reached your ketosis point, your body will begin to use its fat reserves to make up for the shortfall in carbohydrates. That's why it's much harder for some people to burn body fat quickly - they always run on auto-pilot mode.

A great way to speed up your fat loss process is to workout. To lose weight, you need to do a variety of aerobic and muscle-strengthening exercises. To learn more about what exercises work best for your individual needs, talk to your doctor or visit a fitness center with a trainer. Many people, however, need to get started building their muscles and cardiovascular endurance before going back to their regular diets. That's where home gym machines or workout DVDs can come in handy.

In addition to eating healthy, you also need to make sure you're drinking enough water. Water helps you burn body fat because it hydrates your cells. It also regulates your bodily processes so that you're not just running around half asleep while you're trying to lose weight. Water also speeds up your metabolism, making it easier for you to burn calories. Of course, the recommended daily intake of water is around 8 cups, but if you don't have access to drinking water (and who does? ), water can supplement the amount you eat and the exercise you do.

Finally, you need to make sure your sleep is at least restful. Sleep is the body's most efficient fat loss mechanism. When you go to bed, your brain shuts down and your body goes into a sort of hibernation-like state. You can expect to lose around a pound of fat per night as a result of sleeping right, so make sure your nights are restful. To make sure you're getting enough sleep, set yourself up with a sleep schedule that works for you.

So there you have it. To burn body fat, you have to recognize when you have a moment of stored energy and you have to use that stored energy to burn off excess calories. You have to understand your own hormonal makeup so you can anticipate when you'll be at your most vulnerable. And you have to keep your blood sugar in balance. That way, you can expect to lose weight quickly and keep it off.