When it comes to losing weight, not all of us like to do it the same way. Whether you’re the type that enjoys pounding the pavement, or whether you’d rather not break a sweat, Men’s Health offers six strategies to shed one pound of fat—and tells you how long it will take to do it using that method. Here’s a recap of the article:
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- Drink green tea
One study from the Journal of The American College of Nutrition found that four cups of green tea a day, or the equivalent amount of green tea extract, could result in a weight loss of more than a pound per week. As a basic guideline, drinking 20 to 24 cups of tea (spread out over a week and without cream or sugar) could result in one pound of weight loss.
- Activate brown fat
When you’re cold, brown fat helps to regulate your body temperature by burning calories. And research shows you only need to get a little chilly—in the range of 62 to 64 degrees Fahrenheit—to activate the brown fat. But you won’t get into beach-body shape overnight: It’ll take anywhere from two to four weeks to lose a pound of fat.
- Cap carbs
According to Joe Anderson, PhD, a professor of bioengineering at the University of Washington, on a low-carb diet (less than 130 grams a day), you can burn a pound of fat every two weeks.
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- Gain a pound of muscle
Research shows that one pound of muscle equals 50 calories burned per day. That equates to losing 5.2 pounds of body fat annually. A pound of muscle mass takes at least one to two weeks to build, and to add it, you should lift weights at least three times a week with compound exercises (like squats and pull-ups) in multiple sets of 10 to 12 reps. Add that extra pound of muscle, and with the 50-calorie-a-day rule, you’ll cut a pound of fat in 70 days.
- Perform complex strength moves
While an additional pound of muscle erases a pound of fat in 70 days, if you use multi-joint movements to make that gain, you’ll burn more calories as you build muscle. A back squat, for example, you’re using your back, core, quads, glutes, hamstrings; these are all big muscles that require a lot of oxygen. Spend about an hour doing squats, lunges, and deadlifts, and you’ll burn between 300 to 500 calories. That means it will take between 7 to 10 sessions to burn one pound of fat.
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- Combine HIIT with resistance training
High-intensity interval training (HIIT) is a gold mine for burning calories, and combining HIIT intervals with resistance work creates a great fat-burning workout because it cues the body to produce human grown hormone and testosterone. A typical 30-minute HIIT strength session can easily burn 300 to 500 calories, so bank on doing 7 to 10 sessions to burn a pound of fat.
Curated article from:
Men’s Journal
