Fat Burning Foods these will burn body fat naturally
The secret to fat burning foods is overconsumption of protein from natural sources.
If you focus on the list of foods that we recommend here, you'll be able to reduce your percentage of body fat dramatically and keep the weight off.
Here on this page we explain why our recommendations work. It's important that you know why these foods work to burn body fat.
Then you can use our final fat burning foods list to select and create your own food list. You'll find the list awaiting you towards the bottom of this page.
When you eat what we suggest and use the feeding frequency that we suggest, you will speed up metabolism and fat loss.
The thermic effect is the key to fat burning foods
It's really only proteins that are fat burning foods.
Here is why!
The term ‘thermic effect of food’ refers to the energy (calories) expended by your body in order to eat and process food.
Proteins
fats
and carbohydrates
are the three macronutrients of food. When you eat foods, your body needs to expend (burn) calories to digest the food and make good use of the nutrients contained in the foods. However, the caloric cost for your body to process foods differs significantly from food group to food group.
The thermic rate of fats and refined processed carbohydrates is about three percent. This means that it only requires approximately three calories for your body to burn hundred calories worth of those foods. Some natural carbs have about a twenty percent rate.
However, proteins have up to a whopping thirty percent rate. Hence, we call these the fat burning foods. Moreover, some proteins are more powerful then others.
Consuming plenty of water helps your body to process these foods. When using fat burning foods drink at least 2 or 3 quarts daily of clean water and minimize consumption of all other fluids.
It's easy to have picked up bad habits with respect to weight loss foods. It is not necessary to starve yourself and suffer from hunger to lose body fat. When you starve yourself, you may lose some weight for a few months, but, as soon as you stop, you'll regain the weight (and often more than you lost).
When you diet, your body reacts as if you are starving to death. It slows your metabolic rate and saves as much body fat as possible.
If you consume plenty of protein from natural sources, your body thinks that times are good and doesn't try to preserve body fat.
Don't worry about dietary fat.
If, as we recommend, you are consuming plenty of protein from natural sources like salmon, grass-fed beef, wild game, and organic eggs, you'll also be consuming healthful fat.
You probably understand that hormones control what your body does with fat. Insulin controls fat.
Question: how much does your insulin level spike when you eat a meal with a lot of dietary fat?
Answer: zero.
Big clue: your insulin level will spike when you eat carbohydrates. Everything else being the same, when you eat carbohydrates you'll secrete insulin and store more fat.
Carbohydrate consumption makes you fat.
So, if you are consuming fat from natural sources, don't worry about it.
Question: what is the minimum daily requirement for carbohydrates?
Answer: zero.
That's right: we don't actually need to consume any carbohydrates for excellent health. We do, in fact, recommend consuming up to 25 grams of carbohydrates on most days from (preferably organic) vegetables and berries. They are loaded with phytonutrients and fiber.
However, they are the opposite of fat burning foods, which is why their consumption should be restricted on most days.
Further down this page you will come to the list of fat burning foods, but first, in order to know why these foods work for weight loss, you may benefit from a short history lesson. Don't worry, this will be brief!
Here comes the history lesson!
Meet your ancestors.
The cause of our contemporary epidemic of obesity cannot be genetic. This is actually good news: because if it has been environmental factors that have made us too fat, all we have to do is to reverse some of those factors.
Refined processed carbohydrates are a major cause of excess body fat, heart disease, hypertension (high blood pressure), insulin resistance, metabolic syndrome (which, for example, affects one in five people in the United States), type 2 diabetes, and other diet related diseases.
Our hunter-gatherer ancestors before the First Agricultural Revolution, which occurred about 10,000 years ago, were neither overweight nor obese. They had no need of weight loss diets and our ancestors did not consume refined processed carbohydrates. However, they did consume fat burning foods. Those ancestors were fitter and leaner than we are. Not many of us would have been a match.
It is very difficult to fight Mother Nature. You were designed to eat fresh, unprocessed, natural foods, which are the ones that yield the best fat burning results.
