I’m so excited to let you in on a secret about losing fat without any gym time and you can do while you are sitting at your computer or watching TV! Sound like something you may be interested in? I know it sounds too good to be true, but it is! Have you heard of cold thermogenesis? You can use this to burn up to several hundred calories per day!
Cold thermogenesis is when heat production is stimulated by exposure to cold temperatures.
We have two types of fat; white fat and brown fat.
White fat is the one that accumulates on our butt, thighs, waist, stomach and arms. There are other contributing factors to having too much body fat (over 24%), such as a low percentage of muscle, too much stress, too much sugar/fake food and not enough sleep. This is the fat we want less of!
Brown fat is the fat that burns the white fat for energy to keep the body warm. Brown Adipose Tissue (brown fat) is located in the neck, spine and clavicle area. We don’t have a lot of brown fat but it’s something we can increase which is desirable because of the positive effects of activated BAT (brown adipose tissue)!
I want to note that I’m not suggesting you abandon your Bride Fit workouts as you may have misinterpreted based on the title of this article! In fact exercise will increase brown fat cells due to the increase in an exercise-induced hormone called irisin.
You may wondering how you can activate this magical brown fat that will accelerate you reaching your Bride Fit body & ‘wedding dress ready’ goals. Here are some SIMPLE ways to use cold thermogenesis to lose fat:
- Wear a cooling vest while sitting at your computer, watching TV or doing chores around the house. I have a KewlVest (if you order one for yourself use coupon code BRIDE to receive 20% off), which was designed after the Harvard Medical School study that used a 57-degree’s Fahrenheit cooling vest to stimulate BAT (brown adipose tissue). This is a super simple way to potentially burn several hundred calories and more importantly burn fat without physical exertion. Exercise will burn glucose (blood sugar), then glycogen (sugar stored in the liver and muscles) before moving to white fat for energy. Cold thermogenesis goes directly to the fat!
- Turn down the thermostat! Research is now suggesting that due to the constant use of air conditioners and heating systems indoors, less time spent outside in nature and a general “lack of exposure to temperature variation” could be a contributor to low brown fat concentration. By keeping your home at a lower temperature (around 63-65 degrees), going outside in the cold, and taking some cold showers (start with 30 seconds and work your way up), may activate more brown fat and burn hundreds of extra calories per day! Research done in 2013 in Japan that was published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation found that having adults with low brown fat stores sit in a room chilled to 63 degrees for two hours a day over the course of six weeks caused them to burn on average 108-289 extra calories in the cold compared with sitting in normal indoor temperatures.
- Exercise has been shown to increase the activity of brown fat in addition to the positive effects on your metabolism and body composition. Muscle cells release irisin, a hormone that has the ability to help white fat mimic brown fat’s positive effects. Irisin is released after muscle cells are active and help stabilize blood sugar levels, control body weight and recover from activity by bringing nutrients like glucose into cells.
- Get quality sleep! I get deeper into why sleep is a key factor is releasing fat in my last article. Sleep is highly influenced by the hormone melatonin and new research is showing that melatonin also affects the use of brown fat.
- Manage stress! Finding strategies to manage stress can help you sleep better, stay committed to regular exercise, and make healthy food choices since stress is the main contributor to overeating and poor food choices. These are all factors and have a big impact on your ability to activate brown fat. Some examples of natural stress relievers are taking a brisk walk outside, spend time on activities that give you pleasure, nurture supportive relationships, read inspiring books and listen to uplifting podcasts.
With health benefits beyond burning calories and decreasing unwanted fat, such as improving heart health and stabilizing blood sugar, activating your brown fat is a great idea! It’s definitely worth experimenting with a cooling vest, brisk walk on cool days, lowering the thermostat, stress management like mediating and getting a good night sleep. For more information on how to get “wedding dress ready” JOIN my on-line program designed specifically for Extraordinary Brides like you!
