Let’s face it, who wouldn’t want to know how to burn fat fast? So we caught up with Lovisa Nilsson, in-house nutritionist for health and fitness app Lifesumto get the lowdown on exactly how. “For me good health is fundamentally about food choices, exercise habits and stress management, these factors contribute to a healthy body, mind and spirit,” – she told us.
1) What does it mean to say that a body ‘is in a fat-burning state’?
A ‘fat-burning state,’ otherwise known as ketosis, is a metabolic state where your body burns its energy from ketone bodies found in your blood rather as opposed to glycolysis, where glucose provides the energy. Your body basically begins to burn your fat to create energy, rather than burning the sugars you eat. This state can be achieved by eating very few carbs, more fat and watching your protein intake. I would personally suggest a moderate to low carb diet that allows 25% of your total calorie intake to come from carbs.
2) Is this something that we should all aim to do?
Dieting in this way is known for its very effective impact on weight-loss and I believe that more people should recognise the importance of including good fats in your diet. Knowing the way metabolism works is a great way to get to know your body and when and what you should eat.
3) What foods and drinks speed up our metabolism in this way?
Foods that are rich in fibre and protein can speed up your metabolism naturally, while avoiding carbohydrates and eating foods rich in fat, can put your body in a fat burning state.’ Here are some examples:
• Branched chain amino acids in egg whites kick-start the metabolism.
• Calcium in milk encourages your body to burn fat.
• Kale contains zero calories and high fibre levels.
• Soy beans are full of protein and amino acids making them a great muscle-building fat-burning food.
• A glass of grapefruit juice a day can help you burn body fat, speed up the metabolism and reduce appetite.
4) Which foods and drinks make for a sluggish metabolism?
Foods that are full of carbohydrates, starch and sugar such as white bread, pasta, fruit juice and legumes such as potatoes, raise the blood glucose levels, leading to high insulin content, which in turn leads to excessive fat storage.
5) It is to do with portion sizes at all?
Definitely! It is more effective to eat small portions on a regular basis to keep your metabolism going - skipping meals is not the answer to losing weight. When you have a small portion of food, you may feel hungry and want more, but I recommend waiting 10-20 minutes and drinking two cups of water – you will probably find you aren’t then hungry in the slightest. Always aim to have a large protein filled breakfast, a mid-morning healthy snack, a fibre-full lunch and as your metabolic processes have slowed in the evening, have a balanced dinner skipping out the sugar before bed time!
**6) Apparently eating good quality grass fed butter is a great way to burn fat is this true? **
Grass fed butter has been said to regulate cholesterol and has the best ratio of omega-3 to omega-6 fatty acids which has been said to reduce body fat. It is a new trend to add butter to your morning coffee, and there is evidence that proves that it does kick-start your body to burn fat for the rest of the day.
7) Where on a women’s body are the most stubborn areas of fat found?
For women it is usually around the waist, muffin tops, back, hips and thighs. The buttock area is normally the first place where excess energy is stored.
8) Does drinking green tea speed up your metabolism or is this a myth?
The active ingredient catechin (contained in green tea) and the benefits of caffeine have been proven to speed up your metabolism for up to 2 hours after drinking. Research has found that dieters who drank green tea lost more weight than dieters who did not. This suggests that catechins may well increase your body’s production of heat or energy from digestion. Further research shows that 5 cups of green tea can increase your metabolism by up to 90 calories a day.
9) Are there any supplements that can help?
Taking B-complex supplements and Vitamin B-12 can boost metabolism and energy levels by increasing muscle function, while green coffee bean pills help the body burn fat faster too. The chlorogenic acid found within the green coffee bean pill makes the body absorb glucose slower than usual, which leads to reduced insulin levels.
10) And is there anything we have missed?
My top tip for any kind of lifestyle change and weight loss is to drink lots of water. I cannot tell you enough how effective it is! Aim to drink up to 2 litres a day. If you try it for just a week, you will see a difference which will motivate you to keep up the good work.