Nutrition Tips to Burn More Fat (and Reduce Cravings)
Losing weight isn’t about eating less. It’s about eating more of the right types of foods to fuel your body, kick-start your metabolism and keep you feeling full. After all, it’s when your body feels like it’s starving that everything slows down and you go into fat storage mode. Totally not what you want if weight loss is your goal! However, there’s a few simple tricks you can do that’ll encourage your body to burn more body fat. Most of these also have the added benefit of reducing your sugar cravings too which is another win for anyone out there with a bit of a sweet tooth. So, work smarter, not harder by following these nutrition tips to burn more fat.
Eat Plenty of Fibre
Fibre is an amazing type of carbohydrate that the body doesn’t digest but helps you to digest everything else. Eating more fibre generally leads to a healthier digestive system that’s less inflamed and more effective at burning fat. In addition, every time you eat fibre, any sugars and fats that you eat with it will take longer to enter your bloodstream, giving you a steady source of energy while you feel full for longer. This will help to prevent blood sugar spikes that cause cravings.
To make it easy to remember which foods include fibre, it’s basically any type of plant food. So, things like leafy green vegetables, fruits, beans, nuts and legumes are all high in fibre. Or, eat more of these foods.
Choose Low-GI Carbs
Your body needs carbs to function properly so there’s no need to cut them out completely. However, your body will be far more efficient at burning fat if you fuel yourself with plenty of low-GI carbs such as oats, wholegrains and beans.
Trust Your Body
Your body will naturally tell you when you’re full and when you need to eat so trust it! You should always feel a little hungry before eating a meal or snack and eat enough to satisfy yourself without overfilling your belly.
Eat More Fat
Fat is an incredible nutrient and one that’s particularly important when you’re trying to lose weight. Eating enough quality fats every day encourages your body to use fat as a source of fuel and actually discourages fat storage. It’ll also help to fill you up and keep you full for longer so you’re less likely to overeat.
Include healthy fats such as avocados, salmon, nuts, seeds, coconut and olive oil in your weight loss diet. Just be careful to stick to appropriate portion sizes as well.
Avoid Processed Foods
Even so called ‘healthy’ processed foods such as protein bars, bliss balls and sports drinks are often loaded with high-GI carbs. Your body doesn’t need them! They’ll just overload your system with sugars and stop your body from burning fat.
Instead, munch on healthy, wholefood snacks, drink water and check the ingredient labels on any protein supplements to find something with fewer additives.
Minimise Alcohol
When you drink alcohol, your body immediately starts to focus on how to get rid of it from your system. This means that your digestive system is slowed down and with it, fat burning grinds to a halt. Not to mention the fact that most alcohols (and their mixers) are packed full of sugars that’ll overload your body with a source of energy that’s easier for it to use than the fat you’d like to burn.
If you don’t want to cut out alcohol completely, try to limit yourself to a couple of drinks a week. Bonus points for avoiding mixers too!
Take a Balanced Approach
Weight loss is much more achievable if you focus on long-term sustainability instead of short term results. And, luckily, this means that it’s okay to enjoy treats in moderation. Learn to be able to have a small portion of dessert at a friend’s house or treat yourself to some hot chips every now and then if that’s your thing.
Feeling deprived of any type of food inevitably leads to eating too much which can completely undo your weight loss efforts. Be flexible, don’t expert yourself to be ‘perfect’ and choose the healthy option most of the time. Consistency over time will help you to burn more fat and keep those cravings at bay!