Building Muscle to Burn Fat

Fat is the accumulation of excess energy. If you don’t burn off the calories you consume, they will be stored as fat. If you build muscle mass, you will not only feel better and look leaner, you will actually start to burn fat at a much faster rate.

That’s because muscles tissue is an incredible fat-burner. The more lean muscle mass you have, the more calories you burn, even at rest. With that in mind, it makes sense to add strength training to your weekly routine.

First, find out how much of your body is made up of fat, and how much is made up of lean muscle. This measurement is your body fat percentage. You can find guides online which help you determine your body fat percentage, but if you’re a first-time measurer, you might get better results by asking your doctor or fitness trainer to measure it for you.

Some “smart” scales can even calculate your body composition by sending a painless signal through your body. The signal returns data that tells you how much of your weight comes from fat, muscle, bone, and fluid.

A healthy body fat percentage for women ranges from 14% (for a young, athletic woman) to 35% (for women over 65). Males have more natural muscle mass than females, so men can be healthy with body fat percentages between 6% and 25%.

Calorie-burning Activities

If you hate exercising, it’s probably because you’re not getting the right kind of exercise. Some people are perfectly happy running on a treadmill day in and day out, but there are many more who dread the monotony.

If boredom is keeping you from getting a healthy amount of cardio, mix up your routine with some fun activities. Group sports like basketball and flag softball burn far more calories per hour than a treadmill, and they’re fun and social to boot. Call up some friends, or visit your local activity center to sign up for an amateur sports league.

Swimming is another great way to burn calories. Jump in the pool and paddle around, then jog as fast as you can in the shallow end. The water provides enough resistance to kick your metabolism into high gear. If you have a local beach, brisk walking on the sand will burn more calories than walking on pavement.

Vitamins, Herbs & Supplements

Many herbs and supplements are marketed as fat-burners. Some claim to increase the body’s core temperature, resulting in a higher basal metabolic rate. Others purport to stimulate the liver, causing it to metabolize fat at a higher rate. Still others are thought to increase your heart rate, leaving you in the fat-burning zone for longer periods of time as you work out.

So which supplements are for real, and which ones should you avoid? Obviously, there is no miracle pill that leads to instant weight loss. If that were the case, obesity would no longer be a problem. But there are in fact a few supplements that have been linked to faster weight loss.

The very best supplements for fat loss include green tea, guggul, and dandelion. Each of these supplements has been studied and found to have measurable results on weight loss. Guggul in particular was found to help dieters lose 6 times as much weight as others who were given a placebo pill.

The Importance of Hydration

We’re often told about the importance of adequate water intake, but do you know why it’s so important? Water can contribute to weight loss – even fast weight loss – in several ways.

First, since our bodies need water to survive, they have a self-defense reaction when we don’t consume enough water. In response to dehydration, they start to hold on to every bit of fluid they get. This is called fluid retention, or bloating, and it can cause the scale to leap up by several pounds.

The cure for bloating is to drink more water. If you drink at least 8 glasses a day, your body will start to let go of the fluid it has been retaining. Your waist will shrink, and you will lose some superfluous pounds.

5 Ways to Lose Weight Without Even Trying

Drink Water

Besides keeping you hydrated, recent studies show that drinking water on the regular can aid with weight loss. Filling up on water before a meal helps encourage portion control, and simply eating foods that contain a lot of water (like fruits and veggies) will fill you up faster, causing you to eat less. A small study found that drinking cool water can speed up metabolism and discourage cravings for sugary drinks like soda and juice — now that's a reason to stay hydrated!

Make Life About Fun

Since stress is shown to cause weight gain by triggering the body to eat more — especially foods high in sugar and fat — make sure you give yourself time to relax and unwind. And it's an added bonus that so many fun activities (like dancing, hiking, and shopping) are already natural calorie-burners!