What about protein for fat loss? One review reports that higher protein intake helps athletes achieve weight loss without losing muscle mass. It also provides increased energy for making it through their training. Although some supplements have promising effects, there are concerns about their safety.

For instance, consuming too much caffeine is known to raise blood pressure. Increased blood pressure puts people at risk of heart attack and death. In some cases, the use of a fat burner has led to other health issues.

For instance, one case report connected this type of supplement with acute liver failure. Another linked a fat burner with the development of severe lactic acidosis.

This is when the body produces more lactic acid than it can metabolize. One such ingredient is 2,4-Dinitrophenol or DNP. Research indicates that DNP has health risks for humans, to the point where they recommend it be banned for consumption. Yet, out of 94 supplements reviewed, 14 contained DNP.

DNP was used in medical practice in the s but was found to have severe toxicity. So, it was withdrawn from use. Now it is used by bodybuilders and extreme dieters. It works by inhibiting energy production in the cells. This aids in fat loss. Unfortunately, there is no one-size-fits-all answer to this question.

The best fat burner is one that is safe, first and foremost. This means that it contains legal, approved ingredients. Exceeding this dosage could lead to health issues.

Also, because the effects of long-term use may not be entirely known, these substances may be best when used for short periods.

Most importantly, clients should pay attention to how they feel when taking a fat burner. Does it give them energy but also make their heart race? The health risks of the latter may outweigh the benefits of the former.

While this may help avoid weight gain, it can also lead to nutritional deficiencies. All weight loss pills come with some level of risk. There is one fat burner that is readily available and cheaper than buying a dietary supplement.

What is this magic fat burner? Johns Hopkins explains that the body needs water to burn body fat. But this natural fat burner also provides a few different weight loss benefits. They include:. Thus, increasing water intake can help with weight loss—without taking a fat burner.

Another way to lose more body fat is to fuel your body according to your workout that day. For instance, on high-intensity days, boost your carb intake. This provides the energy you need to power through your workout.

This helps keep the body in fat burning mode. Strength training can also boost fat loss. The more muscle you have, the more calories your body burns, even at rest.

This keeps your metabolic rate stoked throughout the day, making it easier to lose weight. Want to help your clients make better nutritional choices?

Become a Certified Nutritionist. With this specialization, you can teach clients how to build better habits for a healthier lifestyle. Clark, J. Comparing effectiveness of fat burners and thermogenic supplements to diet and exercise for weight loss and cardiometabolic health: Systematic review and meta-analysis.

Nutrition And Health , 27 4 , Pooyandjoo, M. The effect of L- carnitine on weight loss in adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

Obesity Reviews , 17 10 , Ferreira, G. Does caffeine ingestion before a short-term sprint interval training promote body fat loss?. Brazilian Journal Of Medical And Biological Research , 52 Bagheri, R.

et al. British Journal Of Clinical Pharmacology , 86 4 , Maki, K. Green Tea Catechin Consumption Enhances Exercise-Induced Abdominal Fat Loss in Overweight and Obese Adults.

The Journal Of Nutrition , 2 , Hector, A. Protein Recommendations for Weight Loss in Elite Athletes: A Focus on Body Composition and Performance.

International Journal Of Sport Nutrition And Exercise Metabolism , 28 2 , Acute Liver Failure Caused by Use of Fat Burner: A Case Report. Transplantation Proceedings , 52 5 , Huang, E. Critical Care Medicine , 47 , Petróczi, A. Russian roulette with unlicensed fat-burner drug 2,4-dinitrophenol DNP : evidence from a multidisciplinary study of the internet, bodybuilding supplements and DNP users.

Substance Abuse Treatment, Prevention, And Policy , 10 1. Yes, drinking more water may help you lose weight. On the flip side, simply getting an adequate amount of sleep can help you eat less and make it easier to reach your weight-loss goals. That alone could translate to a weight loss of roughly 28 pounds in a year.

You don't exactly lose weight during sleep. Sleep isn't a major fat burner because your body doesn't use as much energy while you're snoozing. But it still requires calories to carry out basic functions like breathing or maintaining your body temperature, which are happening around the clock.

