Fat Loss – Targeted Weight Loss

How does effective fat burning work?

Fat burning, fat loss, or simply losing weight – there are many words for the single goal with which almost everyone begins a workout regimen. Losing weight and getting fit, of course, is THE key motivator for many beginners, around which almost their entire training revolves. Beside the exercise component, the second major lever is diet. Now, there is no single right diet that gets everyone aiming to lose weight to their goal; there are tons of approaches, programs, diets, and nutritional concepts on the market. From Paleo to Low Carb or food combining all the way to High Carb, Low Fat, or High Fat: the diets to support weight loss are almost too numerous to count. However, they all have one thing in common, bringing experts and specialists into agreement: to boost fat burning and fat loss sustainably and successfully, all it takes is one simple guiding principle. And that is:

Burn more calories than you consume!

It is only logical that this goal can be achieved much faster, more effectively, and healthier through targeted athletic activity. In the beginning, almost everyone asks:

How do I know how many calories I take in?

Anyone who really wants to seriously look at their diet and calorie consumption is well advised to write down everything (yes, really everything, including every drink!) they consume for a period of time. There are plenty of good food diary templates online that you can use to log exactly what you eat every day. And you will be truly amazed, astonished, or perhaps even shocked once you write down the exact types and amounts of food consumed daily. Now, with a sensible diet, the goal is to lower this calorie intake to what your body actually needs:

What is my daily energy requirement?

The body's daily energy requirement can be determined quite well. Numerous service websites on the Internet offer a calculation here (e.g., nutrition.de or tk.de):

1. Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) – this is simply the amount of energy (= calories) that the body strictly needs at rest to basically supply the brain, organs, body temperature, etc. How do I calculate this daily BMR? There is a proven rule of thumb for this: 1 kcal x weight (kg) x 24 hours. That is at least a rough guide; for even more accurate values, gender and age would also need to be taken into account. Example: a man weighing 80 kg would consequently have a BMR of 1920 kcal per day.

2. Active Metabolic Rate – this includes all calories the body needs for physical exertion, movement, sports, etc.

3. Thermogenesis – this is the energy expenditure the body needs for digesting and metabolizing all food.

If you want to lose weight, simply put, your daily calorie intake must be below your total daily energy expenditure. In other words: you eat less/healthier/lower-calorie food and move more. Whenever possible, choose sports or activities that burn a lot of calories.

Which sports are best suited to achieving the highest possible active calorie burn?

First of all: Any form of exercise is better than no exercise at all! At first, this might be a daily walk through the woods that gets longer every day, or regular visits to the swimming pool during the week, which can then transition into regular endurance and cardio workouts on the treadmill, the stepper, the cross trainer, etc. But cycling, inline skating, or Nordic walking are also ideally suited - pick an endurance sport that you enjoy and that appeals to you. Start at a level that your body can handle comfortably and gradually build up. Any type of exercise is welcome to boost your personal endurance, strength, and strengthen and train your muscles! However, you should make time for exercise three to four times a week for it to be effective. For slightly more experienced people who already possess a basic level of fitness & endurance and don't have to start entirely from scratch, there are several sports that boost metabolic calorie burn even more effectively and rapidly:

• Interval training

  Indoor Cycling, jogging with interspersed sprint intervals, or highly effective and currently very trendy HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) are great ways to challenge your body intensely for short periods of time, maximizing metabolism and calorie burn. The great part: many of these sports can also be done at home with the right equipment or even just using your own body weight! A Canadian study showed that varied interval training boosts the body's fat burning by an average of 36% more than steady, monotonous exercise does.

• Fat burner classes & (step) aerobics

  If you love fitness studios and enjoy joining group classes, fat burner classes specifically designed for fat loss or classic aerobics classes are highly recommended.

• Tae-Bo & Co

  Martial arts like Tae-Bo, kickboxing, karate, and many more not only improve endurance and boost metabolism massively, but also simultaneously train balance, mobility, flexibility, mental fitness, and the underlying philosophy of the respective sport. Combined with a healthy and calorie-conscious diet, as well as adequate sleep and drinking enough fluids (preferably water or unsweetened light herbal teas), you will surely succeed in sustainably and successfully tackling fat loss.