Is it long sessions of cardio? And what about increased metabolism through weight training? Time spent researching these questions on the internet will yield a wide and somewhat varied array of answers.

However, most credible sources agree on some very common principles. Calorie deficit means everything for fat and weight loss. Whether you work out once a week or every day, loss-seekers should have a general, if not detailed understanding of calorie intake.

Certainly, if you are exercising moderately-to-vigorously multiple times per week, be it cardio or strength training, calories are being burned and your likelihood of creating that calorie deficit goes up. However, people tend to overestimate the number of calories they burn in a workout and underestimate the number of calories they consume.

Nutrition is key when working towards fat loss, muscle gain, or body recomposition goals. Generally speaking, a diet that is higher in protein and vegetables, especially leafy greens, and includes a balance of healthy fats and complex carbohydrates with minimal refined sugar will support the weight loss or fat loss goals when combined with regular exercise.

No surprises there. Moderate to vigorous cardiovascular exercise burns calories quickly. Steady-state jogging, running, elliptical and stationary bike workouts offer efficient calorie-burning opportunities to support weight or fat loss. Again, no surprises.

However, what is less commonly known is that once the cardio workout ends, and the heart rate comes down, so does the workout-driven calorie burn. Strength training, such as lifting weights, muscle resistance exercises, or even body-weight supportive calisthenics, such as pushups, builds muscle, increases your heart rate again during exercise, and sheds fat.

But only slightly, though, because that long-term difference in metabolism is not overly significant. More significant, however, is research shows metabolism and calorie-burning continue to be elevated for hours immediately following strength training.

This is not to be confused with the long-term permanent metabolism that grows only slightly, as noted in the previous paragraph. Rather, in the immediate hours following strength training sessions, the body continues to burn calories at an elevated workout rate, and gradually slows over time.

Some cases have shown metabolism to remain elevated for up to hours following strength training. This is really where strength training appears to most support fat loss.

Again, with cardio, the calorie burn rate decreases as the heart rate decreases immediately following a good run, jog or bike.

There is no question that a balanced, protein and vitamin-rich diet, coupled with regular cardio and strength-building exercise, supports healthy living. But now we know a little bit more about the value of strength training and muscle building.

Keep in mind, also, that muscle is denser than fat, so you may be doing it right, but not see the big difference on the scale. Remember, all bodies are different.

If you feel good, and notice improvement in other ways, including confidence and better quality sleep, along with having more energy, keep it going. Andrea Brown is Vice President of Health and Wellness for YMCA of Bucks and Hunterdon Counties.

You get your energy from fat, carbohydrates, and protein. Which one your body draws from for energy depends on the kind of activity you're doing.

Most people want to use fat for energy. It may seem that the more fat you can use as fuel, the less fat you will have in your body. But, using more fat doesn't automatically lead to losing more fat. Understanding the best way to burn fat starts with some basic facts about how your body gets its energy.

The body primarily uses fat and carbohydrates for fuel. The ratio of which fuels are utilized will shift depending on your activity.

A small amount of protein is used during exercise, but it's mainly used to repair the muscles after exercise. Higher-intensity exercises, such as fast-paced running, cause the body to rely on carbs for fuel.

The metabolic pathways available to break down carbs for energy are more efficient than those for fat breakdown. Fat is used more for energy than carbs for long, slower exercise. This is a very simplified look at energy with a solid take-home message.

Burning more calories matters more than using fat for energy. The harder you work, the more calories you will burn overall. It doesn't matter what type of fuel you use when it comes to weight loss. What matters is how many calories you burn.

Think about it this way—when you sit or sleep, you're in your prime fat-burning mode. But you probably don't think of sitting and sleeping more as a pathway to losing body fat. The bottom line is that just because you're using more fat as energy doesn't mean you're burning more calories.

Exercising at lower intensities will use more fat for energy. Over the years, this theory has become so ingrained in our exercise experience that we see it touted in books, charts, websites, magazines, and even on cardio machines at the gym. The trouble is that it's misleading. Working at lower intensities can be great, but it won't necessarily burn more fat off your body.

One way to increase your calorie burn is to exercise at higher intensities. This doesn't necessarily mean that you should avoid low-intensity exercise if you want to burn more fat. There are some specific things you can do to burn more fat and it all starts with how often and for how long you exercise.

You may be confused about exactly how hard to work during cardio. You may even think that high-intensity exercise is the only way to go. After all, you can burn more calories and you don't have to spend as much time doing it.

But having some variety can help you stimulate each of your energy systems, protect you from overuse injuries, and help you enjoy your workouts more. You can set up a cardio program that includes a variety of different exercises at different intensities.

