The secret to having an amazing body is having a low body fat percentage. Even if you have big muscles, if you’re fat, you can’t see any of the muscles underneath. So today, I will review some of my favorite fat-burning hacks that I wish I had known sooner. These hacks are ones that I’ve learned over the years that have really made it easier because I used to be in the mindset that I had to eat perfectly every day and that if I didn’t get enough protein, I wouldn’t lose body fat. The truth is it’s calories in and calories out — as simple as that formula.
Also, your basal metabolic rate should be calculated because it’s important to know how many calories your body uses daily to maintain and survive. If you want to lose fat, it’s a simple math formula. 1 lb of fat equals 3,500 calories. So, if you want to lose 1 lb of body fat a week, you must reduce your caloric consumption by 3,500 weekly. Which breaks down to about 500 calories a day. So you could consume 500 calories less, burn 500 calories with exercise, or do a combination of both. Here’s how to calculate your BMR.
Hacks to increase fat loss
- Intermittent fasting. Intermittent fasting has been a game changer for me because it’s allowed me to maintain a low body fat percentage, and it’s healthy. It allows me to do cardio on an empty stomach first thing in the morning. There are a few different methods in which I use the 16/8, where I don’t eat for 16 hours in a 24-hour period. I’m consuming my calories for the day in an 8-hour period, during which my first meal starts around noon and my last one will be around 8:00 p.m. For 16 hours, I don’t consume anything other than water or coffee. You must ensure your eating window is filled with healthy, clean, high-quality foods.
- Specific sleep. How you turn your body into a fat-burning machine during sleep is to turn the temperature to 65° because you’ll burn 7% more calories at night. Also, you will gain body fat if you’re not getting enough sleep. You need to make sleep a priority. Floating weight is when, during the night, your body will metabolize, lose fluids, and lose weight.
- Cardio on an empty stomach. Fasted cardio works. When you wake up in the morning, you’ve been fasting since your last meal before you went to bed. When you do cardio, your body utilizes the fatty acids (aka stored body fat). It uses this as energy to keep you going. Choose whatever cardio that you will do and enjoy. I choose cardio that burns the most calories: jumping rope, specifically Cross Rope. The workouts are addictive and engaging.
- Drink more water. Drinking water will not burn fatty body fat, but if you increase the amount of water you’re consuming, it will suppress your appetite, make your body process better, not retain as much subcutaneous water, and instantly feel better and leaner. You should consume over a gallon of water daily and add lemon because it’s a natural diuretic. Drinking cold water will also help burn more calories because your body has to heat it up.
- Diet. (1) L-carnitine is an amino acid that is a natural supplement you can take, which makes your body use fat as energy. I take it in the morning before I do fasted cardio. (2) Plan your diet. You need to plan prior what you’re eating. This includes when you go out to a restaurant because when you dine out, a lot of hidden, sneaky calories are in the food. Plan your meals in advance if you want to reduce your caloric intake.
