It doesn’t matter if you’re looking to lose a little weight, or if you’re after fitting in those new jeans you bought. You're likely going to need to burn off some of the fat your body has. You can do this by dieting, exercising or both together (you’ll get better results with both).
Your body is a remarkable machine that is worth understanding before you jump on the fat burning train.
For your body to start losing fat, you’ll need to shock your body’s cells into thinking there isn’t enough energy for them to function. Once you’ve shocked your cells, they’ll start burning into fat stores to get the energy they need. By getting your cells to do this, you’ll lose weight and look healthier and slim.
Your body stores fat. It's needed for different reasons, like keeping warm in the winter. The stored fat can’t just get used right away for energy; it’s your body’s last resort.
When your body notices that there is a lack of energy, your adipose cells kick start (these cells are where fat is stored). An enzyme starts to break down fat, releasing fatty acids into your bloodstream. Any cells in your body that need energy will take the fatty acids and turn it into a usable form of energy, along with carbon dioxide and water.
This is the reason why you can never notice fat being burned from a particular area of your body. When you start burning fat, you burn it from all over your body, not just one specific area.
Fat is made up of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen. When your body starts using fat for energy, it produces fatty acids, carbon dioxide and water. Remember when you were at school, we were told that humans inhale oxygen and exhale carbon dioxide. So part of the fat in your body you literally breathe out of your body, the rest leaves your body in the form of water (urination and sweat).
When your cells burn off the fat, they shrink, but they don’t disappear. When you eat more than what you’ve been able to burn in a day, you’ll start storing fat again. If you want to break this cycle, you’ll need to have a balance between the calories you eat and the calories your body burns. To lose fat, you need to eat fewer calories to burn off the fat that’s being stored. Makes sense, right?
Your body is a machine, this we know. And the fat your body stores can’t always supply your body with all the energy you need. Think about it; your brain needs energy, your nerves need energy, your cells need energy, everything in your body needs energy to function. When and if you go on a low-calorie diet, your body won’t just use its fat stores for energy, it’ll start burning your muscle, too.
So, keep in mind, starvation is not the key to losing fat because your body will eat away its own muscle. You’ll need to eat healthy food, and take in fewer calories than what your body uses for it to function. By starving yourself, you force your body to hold onto its fat stores for longer. The best advice is very simple. Eat healthily and exercise. You’ll lose fat and build or tone your muscles, making you look slimmer and healthier.
When you exercise, you send a message to your brain telling it not to burn the muscles you have because you need it for basic functionality. Your body is a machine, but you can hack it and fool it into working the way you want.