Or, if you're not using heart rate zones, about a six to eight on a point perceived exertion scale. What this translates to is exercise at a level that feels challenging and leaves you too breathless to talk in complete sentences. But you're not going all out, as in sprinting as fast as you can.

There's no doubt that some high-intensity training work can be helpful for weight loss as well as improving endurance and aerobic capacity.

You can get the same benefit from short workouts spread throughout the day as you do with continuous workouts. For example, a pound person would burn about calories after running at 6 mph for 30 minutes. If this person walked at 3. But, the number of calories you can burn isn't the whole story.

Too many high-intensity workouts every week can put you at risk in a number of ways. If you don't have much experience with exercise, you may not have the conditioning or the desire for breathless and challenging workouts.

If you have any medical condition or injury, check with a healthcare provider before training. If you're doing several days of cardio each week, you would probably want only one or two workouts to fall into the high-intensity range. You can use other workouts to target different fitness areas like endurance and allow your body to recover.

Here are some examples of how to incorporate high-intensity workouts. One way to incorporate high-intensity workouts is to exercise at a fast pace. You can use any activity or machine for a minute workout at a fast pace, but the idea is to stay in the high-intensity work zone throughout the workout.

Twenty minutes is usually the recommended length, and most people wouldn't want to go much longer than that. Tabata training is another form of high-intensity interval training in which you work very hard for 20 seconds, rest for 10 seconds, and repeat for 4 minutes.

In this workout, you should be breathless and unable to talk. Additionally, interval training is a great way to incorporate high-intensity training without doing it continuously.

Alternate a hard segment e. Repeat this series for the length of the workout, usually around 20 to 30 minutes. That would be a level four to six on a point perceived exertion scale.

You are breathing harder than usual, but can carry on a conversation without much difficulty. Schedule your day around exercise instead of trying to squeeze it in when you can.

Making your workout a priority increases the chances that you will accomplish your goal. The American College of Sports Medicine ACSM often recommends this level of intensity in its exercise guidelines. The lower end of this range usually incorporates the fat-burning zone.

Moderate-intensity workouts also have some great benefits. For instance, even modest movement can improve your health while lowering your risk of heart disease, diabetes, and high blood pressure. Also, it takes time to build up the endurance and strength to handle challenging exercises.

Moderate workouts allow you to work at a more comfortable pace, which means you may be more consistent with your program. You also can usually get into the moderate heart rate zones with a variety of activities.

Even raking leaves or shoveling snow can fall into that category if you do it vigorously enough. For weight management, you would likely want the majority of your cardio workouts to fall into the moderate range. Some examples include:. This level of intensity is no doubt one of the most comfortable areas of exercise, keeping you at a pace that isn't too taxing and doesn't pose much of a challenge.

This fact, along with the idea that it burns more fat, makes low-intensity exercise popular. But, as we've learned, working at a variety of intensities is ideal for weight loss. That doesn't mean that low-intensity exercise has no purpose, though. It involves the long, slow activities you feel like you could do all day.

Even better, it includes activities you usually enjoy, such as taking a stroll, gardening, riding a bike, or a gentle stretching routine. Low-intensity cardio can be something you do all day long by doing an extra lap when you're shopping, taking the stairs , parking farther from the entrance, and doing more physical chores around the house.

Exercise such as Pilates and yoga are at a lower intensity but help develop your core, flexibility, and balance. They can be a part of a well-rounded routine. It may seem like a no-brainer that regular exercise can help you burn fat. But it's not just about the calories you're burning.

It's also about the adaptations your body makes when you exercise on a regular basis. Many of those adaptations lead directly to your ability to burn more fat without even trying.

Adding more muscle by lifting weights and doing other resistance exercises can also help with burning fat. While many people focus more on cardio for weight loss, there's no doubt that strength training is a key component in any weight loss routine.

Here are some benefits of weight training. If you lift weights at a higher intensity, you can increase your afterburn, or the calories you burn after your workout. That means that you burn calories during your workouts, but your body continues to burn calories even after your workout while your body gets back to its resting state.

Lifting weights and maintaining muscle helps keep the metabolism up, even if you're cutting your calories.

Guide Me To Find My Activity. Burning Calories and Increasing Metabolism: Cardio and Strength Training Andrea Brown, Vice President of Health and Wellness When I visit YMCA of Bucks and Hunterdon Counties Wellness Centers, I cannot help but notice the ways our members spend their workout time.