But the rate is slower, since our metabolism and energy needs are lower when sleeping," Dr. It's important to note, though, that the hormones that influence appetite such as ghrelin and leptin are reset during proper sleep.

So getting enough sleep helps indirectly with fat burning by helping to regulate your appetite. It's no secret that the health of your microbiome — the community of bacteria living in your gut — play a major role in your health overall, including your weight.

Here's why: Certain types of bacteria have been shown to be more efficient at breaking down food particles in the gut and help absorb more calories, increasing the chance for obesity.

People with obesity have a higher proportion of these more efficient gut bacteria, Dr. Spiegel explains, while people who do not have overweight have higher concentrations of less efficient gut bacteria, and in turn, absorb fewer food particles in their gut. The types of bacteria in your gut aren't fixed, though.

Experts still have a lot to learn about the relationship between gut health and weight, and it's hard to say for certain which strains of bacteria could be the most helpful for weight loss, Dr.

Spiegel points out. But engaging in gut-friendly habits as a whole seem to be helpful, so consider the following when you're working toward losing fat:. Women and men lose body fat in the same way, but sex can affect how quickly or slowly a person is able to lose fat.

Men have higher levels of the hormone testosterone, which promotes the growth of lean muscle tissue and can make fat loss quicker and easier.

For women, it's the breasts, bum and thighs," says Wilcock. That's not to say that women can't lose body fat or reach their desired body fat percentage. But they might have to work a little bit harder. The Cleveland Clinic recommends women do 30 minutes of resistance training at least twice a week to boost muscle mass.

And of course, pay close attention to how many calories you're taking in. While everyone's calorie needs are a little different, women may need to eat between 1, and 1, calories daily to lose weight.

But keep in mind that the right number depends on a wide variety of factors, including your age, current weight and activity level. When you're trying to lose fat, it helps to know where exactly you're starting from.

While a typical bathroom scale can tell you how much you weigh, it's not the best tool for figuring out your body fat percentage or tracking your fat loss. For that, you'll need body fat calipers. This handheld device is designed to measure the thickness of skin at the biceps, triceps, low shoulder blade and hip, which experts can use to calculate your body's percentage of fat.

Since it's tough to take accurate skinfold measurements at home, your best bet is to have it done by a personal trainer or health practitioner. Calipers aren't the only tool for measuring body fat, but they're widely considered to be the simplest and least expensive, per the ACE.

The problem is, while calipers are fairly accurate, they're not foolproof. If you're looking for a super precise measurement, consider getting a dual X-ray absorptiometry DEXA scan. These scans send small electrical currents through the body to give a super accurate analysis of a person's weight, body fat, muscle mass and water.

A body composition scale — either at home or in a doctor's office — is a useful alternative and can be fairly accurate depending on the quality of the scale. Our bodies store fat when we take in more energy than we use up.

So in order to lose fat, we need to reverse that process. By using more calories than you take in, your body will burn fat from its fat stores to cover the rest of your energy needs. Eating a lower-calorie diet is one way to make that happen, but you might also consider changing when you eat intermittent fasting and the quality of the foods you're taking in fewer processed fare and more nutritious, high-fiber and anti-inflammatory foods.

You can get an extra boost by exercising regularly, especially with interval or strength-training workouts. And you can help support the process by getting adequate sleep and nurturing your gut health. Our bodies are good at maintaining and gaining weight because, historically, that's helped us survive tough times.

Remember, our bodies store fat in preparation for possible times of food scarcity. This makes it hard to lose weight. Plus, some factors like your genetics, for example are out of your control.

But adopting healthy, sustainable habits — like eating right and being active — can help, as can using metabolic tools like medications if needed. Big changes aren't easy, of course, and when you try to make too many drastic shifts at once, they can feel overwhelming and become hard to stick with, says Dr.