Our genes are 99.99% identical to those ancestors. In fact, less than 1/10th of 1% of our genes have changed in the last 10,000 years, which is a short time in terms of evolution. Hence, because our bodies are extremely similar to the bodies of our ancestors, many people experience health problems when consuming refined processed carbs.
When we begin to eat more of the natural foods our ancestors ate, and when we begin to move (exercise) more as they did, we naturally lose body fat.
Fat burning foods as discussed on this page are close to the natural foods that our hunter-gatherer ancestors ate.
If you are unsure what refined processed carbohydrates are, see our list of refined processed carbohydrates page. You will find the link to that page awaiting you at the bottom of this page.
The awesome power of proteins
Proteins are powerful fat burning foods.
Do you ever eat meals with less than 20 grams of proteins? Please don't.
Ensure that the protein content of each meal is between 20 and 40 grams.
We recommend 1 gram of protein from natural sources per pound of lean body mass.
So, if you weigh 200 lbs. and your body fat percentage is 25%, consume at least 150 grams of protein daily.
Again, here are the two key ideas: proteins are fat burning foods and carbs promote fat storage. Once you are clear about that, our other dietary recommendations quickly fall into place.
Get most or all of your proteins from natural sources. If you do, you'll also be consuming healthful fats.
What exactly are proteins from natural sources?
They are similar to foods that our prehistoric ancestors ate.
Further down this page you will come to the final list of fat burning foods, but first here is an outline:
Meat
Meat will be on our final list. If you can get it, the best is grass fed cattle such as ground meat or steaks (such as top sirloin or flank or chuck).
Fish
Fish will be on our final list. If you can get it, the best is wild-caught fin fish from the deep ocean. These include mackerel, herring, sockeye salmon, and Chilean sea bass. Lake trout from fresh water are also excellent.
Game Meat
Game meat will be on our final list. If you can get it, the best are game animals like buffalo, deer, rabbit, and elk, as well as meat from game birds such as wild turkey and pheasant.
Poultry
Poultry and eggs will be on our final list. If you can get it, the best is poultry from free-range chickens and turkeys as well as free-range eggs.
Shellfish
Shellfish will be on our final list. Lobster, shrimp, scallops, crabs, and mussels and all excellent.
Obviously, there are plenty of different kinds of fat burning foods from natural sources that are wonderful sources of protein as well as healthful fats.
What will not be on our final list of foods?
Dairy Products
Dairy products will not be on our list of fat burning foods. They are not natural fat burning foods. Even though low-fat or non-fat dairy products are protein sources, they contain lactose and lack fiber. Even if you do appear to tolerate them well, consider reducing their use or eliminating them.
Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates are not fat burning foods. They will not be on our list.
Therefore, on most days, keep your carb intake from all sources to 25 grams or less from (preferably organic) low carbohydrate vegetables and low carbohydrate fruits such as berries.
Why?
It's not just that carbs are unnecessary for excellent health. It's also that consuming too many refined processed carbs is a major cause of the diseases of civilization such as coronary heart disease, obesity, type 2 diabetes, hypertension, and insulin resistance.
To avoid carbohydrate cravings, eat every 3 or 4 waking hours. This prevents hunger and minimizes food cravings.
Cheat Days
Once a week, have a cheat day, which means at least one or two cheat meals in one day. It's not only a psychological break, it's also important to signal your body that you are not starving.
Although even then it's important to stop eating when hunger disappears (as opposed to when you are feeling stuffed), get plenty of calories (over 2100 for women and 2300 for men) on your cheat day.
Remember, carbs are not fat burning foods
Really focus on this:
Carbohydrates are not foods that burn body fat.
Except on your cheat day, eliminate all high-carb foods like pastries, sweets, candy, soda, sugar, products containing sugar, fruit juices, bread, cakes, biscuits, cookies, pasta, pizza, grains, breakfast cereals, potatoes, chips, etc.
