How to Reduce Body Fat in a Safe and Sustainable Way?

Image via Pexels/Karolina Grabowska
Image via Pexels/Karolina Grabowska

Everyone struggles with dropping their body fat.

A quick search on the internet will bring forth tons of crash diets, fad exercises, and miracle teas and pills that claim to burn fat off your body. While there may be some truth to these quick fixes, dropping body fat requires some effort, discipline, and a lot of patience.

The two key factors when it comes to dropping body fat are exercise and diet. Most people tend to look at only one of these aspects and neglect the other. That's no way to go about it, though.


How to Exercise and Diet to Reduce Body Fat?

When it comes to exercise, there is a misconception that only cardio is effective for weight loss.

While cardio is definitely helpful, as it sheds a lot of calories, the best approach is a combination of cardio and strength training. Cardio is necessary to keep your stamina up and burn calories.

Strength training helps you retain your muscles and strength. In fact, your body burns more calories while at rest after strength training, than it does after cardio.

Apart from that, strength training also provides other benefits, such as:

• Toning the body

• Retaining strength

• Increasing bone muscle density

• Improving functionality and movement

• Boosting metabolism

If reducing body fat is your goal, it’s a good idea to switch between cardio and strength training on different days, or perform them together.

As for diet, you shouldn’t listen to the fads that ask you to cut carbs or fats completely. These are essential nutrients to sustain life and keep you healthy.

The best way to go about it is to eat your carbs in moderation and keep the protein high. Protein aids with muscle growth and also requires more energy to digest, meaning it burns more calories.

Carbs are where your energy comes from. Carbohydrates are stored as glycogen in the muscles and fuel your workouts. Without them in adequate quantities, you’ll find yourself lacking energy and weak.

Fats are essential to absorb and facilitate the digestion of other nutrients, especially vitamins and minerals. They contribute significantly to the functioning of the human body.


Takeaway

With a balanced diet and consistent workout regimen, your fat loss goals are easily attainable. Just keep at it. Make sure you get plenty of rest to avoid burnout, though.