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The science of fat burning is simple. You just need to use more energy than you eat. Whilst this is easy in theory, it’s often harder in practice, thanks to the glut of conflicting information, about how to maximise your daily burn.  Luckily, Mind the Munchies is here to clear things up. Here’s 5 easy rules for a guaranteed fat burn.

1. Don’t ditch carbohydrates

Carbs have had a lot of bad press recently, as they’re often picked as targets in radical dieting regimes. In actuality, carbohydrates provide the simplest and most effective fuel source, making them an essential part of an active diet. If you cut out carbs, your stamina will certainly suffer, as your body is forced to use inefficient energy sources. This can severely impair your workouts, thus burning less fat.

2. Eat enough protein

These days, there’s so much conflicting advice about how much protein you should eat, with some people swearing by a low-protein diet, and others living off nothing but eggs and grains. Whilst neither option is particularly healthy, as a good diet needs to be balanced, protein is certainly an important factor in weight loss, because it encourages the development of muscular tissue. The more muscle you have, the faster your metabolism will be, therefore increasing your fat burn.

3. Don’t treat exercise like a free pass

Whilst it’s tempting to treat exercise as an excuse to indulge, you’re only kidding yourself. In fact, many health professionals believe that diet is the most effective way to lose weight, even more than regular workouts. For example, 30 minutes on a treadmill will burn about 250 calories. Now imagine you have a portion of fish and chips, which averages at 1000. That leaves you with an excess of 750 calories, which will inevitably end up on your thighs.  The lesson here is that food is harder to burn off than you think, and overindulging can send your progress backwards.

4. Avoid supplements

As much as we’d love to believe it, there’s no such thing as a magic “fat burning pill.”Whilst many weight loss supplements boast miraculous results, these were often only proved in mice, and have limited effects on humans. Most of the time, they’re just over-hyped caffeine pills. Unfortunately, the supplement market isn’t heavily regulated, meaning you can’t guarantee their safety. Take our advice, and skip them. You’ll have more success with old fashioned self-discipline.

5. Don’t neglect strength training

Although cardiovascular exercise improves your overall fitness, strength training is the real fat-buster, especially in the long term. To lose weight, you need to burn more calories than you ingest. Since your calorific burn is dictated by your metabolism, you want it to be as fast as possible. The best way to do this is through developing lean muscle, as mitochondrial muscle cells require large amounts of cellular energy. Rather than clinging to the treadmill, ensure you mix some strength training into your regime. You’ll quickly notice the difference.

* Article Source: http://www.mindthemunchies.com/5-rules-for-burning-fat/