Best Fat Burning Foods

The best fat burning food forces your body to use a large part of the calories during the digestion and utilization process.

This is one of the major secrets of an effective, long term weight loss program.

By eating meals that have food with a high thermic effect you can produce some truly amazing fat loss results.

This is a long term nutrition strategy because once you reach your ideal weight you will have to keep eating this way for as long as you want to maintain this weight.

If you go back to your old eating habits you will simply gain all the weight back, and will be wondering why you can’t maintain your ideal weight eating whatever you want whenever you want.

The reason is simple, people that have problems losing unwanted body fat have body types with a slow metabolism, and in order to maintain ideal weight they have to eat an almost perfect diet on a daily basis.

One or two cheat meals per week are the most that they can allow themselves. If they eat more they will gain body fat.

The best fat burning foods are lean protein and complex carbohydrates. These two nutrients force your body to burn up to 30% of the calories that come from them during the digestion and utilization process.

If you want to create the body of your dreams and lose unwanted body fat permanently, you will also have to use cardio and weight training on a regular basis.

Trying to use a diet without exercise is the major reason why 95% of the people that use this approach fail in the long term.

Exercise, especially cardio is the real secret to permanent fat loss. Without regular exercise long term weight loss is simply impossible for most people.

Top 15 fat burning foods

This is the list of the top 15 fat burning foods:

1) chicken breast

2) turkey breast

3) egg whites

4) lean red meat

5) fish

6) shellfish

7) oatmeal

8) yams

9) potatoes

10) brown rice

11) whole wheat bread

12) whole grain products

13) vegetables

14) fresh fruit

15) low fat and non-fat dairy products

The first is a high thermic effect, which means that your body must expand a large part of the calories that come from these foods. In the protein section I explain the thermic effect in a little more detail.

And the second is what is considered negative calorie foods, where there is such a small amount of calories contained in certain foods that your body expands more energy to burn them than there are contained in the food itself.

Both of these types are food are covered in the nutrition sections, and in many other sections of this site.

When you have the time, come back and read the sections which interest you the most and you will find many nutrition strategies for helping your body burn unwanted body fat.

This list of 15 fat burning foods is based on the food that I consume on a regular basis that helps me maintain a low body fat percentage year round.

From my experience eating high quality food that is as close as possible to its natural state will not only help you to reach your ideal weight, but will also provide your organism with everything it needs to function properly and will produce high energy levels on a daily basis.

7 Fat Loss Strategies for Busy Moms

Today I have another guest post for you from one of the experts on post-pregnancy fat loss for moms, Holly Rigsby. Check out the fat loss advice she offers below and let me know what you think by posting below. By the way, the fat loss advice below can really be used by anyone so even if you’re not a mom, it’s definitely worth the read.

7 Fat Loss Strategies For Busy Moms
By Holly Rigsby, CPT
www.FitYummyMummy.com
Would you like to “jump start” your metabolism and lose your ‘mommy belly’ once and for all? If so, the following seven tips are exactly what you need to improve your workouts and ignite your metabolism. Try some or all of these tips, but beware, the result may be a number of admiring second glances and the need to pull your ‘skinny jeans’ out of the closet.

1. The majority of your workouts should be composed of free-weight, bodyweight or cable exercises.
Compared to machines, free-weight, bodyweight and cable movements often require more skill, create muscular balance, and have a greater metabolic cost. For example, it is more difficult to balance the weights, and to coordinate muscles when performing free-weight exercises. Although this may sound like a disadvantage, it is actually a benefit. By balancing and stabilizing free-weights or cables you are working more muscles through a greater range of motion resulting in more muscles developed and more calories burned.

2. Use exercises that work more than one muscle at a time.
When focusing on fat loss, you can’t worry about “shaping” exercises, instead you should use exercises that’ll get you the biggest bang for your buck and work as many muscles as possible. Isolation exercises can be used at the end of a workout to work on a specific target area, but they just serve to supplement your core movements.
Virtually every savvy fitness professional is privy to the fact that compound exercises recruit the most muscle groups for any given body part.
If you seek lean, toned muscles and the increase in metabolism that comes with them, you must choose exercises that work as many different muscles as possible. One of the main reasons why squats are superior to leg extensions for improving your body is that they also work your butt, hamstrings and inner thighs in addition to toning your quadriceps while leg extensions focus on just the front of your thigh and don’t really offer any other benefit. That same rationale hold true for arm exercises too. That’s why dumbell presses and dips will are more valuable for your arms than triceps kickbacks and pushdowns.
A good rule of thumb is to use movements that will allow you to use the most weight. These will have a systemic effect on your body that’ll help maintain or increase your lean muscle, and in turn ignite your metabolism.

