The main problem here, though, is that you may be lost amongst all the marketing claims. Doesn’t it seem like every new product comes with a novel way to increase calories burned?
So without further ado, here are some things that really affect BMR and fat loss:
1. Age. As you age, BMR goes down. Why? Because you lose muscle mass. What’s the best way to prevent this? With resistance training. A solid resistance training program will do wonders for your BMR in additional to your hormonal profile.
2. Lean to fat mass ratio. More muscle translates into more calories burned even while you sleep. Add to this some proper nutrition, and the mitochondria in your cells will burn even more calories.
3. Getting sick. Interestingly, if you get a fever your BMR will go up. Having said that, please don’t try to get sick just to burn some extra calories!
4. Stress hormones. The release of stress hormones, mainly from the adrenals, will also increase the amount of calories you burn. Keep in mind, however, that over the long run stress will have a negative impact through a suppressed immune system and muscle loss.
5. Changes in ambient temperature. When you move into a hot or cold environment, your body burns extra calories while adjusting. Tip: swimming is a great way to burn lots of calories.
6. Starvation. The hormones released from a period of fasting or starvation will lower your BMR. And this happens very quickly. So never go more than a couple hours between meals, five hours max.
Discovering how to optimize your BMR is the best thing you can do to ensure fat loss success. After all, your BMR has the biggest influence on how many calories your burn on a daily basis. So ignore the hype and stick to the proven facts.
Author Katherine Crawford, a Harvard exercise physiologist and former flabby arms sufferer, instructs women on how to get skinny arms. Learn how to get sexy arms by exploring her blog about how to get rid of flabby arms right now!