And when that happens, any weight you might've managed to lose will creep back. The key, instead, is making shifts that you can really live with. That might mean enjoying a moderate portion of dessert when a craving strikes instead of trying to swear off sugar for good, or committing to walking for 30 minutes most days of the week instead of trying to run for an hour every single day.

When your healthy habits feel sustainable, you'll be more likely to stick with them and eventually lose weight. Fat loss happens when you burn more energy than your body takes in. You can speed the process along by drastically cutting your calorie intake or engaging in extreme exercise.

This crash-diet approach tends to be hard to keep up, though, and it can result in the loss of lean muscle mass. As a result, "these types of diets aren't usually successful and one gains the weight back," Dr.

A slow-and-steady approach tends to be more successful. That can typically be achieved by reducing your calorie intake by around calories per day and making other lifestyle changes, the Mayo Clinic notes. The best way to burn body fat — especially if you want to lose body fat without losing weight — is through a combination of dietary changes and increasing your activity level.

There's no one-size-fits-all way to do that. Cardiovascular exercises like walking, running, cycling or swimming can all be effective, but so can high-intensity workouts or intervals if you're pressed for time, Dr.

Nazarian notes. But if you really want to change your body composition for the better, add resistance exercises to your routine to work toward building more lean muscle mass.

Body mass index or BMI is a number that uses height and weight to calculate how much body fat a person has. It may be helpful for your doctor to determine whether you have underweight, overweight or obesity though experts agree it's not perfect. But: "There is no specific BMI at which muscle loss begins to occur," Dr.

It's possible to lose large amounts of weight — and to lose body fat when you have a high body fat percentage — but it takes dedication, patience and time.

Because experts recommend aiming to drop just 1 to 2 pounds per week, losing 50 pounds could take several months to a year or more.

That might be longer than you'd like, but it's normal — and in fact, it improves the odds that you'll be able to maintain your loss for the long run. Excess body fat can lead to a number of negative health effects over time.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention CDC , these may include:. The good news is, your risk for many of these conditions drops significantly when you lose weight. So consider what sustainable healthy changes you can work on and get started.

Weight Management Weight and Body Fat Body Fat. How to Lose Body Fat: The Science-Backed Ways That Actually Work By Marygrace Taylor Updated Mar 15, Medically Reviewed by Sylvia Gonsahn-Bollie, MD. com may earn compensation through affiliate links in this story. Learn more about our affiliate and product review process here.

Exercise can boost your body's fat-burning abilities, but it's less important than what you eat. Video of the Day. The Skinny on Body Fat. Losing Weight vs. Losing Fat. What Is the Science Behind Fat Loss? How Does Fat Leave the Body? Which Part of the Body Loses Fat First? How Much Body Fat Is Healthy?

Body Fat Norms for Women. Body Fat Norms for Men. Losing Fat Through Diet. What's the Best Fat-Burning Diet?

Eat fewer refined grains i. white bread, pasta and rice; packaged snacks; desserts , potato products and added sugars Prioritize non-refined carbs such as nonstarchy veggies, veggies and non-tropical whole fruits apples, pears, berries, peaches, etc.

Choose whole-grain foods such as whole barley, quinoa and traditionally fermented sourdough made from stone ground flour Opt for foods with healthy fats, such as nuts, seeds, avocado and olive oil Eat an adequate amount of protein, including plant-based sources think: tofu, beans, nuts and seeds.

Is Intermittent Fasting Only Effective While on a Caloric Deficit? Losing Fat Through Exercise. Should You Do Cardio or Weights While on a Calorie Deficit? What Exercises Reduce Body Fat? When to Exercise for Fat Loss.

Sleep for Fat Loss. Why Is Sleep So Important for Losing Weight? How Do You Burn Fat While Sleeping? Gut Health for Fat Loss. Eat a diverse, plant-based diet Include foods high in probiotics like yogurt Avoid artificial sweeteners Practice good oral hygiene Get the recommended seven to nine hours of sleep each night Exercise regularly Limit alcohol Manage your stress.

Fat Loss for Men vs. Measuring Fat Loss. Bottom Line: The Best Way to Burn Fat. FAQs About Losing Body Fat.