3. Pair exercises.
Pair your exercises together so that you alternate between upper-body exercises and lower-body exercises or between exercises that target opposing muscle groups (e.g. chest and back).
This type of approach will keep your workouts short and efficient by eliminating much of the downtime that comes between sets of a single exercise since you are working on one movement while resting from another. This approach can also yield huge benefits in your mission to burn fat. Since you’ll constantly be moving and keeping your heart rate elevated, you’ll be burning far more calories than you would during a typical workout.

4. Keep your reps between 8 and 12.
Through research, it has been determined that the best range for building lean muscle is roughly between 8-12 reps. Since the main focus of your resistance training efforts is to gain lean body mass and stimulate your metabolism, this rep range fills the bill perfectly. “High reps for tone and fat loss” is one of the biggest (and most unproductive) training myths! Somehow the aerobics, yoga and Pilates’ community have convinced us that when we perform bodyweight exercises or light resistance training for high reps, our muscles magically take on a beautiful shape without growing or bulging. On the other hand, if you challenge yourself with moderately heavy weights, your body will take on a bulky, unflattering appearance. If you believe this, you probably still believe in the Tooth Fairy!

5. Rest only 30 to 60 seconds between sets.
When you keep the rest periods under one minute, it’s easier to stay focused on the task at hand and keeps your heart rate elevated. In addition, it forces your muscles to recover more quickly between sets, along with keeping your nervous system revved up.
If your first movement in an upper/lower body pair is squats, you might want to rest 60 seconds before attempting your second movement. However, if your first exercise is a fairly “easy” exercise, like lat pull downs, you might only wish to wait 30 seconds before doing the second part of the pair.

6. Perform total body workouts.
You must drop the notion that muscle groups work independently of one another. Muscles work together and should be trained that way. Besides, not only does this approach mean less time in the gym, but by working the whole body three times per week, you’ll be maximizing the fat burning effect of your program.

7. Cardio is not the cure-all for fat loss.
Cardiovascular exercise aids in the creation of a caloric deficit, but the caloric expenditure during cardio is temporary. Strength training addresses the core of the problem by permanently increasing the rate at which the body burns calories by adding muscle. The best programs will include both strength training and cardiovascular training, but the core or the programs effectiveness is resistance training.
Take these strategies and incorporate them into your workout routine. Not only will you save a lot of time, but you’ll also soon see a leaner and more toned body. Not to mention a few more turned heads and the re-emergence of your skinny jeans.


About the Author
Holly Rigsby is a nationally recognized women’s fitness coach, certified personal trainer (CPT) and the author of the internationally popular e-book – Fit Yummy Mummy – Burn Your Baby Fat & Get Your Body Back. Go to http://www.fityummymummy.com to get your FREE copy of her special report: “The Five Ways To Boost Your Metabolism.”

Burn those Fats!

Losing fat has become an obsession with today's generation. However it is important to stay lean and fit and lose unnecessary fat. The most common way adopted to lose fat is going on weight loss diet that restricts the intake of specific foods, or food in general, to reduce body weight. The strict regimen knocks pounds in few weeks. What works to reduce body weight for one person need not necessarily work for another, due to metabolic differences and lifestyle factors. Also, for various reasons majority of all people find it very difficult to maintain significant weight loss over time.

It is important to prioritize and decide what the ultimate goal is? The answer is that the goal should be lifelong fitness regime and healthy body and not temporary quick fixes offered by diets. To inculcate fitness regime one may start by taking small steps. There are simple tips that can bring about fat loss without harming the system. Starters should include a thirty-minute walk to the normal daily routine and gradually build on it. Similarly they should not commit the mistake of going on diet suddenly. Instead starting with gradual changes in the eating habits can be more beneficial. For example order salad instead of fries with your burger. For starters, it is advisable to eat just 100 calories a day less than previous week's diet. Then add to those changes until they become part of their daily routine.

