If you’re on a mission to start burning calories and shedding weight you’re certainly not alone. In fact, nearly half of the population in America revealed they’ve tried to lose weight at some point over the past year.
Unfortunately, statistics for weight loss in America reveal that only about 20% of hopeful dieters are actually successful at taking off the weight for good.
Lucky for you, you won’t be another victim of the weight loss failure statistics. If you’re ready to start feeling the burn, we’ve got you covered.
Follow along to discover our favorite fat-burning tips and tricks to kick start your weight loss journey and finally see the results you deserve.
Start Strength Training
It’s a common belief that the best way to start burning calories is by clocking hours on cardio machines.
While increasing your cardiovascular exercise does contribute to getting fit and shedding weight, hours on end at the treadmill isn’t the only way to do it.
The problem with long, steady-state cardio is that it actually kicks your body into a stressed state. Unfortunately, this can actually prevent you from burning the calories you think you are.
To overcome this, consider working weight training into your workout routine. Resistance and strength training works to build your muscle mass and burn fat. What’s more, is that strength training can actually fire up your internal systems to increase the number of calories you burn after the workout is done. How’s that for feeling the burn?
Cut Back on Happy Hour
We all love a glass of wine at the end of a hard day or a night out on the town to blow off some steam. Unfortunately, those cocktails and boozy beverages aren’t doing you any favors when it comes to dropping weight.
The problem with alcohol is that in order to process it, your body has to dedicate a ton of energy to get it out of your system. This means that the metabolic structures that are normally breaking down your food are preoccupied with the invasive alcohols.
Beyond this, alcoholic beverages are full of empty calories and often encourage you to eat even more than you normally would without the happy influence.
While you don’t have to miss out on all the fun, we highly recommend keeping your alcoholic intake to a minimum when losing weight.
Drink Your Coffee
Just when you thought you’d have to give up all the vices that keep you going, you get a pleasant surprise.
Although there are many debates on whether or not coffee is good or bad for you, there’s one thing we can be certain of – caffeine boosts metabolism.
That’s right, by sipping on your morning favorite, you’re stimulating your nervous system and encouraging your metabolism to wake up and get moving. Of course, the catch here is that sugars and creamers aren’t included.
Pack in Protein
Not all calories are created the same. Your diet breaks down into three categories also known as macronutrients.
Macronutrients are your protein, carbs, and fats, and together they make up all of the calories you consume throughout the day. Of course, each of them impacts our bodies in different ways.
For example, if you ate a 200 calorie chocolate bar (carbs and fats) vs. a 200 calorie chicken breast, you’d feel a definite difference from the meal. While the chocolate bar probably gives you a hit of energy, the protein from the chicken breast makes you feel more full and satiates you for longer.
Not only does it make you feel fuller, protein actually helps to preserve your muscle mass and maintain your metabolism when dieting. All of these reasons add up to reveal the undeniable benefits of getting enough protein.
Add Some Vinegar
You’ve likely already heard of the apple cider vinegar trend, perhaps you’ve even tried it yourself. While throwing back a shot glass full of vinegar every morning sounds certifiably crazy, the truth is that there is some science-backed proof to this method to help you burn away fat.
Vinegar is actually known to help you control your blood sugars which address those highs and lows in energy you feel throughout the day. These energy spikes are also what influences cravings and feelings of hunger. Simply put, when you feel tired, your body craves a quick pick me up to keep you going.
Beyond this, vinegar can actually increase the feeling of fullness you get after a meal and reduce your overall appetite, thus helping you achieve that caloric deficit.
Swap Your Sips
Are you still sipping on sodas and juices to wet your whistle?
Although it’s been said a million times before, it’s worth mentioning that sipping your calories is a phenomenal waste.
Not only do these drinks not help you feel full, but the sugar content also encourages those blood sugar spikes we mentioned above. This means you’ll actually feel more hungry and consume even more calories. Unfortunately, the same is true for those diet beverages too.
If water is too boring for your tastes, try mixing it up with soda water and fruit. If you must drink your calories, make it a nutrient-dense smoothie or freshly squeezed juice to increase your vitamin intake and fuel your body.
Include Healthy Fats
When dropping weight, many dieters will follow strict, low-fat diets to cut out calorie-dense foods.
While fat does have the most calories per gram out of the three macronutrients, it’s not actually the bad guy! The truth is, your body needs a balance of all three macronutrients to maintain function and keep you upright.
The key to this is finding sources of healthy fats instead of binging on trans or saturated fat.
Healthy fats found in nuts, seeds, avocado, fish, and even high-quality cooking oils help your body function at an optimal state and encourage metabolic function. In fact, you may even notice a difference in the appearance of your skin, hair, and nails with the addition of healthy fats.
Prioritize Sleep
When you adopt a workout regime and start cooking healthier meals, it can feel a bit like you don’t have enough time in the day to do everything you want to. Unfortunately, this can lead many dieters to neglect their rest in favor of packing in their favorite activities.
While keeping up with the things you love is great, it becomes a problem with they take precedence over your sleep.
If scrolling on your phone or catching up on a Netflix series is keeping you awake at night, it’s time for a change. Sleep is not only necessary but vital for your weight loss success.
Your body performs important rest and recovery while you sleep that encourages normal hormone secretion and stabilizes your bodily functions – including your metabolism. Bottom line: You need to prioritize at least 7-8 hours of sleep for sustainable results.
Fill Up on Fiber
Fiber is to gut health as air is to life.
If you still think the only thing fiber is good for is helping you go to the toilet, you’re sadly mistaken. While fiber is great for regulating your digestion, it’s also essential for keeping your guts healthy and well.
Beyond this, fiber plays a large role in making you feel full and can help you cut down on your calories without feeling deprived.
Stack Your Supplements
It may be necessary to reduce your caloric intake to lose weight, however, reducing your vitamins won’t help. In order to cut weight and maintain results, you’ll need to ensure your body is getting enough of the raw ingredients that it needs to fuel regular functions.
Fortunately, there are a plethora of supplements designed to help you meet the daily requirements for nutrition with ease.
On top of this, you can actually use supplements to encourage faster results by triggering your metabolism or boosting your muscle growth. Companies like Wilson Supplements have a huge selection of weight-loss supplements to help you feel the burn and take off the weight.
Reduce Stress
Last but certainly not least, if you’ve been working hard but still aren’t seeing results, you could be suffering self-sabotage you didn’t even know existed.
Stress is an incredibly damaging thing. It keeps us up at night, makes us feel sore and tired, and yes – sabotages your weight loss.
Feelings of stress are connected to higher calorie consumption and reduced metabolic function. This means that big project at work could be the reason behind your sudden plateau. To combat this, practice regular stress management by taking part in activities and things that make you feel good.
By releasing the feel-good hormone, you’ll experience a drop in the high-stress hormones that harm your system and increase your chances of seeing the results you’ve worked so hard for!
Feeling the Burn and Getting Fit
Now that you know these key tips and tricks for shedding weight, it’s time to start feeling the burn! From switching up your training to releasing stress, we’re confident you’ll be burning calories like never before.
Want more tips and tricks for your weight loss journey? Check out our other articles to discover all things health and fitness to guide your fat-burning success and supercharge results!
Read More: 5 Things You Can Do to Improve Sleep Quality