Everyone is in a different stage of their wellness journey. Some are on treadmills prodigiously hiking uphill, while others are repping isolated muscle groups on weight machines, such as the biceps curl or leg press. A question often floating above fitness communities is how to achieve optimal weight or fat loss, and what types of exercise will best sustain that loss?

Is it long sessions of cardio? And what about increased metabolism through weight training? Time spent researching these questions on the internet will yield a wide and somewhat varied array of answers.

However, most credible sources agree on some very common principles. Calorie deficit means everything for fat and weight loss. Whether you work out once a week or every day, loss-seekers should have a general, if not detailed understanding of calorie intake. Certainly, if you are exercising moderately-to-vigorously multiple times per week, be it cardio or strength training, calories are being burned and your likelihood of creating that calorie deficit goes up.

However, people tend to overestimate the number of calories they burn in a workout and underestimate the number of calories they consume. Nutrition is key when working towards fat loss, muscle gain, or body recomposition goals.

Generally speaking, a diet that is higher in protein and vegetables, especially leafy greens, and includes a balance of healthy fats and complex carbohydrates with minimal refined sugar will support the weight loss or fat loss goals when combined with regular exercise.

No surprises there. Moderate to vigorous cardiovascular exercise burns calories quickly. Steady-state jogging, running, elliptical and stationary bike workouts offer efficient calorie-burning opportunities to support weight or fat loss. Again, no surprises. However, what is less commonly known is that once the cardio workout ends, and the heart rate comes down, so does the workout-driven calorie burn.

Strength training, such as lifting weights, muscle resistance exercises, or even body-weight supportive calisthenics, such as pushups, builds muscle, increases your heart rate again during exercise, and sheds fat.

But only slightly, though, because that long-term difference in metabolism is not overly significant. More significant, however, is research shows metabolism and calorie-burning continue to be elevated for hours immediately following strength training.

This is not to be confused with the long-term permanent metabolism that grows only slightly, as noted in the previous paragraph. Rather, in the immediate hours following strength training sessions, the body continues to burn calories at an elevated workout rate, and gradually slows over time.

Some cases have shown metabolism to remain elevated for up to hours following strength training. This is really where strength training appears to most support fat loss.

Again, with cardio, the calorie burn rate decreases as the heart rate decreases immediately following a good run, jog or bike.

There is no question that a balanced, protein and vitamin-rich diet, coupled with regular cardio and strength-building exercise, supports healthy living.

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Abstract Background Adipose tissue is a type of connective tissue composed of adipocytes. Aim of work This review will focus on the recent advances in fat burning supplements, fat burning foods, and fat flash diet.

Conclusion The human body can act as a fat-burning machine by depending on low-calorie foods instead of high-calorie foods in addition to doing regular exercise, avoiding toxins and processed food, and applying any fat flush dietary program under the approval of a professional doctor.

Background Adipose tissue is a loose connective tissue composed of adipocytes and is responsible for storing energy in the form of lipids; at the same time, it cushions and insulates the body Birbrair et al. Adipose tissue The adipose tissue is a loose connective tissue full of adipocytes.

Structure of adipose tissue The very important God-given cellular components are found in adipose tissue in two different forms: white adipose tissue WAT and brown adipose tissue BAT Fig.

The two kinds of adipose tissue in mammals. Full size image. Distribution of adipose tissue Everyone does not carry their adipose tissue in the same anatomical locations. Factors that determine fat distribution A primary factor is genetic background, which can be seen by looking at the similarity in fat distribution within same-sex family members.

Risks of fat accumulation 1. The process of fat deposition Lipogenesis is the process of fat deposition that occurs in the liver and adipose tissue Kersten Should we try to increase our brown fat content? White adipose tissue as an endocrine and secretory organ Adipose tissue is now known to be a very important and active endocrine organ Coelho et al.

Adipose tissue as an endocrine and secretory organ. What happens when fat cell is burned? The incredible shrinking of fat cell.

What could go wrong with adipose tissue? Fat burners When we talk about fat loss, much of the information available can be confusing. Fat-burning supplements The list of supplements that claimed to increase or improve fat metabolism is long.

Classes of supplements In this review, the evidence for some of these supplements is briefly summarized. Energy enhancers 1. Protein and amino acids products 1. Testosterone enhancers 1. Lean body enhancers 1.

Miscellaneous 1. Fat burning supplements safety Some authorities claim that these supplements can safely be used in small amounts and they can be effective at jump-starting weight loss.

Macronutrients There are three macro-nutrients that can be present in food: fat, protein, and carbohydrate. Fats: the good, the bad, and the ugly Fat is an important nutrient for health and plays many different roles in the body.