In the correct diet plan, protein, carbohydrates and fat ratios are important as they stabilize blood sugar levels, which in turn promote the flow of energy in body and fat loss. Physical exercise complements dieting regimen in securing effective weight loss and achieve a fitter and leaner body. For effective fat loss, it is important to start the day with a balanced breakfast that includes essential carbohydrates, protein, and a little fat. Breakfast breaks the "fast" from an overnight sleep and revs up the metabolism. Dependency on diet alone, especially if you are over 30, will result in deprivation as your metabolism slows down with age. The correct method is to pump up that metabolism with exercise so you can have an occasional treat without doing any harm. Aerobic exercise helps in maintaining good health especially the muscular strength of the heart. Brisk walking can also help to accomplish significant fat loss. Cardiovascular activity combined with weight training will result in much more effective fat loss.

It is imperative to regularly monitor body weight to avoid weight regain. Similarly it is necessary to maintain and rather increase the water intake. From the flashpoint of water intake and fat loss, one should be in a position where the liver is converting stored fat to energy to boost the body metabolism. Another of liver's function is managing the slack for the kidneys, which require great intakes of water to work properly. If the kidneys are water-deprived, then liver is overburdened and has to do the work of the kidneys. The liver then is unable to metabolize fat as quickly and store up fat in the body. That's why increased water intake helps to reduce fat. It is important to maintain discipline. Keep up the work and make it a lifestyle habit. This is the best way to a leaner and fitter body.

Long Cardio Workout & HIIT for Fat Loss

Cardio is the most popular way to lose fat. But is it the best? And should you do long duration cardio or HIIT? Empty stomach cardio or not? This article will teach you how to really lose fat with cardio


Wrong Ways to Use Cardio. Cardio only speeds up fat loss. You can lose fat doing strength training & eating healthy only. 2 common cardio errors are:

* Neglecting Strength Training. Don’t try to lose fat doing cardio without strength training. Excessive cardio burns muscle, causing the skinny-fat look. You need strength training to prevent muscle loss & build muscle.
* Eating Unhealthy. Cardio without healthy nutrition is a waste of time. A healthy diet will make you lose fat faster. Apply the 8 nutrition rules.


Long Duration Cardio. This is cardio for 30-45mins at a steady state. On a machine or long runs outside. Pros & cons of long duration cardio:

* Burns Fat. 30mins long duration cardio burns about 500kcal. This allows you to create a caloric deficit without dropping your daily calorie intake.
* Increases Endurance. If you’re out of shape, long duration cardio is the easiest way to increase your cardiovascular fitness.
* Boring & Time Consuming. For maximal fat loss you’ll need 3 sessions of 30-45 mins per week. This can be boring & repetitive.


HIIT. High-intensity interval training. Example: alternate 60sec jogging with 30sec sprints for 15mins. Pros & cons of HIIT cardio:

* More Efficient. Burns more fat and increases your cardiovascular fitness more than long duration cardio does.
* More Fun, Less Time-Consuming. Takes only 15-20mins and is much more fun than 30-45mins long duration cardio.
* More Difficult. HIIT will make you puke if you’re a beginner with zero endurance. HIIT can also mess with your recovery.


Long Duration Cardio or HIIT? If you’re a beginner with 20-30% body fat, lose fat using long duration cardio. This is physically & mentally easier than HIIT. Couple this with strength training & healthy nutrition.

Your endurance will increase once you can Squat 1.5x your body-weight for at least 1 rep. That’s 300lbs if you weigh 200lbs – with your hips going lower than your knees. When you can do that, you’r ready for HIIT.

Realize that although long duration cardio is less efficient than HIIT, it burns fat. While our body fat might not go down as fast, it will go down. And since long duration cardio is easier, you’re less likely to skip workouts or quit.


How to Do Long Duration Cardio. I recommend long duration cardio if you have zero endurance. Remember: cardio without strength training & healthy nutrition is useless.

* Moderate Intensity. 60-70% of your max heart rate (which is 220 – your age). So if you’re 20 years old, that’s between 120-140bpm.
* 3×45mins. Start with 15mins straight post workout without eating in between. Add 1min each workout until you can do 45mins.
* Elliptical trainer. Most people enjoy the elliptical trainer most. But anything works: rower, stationary bike, outdoor runs, …


How to Do HIIT. The point with HIIT is to get out of breath. If you’re doing it on a machine: choose a resistance that allows you to go as fast as you can when sprinting. But better is to go outside and have fun. Some ideas:

* Sprints. You can do these on a machine, but outside is better. Alternate 60sec jogging with 30sec sprinting. Repeat for 15mins.
* Burpees. 5 sets of 10 burpees with 30sec rest in between. Always try to beat your previous time. Build up to 10 sets of 10 burpees, then to 100 burpees in a row. Make sure you do a Push-up from the floor.
* The Bear. Do without resting 1 rep Power Clean, Front Squat, Overhead Press, Back Squat & Behind Neck Press. Repeat 4x without resting. This is your 1st set. Do 5 sets with 30sec rest in between. Build up to 8 sets of 5. When that gets easy, start adding weight (5lbs/2.5kg). Video.


