Burn more, store less...

Are you trying to lose weight (i.e. decrease your bodyfat)?  We’ve all heard of the calories-in vs. calories-out equation that undergirds weight loss, but you should also be aware of storing as little bodyfat as possible, and burning as many calories as you can.

Here are 2 hacks to optimize each of these things on a daily basis:

1. Burn more: the number of calories you burn in a day is obviously related to movement.  Move more, burn more, right? Yes, but timing is also a factor.  Work out early in the day to kick-start your metabolism and maximize calorie burn.

Studies have shown your body burns additional calories after workouts are completed (EPOC).  Anaerobic training seems to elicit a greater effect in this way than aerobic–so don’t just walk or run, hit the weights.  The amount of calories seems to be a source of debate, but let’s conservatively say, for the sake of argument, that you burn an extra 5 calories per hour for 12 hours after you workout.  That’s 60 calories for free after each workout!  If you repeat that daily, we’re talking 420 calories/week or 12,600 calories/month.  Each pound of bodyfat contains 3500 calories, so 12,600 calories equates to 3.6 pounds of fat loss/month! 

But what if you work out shortly before bed?  When you sleep, your body goes into a restful state and metabolism slows (read: less calories are burned).  So, if this is your habit, you’re losing out on a powerful way to burn more without doing any extra work.

2. Store less: the amount of bodyfat you store has a lot to do with blood sugar and insulin.  Your body is always trying to maintain a level of blood sugar that will allow you to spring into action, but if your blood sugar gets too high for too long, it can cause major problems.  So, your body has insulin: a hormone which lowers blood sugar by converting it to energy storage–bodyfat.  If you minimize blood sugar spikes, you will minimize storage.  Here are a few simple practices that will reduce the need for insulin and will store less energy for later use:

   • Combine macronutrients and eat more fiber: eating your carbohydrates with fat, protein, and fiber slows absorption and decreases blood sugar spikes, resulting in less storage. This habit also keeps you feeling full longer and reduces hunger sensations

   • Beware of glycemic index: not all sugars are created equally.  Glycemic index is a measurement of how quickly a sugar enters the bloodstream.  If a sugar enters quickly (e.g. high-fructose corn syrup found in soda), blood sugar goes up quickly and your body dumps a bunch of insulin to bring it back down.  Conversely, if a sugar enters relatively slowly (e.g. fructose found in strawberries), less insulin is released.  Add a handful of almonds to your strawberry snack and it will be even better from a storage of bodyfat standpoint.

   • Beware of the order of what you eat: if you eat your handful of almonds before you eat your 5 strawberries, the blood sugar spike will be less than if you did it in reverse.