On non-cheat days, make sure that you get your carbs only from (preferably organic) vegetables or fruits, especially berries.
In particular, stop consuming refined processed carbs. Except on cheat day, really focus on consuming 25 grams or less of them daily.
Measure carbohydrate intake accurately and record it.
The older you are, the smaller your carbohydrate intake may have to be.
Diabetes Foods and Carbohydrates
If you are diabetic, be careful about having a cheat meal or day. Why? What you are trying to do is to restore your level of the hormone leptin to normal so your body does not go into starvation mode. One cheat day a week is all that is necessary.
However, leptin and insulin rise and fall together. This is an example of why we always recommend getting the advice of your personal physician before changing your dietary or exercise habits.
Foods for Everyone
So (unless you have a medical condition that would exclude this), plenty of proteins from natural sources and, on most days, low carbs is the way to go for most people. Here are some of our web pages that you'll find very helpful in relation to low carbohydrate foods:
The Paleolithic Diet
The Paleo Diet Foods List
Low Carb Diet
Low Carb Foods List.
You will find them listed on the site map at the bottom of the navigation buttons to the left of your screen.
You may also wish to read chapter 10 of Paul Crane's The Ultimate Fat Burning Diet Primer. A ketogenic diet is usually the very fastest way to use fat burning foods to achieve your desired percentage of body fat.
Here is your final fat burning foods list
This is what the ultimate fat burning foods list looks like. Your list may vary a little according to the country you live in, the name of the various cuts of meat, and the types of fish available. The overall message, however, is that these types of protein are the best fat burning foods.
Fish
Fin fish are excellent. Oily fish from the deep ocean are the best.
Here are five examples:
Chilean sea bass
Herring
Mackerel
Sockeye salmon
Trout
Other fish
Here are examples:
Cod
John Dory
Monkfish
Haddock
Hake
Halibut
Sea Bass
Trench
Turbot
Shellfish
Here are a few examples:
Crab
Lobster
Mussels
Prawns
Shrimp
Scallops
Lean beef (preferably from grass-fed animals).
Here are some examples:
Lean ground/minced beef
Chuck steak
Flank steak
Joints of beef
London broil
Fillet steak
Top sirloin steak
Rump streak
Game meat, which was the staple of our ancestors, is also excellent.
Here are five examples:
Bison (buffalo)
Elk
Pheasant
Venison
Wild turkey
Poultry and eggs
Here are examples:
Bowling fowl
Chicken
Duck
Goose
Chickens
Turkey
Ground/minced chicken or turkey
Eggs from free range chickens or enriched omega-3
Ducks eggs, and other eggs.
Lamb
Here are examples:
Lean lamb burgers
Lean ground/minced lamb
Lamb chops
Lamb steaks
Joints of lamb.
There you have your list of fat burning foods. There are other fat burning foods such as goat meat and pork, which you may want to add to this list (but pork can be hard to digest for many people).
Fats good and fats bad
There's been too much concern about saturated fats. Saturated fats are not fat burning foods, but your body actually requires some. Mostly, fats are inert. If you are otherwise eating as we suggest, don't worry about them unless your blood lipid profile indicates a need to do so.
Trans Fats
Are you ingesting any trans-fats? If so, eliminate them. In particular, don't eat any processed food with the words 'partially hydrogenated' in the ingredients list. Trans-fats are dangerous.
Junk Food
Except on cheat day, have you permanently eliminated high-fat junk foods such as fried foods (including kettle and potato chips), ice cream, bacon, sausage, hot dogs, and fast food hamburgers? These are not fat burning foods.
Essential Fatty Acids
Are you getting each day a sufficient supply of essential fatty acids? These are very important. We suggest 2 grams of high quality fish oil daily.
Stress in relation to fat burning
Another factor in addition to fat burning foods that can really assist you in achieving lasting natural weight loss is excellent stress management.
We have relevant pages that can really make a difference here.
We have a page on sleeping better. We have a page on an effective breathing exercise that can be used almost anytime.
