How to Burn Fat at Home

Co-authored by Shira Tsvi

You don’t need a ton of fancy gym equipment or an expensive meal plan to burn fat and lose weight. You can get started right at home! The key is to make gradual changes that you can stick to consistently. To help you out, we’ve put together a nifty list of exercises and dietary changes you can do to start burning fat in the comfort of your own home.

1

Drink more green tea.

Drinking 3-5 cups a day may increase the fat your body burns. Green tea is loaded with antioxidants that are good for your health in general, but it also contains a compound called EGCG, which can help reduce fat absorption from your diet. Green tea can also help increase the fat that your body burns. Ditch the coffee and reach for the green tea if you need a little pick-me-up.^{[1]
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- Green tea does have some caffeine in it, which is great if you need a little energy burst, but may cause you to have trouble getting to sleep if you drink it late at night.

2

Take a vitamin D supplement.

Studies suggest it can help you lose weight. Your body naturally makes vitamin D from sunlight, but you can’t get any from your diet. Vitamin D helps boost the effectiveness of a hormone called leptin, which tells your brain that you’re full when you’re eating. Take a daily vitamin D supplement to give your body a boost and make sure you have enough.^{[2]
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- Many health experts recommend taking 1,000 IU of vitamin D every day.^{[3]
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3

Exercise for at least 20 minutes 2-3 times a week.

You don’t have to spend hours to get a good workout in. Life can get hectic! Between work, cooking, cleaning, and managing your household, it can feel almost impossible to squeeze in time to exercise. Start small and make it a priority to get at least 20-30 minutes of physical activity 2-3 times a week. The more you do it, the easier it’ll become as you develop a new habit.^{[4]
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- Find a time that works best for you and stick to it. For instance, if you have a little bit of free time after you drop the kids off at school, get some exercise! You can also try to start early in the morning or right after work—whatever is most convenient for you.

4

Go for a nice walk for a simple exercise.

You don’t have to break a sweat to help burn fat. Exercise doesn’t have to always involve super difficult workouts with bands, weights, and all sorts of other contraptions. Walking is easy, free, and you don’t need any special equipment. Take a walk around your neighborhood or find a scenic place such as a park to get out and stretch your legs.^{[5]
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- Bring some headphones and listen to some music or check out a podcast while you’re at it!

5

Do HIIT to put your body in a fat-burning phase.

High-intensity interval training (HIIT) burns fat and builds muscle. HIIT workouts alternate between short bursts of intense exercise and brief periods of rest. You can do HIIT workouts at home with little to no equipment. HIIT actually triggers your body to burn more stored fat and activate muscle-building hormones at the same time. It’s the best of both worlds!^{[6]
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Harvard Medical School
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- You can create a simple HIIT workout by choosing a few of your favorite exercises such as jumping jacks, squats, pushups, or situps. Do as many as you can for 20 seconds, rest for 10 seconds, and then repeat the exercise for 4-5 rounds before moving to a different exercise.

6

Build more muscle by lifting weights.

Use muscle-building exercises to help boost lipolysis. Lipolysis is the process of burning fat for energy and cardio alone won’t help you get rid of more stored body fat. Lifting weights builds muscle which means your body will burn more fat to fuel your muscles. Get yourself some free weights and mix in 2-3 muscle-building workouts a week.^{[7]
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Harvard Medical School
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- Some of the classic lifts like the deadlift, squat, and bench press are classics for a reason—they work. Work with a trainer or an experienced partner to make sure you use the right form when you do them.
- If you’re new to weight lifting, take it slow. You’ll get better (and stronger) in time, and you don’t want to injure yourself by using poor form and technique.

7

Switch up your workout routine regularly.

Keep your exercise interesting and keep your body from adapting. Shake things up after a few weeks and swap out different exercises in your workouts. It’ll keep your muscles confused and working hard and it’ll help keep your workouts from becoming boring.^{[8]
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- For instance, if you’ve been doing an HIIT workout with lots of pushups and squats, try swapping them out for something like pullups and lunges.
- Change up your weight lifting exercises, too. For example, try switching from flat bench press to incline bench press to keep challenging your muscles.

8

Make gradual, healthy dietary changes.

Reduce your calories slowly to avoid slowing down your metabolism. If you’re anxious and ready to start burning fat, it can be tempting to want to drastically cut back your calories. However, it could actually make your body store even more fat because it thinks it’s starving. Instead, make slow, gradual changes and try to cut about 500 calories a day.^{[9]
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- For example, instead of completely cutting out all carbs, try switching to healthier sources such as brown rice and sweet potatoes so you aren’t starving yourself.

