How to Burn Fat

Co-authored by Julian Arana, M.S.eD., NCSF-CPT and Christopher M. Osborne, PhD

Last Updated: July 27, 2022 References Approved

Body fat seems so easy to add and so hard to get rid of. You try to work out and restrict your calorie intake, and yet the fat still refuses to go away. There’s no need to worry, though—you can tackle your fat-burning goals head-on by making simple adjustments to your eating habits, food choices, exercise routine, and lifestyle. Here are 18 handy tips to help you put your best foot forward.

1

Reduce your calories gradually.

Jumping straight into a low-calorie diet is a shock to your system. When you go cold turkey, your body has no idea what's going on—so as a protective measure it clings onto your fat stores. Instead, ease your body into the diet by cutting your calories gradually.^{[1]
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- Set a reasonable daily calorie goal that you can reduce gradually. It might be 1,200 or 2,200 depending on your individual factors. Seek advice from your doctor, nutritionist, or dietician for guidance tailored to your needs.

2

Vary your daily calories while reducing your overall average.

Your body may adjust to a lower but steady calorie intake. This means that it won't draw from your stored fat. To keep your body guessing and your metabolism up, try switching between higher and lower daily calorie intakes. This might help avoid that dreaded weight-loss plateau and improve your willpower.^{[2]
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- In other words, if you do a low-calorie diet all the time, your body may adjust its metabolic rate so you don't lose too much fat. But if you keep it on its toes, it won't be able to regulate your fat stores as effectively.
- This plan should still be paired with lowering your average daily intake gradually. Ask a doctor or nutrition expert you trust for their take on this type of diet plan.

3

Eat small meals more often.

In simple terms, eating spurs your metabolism. This is the process by which your body turns food into energy. Eating more often, then, may kick your metabolism into a higher gear more times per day (e.g., if you eat six times a day, you get six “spikes”).^{[3]
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Expert Source

Julian Arana, M.S.eD., NCSF-CPT
Certified Personal Trainer
Expert Interview. 19 March 2020.} But, you must make sure that eating more often does not also mean eating more; you must reduce your overall average daily calories.^{[4]
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Trustworthy Source
Mayo Clinic
Educational website from one of the world's leading hospitals
Go to source}
- Look for hunger-busting snacks rich in protein, healthy fat, and fiber. Try a tablespoon of peanut butter on celery, almonds, whole-grain cereals, and breads.

4

Drink plenty of water.

Water is great for your body, including your weight loss goals. Drinking water may, according to some research, on its own cause your metabolism to spike. And, at the very least, drinking water before a meal can help fill you up (and cause you to eat less).^{[5]
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- Drink water more frequently, and more overall per day. You'll be more hydrated, healthier, and your body won't be looking to cling onto those fat stores!

5

Cut out bad carbs.

As long as you feed your body carbohydrates, it will not burn fat.^{[6]
X
Trustworthy Source
National Institutes of Health
U.S. government agency for biomedical and public health research
Go to source} Fat is just stored food; in other words, it's fuel for your body. Carbohydrates are your primary outside source of fuel, and your body can burn either carbs or fat just the same.^{[7]
X
Expert Source

Julian Arana, M.S.eD., NCSF-CPT
Certified Personal Trainer
Expert Interview. 19 March 2020.}
- However, cutting carbs alone may not help you shed fat unless you are also cutting your overall calories as part of the process.
- Remember that all carbs are not created equal (e.g., refined sugar and whole grains). There are okay carbs for you (the slow-burning kind like oatmeal and the ones in veggies); the bad ones are the simple sugars (think white things and candies).

6

Eat more lean proteins.

Protein is used as building blocks for muscle in your body and won't turn to fat. Both protein and carbs contain roughly the same amount of calories per gram, but protein is not a preferred fuel like carbs. So make lean meats, fish, and soy a regular part of your diet.^{[8]
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- When you're packing on protein and saying no to carbs, your brain will send signals, which you interpret as hunger, before switching to ketosis (i.e., fat burning). After that, your hunger pangs should subside.
- Eating a lot of protein is hard on the liver and kidneys, and there are other considerations for "keto dieting." It is not advised to consume zero carbs; just limit them, and stick to the good ones.

7

Refrain from alcohol.

