Extra fat on your body is just stored up energy called adipose tissue. It cushions and insulates the body, and it’s found beneath the skin and surrounding organs. When you have too much adipose tissue on your body, it contributes to serious health complications like heart disease, high cholesterol, hypertension, diabetes and stroke. It also contributes to poor body image and for this reason people are desperately trying to find ways to lose fat from different parts of the body, mainly the arms, thighs and stomach. Here are a few of my helpful tips to help you lose that excess body fat without turning to plastic surgery or pills:

1. Eat More Often

Increase your basal metabolic rate (BMR). This is the rate at which your body burns calories normally on and day to day basis. You can accomplish this by eating small healthy meals 5-6 times a day. One mistake people make is waiting a long time to eat, and then gorging on a large meal. This slows down your metabolism making it even harder to lose fat, so try to avoid skipping meals.

2. Increase Your Water Intake

Your liver is designed to convert stored fat into energy, but when you’re not well hydrated, your kidneys do not work as well as they should and your liver has to function harder. When your liver is working overtime, it can’t metabolize fat effectively as it should, and your body stores more fat. To burn more fat off your arms, thighs, and stomach you should drink half your body weight in ounces of water each day.

3. Use Sweat Bands and Work Out

Wear sweat bands when exercising. It helps to heat up extra adipose tissue making it easier to burn off. You’d want to perform fat burning exercises like squats, jump roping and jumping jacks to failure (fitness trainer jargon for: until you can’t do no more). Try to perform aerobic activity for 40-60 minutes 5 days a week, and strength train 2-3 times a week on non-consecutive days. The goal is to break down your muscles, so they reform leaner and stronger making the targeted areas look smaller.

4. Get a Massage Regularly

Massage therapy is not just for relaxation and stress relief. It has a positive effect on your fitness level and muscle-building capabilities, which can help you melt fat and burn extra calories. Massage therapy increases the interchange of vital nutrients with better circulation and increases tissue metabolism. Some research studies show that massage can burst the fat capsule in subcutaneous tissue so the fat exudes and become expelled through the blood stream.

Losing body fat can be a daunting task. It takes time, patience and consistency practicing the 4 smart solutions listed above. But don’t get discouraged, keep a positive attitude and seek the support you need to sustain your motivation towards your goal.