12 Ways You Could Lose Fat Quickly
Achieving healthy fat loss is complex whether you are new to losing weight or you are a hardened fat loss pro.
Obesity or excessive weight gain is becoming a bigger problem worldwide. Levels of obesity have double in more than 70 countries since 1980. If you are looking to lose a little weight for your holiday or as a permanent lifestyle change then you are certainly not alone.
Metabolic rate is important in fat loss and weight gain. Ultimately for fat loss you need to maintain a rate of fat accumulation lower than fat use. The only way to do this naturally is to stimulate your metabolism so there is higher catabolism of fat than anabolism. This shifts energy balance from energy storage to mobilization and use.
There are a number of influencing factors on fat or weight loss which are useful to know about. Some of the biggest influences on our metabolism contributing to fat or weight gain include aspects of our diet and a lack of exercise.
Things like the number of snack meals or carbohydrate intake are obvious influences on our weight and wellbeing. Lifestyle changes such as behavioural intervention and physical training are standard approaches to weight or fat loss.
Whether you just want to lose a little bit of fat in the short term or are looking or a healthier overall look here are 12 healthy fat loss suggestions for you to get stuck into.
12 Ways To Lose Or Support Healthy Fat Loss
Most people are looking for quick fat loss. That is definitely possible. Fat loss depends as much on your mentality or approach as the actual actions you will be taking to lose body fat. If you take your fat loss journey seriously then you will naturally get the results you want.
An understanding of how weight loss works should assist too. Essentially you are looking to achieve a higher rate of fat and fatty acid use relative to the amount of fat being deposited in the body. Some obvious ways to do this are through exercise and changes in eating patterns or diet.
We have made a list of 12 ways you could support healthy and quick fat loss. This is not advice by any means and is purely some research supported methods to achieve fat loss.
Drink More Water
You may immediately associate fat loss with reduced food intake. Research shows that drinking more water each day is a means to reduce energy intake and achieve fat loss. One study found that drinking 500ml of water three times a day encouraged weight reduction. Drinking more water could also trick your body into sensations of fullness. Over time this may reduce your appetite too and support fat loss.
Water is also of course essential for absorbing various vitamins and minerals too which could further support energy expenditure or weight loss. An often cited recommendation is to drink around 8 glasses of water a day. You could drink more than this of course. Your body has a tolerable water intake limit or toxicity which is also something to be aware of.
Eat Two Meals A Day
Research shows that for sustained fat loss eating just two meals a day is better than eating 6 smaller meals in a day. Eating only breakfast and lunch with a very similar nutritional profile managed to reduce body weight over 6 smaller meals a day. Other studies have shown that two meals a day assists with reducing BMI.
6 meals a day may suit a body builder needing more calories but those who are looking to slim down or lose body fat should be looking to cut their energy inputs massively. Without respite between meals your metabolism is constantly active and in a state of anabolism rather than catabolism. Eating just 2 larger meals a day is closer to our ancestral dietary behaviours and initiates intermittent body fasting.
The research therefore suggests that you will need to get rid of snacks to really activate your fat loss. Eating more than three times a day is thought to play a role in obesity and risk of being overweight.
Use Apple Cider Vinegar
Apple cider vinegar is an innovative and really interesting means to sustain fat loss. Research shows that apple cider vinegar lowers the pH within the gut. This could reduce body fat through lowering the number of carbs being absorbed or available to the body as alkaline conditions support carbohydrate digestion.
One trial using apple cider vinegar three times a day for up to 12 weeks found that individuals had reduced BMI, waist hip circumferences and body fat ratios. No side effects were reported. Another study found that calorie restriction and apple cider vinegar produced effective fat loss results. Blood fatty acid levels were reduced and HDL cholesterol levels were also improved over 12 weeks in overweight or obese people.
While this may not be as effective as cardio or targeted muscle exercises the regular use of apple cider vinegar could assist with healthy fat loss.
Targeted Muscle Exercises
Much like with changes to your food intake people often assume you need to go out and run more if you are overweight. While very lengthy cardio or aerobic exercise is one of the best means of achieving overall body fat loss you could also combine this with targeted muscle exercises. This would take your healthy fat loss journey to another level entirely.
Ask yourself where your fat is and target that region with cardio exercises. Here cardio exercise refers to light weight but very high repetitions such as running or ergonomic machine exercises. If you have underarm fat then you could try some light tricep dips on a bench for example. This may support localised increases in the intensity of your metabolic rate in specific regions. Combining lengthy sets of exercise in one day may enhance fat tissue use.
Research shows that cardio or aerobic exercises combined with dietary intervention may assist with enhancing fat loss compared to if there are only dietary changes.
More Restful Sleep
Research shows that if you have effective sleep periods you could lose more body fat than if your sleep is not effective. You may well be thinking surely this is not possible and being more active is the way to lose body fat.
The body has a complex network of signals which are active in certain environmental conditions. Very slight variations are able to activate different sets of hormones and also set our internal hormonal system out of balance which triggers a stress response.
Sleep deprivation is a stress which naturally leads to increases cortisol levels. Cortisol is a stress hormone linked to fat deposition rather than weight loss which evolution provided us with. In stress situations this hormone is really useful however elevated cortisol could set your fat loss journey off course.