We have a section on meditation as well as a free e-course.
(You can find all those pages on our site map, which is listed at the bottom of the menu/navigation buttons.)
Hormones control how your body functions. The procedures we recommend result in beneficial hormone fluctuations that will rebalance your body in a natural way.
How to avoid or overcome fat burning obstacles
Should you ever have need of them, these important points will help you to overcome weight loss plateaus or obstacles to fat burning.
Point 1
Remember, even on a cheat day, please do not binge on junk food! Always stop eating when hunger disappears.
Point 2
Are you ingesting plenty of fresh low carbohydrate vegetables and salad vegetables, and, so, plenty of fiber? If not, consume more.
Point 3
Is your protein intake spread throughout your five or six daily meals?
Point 4
Are you keeping a journal for food intake? If not, doing so temporarily will enable you to become more aware of what you are actually consuming. Reviewing it will help you discover what works best for you.
The secret to success is paying attention to what you are doing.
Point 6
To preserve lean muscle mass, avoid the temptation to indulge in a large drop in caloric intake or excessive fitness exercise. Neither promotes lasting natural weight loss.
Point 7
Are you eating enough food? From your body's point of view, since lean muscle mass is the most metabolically active tissue, it is also the most wasteful tissue in times of caloric scarcity. Therefore, when caloric intake is too low, your body will rid itself of lean muscle mass first.
That's the opposite of what you want!
Therefore, it's important to organize your caloric intake and physical exercise in such as way as to optimize lean muscle mass. Yes, doing so is somewhat complicated, but it's the only way to achieve lasting weight loss.
Do you ever dip below 2000 calories? Don't (except under medical supervision). If you are following the diet with exercise and strength training program set out on this website, please be very careful about starving yourself.
More fat burning tips
If you are following the recommendations here on our website and achieving a body fat reduction each week, you are doing excellently. Just keep right on doing what you are doing.
Since a given volume of muscle is heavier than a given volume of fat, don't worry about your body weight.
You are losing body fat if you have to notch your belt tighter. You are gaining body fat if you have to loosen your belt.
Use plastic calipers twice a month to track your percentage of body fat.
If, however, you are achieving a reduction of less than 1 pound of body fat weekly, or if you are stuck on a weight loss plateau, you have an important opportunity to learn more about what works for you. This website will help you determine what you could be doing better. Then you can make the adjustments.
One of the most important adjustments you can make involves protein consumption and carb intake. The second important adjustment that you can make is exercise.
This page has provided you with many important specific suggestions about fat burning foods.
For important suggestions with respect to fat burning exercises, see the relevant page.
You will find the link to that page awaiting you at the bottom of this page. Together, fat burning foods and fat burning exercises enable you to optimize your efforts to burn body fat!
Whether you only want to do brisk walking or you are interested in strength training and intense fitness exercise, we have clear, step-by-step instructions to help you. Start with our page on Exercises for Weight loss; its link is awaiting you at the bottom of this page.
Web pages related to fat burning foods
To increase your understanding about fat burning foods and how to speed up your metabolism, and for the list of refined processed carbohydrates to avoid or strictly limit (apart from your cheat day), or to learn about fat burning exercises, see the following pages of our website:
If you would like to read in-depth about the fat burning power of protein, and other related health issues, we recommend the following books. You'll find additional, related suggestions on our best self-help books page.
You should be able to borrow them from your local library if you don't wish to buy them.
Cordain, The Paleo Diet
Sears, Dr. Sears' High Speed Fat Loss in 7 Easy Steps
Eades & Eades, Protein Power
Eades & Eades The Protein Power Lifeplan
Kenton, The X Factor Diet
Braly & Hoggan, Dangerous Grains
Allan & Lutz, Life Without Bread
McCully & McCully, The Heart Revolution
Smith, Going Against the Grain
If you are looking for something in particular in relation to fat burning foods or fat burning exercises, here you can FAST SEARCH our website or the World Wide Web.