When to Do Cardio. Most people don’t have time to train 6x/week. Those who can often burn out physically & mentally after a few weeks.

* Post Strength Training. Harder, but you have more rest days and can do more cardio. Example: MO/WE/FR weights first, then cardio.
* On Rest Days. Include days for total recovery: 3 days on, 1 day off, 2 days on, 1 day off. Example: MO/WE/FR weights, TU/SA cardio.


What About Empty Stomach Cardio? While it can be more effective for fat loss, I don’t recommend empty stomach cardio for 2 reasons:

* Time Consuming. You have to train 2/day since your Squat would suffer if you’d do cardio first. Means more driving back & forth and showering.
* Lower Back Health. Your spines hydrates at night. This makes it more prone to injuries. Your spine needs 1 hour on waking up to dehydrate. Loading & bending your lower back during that 1st hour is risky. Best is to have a solid breakfast, then do strength training and then cardio.


Do You Need Cardio for Cardiovascular Fitness? No, read this & this post. Strength training increases cardiovascular fitness. Personal example:

* I have a sedentary job. I do strength training 3x/week. No HIIT, no runs, nothing. You can follow my training log for more info.
* Last time I went for a run, I ran (not jogged) for 30 mins. Most people I know can’t even handle 15mins. When I went ski-ing, endurance was never holding me back while it was with some of the other guys.

Unless you do sports that need endurance (MMA, boxing, rugby, …) you don’t need cardio. Strength training will increase your cardiovascular fitness above average. Increase your Squat and you’ll see. The proof is in the pudding.

What is Burpee?

The burpee is a full body exercise used in strength training and as aerobic exercise. It is performed in four steps:

* Begin in a standing position.
* Drop into a squat position with your hands on the floor in front of you.
* Kick your feet back, while simultaneously lowering yourself into a pushup
* Immediately return your feet to the squat position, while simultaneously pushing up with your arms.
* Leap up as high as possible from the squat position with your arms overhead (you may also clap your hands above your head at the peak of your jump).
* you may also add some variations as stated in the video.

Breakfast Recipe for Fat Loss

They say, breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Its really true for me since sometimes I ate a lot more in breakfast rather than lunch & dinner. But it really true that a healthy breakfast is key to fat loss? By eating a healthy breakfast, you’re less likely to eat something unhealthy the rest of the day. Eating breakfast will also make you less hungry which prevents cravings.

But what should you eat for breakfast? The most common fat loss mistake is to start your day with starchy carbs like cereals or muesli or oats. While you need carbs for energy, it’s easy to overdo them and get fat.

That’s why the 8 nutrition rules advise to avoid starchy carbs at breakfast. What should you eat then? Here are the 3 simplest & quickest breakfast recipes that don’t contain starchy carbs and that will help you lose fat.

1. Omelets. High in protein, low in carbs, high in veggies. You can remove the yolk if you don’t believe dietary cholesterol doesn’t influence blood cholesterol. But realize you’re throwing away all the vitamins and half the protein.
Avoid boredom by rotating the veggies. For even more variety, add meats or cheese and learn to use spices. Here are some ideas:

    * Veggies. Baby spinach, mixed peppers, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, …
    * Meats. Ground round, minced beef, chicken ground/slices, tuna, bacon, …
    * Cheese. Feta cheese, grated cheese like Pecorino or Parmesan, …
    * Spices. Cumin, black pepper, cayenne pepper, sea salt, …

2. Cottage Cheese. High in protein, no carbs, zero preparation time. You might need time to get used to its taste. Quark cheese works too if you can find it. So does plain fat free yogurt although it’s lower in protein.
Avoid boredom by switching the fruits and/or nuts. And try cottage cheese with tuna so you can also add veggies like cucumber. Ideas:
    * Nuts. Almonds, walnuts, cashew, peanut butter, …
    * Fruit. Chopped banana, pineapple, apples, pears or berries.
    * Tuna. Sounds gross, but tastes good: try tuna with cottage cheese.
3. Smoothies. Take zero time to prepare. Get a strong blender. Throw (frozen) veggies, fruits & whey in there. Mix it. Done. Some tips:

    * Get cheap whey with little carbs like ON whey.
    * Vary your fruits and veggies to avoid boredom.