9

Follow a low-carb diet.

A healthy diet can help you burn fat and keep muscle. Get started on a low-carb diet by cutting out refined sugars and switching from simple carbs like white bread, white rice, and potatoes to whole grains such as brown rice and oatmeal. You can also try swapping out carb sources such as rice and pasta with low-carb alternatives like cauliflower rice and zucchini noodles. As you reduce your carb intake, your body will burn stored fat as energy.^{[10]
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Johns Hopkins Medicine
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10

Focus on getting more protein in your diet.

Protein will help you feel more full and satisfied. Which can be really helpful while you’re trying to improve your diet to burn fat. Plus, protein helps build and maintain muscle, which can help prevent you from losing muscle mass as you lose weight. Focus on lean protein sources such as chicken, tofu, lean ground beef, and egg whites.^{[11]
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Harvard Medical School
Harvard Medical School's Educational Site for the Public
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- For instance, if you weigh 150 pounds (68 kg), aim to get at least 150 grams of protein.

11

Eat 6 smaller meals throughout the day.

Avoid eating 2-3 large meals to keep your metabolism up. While it’s traditional and common to eat three meals (breakfast, lunch, and dinner), if you’re trying to burn fat by following a healthier diet, your body can actually try to store more fat if there’s too much time in between meals. Spread out your daily food into 6 smaller meals spaced out throughout your day. That way, you’ll always have fuel and your metabolism will keep firing away.^{[12]
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Cleveland Clinic
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- The more active your metabolism, the more fat your body will burn.

12

Avoid eating processed foods.

Snack foods are often loaded in fat, sugar, and added salt. Junk food, candy, chips, and other forms of processed snack food are a recipe for disaster if you’re trying to burn fat. Try to steer clear of them entirely and swap them out with healthy alternatives such as fruit or nuts. Your body will thank you for it.^{[13]
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Trustworthy Source
Johns Hopkins Medicine
Official resource database of the world-leading Johns Hopkins Hospital
Go to source}
- You can also check for healthy snacks that aren’t chock full of oil and sugar as well.
- It may be helpful to avoid keeping junk food in your home so you aren’t tempted if you’re feeling peckish.

13

Try to chew each bite at least 40 times.

It can aid in digestion and make you feel more full. When you’re hungry, you may not put any extra thought into how much you’re chewing your food. But chewing is super important! It helps break down the food so your body is better able to digest it, plus it slows you down while you eat, which can help you feel fuller faster. Take your time and chew each bite well.^{[14]
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- Try counting each chew or sing a song such as “Happy Birthday” or the ABCs while you chew each bite.

Foods to Eat and Avoid and Exercises to Burn Fat

Foods to Eat to Burn Fat

Foods to Avoid to Burn Fat

Simple Exercises to Burn Fat

Expert Q&A
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Question

How long does it take for a low-carb diet to start working?

Shira Tsvi
Personal Trainer & Fitness Instructor
Shira Tsvi is a Personal Trainer and Fitness Instructor with over 7 years of personal training experience and over 2 years leading a group training department. Shira is certified by the National College of Exercise Professionals and the Orde Wingate Institute for Physical Education and Sports in Israel. Her practice is based in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Shira Tsvi

Personal Trainer & Fitness Instructor

Expert Answer

Support wikiHow by unlocking this expert answer.

It depends on the person, but you should start seeing and feeling results within 2 weeks or so.
Question

If my weight is 50 kg, how would I lose 10kg in 1 month?

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

Support wikiHow by unlocking this expert answer.

Losing 10 Kg in one month would be 20% of your overall body weight and is not advisable. It would be very unhealthy to try and lose that much weight.
Question

My weight is 90 kg and I want to lose 10 kg in 1 month. What can I do?

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

Support wikiHow by unlocking this expert answer.

I suggest revising your goal to 3-5 Kg per month which is much safer, healthier, and more likely to stay off.

Warnings

Many dietary products that claim to burn fat may be more hype than substance. Some of them could be harmful for you. Check with your doctor before you start using any weight loss products or supplements, especially if you have an underlying medical condition such as diabetes or heart disease.

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If you’re struggling with an eating disorder, you don’t have to deal with it alone. Reach out to a counselor, therapist, or doctor for help.

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