FitOlympia

Fat Burners: Foods, Exercises and Side Effects

Burning of fat plays a major role in any individual’s weight loss aspirations. While there are several fat burners one can turn to in order to achieve these goals, it is advised that one stick to natural sources. We discuss all you need to know about fat burners below.

Table of Contents

• Natural fat burners
• Fat burning foods
• Fat burning diet plan
• Recipes
• Fat burning exercises
• Artificial fat burner side effects
• Summary
• Frequently Added Questions

Natural fat burners

Although your aim may be to burn fat quickly and get into shape faster, it is not healthy to do so. This could lead to rapid weight gain the moment you deviate from your weight loss diet. The availability of artificial fat burners may tempt your to go down that route but these come with harmful side effects that we will discuss later in this article.

These fat burners help boost your metabolism, and thus increases the amount of fat you burn. Opt for natural fat burning foods over artificial fat burning supplements that are available to you, since they can adversely affect your health.

Combine the consumption of these foods with an active lifestyle. As a result, your body will use higher amounts of fat for energy.

Fat burning foods

As mentioned earlier, it is best to opt for natural fat burning sources, rather than artificial supplements. Eating these foods will go a long way in helping you burn fats at a healthy rate.

1. Apples

The reason why you should eat apples is that these fruits contain flavonoids. It is a natural chemical found in plants, which is responsible for burning fat. According to a study published in 2017, researchers made an important discovery. They found a correlation between flavonoid intake and lower waist circumference and body mass index.

2. Brown rice

In several parts of India, eating white rice is the staple diet. However, you should replace it with brown rice, as this food in its natural state is beneficial. The reason is that your body isn’t efficient in consuming this fat burning food, which helps you lose weight.

A recent study published in 2017 shows the link between whole grains and weight loss. Researchers observed 49 men and 32 women for six weeks to understand the impact of whole grains. They discovered that there is an association with the consumption of these food types and reduction in obesity and body weight.

3. Chilli

If you like spicing up your food with chillies, continue to do so. They are excellent fat burning foods, due to the presence of capsaicin. When you add this to your diet, it makes you feel full. As a result, you avoid overeating and stuffing yourself with excess calories.

Researchers discovered in 2018 that capsaicin is responsible for increasing your metabolism. Adding chillies to your diet is beneficial, as it reduces fat mass and body fat.

4. Coffee

Coffee is one of the top beverages in the world due to the presence of caffeine. It helps enhances your physical and mental performance while improving your mood. On top of that, it also falls in the category of fat burning foods.

When you consume coffee, it increases your metabolism. During this period, combining it with exercise will help burn greater amounts of fat. You should only consume 1 – 4 cups of coffee every day. Excess amounts of caffeine will keep you awake at night.

5. Eggs

Eggs are a crucial part of several popular diets, as it is full of nutrients. The best part about it is that they are excellent fat burning foods. When you add eggs to your meal, you feel full for a couple of hours. As a result, you consume a lower amount of calories, which in turn helps reduce body fat. Eggs contain protein, which is responsible for enhancing your metabolic rate.

6. Fatty fish

Most of the diets always include fatty fish, as it is quite healthy. Mackerel and sardines have high amounts of omega-3 fatty acids. These nutrients aid in eliminating body fat, helping you lose weight faster. The presence of high-quality protein makes you feel full for longer periods. Also, it improves your metabolic rate, which helps digest carbs and fat quickly.

Another reason is that it reduces the production of cortisol, a stress hormone. When secreted in large amounts, it stores greater amounts of fat in your body.

7. Green tea

There are several reasons which support why green tea is healthy. It contains moderate amounts of caffeine, which enhances metabolism. Also, it contains high levels of epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG). Due to the presence of this antioxidant, your body burns fat at a faster rate. Make sure you only have a maximum of four cups every day. By following this strategy, you will observe greater health benefits.

8. Olive oil

Out of all the healthiest oils you can consume, olive oil is on top. By cooking with this edible oil, it increases HDL cholesterol, while bringing down triglycerides. As a result, your body releases GLP-1, which helps you remain full for longer periods.

Also, a study published in 2018 showed an increase in fat loss when consuming extra virgin olive oil. The best way is to add this edible to cooked food or salad, to observe benefits.

Fat burning diet plan

Consuming natural fat burners can be crucial to weight loss. However, it is best to follow a particular diet plan in order to achieve your weight loss goals. That said, one must consult a nutritionist before choosing to follow any meal plan.

Time	Meal
6:30 AM	Lukewarm water with 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
8:30 AM	1 bowl of oats porridge (low fat milk 1 cup, 1 chopped apple, chia seeds 1 tsp, oats 30 g)
10:00 AM	1 cup green tea
1:30 PM	1 bowl of carrot tomato onion salad with lemon olive oil dressing 1 tbsp 1 bowl of brown rice 1 bowl rajma curry with less oil 1 bowl cabbage sabji
4:00 PM	1 cup green tea
6:00 PM	Steamed sprouts chat (1 bowl with cucumber + tomato + onion + lemon juice + rock salt)
8:00 PM	2 multigrain roti 1 bowl soyabean mushroom curry 1 bowl capsicum onion salad
10:00 PM	1 cup green tea

• Start your day with a glass of lukewarm water and a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar.
• For breakfast, have a bowl of oats porridge.
• Drink 3 cups of green tea spaced out through the day.
• Eat brown rice, cabbage sabji, and rajma curry along with a bowl of carrot tomato onion salad for lunch.
• Have a bowl of steamed sprouts chat as an evening snack.
• For dinner, eat 2 multigrain rotis along with a katori of soyabean mushroom curry and a bowl of capsicum onion salad.

