Calorie Burning Tips

Majority of you would agree on the following - losing weight is very difficult and demands sincere dedication and effort. Try some effective tips given in this story, to shed the pounds in a smart and safe way.

Since how long are you making and breaking the same new year resolution of losing weight? How often have you promised yourself of having only 'low calorie' foods?

Clinging to a healthy diet is the most difficult thing to do, and you always want some extra cheese on the toast, and you would always jump to grab that fat-loaded chocolate box your boyfriend/girlfriend gifts you! You would agree that, this interpretation holds true for majority of the chunk.

But, there are also some unlucky people in the world who, no matter how hard they exercise or in what quantity they eat, do not lose weight. For both these scenarios, the tips discussed further will certainly help. But before delving into the tips, it's necessary to understand the terms calories and metabolism, because these two supposedly play a major role in weight loss.

"Calories", the term is used often by people, but I think majority of them do not know the exact meaning. It is a unit of energy, and it measures the energy the body obtains from nutrients, proteins, carbohydrates, and fats and other components in the food. 

When we say this food has these many calories, it means that the particular food provides that much amount of energy. The body needs these to perform different body functions, and gets the energy from the food consumed.

Body utilizes only the amount of energy it requires and the rest is not utilized, and contributes to fat in the body. The daily required amount of calories for an adult is around 2000 calories, and if you regularly eat food high in calories, weight is bound to increase.

Fats are the richest sources and 1 gram of fat is equivalent to about 9 calories. 1 gm each of carbohydrates and proteins, contains around 4 calories. Foods high on fat and carbohydrate are thus high in calories too.

What is metabolism? Metabolism is a complex and lengthy process, and in medical terms it is defined as "the chemical processes that occur in an organism to keep it going and maintain its life".

In simple words, it is the process that utilizes the calories from the food eaten to derive the energy required. A person with a high metabolic rate burns more energy than a person with low metabolic rate.

Also, among two persons with same height and weight, the person with high muscle mass, tends to burn more calories than a person with low muscle mass. Thus a person with high muscle mass has high metabolic rate.

Though there is no general consensus on metabolism playing a big role in calorie burning, boosting metabolism through exercise does helps. As far as food is concerned, dieting doesn't help and a intake of fat and proteins is equally important. So, the goal is boosting metabolism, through right way, that is through being physically active.

The tips given below are quite simple, and you are familiar with them. Increasing physical activity along with limiting the calorie intake is the only way out.

#1 Exercise: Regular exercise is very important for the body, as it boosts the metabolic rate, and thus the calorie burning ability. If done regularly, any form of exercise is beneficial. A daily brisk walk of at least 45 minutes in the morning is highly desired.

Weight training, and cardiovascular exercises boosts metabolism. Spinning, jogging, aerobic exercise, skipping are good activities. For long term weight loss being physically active through regular exercise is the only way.

#2 Eat Healthy: Dieting is a wrong concept altogether and you should never starve yourself. If you are into regular physical exercise, you are free to eat whatever you want but in limitation, and preferably in small intervals of time. But, for fast weight loss results prefer eating healthy but nutritious meals.

Also, your diet should have all the essential nutrients in balance, and a diet high on proteins satiates the hunger faster and for a long time. Breakfast should be the heaviest meal of the day, and lunch and dinner should be kept light.

If possible, break your meals into smaller portions to be eaten at regular intervals, and eat slowly relishing each and every bite. This technique helps and makes you feel full faster.

#3 Lifestyle: Never sit idle for long hours and keep yourself moving and active all the time, to keep the calorie burning meter ticking.

This includes simple changes like, using staircase instead of the elevator, taking strolls in the office/home at regular intervals, walking to the supermarket, etc., A good night's sleep is also very important, and it is recommended to take at least 6 hours of sleep daily.

Eating late in the night should be avoided and one should prefer eating before 7 pm. This is because, eating late in the night hampers the digestion process, and in turn the metabolism.

#4 Other Simple Tips:

• If you are tired of the mundane morning walk, take a stroll in the mall or go for window shopping.
• Walk while you talk. Yes it helps doubly, you burn calories through two ways, through talking and through walking. If you have a pet dog, take him for an evening walk, and eventually burn calories.

• Do household activities like cleaning the house or mowing the garden yourself. These activities keep you active and help in shedding the pounds.
• On weekends go for trekking or any other physical activity of your choice. This serves as a break from the daily monotonous routine and also keeps your calorie burning.

• Play with your kids and dance. Dancing is an effective and fun way to burn off the fat.

The daily calorie requirement of each person is different and it is determined after considering various factors like age, weight and height ratio, level of physical activity, etc. Consult a dietitian to determine your daily calorie requirement, and then eat accordingly.

A total body analysis determines your muscle mass, percentage of water mass, and amount of protein and minerals, etc.

Your diet should be based accordingly and go for weight loss under proper guidance only. Also do not try the abundantly available weight loss pills or other medications that are available for weight loss, as these techniques are of no use for long term weight loss and also come with many dangerous side effects.

There are no simple and fast techniques to lose weight and being physically active and eating only the required amount of 'healthy' food helps. So, folks to lose weight, be physically active and think twice before you eat anything.