Burning fat: A technical guide (page 2 of 2)

This may also help stave off hunger.

Build Muscle

Muscle is metabolically active tissue. It requires more calories for the body to maintain a kilogram of muscle mass than it does to maintain a kilogram of fat tissue. For this reason, most effective fat loss programs include some form of resistance training to help maintain and possibly gain muscle tissue.

Open an Account with the Oxygen Bank

It is well known that aerobic exercise burns a high percentage of calories from fat. However, it does not burn as many calories overall as other activities. The body also recovers quickly from light aerobic activity.

Intense training including resistance training and high intensity cardiovascular exercise (such as hill training or sprints) burns a high amount of calories during the activity. More importantly, the intense activity creates what is known as an oxygen debt. The body's processes that are used to generate energy create a greater need to burn oxygen (and fat) as fuel. This causes the body to have an elevated metabolic rate for more than 24 hours after the event is complete as it expends energy to recover from the workout. This effect, referred to as Excess Post-Exercise Oxygen consumption (EPOC) not only helps burn more calories even while you are recovering, but some studies suggest has a greater impact on subcutaneous fat (fat beneath the skin - the visible fat you are trying to get rid of) than other forms of exercise.

Putting it All Together

The strategies outlined in this article address the issue of metabolic slowdown during phases of fat loss. What about the risk of overtraining and injury? This is easily addressed by employing theses strategies in an intelligent fashion. Here are a few tips to put it all together:

1. Zigzag your calories but don't overdo the exercise when you calories are lower. Always take a quality multivitamin to make up for any deficiencies you may encounter due to consuming fewer calories.

2. Adequate protein and healthy fats will not only help your metabolism, but will also improve your recovery. Exercise damages amino acids and protein helps replace them.

3. Consume large quantities of leafy green vegetables. These foods are dense with nutrients but light in calories.

4. Building muscle is important but don't overdo it. Take advantage of EPOC by engaging in short, intense training sessions. If you have to burn additional calories, allow your body to "actively recover" by adding light cardio later in the day.

5. Just as you have a week with higher calories when you zigzag your nutrition, build in a week where you perform less activity from exercise. This method, known as active recovery, can help you avoid injury and gives your body the break it deserves every few weeks or months.

With the right fat loss strategy in place, you'll be well on your way to discarding those last unwanted kilograms of fat.