While a diet plan like this may help you burn fat over time, it is ideal to follow a balanced diet with more nutrients as per your requirements.

Recipes

Eating the right foods are key to burning fat in the body. Try the following delicious recipes and keep your weight loss journey going.

Steamed sprouts chat

Ingredients

• Moong beans, sprouted and steamed 1 cups
• Small or medium-sized onion, finely chopped 1
• Medium-sized tomato, finely chopped 1
• Green chilli, finely chopped 1 (optional)
• Red chilli powder ¼ tsp
• Chaat masala ½ or 1 tsp (optional)
• Lemon juice 1 tsp or as required
• 1 cucumber chopped
• Few coriander leaves and lemon slices for garnishing
• Rock salt or black salt to taste

Preparation

1. Mix all the ingredients listed above, except salt and lemon juice, with sprouted beans in a bowl.
2. Season with salt, lemon juice and garnish with lemon slices and coriander leaves just before serving.

Oats porridge

Ingredients

• Oats – one-third cup
• 1 cup water
• Half cup low fat milk
• 1 tsp cinnamon powder
• 1 pinch salt
• Half apple, half sliced and half chopped
• 1 tsp honey
• 5 almonds, chopped

Preparation

1. In a deep pot, add oats along with water, milk, salt, and cinnamon.
2. Begin to boil the mixture and then simmer it for about 5-6 minutes with occasional stirring.
3. Add the chopped apples and cook for another couple of minutes till the oatmeal is thick and creamy, and the apples have slightly softened.
4. Remove the mixture in a serving bowl. Top it with the remaining apple slices, slivered almonds, and a drizzle of honey

Fat burning exercises

While consuming fat burning foods, supplements, and fruits, you need to complement it with exercise. Given below are a handful of different movements you must practice every day:

1. Bear crawl

Although it looks like a simple exercise, it works on your entire body. You need to go down on all fours, without your knees or elbows touching the ground. Start walking forward and backwards for one minute. Make sure your back is straight at all times.

2. Goblet squat

It is an exercise where you don’t place immense pressure on your back. As a result, it focuses on your thighs, which helps burn fat. Hold a kettle ball with two hands and go into the squat position. Do ten reps every minute and ensure your back is straight.

3. Jump rope

Jump rope is a high-intensity workout which will make sure you work up a sweat quickly. You need to skip over a rope for two minutes straight to start burning the fat.

Artificial fat burner side effects

While artificial fat burners can help with almost immediate weight loss, you can gain back this weight just as quickly. These fluctuations in weight can be harmful for your body. In addition to that, artificial fat burners can also have the following side effects:

1. Allergies

Fat burners are commonly associated with body allergies. Certain ingredients of these pills tend to create reactions inside the consumer’s body. Some of the common symptoms of these allergies are itching, stomach upsets, etc.

2. Insomnia

You could also lose sleep as another side effect of consuming fat burners. For example, caffeine interferes and jeopardises the normal body metabolism. A common result of this is the loss of sleep. The fat burner, ephedrine is also known to alter one’s regular sleep patterns.
Excessive consumption of these fat burners can lead to one’s sleep patterns being impacted negatively for good.

3. Heart Risk

Several ingredients found in fat burning pills are known to be harmful to the heart. Certain fat burners have also been removed from the market due to their interference with the heart.

One such fat burner is sibutramine, which resulted in major heart damage, that led to strokes and heart attacks. Another substance called bitter orange showed side effects that can lead to heart attacks.

4. Behavioural Change

These pills are often accompanied by changes in behaviour. One of the areas this is seen in is one’s eating patterns. Their appetite may become resistant to eating certain foods, that could bring fluctuations in the nervous systems.

It is also common to see mood swings, rise in anxiety levels, higher blood pressure, and as discussed earlier, insomnia.

5. Other Complications

Certain ingredients in these pills can lead to mental and emotional disturbances, creating mental health issues. In certain cases, people have to deal with problems like addiction, with these pills behaving like drugs.

Summary

Although a lot of people wish to shed kilos in a shorter span of time, it is not recommended for one to do so. Quick weight loss can have several side effects that can be harmful to the body. It is ideal to aim to lose weight steadily over a longer period of time by following a balanced diet. Nutritionists the world over advise against the use of artificial fat burners, and recommend that you try to lose weight through natural means instead.

Frequently Added Questions

Q. What foods help burn belly fat?

A: There is no quick fix for fat loss. One needs to target overall body fat rather than that from a particular area in the body. A healthy diet coupled with good exercise will give consistent results. Adding foods which boost metabolism will give the needed extra support for fat loss. These include whole grains, fiber rich fruits and vegetables, lean meats, fatty fish, green tea, nuts and seeds.

Q. What fruits and vegetables burn the most fat?

A: All fiber rich fruits and vegetables will help in fat loss. These include pears, apples, melons, coloured peppers, cruciferous vegetables like cabbage, broccoli as well as leafy greens.

Q. How do I lose 10 pounds in a week?

A: This is an unrealistic goal. Focus on consistent long term weight loss of about a pound every week, with a balanced diet rich in nutrients than drastic weight loss by doing crash diets.

Q. How can I lose fat quickly?

A: There is no quick fix for fat loss. Fat takes a long time to deposit in the body due to faulty lifestyle and to get rid of that, one needs to include a healthy lifestyle with a balanced diet and regular exercise to see results.