The Real Secret To Fast Fat Burning

Those rich foods can be irresistible, can't they? We all love them, and sometimes we feel like we deserve them. But if you overdo it, it will show! So one of the most common questions I'm asked by my clients is, "how can I burn the most fat in the least amount of time?" Here's how...

Get up 30 minutes earlier at least 3 days a week and if you're a coffee fan, have a cup of coffee (coffee increases your metabolism – but just one cup, you don't want your heart racing). It's also important that you don't eat anything before this exercise (if you must eat something, have a piece of fruit like a banana). Get on your stationary bike, treadmill or any other cardiovascular exercise machine and do 30 minutes of low intensity exercise. By low intensity, I mean you should keep your heart rate at about 60-65% of your maximum heart rate.

You can calculate an estimate of your maximum heart rate by taking 220 minus your age. For example, a 36 year old woman could calculate her heart rate the following way: 220 minus 36 which yields a maximum heart rate of 184. To target 65% of her maximum heart rate, all she has to do is take 65% of 184, which will yield her target heart rate at approximately 119 beats per minute.

Now, the real secret here is doing your cardio first thing in the morning before you eat! Obviously, anytime you can get your cardio in is better than never doing it, but you will see by far the most effective results if you do your cardio first thing in the morning! Cardio exercise in the AM before you eat will burn more fat because your levels of muscle and liver glycogen are low from sleeping all night. This is the best time for burning fat instead of carbohydrate. If you do cardio mid-day after you've eaten a meal, you will still burn fat, just less of it because you will be burning off the calories you already ate.

Additional benefits of early morning exercise include 1. Your metabolism will stay elevated for hours after and you will continue to burn fat at an accelerated rate after the workout. 2. You'll be left with a sense of accomplishment and start out on the right foot for the day. Excuses are much more likely to come up later in the day and it's no fun when you have a dark cloud of guilt hanging over your head. The more you can commit to getting up in the morning and doing your cardio, the more likely it will become habit and part of your everyday routine. 3. Exercise will also stimulate endorphins in your body which can reduce stress and leave you feeling energized and positive…now I think that's a great way to start the day…don't you?

I know getting up early in the morning can be difficult, but here's a challenge for you…try it for just 1 month! If you can stick to it for one month, you will be leaner and you will see your energy level sky rocket…I promise! Who knows, experiencing those endorphins might even become addicting and part of your everyday routine!

Here's to your health!

Jessica Storm is ACSM Health/Fitness Instructor certified and is the owner of Jessica's Fitness Training. Over the years, Jessica has helped thousands of her clients to achieve their fitness, nutrition and weight loss goals. Visit Jessica's health and fitness website for her latestest tips and suggestions for acheiving the best results in the quickest amount of time.