The Science Behind Fat Burning

Before we start sharing our tips with you, we want to make it clear that body fat plays an important role in your health. For women, it is recommended to have a body fat percentage of at least 10%-13%, and for men 2%-5%. That is truly the minimum. If you are below that, you risk serious health problems such as vitamin deficiencies, an increased risk of heart disease, diabetes, and a weakened immune system. What is considered a healthy body fat percentage is 20%-35% for women and 10%-24% for men, depending on age. If you are above that, you might consider reducing your body fat percentage.

Muscular bodies burn more fat

A scientific study shows that 10 weeks of resistance training can increase the number of calories burned at rest by 7% and reduce body fat by 1.8 kg. Burning calories while doing nothing? Everyone dreams of that!

HIIT, cardio training that really makes you sweat

High-intensity interval training (HIIT) is a type of training that combines bursts of intensity with short rest periods to keep your heart rate up. You burn more calories in a shorter time than other forms of cardio. Moreover, it increases your fat loss. A study has shown that with HIIT, you burn up to 30% more calories than with other forms of cardio in the same amount of time.

If HIIT is not for you, you can still do other types of cardio workouts. 20 to 40 minutes a day is ideal for burning fat and speeding up your metabolism.

Protein is more than a supplement

You can find protein in many foods. So it's not just in your post-workout shake. It can suppress your appetite and burn body fat. And yes, even visceral fat. According to a study published by the National Library of Medicine, eating a high-protein diet helps your body boost your metabolism and maintain muscle mass.

Examples of protein-rich foods include:

• lean meat; beef, pork, lamb
• poultry; chicken, turkey, duck
• fish and seafood; fish, shrimp, crab
• dairy products; milk, Greek yogurt, cheese
• nuts; almonds, walnuts, hazelnuts