How to Lower Body Fat
We all know how difficult it can be to lose weight, let alone target body fat. Some people struggle for years to find a process that works for their body. Understanding the basic functions of the human body and how we process different macro nutrients can help in your journey to reduce body fat. Here are some tips to target body fat and understand the overall process.
80/20 Rule
I'm sure you've heard about the 80/20 rule. This rule refers to the percentage of nutrition versus fitness that contributes to your body. The way you look results 80% from what you put into your body and only 20% from exercise and training. With this being said, it is very important to consume healthy food that contribute to your overall goals.
Sleep
Sleep is a critical component of overall body health, not to mention losing weight. When you don't get enough sleep, your body cannot properly digest because your metabolism slows down. In addition, when you are tired it is harder to eat properly because you crave comfort foods. Sleeping enough also allows your body to build muscle and recover from your workout.
Hydration
The ultimate goal is 100 ounces per day but hitting at least 70 ounces will keep you on track. Staying hydrated helps regulate your metabolism and keep your cravings controlled. Hydration is also important to flush out wastes and it contributes to fat loss.
Fasted Cardio
Rather than running laps after a workout, try fasted cardio. This is performed when you have an empty stomach, so right when you wake up. A benefit of fasted cardio is immediate fat burning since your glycogen levels are depleted during sleep. Normally, the first thirty minutes of a workout burn through glycogen (sugar) that is stored throughout the day, but performing cardio first thing in the morning allows you to skip that thirty minutes of burn time.
These are just some of the factors that go into burning fat. Remember that losing weight and lowering fat are different. You may be losing weight while gaining fat and vice versa. In order to stay on top of your goals, you should track your body fat percentage regularly. With this information, you can determine if your efforts have been working to lower body fat.
There are multiple ways to test body fat but the safest and most accurate is hydro static weighing. If you are interested in learning about your body and would like to get tanked, sign up here.