Skip to content

6 Easy Ways to Burn Fat

When you played Super Mario as a kid, did you ignore the rooms full of coins, the ones where you could easily jump around and hear that ka-chig ka-ching? We didn't think so.

It only makes sense to collect the low-hanging fruit. The same goes when you're trying to trim the fat from your frame; it's not all an uphill battle. These 6 tricks are easy to add to your day, but potent. Rack up as many as you can to level up your slim-down success.

Eat More Protein

canned tuna
Shutterstock

Did you know that you can burn calories without moving at all? In fact, you burn them every day just by staying alive—it's called your basal metabolic rate (BMR), and it actually accounts for most of the calories you burn through in a day.

Simple changes to what you eat can help your BMR stay at its peak, helping you burn more fat. Your body has to work harder to digest protein than carbs or fat, so you'll burn more calories by skewing your meals protein-heavy. Bonus: Protein is also more satiating, meaning you're less likely to resort to your office stockpile of snacks. Hit your peak by aiming for at least one gram of protein per pound of your body weight every day.

Drink Green Tea

green tea
Shutterstock

Before a workout, turbocharge the fat-blasting effects by sipping a cup of green tea. In a recent 12-week study, participants who combined a daily habit of 4-5 cups of green tea each day with a 25-minute sweat session lost an average of two more pounds than the non tea-drinking exercisers. You don't have to pair this habit with your workout schedule, though; drinking green tea helped research subjects burn more calories throughout the day and increased fat oxidation in a study from the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Green tea also improves insulin sensitivity and glucose tolerance, British researchers concluded, which enhances your body's ability to store calories as muscle rather than fat.

Take Fish Oil

fish oil capsules
Shutterstock

Fish oil is linked to so many health benefits it seems almost foolish not to take the supplement. Fish oil has been shown to generate more fat loss with the same amount of exercise—in addition to being linked to improved heart health, reduced arthritis and slowed growth of cancer cells.

A French study found that subjects supplementing with six grams of fish oil per day for just three weeks lost an extra two pounds of pure fat. Take it along with a healthy workout routine, and fish oil can also amplify the amount of fat you burn during your sweat session. Combining aerobic exercise with fish oil supplementation led to more fat loss than aerobic exercise alone, Australian researchers discovered.

Try Intermittent Fasting

empty plate
No, you won't feel starving or hangry by the kind of fasting we're talking about. To see results, try closing your kitchen for 12 to 16 hours each day. You'll not only cut out that fattening late-night snacking habit, but also minimize the damage of some of the less-than-healthy meals you have during the day. In a recent study, a group of mice fed a high-fat, high-calorie diet stayed lean while mice on the same meal plan gained weight. The only difference? The mice that stayed slim could only eat within a designated window of time. By lengthening the time between meals, you can elevate your insulin sensitivity and burn more fat.

Eat Your Biggest Meal After Working Out

pasta bolognese
Shutterstock

After an intense weight workout, your body craves carbs and starches to replenish glucose levels and stop the breakdown of muscle. This is also the time when your insulin sensitivity and metabolism are at their highest. Enjoying your biggest meal when your body is craving energy and cutting back on the rest of your meals throughout the day will minimize any unwanted fat gains.

Hydrate As Soon As You Wake Up

woman reaching for water glass
Shutterstock

As soon as you wake up, you're dehydrated. Yes, that quickly! You haven't had any water since before you fell asleep. Dehydration cripples fat loss because your metabolism slows down to conserve fluids. The good news is, you can kick it back up as soon as you start drinking up again in the a.m. A The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism study found that drinking two cups of water increased metabolism by 30% after 30–40 minutes.

MELT UP TO 10 POUNDS IN ONE WEEK!

WITH OUR BEST-SELLING NEW DIET PLAN, The 7-Day Flat-Belly Tea Cleanse! Test panelists lost up to 4 inches from their waist! Available now in paperback!

Courtesy of Men's Fitness

Eat This, Not That!
Inspired by The New York Times best-selling book series, Eat This, Not That! is a brand that's comprised of an award-winning team of journalists and board-certified experts, doctors, nutritionists, chefs, personal trainers, and dietitians who work together to bring you accurate, timely, informative, and actionable content on food, nutrition, dieting, weight loss, health, wellness, and more. Read more about Eat This