Alcohol is full of empty calories, or bad carbs. When you consume some, it's hard not to consume more. So while it's tempting to join in socially, refrain—or at least severely restrict yourself. After all, excessive drinking can make fat burning the least of your worries!^{[9]
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- If you absolutely must drink alcohol, keep it to one drink if you're a woman or two if you're a man. But that should only be a once-in-a-while thing, for the sake of your fat-burning goals.

8

Drink green tea and coffee.

These beverages may boost your metabolism. Some studies have shown that 25 ounces of green tea or 16 ounces of coffee can spur an increase in your metabolism. Just make sure you don't load up your cup with spoonfuls of sugar.^{[10]
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- Green tea and coffee seem to offer a wide range of possible health benefits, perhaps most notably the former's antioxidant properties.

9

Load up on fat-burning foods.

Don't focus only on the foods you can't eat or should avoid whenever possible. There are many delicious foods that you can and should eat to keep your metabolism on the upswing. So stock up on foods like:^{[11]
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- Oatmeal
- Lowfat or nonfat dairy (a little counterintuitive, but studies say that those who consume suggested amounts of dairy burn fat more easily than those who don't)^{[12]
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- Healthy fats, like nuts, avocados, olive oil, and fatty fish
- Eggs
- Spicy foods
- Grapefruit

10

Break up your workouts.

Your metabolism spikes after every bout of physical activity. So, if you can break up your hour workout into two half-hour chunks, you'll get two spikes instead of one. Your body burns calories at a higher rate after a workout (sometimes for several hours after), and if you rejuvenate it later in the day, you'll further enhance the effect.^{[13]
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Trustworthy Source
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases
Health information from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, a division of the U.S. National Institutes of Health
Go to source}
- This can be taken advantage of in small ways, too. Even two 15-minute walks can cause a boost. So, with both your meals and your workouts, try to go with smaller/shorter but more frequent.

11

Pair strength training with your cardio.

Doing cardio is great for you, but doing cardio and lifting weights is even better for burning fat.^{[14]
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Expert Source

Julian Arana, M.S.eD., NCSF-CPT
Certified Personal Trainer
Expert Interview. 19 March 2020.} If you want the most bang for your buck, you should do both.^{[15]
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Research source}
- Working with weights is important if you've cut back on calories. When you restrict your caloric intake, you risk losing muscle mass instead of fat. If so, you might shed some pounds and still not get the results you're looking for.

12

Do strength training before aerobic exercise.

Doing this helps keep your post-workout metabolism up for longer—perhaps even all day. So, if you're doing both cardio and lifting weights, it's ideal if you do weights first and then do cardio—in other words, “firm then burn!”^{[16]
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- This order of exercise may also be easier for you to manage. Generally, pumping iron requires better form and technique. When you're tired from running or biking, it may be harder to lift weights with proper technique.^{[17]
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13

Try interval training.

This exercise routine can help you break up your workout without stopping your workout session. Interval training involves you going at a moderately easy pace for a duration of time, and then going all out.^{[18]
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Expert Source

Julian Arana, M.S.eD., NCSF-CPT
Certified Personal Trainer
Expert Interview. 19 March 2020.} You can also adjust the duration and pauses between the cycling back and forth. This can burn more calories and potentially increase your metabolism.^{[19]
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Trustworthy Source
PubMed Central
Journal archive from the U.S. National Institutes of Health
Go to source}
- The simplest example of interval training might be the treadmill. Walk for 30 seconds, then run full out for 30. Just 15 minutes of this is more beneficial than a 30-minute even-paced jog.^{[20]
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  Research source}

14

Give crosstraining a try.

You can actually burn fewer calories when your body is familiar with the level and type of exertion it's experiencing. Whatever your workout is—whether it's a 15-minute walk with the dog or a 10K through the park—your body gets used to it. So to keep your body a bit off guard, try crosstraining. Consider it a good excuse to pick up that hobby you've been eying.
- Crosstraining simply means doing a variety of exercise activities—running one day, swimming the next, biking the day after that. Mixing it up isn't only good for your body, though—it also does wonders for impending boredom!^{[21]
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  Trustworthy Source
  National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
  Research and education center within the National Institutes of Health
  Go to source}

15

Stay off the scale if it helps your motivation.

