There are several approaches and diets you can utilize to burn body fat. Are they the best? No. But do they work? Some Do.
The following three methods are the best when compared to most, presenting you the best chances for success. I have personally read the research and followed these methods myself, so I’m confident recommending them to you. So whether you want to lose a few pounds for your New Years Resolution or just want to do it for fun, give one of these science-backed methods for burning fat.
#1 Intermittent Fasting (IF): You want to know how Hugh Jackman got his physique for The Wolverine, well here is your answer.We all know, fasting is nothing new. People have been fasting for generations, but not only to lose weight. The human body is in a condition of either eating or fasting, but most people spend the bulk of their time in the fed state, not allowing a considerable amount of time to burn through the calories they packed on.
Intermittent Fasting is a method of setting up your diet that methodically incorporates periods of fasting. It can be taken on any number of ways, and variables include the number of days, as well as the length of the window during which the spout of calories is turned off.
Why/How Intermittent Fasting Works: The human body is intended to store fat so it can use it as needed. When we don’t eat, the body accesses this stored fat as a source of fuel. Research has shown that intermittent fasting can be an effective weight-loss tool because of its ability to increase fat oxidation, reduce body weight, and accelerate fat loss.
How To Do Intermittent Fasting: My personal limit for fasting is 16 hours, anything more than that, and I’ve found things get unpleasant. So when I want to cut down my body fat, I complete a daily fast of 16 hours followed by an 8-hour eating window where I consume all of my calories for the day.
For example, I wake up at 8 a.m., drink either black coffee and/or green tea, hit the gym, and begin my feed at 10 a.m. with my post-workout protein shake. I begin my fast at 6 p.m. In between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m., I’m eating quite often and quite a bit.
No matter which routine you follow, don’t fast for longer than 30 hours. More than this limit will lower your weekly caloric intake, which will result in a caloric deficit and will inhibit your ability to access fat as fuel.
Caution: Intermittent Fasting is not for everyone. Depending on the etiquette you choose to use, the long hours of calorie withdrawal can lead to low energy levels, fatigue, and headaches. But this diet can be very helpful for people who have trouble controlling portion sizes and who continuously feel the need to snack throughout the day.
#2 Carbohydrate Cycling: Carb cycling is a dietary method that switches back and forth on periods of lower and higher carbohydrate consumption. During the low-carb stage, the body diminishes its stores of muscle glycogen, which is the stored form of carbs. Your body must as a result switch to alternate forms of energy, like body fat.
This then leads to fat burning, and for some people, weight loss. The high-carb stage looks to replenish that lost muscle glycogen. The consequential rush in the hormone insulin delivers lost nutrients to the muscles, where they can be stored for future use.
Why/How Carb Cycling Works: The constant alternating between low and high carb days helps to up-regulate the metabolism, keeping both fat burning and muscle building hormones responding. The result: less fat, more muscle, and an improved physique.
How to Carb Cycle: The first step for carb cycling is to establish how many calories you should be eating. The next step is to establish the amount of each macronutrient you need to eat during the low and high carb phases. For low carb days, set your protein intake to 40-50 percent of your total calories. Carbs to 20 percent or less, and fats will make up the remaining. On high carb days, protein intake can be set to 30-40 percent, carbs should take up at least 50 percent, and fat will be set to less than 20 percent.
For the first 4-8 weeks, follow one high-carb day every 4-7 days, then alternate to one high-carb day every 3-5 days. Set aside your high-carb days for when you are performing your most intense workouts (such as Leg Day or Back Day) in order to fuel them and maximize recovery and muscle growth.
Final Thoughts on Carb Cycling: Cycling between high and low carb days helps to fire up metabolism and lessen cravings while keeping energy levels where they need to be. While the low carb days promote fat burning, the high carb days, accompanied with resistance training, promotes muscle building. High carb days will also make you feel more energetic.
#3 The Keto Diet: The Ketogenic Diet is high in fat, moderate in protein, and low in carbohydrates. In the end, fats should comprise the bulk of your calories, anywhere from 60-70 percent of your daily intake, and protein intake should be around 20-30 percent of your daily calories. Carbohydrate consumption is minor, usually 5-10 percent, and should not go over 50 grams per day.
Why/How The Keto Diet Works: Carbohydrates are so minimal on this diet that fat becomes the body’s main source of energy, this is called ketosis. When carbohydrates are low, the liver begins to transfigure fat stores and dietary fat into ketone bodies, which are able to fuel the brain and body in substitute of glucose.
How to do The Keto Diet: A keto diet must include higher-fat meats (like beef), fish, eggs, nuts, and healthy fats like those found in olive oil. There is no space in this diet for starchy carbohydrates, like oatmeal, whole grains, pasta, bread, rice and fruit.
Ketogenic diets can be rough, and they’re not for everyone. I followed this diet once, and it sucked. This diet can drain energy levels, cause harsh carb cravings, and can lead to a foggy brain, which can make it difficult to perform daily tasks properly.
However, once you become adapted to this diet, which takes several weeks, these symptoms tend to lessen or go away.
But this diet can produce major fat loss too. In one four-week study, subjects following a ketogenic diet (4 percent carbohydrate) lost significantly more weight than those following a medium-carbohydrate diet (35 percent carbohydrate).
Final Disclaimer: So if you want to burn some body fat, lose some weight, and get ripped, try one of these diets out. The results are not going to show up overnight, so you have to be disciplined and stay consistent with it. These diets are huge physical and mental battles, and can really suck if you are a major foodie. But I promise you, it will be well worth it in the end!