WANT to burn unwanted body fat but hate the idea of spending months going hungry and missing out on your favourite foods?
What if you didn’t have to?
Diet coach and personal trainer for online wellness app RWL Sarah Bockhart says the key to losing weight without over-restricting is to understand how dieting works.
She says: “Thanks to fad diet advertising campaigns, most of us have been led to believe that losing body fat is the result of restriction and hunger.
“The good news is, this just isn’t true.
“Achieving fat loss is down to one thing, getting into a calorie deficit.
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“We all have an energy balance in our bodies which is your daily ‘calories in vs calories out’ equation.
“Put simply, to achieve fat loss you need to consume fewer calories than you use on any given day.
“Fad diet companies try to complicate things by making us think we have to consume their product and restrict ourselves from eating anything else.
“But once you understand your daily calorie balance, you can make it fit into your own personal lifestyle – without starving yourself.”
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So, how do you burn fat and lose weight without over-restricting?
Move more often
Don’t want to feel like you are eating tiny portions that leave you hungry for more?
Then moving more is key to helping you burn fat.
Sarah says: “The first thing most people do when they want to burn fat is to stop eating as much, or cut out food groups – which is usually what leads to them going hungry and giving up on the idea.
“Movement can be your best friend in helping you to burn fat – and I’m not about to tell you that you have to spend hours in the gym every day.
“Burning fat can be hugely impacted by non-exercise activity thermogenesis, or ‘NEAT.’
“This is just a fancy term for the calories you burn by moving around doing day-to-day tasks like cooking, hoovering, taking the bins out, playing the piano, picking up the kids' toys etc.
“These bits of activity throughout the day may not seem like a big deal, but they are huge.
“Sitting down and doing nothing results in us burning very few calories, but little movements every hour count when it comes to reducing body fat.
“Think about how often you move throughout the day, and see if there are little changes you can make to squeeze more activity in.”
Eat more
Instead of eating fewer things to burn fat, experts believe eating more could actually help you burn fat.
Nutritionist and author of The Science of Nutrition, Rhiannon Lambert says: “Having a healthy and balanced diet is important, but as I say to my clients in the Rhitrition clinic, there isn’t just one way to achieve this.
“It is always a good idea to include a variety of foods in your daily diet to make sure your body is getting all of the important nutrients it needs to function.
“If you want to burn fat without over restricting, I recommend increasing the amount of different foods you eat.
“Include a wide variety of fruit and veg and as many different types as possible.
“For example, if you love peppers, don’t always choose red peppers, mix it up with yellow, green and orange too, as each colour brings something different to your gut.
“A more diverse diet can impact the gut microbiome (the living bacteria in our gut).
“These play a large role with our weight maintenance as they help with nutrition absorption, bloating, digestion and even our mood.
“Instead of restricting yourself in order to achieve a calorie deficit, try and enjoy more variety in your diet, especially when it comes to plant based foods like veg, nuts, seeds and beans.
“Research shows that the bigger variety of food we include in our diet, the happier our guts, the more likely we are to feel satisfied and the less likely we are to get unnecessary hunger pangs."
Up your fibre intake
Rhiannon says: “Increasing your fibre intake can help you feel fuller for longer, therefore reducing the likelihood of weight gain.
“Try eating more wholegrains (brown bread/rice/pasta), nuts and seeds, legumes, pulses, proteins, and healthy fats in your diet.
“Fibre also helps with digestion and prevents constipation and bloating.
“Getting more of this into your diet will help prevent you from feeling hungry.”
Sleep more
You might be forgiven for thinking sleep plays no part in us burning fat, but it could be a good night’s sleep that helps you burn fat without going hungry.
Sarah says: “Unfortunately, we don’t burn more calories in our sleep – but sleep can be a vital tool in helping us burn fat.
“If we get a good night’s sleep of seven hours or more, we start the day with higher levels of energy than if we get six hours and under.
“The less sleep we get, the more tired we are – whether you feel it or not and the more likely we are to want to move less and eat more.
“When we are tired, our brains receive signals that make us crave quick energy, and this comes in the form of sugar and processed foods.
“We are much more likely to reach for bigger portions, more snacks and unhealthy food when we haven’t had enough sleep, making it harder – and nearly impossible – to achieve calorie deficit and burn fat.
“Try and prioritise sleep. Go to bed earlier, start a good bedtime routine and limit high caffeine food and drinks before bed.”
Stay hydrated
Water is incredibly important in keeping our systems working effectively.
Rhiannon says:“Hydration plays an incredibly important role in keeping our bodies healthy and functioning optimally.
“Water is essential for all of the body’s processes to work, including carrying oxygen and nutrients around the body, filtering out waste products and temperature regulation.
“Hydration also helps with regulating mood, productivity and concentration, all of which can contribute to how much we eat.
“Hydration is also important because it helps with the absorption of nutrients from the food we eat – keeping you feeling full.
“Some research suggests that drinking more water can lead to a larger weight loss, and we know that dehydration may hinder progress in a weight loss journey because symptoms of dehydration include feeling tired, which may lead you to reach for those calorie-dense, sugary snacks as a pick-me-up.”
Regular exercise
Sarah says: “Along with general movement, higher intensity exercise can be really useful in helping you achieve calorie deficit as it increases the amount of calories you use up in a day.
“Walking, running, cycling, home workouts and lifting weights all increase your heart rate significantly, increasing the energy your body needs to give out.
“Increasing your heart rate for long periods of time requires the body to use up more calories – helping you achieve calorie deficit.
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“Exercise is also proven to increase your mood and confidence, both things that can help prevent you from reaching for high sugar food and drink.
“Rather than restricting your diet and going hungry, fitting in a few exercise sessions a week can allow you to still enjoy healthy portions of food and healthy snacks but still burn fat.”
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