Six surprising fat loss facts

Dr. Chirag Sethi* and Dr. Swarna Anchal**

*Director, Classic Fitness Academy, New Delhi.

**Technical Writer, Classic Fitness Academy, New Delhi.

Introduction

Once you decide to improve your overall health or simply want to drop a couple of pounds, then you must be familiar with the common recommendations meant for fat loss. You will be guided to drink more water, get enough sleep, and include fruits and vegetables in meals, and so on. However reducing fat can be quite challenging, whether you follow a strict diet, spending extra time at the gym, or exploring weight loss supplements, you may always be interested in keeping up with the latest tips from the fitness industry. Here are 6 surprising fat loss facts to help you reach your goals and feel and look healthier.

Fat Targeting Doesn’t Work

Everyone wants to change certain parts of their body, the waistline, thighs, butt, and arms are common areas in which people tend to store excess body fat. Many people try targeted fat loss or “spot reduction,” exercises to slim down specific areas of their bodies. Unfortunately, spot reduction, or targeting only a specific area of your body, does not work. Our bodies are not made to work that way but it doesn’t mean that you won’t be able to tone up that specific body part. The best way to tone up and lose fat is to focus on all muscle groups equally and to stick to a total-body workout.

Follow high protein diet

Protein-rich foods are an effective way to reduce appetite and burn more fats in the body. Many studies have shown that eating high-quality protein in every meal is associated with a lower risk of belly fat. A high-protein diet not only helps preserve muscle mass and metabolism during weight loss but also increases feelings of fullness, decreases appetite, and reduces calorie intake. Some examples of protein-rich foods include meat, seafood, eggs, legumes, and dairy products. One should also consider small portion sizes and different varieties of foods.

Long Cardio Sessions Aren’t Always Helpful

Long cardio exercises are very challenging and require more energy, which may make you eat more and ultimately interrupt your fat loss. To lose fat, interval training exercise, strength training, and a balanced, nutritious diet are required. Cardio sessions will give you fat loss results but for a temporary period as your lean body mass and metabolism will not increase which ultimately helps in fat loss during rest also. Instead, go for a mix and match of cardio and strength training sessions.

Load Up on Vitamin D

As per studies, Vitamin D not only helps the body to absorb calcium but also helps you lose weight. When you consume Vitamin D with a low-calorie diet it increases the burning capacity of fats more and helps you shed more pounds. Many people are deficient in vitamin D regardless of how much time they spend in the sun, so it's necessary to look for the right supplement and the right dosage to ensure you’re getting exactly what you need. 

Fill up on fiber

Soluble fiber as go down to digestive tract, absorbs water and keep you fuller for longer time. Diet rich in fiber helps in losing fat and thus avoid weight gain. Increase in 10 grams of fibers in diet not only help in losing 3.7% fat but reduce overall 10% calorie intake also. Fruits, vegetables, legumes, whole grains, nuts and seeds are a few examples of fiber rich diet. 

Reduce refined carbs

Refined carbs are low in fiber and nutrients and have high glycemic index. They tend to spike blood sugar level hence increased hunger. Studies have shown that more refined carbs in diet have more risk to disease promoting belly fat. For the best results cut down pastries, pasta, processed foods, and white bread from diet or replace them with whole cereals, fruits, and veggies.

The Bottom Line

There are abundant options available to help you shed excess fat and improve your health. Try to incorporate some healthy habits into your routine and switch up your diet can make a big difference. Even minor changes to your lifestyle can have positive effects on fat burning. Be sure to pair these simple tips with a nutritious, well-rounded diet and active lifestyle to simultaneously boost fat breakdown and improve your overall health.

References

1. Ho SS, Dhaliwal SS, Hills AP and Pal S (2012). The effect of 12 weeks of aerobic, resistance, or combination exercise training on cardiovascular risk factors in the overweight and obese in a randomized trial. BMC Public Health 12: 704.

2. Hunter GR, Byrne NM, Sirikul B, Fernandez JR, Zuckerman PA, Darnell BE, Gower BA (2008). Resistance training conserves fat-free mass and resting energy expenditure following weight loss. Obesity (Silver Spring), 16(5):1045-51.

3. Loenneke JP, Wilson JM, Manninen AH, Wray ME, Barne JT, Pujol TJ (2012). Quality protein intake is inversely related to abdominal fat. Nutr Metab 27; 9 (1):5.

4. Pratley RE, Hagberg JM, Dengel DR, Rogus EM, Muller DC, Goldberg AP (2000). Aerobic exercise training-induced reductions in abdominal fat and glucose-stimulated insulin responses in middle-aged and older men. 

5. J Am Geriatr Soc48(9):1055-61.

6. Harpaz E, Tamir S, Weinstein A, Weinstein Y (2017). The effect of caffeine on energy balance. J Basic Clin Physiol Pharmacol 1;28(1):1-10.

7. Icken D, Feller S, Engeli S, Mayr A, Muller A, Hilbert A, Zwaan M (2016) Caffeine intake is related to successful weight loss maintenance. Eur J Clin Nutr;70(4):532-4.

8. Rock CL, Emond JA, Flatt SW, Heath DD, Karanja N, Pakiz B, Sherwood NE, Thomson CA (2012). Weight loss is associated with increased serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D in overweight or obese women. 

9. Obesity (Silver Spring) 20(11):2296-301.