How you look and feel matters more than what you weigh. When you lose fat, you don't necessarily lose muscle—and muscle weighs more than fat. So, consider that number on the scale arbitrary.
- That said, checking in on the scale at least once a week does seem to benefit long-term weight loss plans. So, don't throw away your scale, but do find the frequency that works for you.

16

Find ways to reduce your stress.

People under excess stress tend to make less healthy food choices. Because of this, they may also burn fat more slowly. Excessive stress is bad for your skin, it's bad for your sleep, it's bad for relationships—it's just bad overall. So find a healthy way to get rid of it! You'll feel better no matter how much it helps you in losing subcutaneous and visceral body fat.^{[22]
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- Many people find success in reducing stress through meditation and yoga. But maybe long walks in the park or listening to relaxing music will do the trick for you. Keep trying until you find what works.

17

Get enough sleep.

Aim for around 7-9 hours a night. You may think that sleep would be counterproductive in losing fat, but properly rested bodies tend to process carbs more efficiently.^{[23]
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- Also, if you're not properly rested, you start craving sugar. Your hormone levels (cortisol, ghrelin, and insulin) go out of whack and your body starts clinging onto fats and sugars left and right. Prevent this by getting the sleep you need.

18

Get active in small ways.

Even the slightest amount of activity is better than none at all. Studies show that fidgeters, on average, weigh less. Non-fidgeters are even more likely to store calories as fat. So in addition to cleaning the house, walking the dog, and parking on the far side of the parking lot, find time to fidget, if that's your kind of thing!^{[24]
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Trustworthy Source
Mayo Clinic
Educational website from one of the world's leading hospitals
Go to source}
- Little opportunities can always be had. Take the stairs instead of the elevator. Go around the grocery store in the most inefficient way possible. Fake out your chair by not quite sitting down—that is, by doing squats. This stuff adds up without you even realizing it.^{[25]
  X
  Trustworthy Source
  National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases
  Health information from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, a division of the U.S. National Institutes of Health
  Go to source}

Expert Q&A

Question

What's a good cardio exercise I can try that burns fat?

Tiffany Stafford, CPT
Life Coach, Personal Trainer, & Holistic Nutritionist
Tiffany Stafford is a Certified Personal Trainer, Holistic Nutritionist, and the Owner of LifeBODY Fitness, a personal training and small group training studio based in Hillsboro, Oregon. She has over 15 years of personal training and coaching experience. She specializes in wellness training, life coaching, and holistic nutrition teaching. She earned her personal training certification from the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM).

Tiffany Stafford, CPT

Life Coach, Personal Trainer, & Holistic Nutritionist

Expert Answer

You can try doing mountain climbers. Get into a plank position and drive one of your knees to your chest. Go back to your starting position and drive your other knee forward. Alternate your knees to quickly raise your heart rate and burn calories.
Question

How do I reduce my facial fat?

Michele Dolan
Certified Fitness Trainer
Michele Dolan is a BCRPA certified Personal Trainer in British Columbia. She has been a personal trainer and fitness instructor since 2002.

Michele Dolan

Certified Fitness Trainer

Expert Answer

Unfortunately, we can't target fat loss from any one place on our body. Instead, our bodies will use up fat from all over once we start losing weight--you could lose fat from your belly, hips, thighs, or arms before it starts to have an impact on fat around your face. Stay at a healthy overall weight and your face will suit you perfectly. And one perk to having fat on your face? Wrinkles will be much less pronounced.
Question

Can I eat potatoes each day and still burn the same amount of fat as I would if I didn't eat them?

Michele Dolan
Certified Fitness Trainer
Michele Dolan is a BCRPA certified Personal Trainer in British Columbia. She has been a personal trainer and fitness instructor since 2002.

Michele Dolan

Certified Fitness Trainer

Expert Answer

It depends on just how many potatoes we're talking here! One medium potato has around 37 grams of carbs, so if you limit your carb count elsewhere, this is no problem. What you really have to watch out for are the toppings, like butter, cheese, sour cream, bacon, and rich sauces like gravy. Do some math to figure out how to balance the carbs from your potato and toppings with the other foods you eat.

Warnings

Never starve yourself through excessive calorie restriction. Your body will shut down, and the health consequences can be devastating.

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It is advisable to consult with a doctor before starting a keto diet, according to most experts.

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