Cortisol activates signalling changes when we are under stress and assumes we are in a physiologically stressful circumstance. Stress induced cortisol levels may increase hunger sensations and promote weight gain.
Higher cortisol levels may reduce leptin levels and improve ghrelin release which may promote appetite. Leptin is one of the most important appetite regulating hormones. Prolactin is a hormone which activates fat deposition. Levels of prolactin also increase under stress along with cortisol levels. Prolactin response is related to the cortisol producing adrenal gland response.
Excessive inactivity clearly fuels weight gain but a lack of effective and regular sleep could do the same.
Supplement With Glutathione And NAC
Research shows that the antioxidant compound glutathione is linked to BAT or brown adipose tissue activation. This initiates rapid metabolism within fat tissue which leads to excess heat production and could support healthy fat loss.
Glutathione prevents the build up of ceramide sphingolipids within our cells to assist with activating this process and to support healthy fat loss. Studies show that ceramides bioaccumulate in the cells of obese people and these disrupt cellular metabolism which contributes to obesity.
Glutathione is one of the most powerful antioxidants in the body and may also cleanse or detoxify the body of harmful radicals produced or encountered by the metabolism of fat tissue. Various studies show that glutathione could support quick fat loss and could be health supportive during fat loss.
Supplemental NAC or N acetyl cysteine is an input compound for producing antioxidant glutathione within the body. NAC could support healthy mitochondrial activity and research also shows that supplemental NAC could drive healthy fat loss. These two powerful antioxidants could be an effective means for you to achieve healthy weight or fat loss.
Manage Sphingolipids
Who says dieting has to be about cutting all fats. Sphingolipids are important structural fatty acids which support the health of our energy producing mitochondria and cell membranes which need regular maintenance.
Some remodelling of our cells and cell membranes is often needed following excessive weight loss. Healthy levels of sphingolipids could provide structural stability to our cells and mitochondria during weight loss. Some lean or low fat sources of sphingolipids include eggs and poultry.
Free ceramides may increase inflammation or oxidative stress and cause metabolic disruption or mitochondrial death. Other sphingolipids may support lower levels of localised inflammation within our mitochondria membranes. Inflammatory conditions are often responsible for metabolic disorders. Healthy amounts of some sphingolipids could therefore support healthy energy production and support healthy weight loss.
Eat More L Carnitine
There are many studies which support the use of L carnitine as a daily supplement to support healthy fat loss. One review study suggests that ingestion of 2 grams of L carnitine a day could support quick body weight reductions. L carnitine is also often marketed as a fat burner. You also find high quantities of this amino acid in meat and fish.
Research shows that this amino acid is able to support enhanced fat metabolism and could enhance or support fat loss in the abdominal region. This is where most excess fat tissues begin to develop especially as we age and when hormone levels change in the form of triglyceride stores.
Fat distributed in the trunk and visceral or abdominal area is link to the development of diabetes, heart disease and several cancers. Studies suggest that L carnitine could reduce risk of obesity through body compositional changes.
Enrich Your Diet With MCTs
Research has shown that MCTs could support fat tissue loss within the body. Diets enriched with medium chain triglycerides or MCTs could better support weight reduction than without.
You may again be thinking how is this possible because MCTs are fatty acids. Well the science shows that our mitochondria in the brain are able to intake MCTs very easily and this could support our metabolism via enhanced mitochondrial activity. A higher metabolic rate of fatty acid break down or lipolysis could result in an improved rate of fat tissue loss within the body. MCTs are also linked to a reduced risk of dementia.
Take B Complex Vitamins
B complex vitamins are supportive of energy metabolism within the body. They drive healthy energy production and use of fatty acids within the mitochondria of our body. Research shows that having enough B vitamins could improve energy metabolism and therefore assist with reducing body weight. B vitamins also support exercise performance and may reduce feelings of fatigue.
Summary
The main influencing factors on fat loss is your metabolic rate. To achieve healthy fat or weight loss you need to shift the use of fat tissues towards fat metabolic or energy use. Combinations of lifestyle and dietary changes are able to contribute to this. Fat loss a dependent on your approach as your method.
Drinking more water is one means which is thought to contribute to losing fat tissue or weight. One study showed that drinking 500ml of water three times a day encouraged a reduction in weight. Eating just two larger meals a day could be better than eating 6 smaller meals a day for reducing BMI or body weight.
Unknown to many is apple cider vinegar. Studies show that apple cider vinegar may influence sugar metabolism and improve conditions for weight loss. Drinking apple cider vinegar for 12 weeks reportedly reduced waist hip circumferences and body fat ratios without side effects.
Exercise also clearly influences weight in combination with dietary intervention. Targeted and sustained muscle exercises which improve intensity of energy production could improve your rate of fat loss. The great news about that is restful sleep following such exercise could also support healthy weight losses. Sleep deprivation increases cortisol levels and sets up conditions for excess weight gain.
Glutathione and NAC may support weight loss via brown fat tissue activation. L carnitine and MCTs are other metabolic supportive compounds which could influence weight loss. B vitamins and sphingolipids are also used by the mitochondria which may support healthy energy production.
Overall weight or fat loss is achievable really quickly with the right mentality and combinations of interventions.
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