The ugly: trans fats They are made from a chemical process known as partial hydrogenation; this is when liquid oil is made into solid fat. How does fat burn fat? Fat-burning natural foods, rich in good fats Good fats help in burning body fat, not to feel hungry, enhance metabolism, and stimulate certain hormones that have many functions within the body.

How does protein burn fat? Mechanism 2: Stimulates growth hormone release Protein stimulates growth hormone GH release from the anterior pituitary. Mechanism 3: Increases protein synthesis Protein provides the building blocks of body tissues and regular consumption of it, i.

Mechanism 4: Boosts metabolism Not only does protein promote greater energy expenditure by maintaining an elevated metabolic rate but it also boosts the metabolism because it requires more energy to be digested compared to the other macronutrients, carbohydrate, and fat.

Mechanism 5: Suppresses appetite Protein has powerful appetite suppressing effects, especially compared to the other macronutrients. Fat-burning foods, rich in proteins From the aforementioned 5 mechanisms, it is easy to conclude why protein can help promote fat burning in the body.

Micronutrients Calcium Several studies have correlated higher calcium intakes with lower body weight or less weight gain over time Parikh et al. Vitamin D Observational studies indicate that greater body weights are associated with lower vitamin D status, and obese individuals frequently have marginal or deficient circulating levels of vitamin D Lim et al.

Other fat-burning foods 1. Water It would not count as food because it has no calories. The link between weight gain, weight loss, and toxins The ingested and the environmental toxins that were taken every day can be stored in fat cells.

Fat flush diet detox diet Fat flush is a low-carbohydrate eating plan devised with a focus on weight loss while detoxing the liver and lymphatic systems to enhance overall health. The function of fat flush plan It aims to cleanse the liver, improve wellness, and produce weight loss.

Conclusion We can turn our body into fat-burning machine by including low-calorie foods instead of high-calorie foods in our diet. Recommendation Too much fats increase the risk of diabetes with the alarming complications of cardiovascular disorders.

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Is it possible to speed up a naturally slow metabolism, or rev up one that has become sluggish over time? That, along with adopting a healthier diet and making sure you get enough exercise, may give people the extra push they need to lose and maintain weight.

Pick up the pace. Add some high-intensity interval training to your regular routine. After a period of interval training, your metabolism can stay revved up for as much as a full day. For example, when you're walking or jogging on a treadmill or outside, speed up for 30 to 60 seconds, and then slow to your usual pace; repeat the cycle for eight to 12 minutes.

Eat protein and do weight training. Your metabolism increases whenever you eat, digest, and store food, a process called thermic effect of food. Protein has a higher thermic effect compared with fats and carbohydrates because it takes longer for your body to burn protein and absorb it.

It's not clear how much of an effect protein has on metabolism, but studies suggest the best approach is to combine adequate protein intake with weight training, which increases muscle mass — and that also can boost metabolism. Drink green tea. Studies have found green tea contains a compound called epigallocatechin gallate, which may increase the calories and fat you burn.

A meta-analysis published in Obesity Reviews found that consuming about milligrams of epigallocatechin gallate the amount in about three cups of green tea helped boost metabolism enough to burn an average of extra calories a day. As a service to our readers, Harvard Health Publishing provides access to our library of archived content.

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Get helpful tips and guidance for everything from fighting inflammation to finding the best diets for weight loss For instance, one study found that caffeine was more effective at increasing fat burning during exercise in individuals with a less active sedentary lifestyle in comparison with trained athletes.

Drinking coffee can significantly increase your metabolism and may help you lose weight if that is your goal. They may explore underlying causes and offer you a tailored plan.

Managing any condition that slows down your metabolism, like hypothyroidism , can help make other efforts more productive. Jumpstarting your metabolism may also require you to change a few habits like a nutrient-dense diet with limited processed foods, regular physical activity , and optimum sleep hygiene that allows your body to rest and recharge.

You may also avoid doing things that slow down your metabolism like restricting too many calories or not doing any strength resistance training. Every body is different. Signs of a slow metabolism may vary individually but may include fatigue, digestive upset, not losing any weight despite your efforts, and easily gaining weight.

Only a healthcare professional may accurately assess your metabolism and the underlying causes of these symptoms. Restrictive diets may sometimes lead to a slow metabolism, among other health effects.

Although for weight loss and fat burning you do want to consume fewer calories than you burn, your body still needs to get enough fuel and nutrients to perform body functions.

Instead of eating less, you may want to focus on nutritious foods and move more. Foods that boost your metabolism typically include protein such as meat, dairy, or legumes. Read more about the 12 best foods to boost your metabolism.

