Fat burning in spring: 18 practical tips
Burning fat in spring works on several fronts at once: food, training, supplements and water. Cutting carbohydrates or taking a couple of fat burners is not enough on its own. Below are 18 concrete tips that help you lose body fat and keep your muscle mass.
Fat burning starts with supplements
Thermogenic products raise your metabolic rate and help you burn more calories even at rest. Synephrine (Citrus aurantium extract) is one of the best known — try 5–20 mg one to two times a day, but no more than 40 mg a day.
Fat mobilizers direct the burning specifically at stored fat. Forskolin (from the plant Coleus forskohlii) activates fat breakdown in fat cells — 20–50 mg, 2–3 times a day. Caffeine does the same during training: 200–400 mg an hour or two before a workout makes the working muscle use more fat for fuel.
Appetite suppressants help you endure a calorie deficit. Jojoba extract (simmondsin) stimulates the satiety hormone — 100–500 mg 1–3 times a day on an empty stomach. Thyroid gland support comes from 7-keto DHEA: 100–200 mg a day, split into two or three doses.
Healthy fats are a dieter’s friends. As supplements, take 2–4 grams of fish oil or 1–2 tablespoons of flaxseed oil a day. Among whole foods, avocado, nuts, seeds, fatty fish and olive oil are good choices.
Nutrition and fat burning
Eat often. Every meal speeds up your metabolism, because the body spends energy on digestion. A steady supply of food and nutrients keeps the body’s chemical balance steady and lowers the risk of muscle breakdown. Aim for 6 or more meals a day, on average every 2–3 hours.
Each meal needs to be smaller than usual — otherwise you simply end up eating more overall. The goal is to take in fewer calories per day than you burn to maintain your weight, so that the body starts drawing fuel from its fat stores.
Don’t go too low. Rule of thumb: cut calories by about 20%. If you maintained your weight at 3000 kcal, don’t drop below 2400 kcal — otherwise the body starts breaking down muscle and your metabolism slows.
Eat progressively less as the day goes on. A 2400 kcal split could look like this: 600, 500, 400, 300, 400, 200. The small rise at the fifth meal allows a more substantial dinner without exceeding your daily expenditure.
Get enough protein and choose clean protein sources. Egg whites, low-carbohydrate protein powders, poultry and white fish are gold during the diet phase. Eat at least 2.22 g and up to 3.3 g of protein per kilogram of body weight — a bit more than usual.
Carbohydrates and fat burning
Cutting carbohydrates out completely may work for a couple of days before a competition, but it is a bad idea in the longer term. Keep them at a moderate level — at least 1 g per pound (2.22 g/kg) of body weight, even on your lowest days. Most trainees still burn fat at 200 g of carbohydrates a day.
Reduce carbohydrates as the day goes on. At 200 g, the split starting from the morning could be 80, 40, 40, 40, 0, 0 g. Keep the last 2 meals of the day carbohydrate-free — that is when the body is most likely to store fat. If you train in the evening, leave at least 40 g for post-workout refueling.
Avoid fast-absorbing sugars for most of the day. They are absorbed quickly, disappear from circulation and soon leave you hungry again. Rely on slow, complex carbohydrates: brown rice, yams, oat flakes, wholegrain bread and pasta keep your blood sugar steady.
One exception: right after training. Then fast carbohydrates help restore muscle glycogen stores, and the insulin surge supports muscle growth even in the diet phase. A suitable amount is about 40 g of sugars together with 40 g of whey protein.
Water, dietary fiber and vegetables
Drink plenty of water. A high-protein diet and training flush fluid out of the body, so your needs are higher than usual. Aim for at least a gallon, or 3.78 liters, of water a day, on top of other drinks — it contains no calories and carries minerals with it.
Dietary fiber creates a feeling of fullness, improves protein absorption and digestion, and reduces the absorption of some of the calories. Usually at least 30 g a day, up to 40 g during a diet. Raise the amount slowly — by about 2–3 g a week — so your stomach doesn’t get upset.
Fruit and vegetables give you water, dietary fiber and unique micronutrients. Limit fruit during a diet to one or two pieces a day — it is mainly sugar. Steamed broccoli, cauliflower and spinach are practically “free foods”: thanks to their low calorie content, you can eat them throughout the day without counting calories.
Fat burning: frequently asked questions
How many calories should you cut during a diet?
The rule of thumb is 20% below your weight-maintenance level. For example, from 3000 kcal down to 2400 kcal. Going deeper slows your metabolism and costs you muscle — not fat.
When should you eat fast carbohydrates?
The only sensible window is right after a workout — about 40 g of sugars together with 40 g of whey protein. For the rest of the day, stick to slow, complex carbohydrates.
Do you really have to eat 6 times a day?
Six smaller meals every 2–3 hours keep your metabolism active and hunger away. Fewer meals work too, but with long gaps between them the risk of overeating at the next meal grows.
Original source: Steve Stiefel, Jim Stoppani, FLEX.
Author: Fitness.ee Turg
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