Modern life can be busy and we are always on the go, which can take its toll on our bodies. We end up neglecting and failing to care for them properly, and this can lead to health problems such as weight gain. Read on to find out how to give your metabolism a hand and torch unwelcome fat:
Drink lots of water
Hydrating yourself regularly improves both your mental and physical health, and your performance inside and outside the gym. It also affects your metabolism and helps to burn up to 25% of fat, along with aiding recovery and muscle growth.
Avoid eating toast
Every morning, your muscles and fat cells are prone to absorb carbs. Your fat cells in particular will convert the carbs to fat and store them. Opt for a breakfast filled with protein instead, including eggs, yoghurt or nuts.
Relax
Studies have shown that your commute to work is the most stressful part of your day. This stress can lead to some people eating too much fatty or sugary food. Try downloading a tune with a BPM of 60, such as ‘Weightless’ by Marco Union. This will move in sync with your brainwaves and heart rate, and take your mind off the stress.
Keep Moving
Sitting down for long periods of time can lead to health problems, such as obesity and diabetes. Do some work that requires you to stand up as much as you can.
Eat Healthily
Bodybuilders choose to fast before cardio sessions, but this is not recommended for everyone else. Studies have shown that eating foods filled with carbohydrates and protein before a training session helps you work out better for longer, increases the amount of fuel you use and enables you to burn more fat. This effect can even last at least a day after your workout.
Finish off your workout
If you’re trying to build muscle, try some “finisher circuits” that burn fat and work out both the upper and lower body. At the end of your session, do five push-ups, three pull-ups and seven squats as many times as you can for five minutes.
Match the colours of your food
Research has shown that the size and colour of your plate affects how much you eat. You eat up to 25% more food if you match colours. For example, you will eat more green vegetables if you use a green plate.
Eat carbohydrates
Forget the myth that says you shouldn’t eat carbs after 6pm. Eating carbs later in the day encourages reduced fat levels. People who have done so have also said they felt more satisfied with their diets.
Drink earlier in the day
Drinking alcohol can prevent fat burning, and can affect both growth hormones and sleep quality. The hormones help to aid muscle recovery and increase fat metabolism, and consuming alcohol before bed will reduce this process by 70%.
Darken your bedroom
Every night, turn all the lights in your bedroom off. Exposure to light will hinder sleep duration and depth, and this can affect the production of hormones that burn fat, so you may gain weight as a result. Your appetite could also be affected by disrupted sleep, and this could lead to increased calorie consumption.
Bibliography:
Price. D, ‘Torch Fat All Day, Every Day,’ Men’s Fitness magazine, March 2015.