Learn about these and other foods you can eat before bed. To lose weight, you need to create a calorie deficit. This means you need to eat fewer calories than you burn, or better, burn more calories than you eat.

You may want to focus on healthy eating habits while you consume enough calories to support your body functions. Consider reducing processed foods, sugar and alcohol intake, and saturated fats. Resistance training and eating an adequate amount of protein can help preserve lean body mass. Muscle growth helps you burn more calories at rest.

Making small lifestyle changes and incorporating these tips into your routine can help increase your metabolism.

Having a higher metabolism can help you lose weight and keep it off, if that is your goal, while also giving you more energy. Try this today: In addition to trying the tips outlined above, you can also add more metabolism-boosting foods to your diet.

Check out this article for a list of some nutritious foods that can support your metabolism. Our experts continually monitor the health and wellness space, and we update our articles when new information becomes available. VIEW ALL HISTORY.

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A Quiz for Teens Are You a Workaholic? If calories are controlled, you will still burn this fat for energy throughout the day and maintain your current level of body fat. Improving your ability to burn fat doesn't necessarily increase your metabolism overall, nor does it always lead to fat loss.

Unfortunately, you cannot hack your metabolism to cheat the system and drastically increase your ability to burn calories.

No matter what the internet says. However, there are a few things that can affect the speed of your metabolism including your body weight, body fat percentage, diet, and hormones. And the degree to which each impacts your metabolic rate can vary widely.

Here is a breakdown of some of the most celebrated ways to boost metabolism and how effective they really are:. Muscle gain typically means weight gain. And gaining any mass would cause metabolism to increase because it takes more energy to fuel and move a larger object.

Though most of us would prefer to gain muscle over fat weight for a variety of reasons. The metabolic rate of muscle is about 4. This would mean an extra 5 pounds of muscle would equal an increase of 22 to 35 calories per day - which sounds small but could add up over time. Source: Adapted from The Free Obesity ebook.

This estimate does not consider the effect on calorie burn during training. Having more muscle might mean you are burning slightly more calories at rest, but it could also mean you are stronger and faster - allowing you to train harder and burn more calories during exercise as well.

In addition, muscle takes up less space than fat, which is why two individuals who weigh the exact same amount but have different body fat percentages can look drastically different. And most importantly, gaining muscle can sometimes make the number on the scale go up, but this doesn't mean you aren't getting healthier, looking leaner, or achieving great results.

Taking progress photos, using a tape measure, or tracking your body fat percentage might be better suited to show you exactly how well you are doing. Learn what it takes to build more muscle. The bottom line: Gaining weight, especially muscle, is likely one of the best approaches to increase your metabolic rate naturally since this directly affects your BMR.

Strength training is one of the best ways to maintain lean muscle and promote muscle growth to improve your body composition - whether you are looking to lose, gain or maintain your weight.

Lifting weights might also help increase your daily calorie burn, even hours after you've stopped training. Putting wear and tear on your muscles requires a recovery period and this is when positive effects on your metabolism are seen. In one study, increases in metabolism were seen up to 38 hours after strength training 9.

Bottom line: Lifting weights supports muscle mass, which in turn may have some positive effects on the speed of your metabolism, especially if it leads to muscle gain. Plus, the increases in calorie burn from training, although short-lived, may also be an effective approach to weight management.

Similar to weight training, high-intensity training might also have afterburn effects, referred to as Excess Post-exercise Oxygen Consumption EPOC 10 , 11 , After exercise, your muscle cells need time to restore normal function and metabolism.

And the harder the training, the longer this takes. During this time period, oxygen consumption is increased, which is directly related to calorie burn. Thus, hard training results in a longer recovery period and extended calorie burn, increasing your metabolism during this time.

This explains why a four-minute Tabata workout is able to result in calories burned throughout the day In addition, HIIT may increase your rate of fat oxidation and support greater fat-burning capabilities.

Bottom line: HIIT workouts may be an effective way to temporarily speed up your metabolism and promote more fat loss. However, this approach requires consistent training to be truly beneficial. It takes calories to digest calories, also known as the thermogenic effect of food or TEF.

And some foods require more calories to digest than others. Protein is thought to be the most thermogenic of all the macros, which is partially why high protein diets are associated with more fat loss 14 , Learn how many grams of protein you need a day. Bottom line: High protein diets are strongly associated with fat loss benefits but are likely not an effective approach to increasing your metabolism since TEF represents such a small part of your overall energy expenditure.

Sleep can impact your metabolism by messing with certain hormones that control your appetite. Lack of sleep has been linked to increases in the hunger hormone ghrelin and decreases in the fat-burning hormone leptin