Burning fat: A technical guide (page 1 of 2)

This article focuses on the technical aspects of losing fat and creating maximum changes to your body composition over a short period of time.

There are several reasons why someone may want to become stricter about their fat loss goals for a short period of time. When first starting a fat loss program performing a quick "sprint" to begin losing fat can be motivational and help sustain the change by providing more immediate results. Often those embarking on a weight loss journey encounter plateaus and require a change in strategy to move past those obstacles. Finally, and most often, you may find after losing a large amount of weight that those last few kilograms are the most stubborn and difficult to shed.

Technically, losing fat is simply about consuming fewer calories than are expended. Practically, however, it is more complex. There are many mechanisms at work that can interfere with steady fat loss. Understanding these and how to overcome them is the key to success.

The two major obstacles to consistent fat loss are:

1. Metabolic slowdown - people often find that prolonged periods of restricted nutrition result in a slower metabolic rate, meaning they burn fewer calories at rest and therefore have a harder time shedding fat

2. Overtraining - trying too hard to burn calories through exercise can lead to overuse syndrome, adrenal fatigue, and physical injury

The calories you burn each day are a combination of your basal metabolic rate (BMR) and the activities you engage in. An average BMR may range from 1600 - 2000 calories while an average exercise session may expend an additional 200 - 600 calories. It is obvious that the greatest contribution to calories over time is basic metabolism. Therefore, your training and nutrition should be designed to maximize your metabolic rate.

Here are a few strategies to maximize the process of burning fat:

Zigzag Your Calories

If you begin consuming only 1400 calories per day, your body will quickly adapt through a mechanism called homeostasis and slow its metabolic rate. To avoid this, adapt a strategy known as zigzagging calories. The zigzag approach is straightforward. You start at a higher calorie level and ramp calories down, then start over again. Here is an example zigzag schedule:

Week 1: 1600 calories per day
Week 2: 1500 calories per day
Week 3: 1400 calories per day
Week 4: 1600 calories per day
Week 5: 1500 calories per day

The zigzag slowly drops calories each week to cope with the metabolic slowdown. The fourth week then reintroduces a higher level of calories to allow the body to reset back to a higher metabolic rate. The average over time is still a caloric deficit, but changing the calories from week to week helps keep homeostasis in check.

Consume the Right Foods

Your body must expend calories to digest foods. This is known as the thermic effect of food. In addition, certain foods have been shown to increase overall metabolism. The food that requires the most energy to digest is protein. The food that appears to have a positive impact on overall metabolic rate is omega-3 fatty acids. Therefore, a diet that has a higher ratio of calories from proteins and omega-3 fatty acids may help elevate your metabolism and improve your ability to burn fat.

Vegetables, which are rich in nutrients and fiber, also may increase your metabolic rate. For both health and metabolic reasons, it makes sense to include an abundance of leafy green vegetables in your nutrition program.