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You burn calories with just about every activity you complete in a day from cooking to taking a nap. While regular exercise is one of the best ways to increase calorie burn and create a healthy deficit, there are other sneaky habits you can integrate into your day to day routine in order to burn more fat and achieve weight loss with ease.
By simply making small changes to your day, you can boost the amount of calories you’re burning outside of exercise, making it even easier to continue to eat the foods you enjoy while maintaining the calorie deficit needed to see results. If you’ve been working out and eating a healthy and balanced diet but want to expedite your results, below are four easy tricks you can integrate into your daily routine to burn more calories and lose weight with ease.
Walking More
Simply taking the stairs instead of the elevator or walking to the store rather than driving are easy ways to turn a quick errand into a workout. Even parking further away from the grocery store can help to increase your step count, naturally boosting your calorie burn throughout the course of the day. “Take a walk instead of instinctively getting in your car, or even hop on your bike and go for a ride. In terms of being more active, if you have a dog or a spouse, take a walk with them in the evening--you'll burn some extra calories,” suggests registered dietitian John Frigo. Trying to hit a baseline of 10,000 steps per day is a great place to start to increase calorie burn, and on top of your other healthy habits can allow you to burn fat more quickly.
Prioritize Sleep
Believe it or not, sleep is another great way to burn calories, and your body will be primed for healthy weight loss when you’re making sure to get enough of it each night. “Our bodies don't function at optimal levels if we're not getting 7-9 hours of sleep,” notes Frigo. “Not only will an adequate amount of sleep likely allow your metabolism to work at it's best, but also you'll have the energy to stay active which is necessary for cutting calories and staying in shape.” It may be tempting to stay up and watch television or scroll mindlessly on your phone each night as the hours tick by, but getting between 7 and 9 hours of sleep will burn calories on its own as well as prime your body for weight loss when you wake up.
Eat More Protein
It may sound backwards that eating more can help you to burn calories, but protein is one of the best foods you can consume to increase your metabolism and create a calorie deficit while at rest. Protein helps to boost fat burn in the body and fuels muscle growth, and the more muscle you have, the more calories you will torch naturally. “It's important to keep your protein levels up for a variety of reasons. First, it'll help your muscles repair after exercising and help your body hold on to muscle while burning fat in a calorie deficit,” notes nutritionist Vasundhara Agrawal. “It's also true that protein, compared with fats and carbs, uses more calories to digest (known as the thermic effect of food).” Therefore, while you may be consuming calories as you eat protein, you’re also simultaneously burning them.
Drink More Water
On top of eating more protein, making sure to keep hydrated is another great way to improve your metabolism and increase calorie burn naturally. “Being dehydrated slows your metabolism. Aim for at least 1/2 your body weight in ounces,” suggests Ana Reisdorf, MS RD. “If you weigh 140 pounds, you should drink around 70 ounces a day.” Additionally, water is a natural appetite suppressant so staying hydrated will help to reduce cravings and allow you to eat only when hungry, making it easier to maintain a calorie deficit. Increasing fat burn in the body and promoting healthy eating habits, drinking ample water can help you to torch 2-3% more calories than usual.
