DO YOU EVEN
LIFT?
Weights: A girl’s best friend when it
comes to sculpting a toned, strong
body. In fact, the best way to boost
your overall metabolism is to increase
how much muscle you have on your
body, and the higher your muscle
mass, the more kilojoules you burn.
“Getting stronger lets you
move faster, shift more weight, and
generally burn more kilojoules in
less time than steady state cardio,”
says personal trainer Jessica Wolny.
“Secondly, weight training builds
lean muscle, which needs fuel,
meaning you continue to burn fat
long after you leave the gym.”
The key is to have short rest
periods between sets – around 60-
75 seconds, advises personal trainer
Alex Chaple, and prioritise lower-
body movements, like squats,
deadlifts and lunges. “These recruit
the largest muscle groups and the
result is a huge metabolic boost
that increases the rate of fat loss,”
says Chaple. “Use at least one of
these exercises in each workout to
speed up your results.”SNACK
SMART
Studies have shown that eating
fewer carbohydrates after exercise
may boost insulin sensitivity, so try
a high-quality protein snack with a
little slow-releasing carbohydrate,
for example, cottage cheese on
soy-linseed bread or eggs
with vegetables.Love this? Search for more like it on
womensfitness.com.au
KEYWORDS: BURN WORKOUTwomensfitness.com.au womensfitnessaustralia @womensfitnessmag @womensfitnessau 67BeFIT
WORDS
CHRISTINE BAILEY; SARAH IVORY
PHOTOGRAPHY
GETTY IMAGES; THINKSTOCK
Reckon you’ve got #health totally
sorted? It’s worth checking if you
really are eating well for all the exercise
you’re doing and the results you’re
aiming for. If you aren’t downing these,
then weave them into your diet, stat.
PROTEIN: To
burn more fat
and support
muscle mass, suss
out how much
protein you’re
including in your diet.
High-protein foods not only keep you
feeling fuller for longer but increase
thermogenesis, which boosts kilojoule
consumption. Eating adequate protein
also helps maintain strong muscle
tissue, which in turn can also boost
metabolism, so make sure to include
a high-quality protein food (like eggs,
poultry, fish, tofu, meat and whey
protein) in every meal and snack.
COCONUTS:
Sounds weird to
suggest eating
more fat to burn
fat, right? But
studies show the
right types of fat in
your diet can help you manage your
weight. Coconut is rich in medium-
chain triglycerides (MCTs), andresearch published in the International
Journal of Food Sciences and Nutrition
shows that MCTs are less likely than
animal fats to be stored in your fat
cells and are more likely to be burned
for energy. Switch to coconut oil when
you cook and try adding a spoonful to
a post-workout shake as well.
FISH: Research from
Japan has found
that the omega-3
fats in oily fish
(such as salmon,
sardines and
mackerel) turn ‘bad’
fat cells into healthy ones that burn
kilojoules like a furnace. Aim to include
some oily fish at least three times a
week or take a fish oil capsule daily.
GREEN TEA:
Green tea is rich
in a flavonoid
(a type of plant
chemical) called
epigallocatechin
gallate (EGCG),
which has been shown to speed up fat
metabolism. Recent research published
in the Journal of Nutrition suggests that
drinking four to five cups of green tea
daily combined with exercise should do
the trick. Green tea has also been found
to reduce those sugar cravings.What’s on your menu?