While real weight loss requires determination and effort, if all you want is to shed a few calories, there are some surprising things you can do at no cost to your mental wellbeing whatsoever. So, we gathered some top wellness experts for their secrets on burning a few extra calories.
1. Cool Down: According to Dr Marilyn Glenville, author of the Natural Health Bible For Women, ‘Drinking ice cold water means your body has to work harder to keep warm. Therefore you burn more calories while you drink.’ Weight loss expert Sian Walters adds, ‘You could use up to 70 calories a day just by drinking eight glasses of cold water. Sadly the same does not apply to eating ice cream. However US researchers did find that lowering your bedroom thermostat to 19C makes you burn 7% more calories while you sleep. That’s 100 calories for every 24 hours you spend in bed.’
2. Stand Up: ‘It doesn’t matter when, where or what you are doing,’ Walters notes. ‘Standing up burns an extra 42 calories an hour. Standing makes your heart beat faster, meaning that you need more oxygen. This in turn cranks up your metabolism, the body’s engine that converts calories to energy. This is why standing desks, which enable you to stand up while you work, are becoming increasingly popular. Make the minutes you spend putting on make-up in the morning work for you by standing in front of a mirror. Even 10 minutes flicking through the paper while you wait for the kettle to boil will count.’ Dr John Buckley, who led a study into the benefits of standing at ChesterUniversity, comments, ‘Standing for three to four hours a day helps burn up to 30,000 extra calories a year. It’s the equivalent of running 10 marathons a year.’
3. Fidget: Walters points out, ‘Children are often told to stop fidgeting but adults need to do it more…it’s the calories we burn when not exercising that really matter. Neat (non-exercise activity thermogenesis) studies [show] that some people’s brains are simply wired to want to move less but they can change this in 20 days. Start by wiggling your toes under your desk, whip the vacuum around each day rather than once a week or just fold your washing.’
4. Eat Early: Dr Glenville instructs, ‘Eat your breakfast within an hour of waking up. Your body needs that cue to fire up your metabolism. If no food appears your body will worry about how to fuel the day’s activity and turn all calorie-burning activity to a low setting.’ Walters weighs in, ‘The best metabolism-boosting breakfasts include protein and carbohydrates. A lean bacon sandwich or scrambled eggs with soldiers are winning combinations.’
5. Ditch Decaf: Walters notes, ‘Coffee drinkers have metabolisms that are on average 16 per cent higher than those who choose decaf, according to a study in the American magazine Physiology & Behaviour. This is because caffeine boosts the heart rate, albeit temporarily. It’s the caffeine that you need, not a lot of milk or sugary syrup so aim for a filter coffee or an espresso rather than a full fat latte. If you don’t like coffee try green tea. As well as caffeine it includes an antioxidant that has been shown to act as a metabolism booster.’
6. Laugh More: ‘Forget wrestling with the rowing machine for 10 minutes, you can burn the same amount of calories by laughing 100 times,’ says Walters. ‘A study in the International Journal Of Obesity showed that laughing boosts the metabolism by up to 20% and just 15 minutes of giggling a day is enough to burn 280 calories a week. That works out at up to 4lb of fat a year. Laughter helps exercise your heart too so it’s a win-win situation.’
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