Having a well-toned physique is probably one of your goals this year but if you’ve been constantly hitting the gym but not seeing the results you want, you’re probably feeling frustrated at the moment. This is understandable because you are not the only one who is stuck in this rut. However, there is no short cut to achieving a flat belly or tight muscles. You need to work hard for it.
The good news though that there are a lot of ways in which you can reduce your body fat. If you’re aiming for a svelte figure, these tips are worth following.
Time to clean up your current diet. No matter how hard you train, you won’t be able to out-exercise those fats clinging to your body because it all starts in the kitchen. If you want to lose body fat, you will need to remove foods such as processed foods, sugary snacks, and deep-fried foods. Adding more vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and lean meat is highly recommended as they can help speed up your metabolism while giving you the nutrients you need.
Get some sleep. Depriving your body of a good night’s sleep isn’t doing you any favours. Lack of sleep can actually make you eat more because your body requires fuel to get moving. If you can have 7 to 8 hours of sleep per day, you won’t find yourself shovelling food down your throat every few hours.
Drink more water. There is a reason why you need to up your intake of water. Water can help eliminate those free radicals and toxins that are causing fat build up in your body. What’s more, water can help keep you hydrated so your skin will be soft, smooth, and supple. Skip drinking caffeinated drinks or artificially sweetened beverages as they are high in calories.
Add more weight. Working out can also help you burn more fat and if you really want to torch some serious calories, your best bet would be to add more weight to your lifts. Challenging your muscles can make you burn up to a thousand calories per hour with your body burning through those extra fats in your body several hours after your intense workout. Just make sure that you follow proper progression in your lifts so you won’t injure yourself.
Choose your indulgences. Following a healthy diet is a smart move but you can allow yourself a few indulgences from time to time. This doesn’t mean that you should give in to those unhealthy snacks that you are too fond of but rather look for indulgences that are good for you such as dark chocolate and red wine. These two contain antioxidants that can help you lose weight. Just make sure that you consume red wine and dark chocolate in moderation.
Add a dash of spice. Another trick that can help you reduce body fat is adding some spice to your dishes. Capsaicin is a compound present in pepper and is known for getting your metabolism up and running. Add some pepper in your soup, burgers, and veggies if you like just to get your heart racing.
As you can see, getting your metabolism going is possible with just a few steps. When you do this, there is a high chance that you can get to shed more weight compared to just working out. By combining intense workouts with proper diet and enough rest, you’ll be able to see significant improvements on your overall physique. And the best part is that you are doing everything without any help from surgeries and the like.
