Many people fail to realize how simple it can be to burn extra calories throughout each day. While there are many different ways , this particular post discusses 6 different ways to do so to enable weight loss.

 

1. Perform HIIT

Many people use lack of time as an excuse for not exercising daily. I think this is because they think that it is necessary to spend 90+ minutes in the gym to get great results. However, it is entirely possible to get in a phenomenal muscle building and fat burning workout within a matter of minutes(10-30 minutes). With high intensity interval training(HIIT), short bouts of all out exercise are followed by short bouts of rest, repeated for a certain duration. Fatigue, heart rate, and increased rate of exertion will begin to build up very quickly, creating a fat burning effect on the body.

In addition, the body burns extra calories for hours post-exercise. According to(Hackney et al., 2015), HIIT increases post exercise metabolic rate after exercise more than jogging and even weight training. This same study also found that HIIT shifts the body’s metabolism towards burning predominantly fat for energy rather than carbs. Of course, weight training should still be employed, and optimal results can come from combining both if you have the time.

 

2. Eat Metabolism Boosting Foods

Certain foods create a fat burning effect more than others, primarily due to what is known as the thermic effect of food(TEF). This is the total number of calories that your body burns to break down, absorb, and store energy. In general, proteins carry the highest TEF at 20-30%. Carbs carry a 5-10% TEF, followed by fats at 0-3%(Tinsley, 2023).

High protein foods like lean red meat, eggs, chicken, and salmon carry a great TEF. An added bonus is that high protein foods also produce higher levels of satiety to help control caloric intake.

Spicy foods like chili peppers also invoke a high TEF, due to a chemical known as capsaicin. According to(Tinsley, 2023), as little as 2.5 mg of capsaicin daily can boost fat oxidation, and can also help with regulation of appetite. Many people are not fans of spicy foods, but drinking water in between each bite can help make these foods more tolerable.

Other foods like leafy greens, legumes, whole grains, spices like ginger, and coffee, green tea, and apple cider vinegar also help boost metabolism.

 

3. Drink More Water

It is astonishing just how many people fail to drink the recommended amount of water per day. It is  recommended that about 13 cups per day for be consumed for men, and 9 cups per day for women. This can be a struggle, because many dislike the plain taste of water. Putting mio in water can be a great way to add taste to make it more tolerable. Studies have shown that drinking at least 500 mL of water every day increases the body’s metabolic rate by an astonishing 30%(Adams et al., 2003). Water can also act to provide a satiation effect, better helping to control caloric intake. Try drinking 8-12 oz of water before each meal, and you’ll likely find the need to eat less food.

 

4. Utilize a Standing Desk/Treadmill

A sedentary lifestyle is one of the chief reasons for a slowed metabolism, and an office job largely plays into that. It is hard to get in enough steps or overall physical activity by moving around marginally from 9-5. An easy way to burn more calories while performing the exact same job at work is to invest in a standing desk. Standing has been shown to burn more calories than sitting. Over an 8 hour period 5 days per week, you’d be surprised at how many extra burned calories add up.

As for extra calories burned at home, you can perform the same work from your laptop walking on your treadmill that you would staying stationary on your couch by investing in a standing desk over the front of your treadmill. This will burn even more calories than having a standing desk, because you’re also moving. You will burn even more calories if you can do both. To put this into perspective, burning more calories than you consume seems like an easier process now, right?

 

5. Walk 10 Minutes After Each Meal

One of the major benefits of walking 10 minutes after each meal is that of improved digestion. Of course the caloric burn can also be ramped up pretty nicely too. Moving the body can help the digestion process by promoting stimulation of the stomach and intestines. This causes food to move through them at a faster rate(Tinsley, 2023). Furthermore, walking after eating improves blood sugar levels. This is because exercising after eating may ward off spikes in blood sugar levels, therefore reducing the amount of insulin required. A 2016 study conducted by (Mann et al.,) found that low intensity walking for 10 minutes after each meal yielded better results than walking 30 minutes during any other time for blood sugar management.

 

6. Stop Relying So Much On Your Vehicle

 

It is a habit of many people to park as close as possible to their destination so that they can minimize the amount of walking they have to do. I challenge you to make yourself walk a longer distance! Park at the far end of the parking lot. Don’t view it as an inconvenience, but as an extra opportunity to burn calories. The same can be said for walking to a nearby friends house or store. Rely more on your legs, and this will help build your endurance and overall physical health.

Final Points

Making a commitment to live an active lifestyle will pay off wonders in the long run. It truly does make weight loss easier. Even if you’re just trying to maintain your weight, taking on a more active lifestyle will allow you to eat more calories without putting on the pounds. If you want to know the exact amount of calories you’re burning during exercise and at rest, then the Fitbit versa 3 health and fitness smartwatch is a phenomenal watch to invest in. It comes with a built-in GPS, 24/7 heart rate, a built-in Alexa, and a battery life of 6+ days. You can purchase yours here using this Amazon link:

https://amzn.to/3rAiRYR

 

 

 

Sources

 

Adams, F., Boschmann, M., Hille, U., Klaus, S., Luft, F. C., Jordan, J., Sharma, A. M., Sharma, A. M., Tank, J., & Steineger, J. (2003, December 12). Water-Induced Thermogenesis. The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/14671205/#:~:text=Drinking%20500%20ml%20of%20water%20increased%20metabolic%20rate,lipids%20mainly%20fueled%20the%20increase%20in%20metabolic%20rate.

Hackney, A. C., Melvin, M. N., Roelofs, E. J., Smith-Ryan, A. E., Ryan, E. D., Trexler, E. T., & Wingfield, H. L. (2015, December 1). The Acute Effect of Exercise Modality and Nutrition Manipulations on Post-Exercise Resting Energy Expenditure and Respiratory Exchange Ratio in Women: A Randomized Trial. Sports medicine – open. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27747847/

 

Mann, J. I., Reynolds, A. N., Vann, B. J., & Williams, S. (2016, December 12). Advice to walk after meals is more effective for lowering postprandial glycaemia in type 2 diabetes mellitus than advice that does not specify timing: A randomised crossover study. Diabetologia. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27747394/

 

Tinsley, G. (2023, March 15). HIIT Benefits: 7 Reasons to Try High Intensity Interval Training. Healthline. https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/benefits-of-hiit#benefits